ĢƵ

The fourth edition of the Spring Finance Workshop took place from April 27 to 29, 2025, bringing together top scholars in the field of finance to explore emerging themes across banking, investor expectations, climate finance, asset pricing, and corporate decision-making. Co-organized by Professors Laurent Barras (University of Luxembourg), Mark Podolskij (University of Luxembourg), and Patrick Augustin (ĢƵ), the workshop continues to grow as a vibrant forum for academic exchange and collaboration.

Classified as: Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre, David Schumacher, Patrick Augustin
Published on: 12 May 2025

Explore the insights from the second Sustainable Transportation Roundtable hosted by ĢƵ's Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI). This year's event, sponsored by Alstom, focused on road safety and reimagining urban streets. Keynote speaker Tom Flood highlighted the impact of media on street design and the need to shift narratives towards safer, more inclusive transportation. Panels discussed reclaiming streets for diverse users and overcoming barriers to public transportation.

Classified as: Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI)
Published on: 9 May 2025

Two researchers at Desautels were among the academics recognized by ĢƵ with prestigious internal awards for their outstanding scholarship and research excellence. Associate Professor Anna Kim was among the eleven associate and assistant professors honoured with a William Dawson Scholar award, which recognized the demonstrated potential to become a global leader in their field.

Classified as: Saibal Ray, Anna Kim
Published on: 9 May 2025

In Canada, we often imitate the US political system without giving it serious thought, says Jean Charest, a former Member of the Parliament of Canada and Premier of Quebec. But growing political polarization and pressures on the Supreme Court shouldn’t be emulated, Charest told Prof. Karl Moore for an article in Les Affaires. “Maybe it’s the right time to ask ourselves who we are, what are values are, and what we hope to accomplish in the world,” Charest added.

Classified as: Karl Moore
Published on: 9 May 2025

ĢƵ will award an honorary degree to Donald William Lewtas (BCom’75), a ĢƵ alumnus, at the ĢƵ Desautels Faculty of Management convocation this spring.

Lewtas will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.), in recognition of his leadership in global finance and his support for hands-on education at the faculty.

Classified as: Donald Lewtas, Lewtas Office of Experiential Learning, experiential learning, BCom Alumni
Published on: 7 May 2025

Desautels has one of the country’s top MBA programs, and its students come from all over the world. But nearly half of this year’s cohort are Quebec residents. “This allows us to offer an experience tailored to the Quebec market, all while keeping the program’s international perspective,” says Prof. Demetrios Vakratsas, the program’s academic director.

Classified as: Demetrios Vakratsas, MBA Alumni, Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Published on: 2 May 2025

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking, but having someone to lean on can help make it a little easier. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z employees leave their job within the first year, but a recent US study found that when new hires join an organization as a group, employee retention is better. While Gen Z is unlikely to stay in their jobs as long as previous generations, this could be a strategy to hang around longer than they currently do. “It's a good way for them to bond with each other, and with the organizations,” says Prof.

Classified as: Karl Moore
Published on: 2 May 2025

Generative AI has generated a whole lot of buzz--but not as many use cases. Many businesses don’t yet know how to use the technology to make their operations more efficient. Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization Karl Moore recommends starting small. “Betin with specific, well-defined use-cases where data is readily available to map the current state of the process and the future state of technology,” he writes in Forbes.com.

Classified as: Karl Moore
Published on: 2 May 2025

Ever since Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement, stock markets have been volatile. The tariffs impact thousands of companies, and with the exact scale and scope of tariffs changing almost daily, the extent to which they will be affected is uncertain. “It makes it difficult for companies to investments,” Prof. Sebastien Betermier told TVA Nouvelles. “And as long as they don’t know what will happen over the long term, it will remain difficult.”

Classified as: Sebastien Betermier
Published on: 2 May 2025
ĢƵ announces 2025 cohort of Distinguished James ĢƵ Professors, James ĢƵ Professors and William Dawson Scholars 

Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 31 ĢƵ professors as Distinguished James ĢƵ Professors, James ĢƵ Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.
Published on: 1 May 2025

Gin is a classic British spirit, but dozens of Quebec distillers have taken to making it their own, embracing James Bond’s favourite drink. The SAQ, however, is not doing Quebec’s gin distillers many favours. Even though the provincial alcohol sales monopoly has sometimes promoted local producers, it removed more than 50 Quebec-made gin products from their stores to make shelf space. It stunts the growth of the province’s home-grown spirits industry, which saw sales rise by 75% between 2019 and 2022.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

Casual dining chains such as Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s were once ubiquitous in the United States. However, the middle-class restaurant is fading fast. TGI Friday’s has filed for bankruptcy, while Applebee’s has shuttered dozens of locations. Rising costs have contributed to the struggles of these chains, but their generic branding fails to resonate in an era where authenticity matters. Millennials, in particular, demand authenticity, according to Associate Professor Daphne Demetry. “I can’t think of anything more inauthentic than TGI Fridays,” Demetry says.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

When U.S. president Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariff policy in April 2020, stock markets plunged. Certain sectors were more affected than others, with large technology firms like Apple and NVIDIA among the biggest losers. “Sectors like tech that rely on international supply chains are going to be more heavily affected by tariffs,” Professor Sebastien Betermier told CBC News.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

Among the many changes to U.S. trade policy announced during the early days of the second Trump administration was the intention to eliminate the de minimis exemption on shipments to the United States. This exemption allows shipments valued at less than $800 to cross the border duty-free, presenting challenges for businesses that rely on smaller shipments. However, the real focus of this change isn't on small retailers but rather on large Chinese e-commerce companies, such as Shein, that sell products at ultra-low prices.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

In March 2025, students in the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program at ĢƵ Desautels, took part in a week-long study trip to Dubai, to explore one of the world’s most dynamic retail hubs.

The itinerary included meetings with industry leaders from Dubai Economy and Tourism, Huda Beauty, Apparel Group, Kitopi, DAMAC, Carrefour, and Majid Al Futtaim Group. Students gained firsthand insights into retail innovation, digital strategy, localization, and customer experience.

Classified as: Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Master of Management in Retailing (MMR)
Published on: 16 Apr 2025

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