Undergraduate Students

Nine directors at large Canadian pension funds also hold fossil fuel positions

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:28:10 +0000

Nine of the directors who oversee Canada’s largest pension funds also hold positions at fossil fuel companies, according to a report by Pensions and Investments.

IT teams can bring insights into how best to deploy AI

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 17:36:45 +0000

Business leaders understand that AI has the power to generate tremendous value, but it is IT teams that have a deeper understanding of the underlying processes and what’s going on behind the scenes. “They better understand the potential dangers and pitfalls,” says Maxime Cohen, Professor of Retail and Operational Management and Director of Research at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. And because AI needs significant human oversight, they need to be involved in its ideation and deployment.

When it comes to public pensions, Luxembourg could learn from Canada’s success

admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:16:22 +0000

Luxembourg is among the richest places in the world. It is a small, landlocked European country, but has carved out a niche as a major financial centre. Yet its public pension system could benefit from adopting a capitalized pension model, according to research by Patrick Augustin and Sebastien Betermier, both Associate Professors of Finance at �� Desautels. A capitalized pension fund invests the pension contributions of current workers to pay for retiree benefits in the future.

To be effective, sometimes leaders need to display aspects of both introversion and extroversion

admin — Thu, 15 May 2025 18:32:08 +0000

A stereotypical extrovert loves to engage with people, and derives energy from it. For stereotypical introverts, the reverse is true: they prefer to keep to themselves, and too much interaction with others saps their energy. But ambiverts display traits of both personality types, Professor Karl Moore told CBC Radio’s The Weekender with Jared Monkman. The word dates back to the 1920s, but Moore has revived it after interviewing many senior leaders as part of his research program.

Emerging tech can help make business’ more resilient

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:23:31 +0000

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence have the power to boost business’ efficiency, but they can also make an organizations more resilient.

Predictive analytics are one way that companies can help ensure they’re prepared for whatever comes next. Predictive analytics can turn raw data into, writes Karl Moore in Forbes.com.

Concrete policy steps could address issues with Canada’s pension system

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:39:36 +0000

A well-designed pension system brings enormous social and economic values to its members and to society as a whole. Unfortunately, Canada’s doesn’t stand out. A 2024 report from Mercer ranks it just 18 out of 48 countries. In thefutureeconomy.ca, Prof. Sebastien Betermier proposes three measures that could help improve it by:

· Ensuring there are stronger guardrails to keep pension funds operationally independent

Workshop on tackling food waste facilitates cross-sector collaboration

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:44:13 +0000

On June 3, the �� Sustainable Growth Initiative partnered with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to deliver a workshop called ‘Tackling Food Waste’. Professor Javad Nasiry spoke at the event, which featured discussions on research, business solutions, sustainable practices, consumer behaviour, and the role of technology in food redistribution.

When AI is used to set wages, it sets them higher than humans would

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:35:20 +0000

When AI sets wages, it pushes them higher, according to recent research by Maxime Cohen, a Professor of Retail and Operations Management at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. Cohen conducted a study that asked AI to recommend wages for 60,000 freelance profiles in a variety of industries. He found that AI sets wages higher than humans do.

Transforming urban mobility at the SGI sustainable transportation roundtable

admin — Fri, 09 May 2025 18:32:34 +0000

Explore the insights from the second Sustainable Transportation Roundtable hosted by ��'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.

MBA students gain global business insights on international study trip

admin — Wed, 28 May 2025 19:17:27 +0000

In April 2025, MBA students from ��'s Desautels Faculty of Management embarked on a ten-day international study trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul. The experience blended corporate visits with cultural immersion, offering insights into real-world business challenges in diverse contexts. Students engaged with global firms like Strategy&, Majid Al Futtaim, and Digiturk, while also exploring local heritage sites and community initiatives.

Desautels’ valedictorian Grace Singer hopes for carbon-free future

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:53:16 +0000

This year, ten valedictorians from across the university shared their reflections and insights with ��’s Class of 2025--with an eye cast toward the future. Desautels Grace Singer will be among them. The graduating Bachelor of Commerce student hopes to make a difference by advocating for decarbonization from within the business world. “In the long-term I hope to work directly with the adoption and acceleration of sustainable solutions, such as what I did within the cleantech company I interned at during my degree,” Singer says.

Announcing the Inaugural Recipients of the Arthur D Ruby Prizes in Management

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:58:51 +0000

Congratulations to Anabel Gratton (BCom’23), Damiano Mini (BCom’24), Delia Puiu (BCom’24), George Zergiotis (BCom Concordia’23), Giulia Marandola (BCom’24), Harley Belfer (BCom’23), Jade Raynaud (BCom’23), Joanie Marchand (BCom’24), Sarah Green (BCom’24), and Vincent Ducharme (BCom UOttawa’23) who were awarded the Arthur D Ruby Prizes in Management by the Graduate Cert

Stablecoins could change the economy, but Canada won’t be minting digital currencies anytime soon

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:30:37 +0000

Stablecoins are a form of digital currency whose value is tied to a physical currency, such as the US dollar or Euro. Stablecoins can be easily moved between countries, avoiding costly banking fees. But whether they will be widely adopted or not is still an open question. The Bank of Canada looked into the possibility of producing a stablecoin, but quietly dropped the project.

Customer service chatbots are everywhere, but people prefer human agents to deal with some issues

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:32:26 +0000

The use of customer service chatbots has grown rapidly. Maybe a little too rapidly, according to Vivek Astvansh, an Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at �� Desautels. The worldwide chatbot market has expanded from US$370 million in 2017 to US$2.2 billion last year, but customers are not always satisfied with the service they provide. “When shoppers want sensitive or precise information, they seek human agents, not chatbots,”says Astvansh.

Insights from the Reshaping the Future of Retail Conference

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:48:45 +0000

Meghan Markowski (MMR'25) captures key takeaways from this year's Reshaping the Future of Retail Conference, which brought together over 250 retail leaders, academics, and students at Montreal’s Sofitel Golden Mile on September 26.