Desautels Faculty of Management

What does it really mean to do business in Japan?

MBA candidate Oreoluwa Alabi reflects on this year's Desautels MBA international study trip, which took place in April across Tokyo and Kyoto, for a week of company visits and cultural immersion. From Nissan's pivot to AI-driven mobility to Rakuten's ecosystem strategy, to Morita, a 110-year-old dental company still thriving on a single enduring principle: treat customers as generational partners. The lessons extended well beyond the classroom.

One insight that stayed with him: "Think about everybody else all the time." In Japan, that's not a platitude. It's the operating logic of corporate life. Read Oreoluwa's full reflection https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5h5

A new HRD article looks at how HR leaders can shape the conversation around AI adoption in the workplace. Jean-Nicolas Reyt, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour, says employee anxiety about AI is often well-founded, particularly when transformation is framed purely around cost-cutting. "Cutting costs isn't really the main motivation of most employees," he notes, adding that positioning AI as a "copilot", supporting workers while keeping humans in control, can help shift the narrative from fear to agency. Read more: https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5hw

Students from across North America came together at the fourth annual Business Ethics Case Competition, hosted by McGill Desautels' Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity.

With just five hours to analyze a complex finance case, teams applied strategic thinking, collaboration and ethical judgment to real-world dilemmas spanning climate risk and market fairness. Supported by RBC Wealth Management PH&N Investment Counsel, the competition bridged classroom learning with industry realities, challenging participants to weigh fiduciary responsibility against broader societal impact.

Read the recap: https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5nu

The McGill Master of Management in Finance (MMF) has ranked top 5 in North America in the Financial Times 2026 Masters in Finance rankings —the only Canadian school on the list!

From top-tier profs to standout students and alumni, see why our MMF program is making waves!
https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5nV

As geopolitical tensions reshape global capital flows, Sebastien Betermier, associate professor of finance sees a pivotal opening for Canada.
"Canada is becoming increasingly investable," he says on ICI Radio-Canada, pointing to growing opportunities in infrastructure and energy transition assets, sectors long dominated by public ownership.
Betermier argues that while policy uncertainty gives some investors pause, long-term stability will carry more weight than short-term political noise. With the right regulatory framework, Canada can position itself at the intersection of profitability and environmental responsibility. https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5eS

As the Bank of Canada spotlights AI's potential to drive productivity growth, faculty lecturer Simon Blanchette urges organizations not to mistake efficiency for impact.

"Today is the day that AI will be the least powerful in our lifetime," he cautions in Canadian HR Reporter.

Blanchette argues that time savings alone won't move the needle. Without investment in strategy, measurement, and workforce capabilities, productivity gains risk remaining modest.

Read the full article: https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5eU

Desautels Professor Robert Nason has been appointed Associate Academic Director, Entrepreneurship & Engagement at the McGill Sustainability Park.

Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization and Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) at Desautels, Prof. Nason is recognized for his research on the role of entrepreneurship in society, including in contexts of poverty. In his new role, he'll work to embed an entrepreneurial mindset across the McGill Sustainability Park's research, teaching and community partnerships.

"Not entrepreneurship as a narrow lane for venture-backed startup founders, but entrepreneurship in all its forms," says Nason. "Ventures, but also policy innovation, intrapreneurs, social movements and community-led action. I see entrepreneurship as something that amplifies and enriches research and teaching, rather than competing with it."

He joins fellow Associate Academic Directors Elena Bennett and Blane Harvey, working alongside Academic Director Rees Kassen to shape the Park's vision ahead of its expected fall 2029 opening.
https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5s6

Canada's healthcare system faces real, pressing challenges. But solving them may require looking beyond budgets.
Professor Samer F***j, founding director of McGill's new Initiative for Transforming Healthcare (ITH), believes the path forward lies in rethinking how care is organized, coordinated, and delivered — not simply how it's funded.
"We have superb clinicians in our system, but the organizational structure they operate in is not optimal for providing the best care flow."
Anchored at the Desautels Faculty of Management and brought to life through a $5.75M gift from Power Corporation of Canada, Canada Life, and IGM Financial, the ITH unites expertise across medicine, management, and public policy. The initiative is already partnering with Montreal hospitals and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, with more collaborations to come.

Read more: https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5md

Congratulations to Miranda Enepekides (BCom’24), Sacha Rémillard (BCom’25), Serina Petrella (BCom'24), Andrew Bujold (BCom’25), Marilou Chamberland (BCom’25), and Justine Simard (BCom’25) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) program.

In memory of Lionel Pelham Kent, CA, this scholarship was established in 1998 to recognize academic excellence and strong communication skills among students entering the final year of the GCPA program. This year’s capstone case featured a Canadian business that operated in the textiles industry.

The GCPA program extends its thanks to Bianca Vicars, CPA auditor (B.Com ‘23, GCPA ‘24) and Jade Raynaud (B.Com ‘24, GCPA ‘25) for acting as guest judges.

Pictured (left to right): Jason Binette-Adams (B.Com ‘19, GCPA ’20), Prof. Melissa Marginson, Miranda Enepekides, Serina Petrella, Andrew Bujold, Marilou Chamberland, Prof. Amanda Abrams, Justine Simard.

Check out what's happening this month at Desautels. For updates, visit https://www.mcgill.ca/x/5oM

June 8 PhD Thesis Defense Presentation: Fares Belkhiria
June 11 MMA Online | Online Information Session
June 16 Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) National Conference 2026
June 16 MMF Luxembourg Online Info Session
June 17 Online Info Session: Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management (GCHM)
June 25 Online Info Session: International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL)