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Keeping Christmas lights on to add ambiance can help set a shopping district apart

admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:07:13 +0000

Christmas lights that glow softly through long winter nights are part of what makes the holiday season so atmospheric—but they can add to the ambiance any time of year. Some shopping districts are leaving their lights up for exactly that reason.

Montreal retailer Frank and Oak files for creditor protection for second time

admin — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:25:58 +0000

In January 2025, the Montreal-based retailer Frank and Oak filed for creditor protection for the second time in recent years. A company statement said it was to protect employees, assets and operations from creditor claims while exploring options to restructure. “The brand is not standing out in an environment where other brands have done well,” said Bensadoun School of Retail Management Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with the Montreal Gazette.

Financial institutions shift climate strategies amid GFANZ changes

admin — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 01:14:08 +0000

Despite BlackRock’s exit from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), climate action remains a key priority for financial institutions, says Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance. He notes that asset managers are shifting their strategies to focus on helping firms transition to net zero rather than maintaining strictly net-zero portfolios. While GFANZ is adapting to these needs, Betermier warns that moving away from alliances could weaken collective action.

Dean Yolande Chan on breaking barriers and the work ahead

admin — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:50:36 +0000

Dr. Yolande Brown Chan, Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management, shares her journey and ongoing mission for racial equity in an interview with CTV News. Appointed in 2021, she is ��ϲ��’s first Black dean and remains one of Canada’s few Black deans. Reflecting on her experiences—from childhood to early academic success to encounters with racism—she emphasized the need for continued progress. She has championed initiatives to increase access for racialized communities and lead equity reviews.

Trump’s tariffs: “Short-term pain, long-term gains?

admin — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 19:05:10 +0000

As President Trump’s latest tariffs send markets into turmoil, ��ϲ�� Desautels Professor Vivek Astvansh provides insight into the potential long-term impact on trade and investments. Amid uncertainty, experts suggest diversification as the key to stability. Read more on how Canadian markets and investors can navigate this shifting landscape.

Chinese tech firm DeepSeek shows smaller firms can compete with tech giants in AI

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:49:19 +0000

When OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022, the hype around AI began building to a fever pitch. Big money poured in to big tech, sending the stock of companies like Microsoft and Nvidia soaring. But a December 2024 AI chatbot release from a much smaller Chinese tech firm is showing that generative AI can be built a much more modest budget. “Deepseek shows that smaller companies with more limited resources can compete with tech giants,” Prof. Ruslan Goyenko told Benefits Canada.

Patrick Augustin sets the record straight about Luxembourg

admin — Thu, 15 May 2025 18:40:29 +0000

Luxembourg is best known as a wealthy tax haven--if people know it at all. The tiny and wealthy country is a significant financial centre, but it also has the reputation of being a little dull. But Professor of Finance Patrick Augustin begs to differ. “Of course, it is not comparable to major metropolitan cities like London or New York, but for its size, I think the country punches above its weight in terms of cultural and social activities,” says Augustin, a Luxembourger.

MMF ranked #1 in North America by Financial Times

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:05:47 +0000

The ��ϲ�� Master of Management in Finance (MMF) has placed on the 2025 Financial Times (FT) (pre-experience) Masters in Finance rankings list, coming in 38th out of 70 schools globally.

McCall MacBain Scholar Brandon Greenall shares his MBA journey

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:04:52 +0000

Brandon Greenall’s journey from Hazelton and Prince George, B.C., to the halls of ��ϲ�� University’s Desautels Faculty of Management exemplifies ambition and transformation. The 2024 McCall MacBain Scholar has leveraged his background in finance, marketing, and project management to embrace the international perspectives offered by ��ϲ�� Desautels' MBA program.

International diversification helps hedge against Trump tariff risk

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:42:59 +0000

US tariffs are a concern for all Canadians—and companies on both sides of the border stand to lose out. But investors shouldn’t necessarily head for the exits, according to Benjamin Croitoru, an associate professor of finance at ��ϲ�� Desautels. “Emotion is a bad financial advisor,” Croitoru told Radio-Canada. “It’s a time of great uncertainty, but also a good time to think about how internationally diversified your portfolio is. You don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket.”

US trade policy changes present challenges and opportunities

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:47:03 +0000

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.

Tariffs are remaking global supply chains in real time

admin — Wed, 28 May 2025 19:28:50 +0000

The imposition of tariffs on an ever changing array of products is disrupting global supply chains. Businesses are scrambling to reroute shipments to avoid the hefty fees they could incur as tariffs exceeding 100% are imposed, delayed, or removed entirely—all seemingly at whim. “In the short term, this will be almost like COVID 2.0,” said Saibal Ray, Professor of Operations Management at ��ϲ�� Desautels.

Hamid Etemad earns global recognition

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:13:49 +0000

Hamid Etemad has been named a 2024 Top Scholar by Scholar GPS. Over a long and distinguished career, the Associate Professor of Marketing has been recognized for his excellence in teaching and research, Scholar GPS recognized Etemad as being in the top 0.5% of scholars in his field. Etemad’s research has probed the role of technology in business and its impact in emerging market economies.

President Trump’s trade antics could be a prelude to 2026 USMCA renegotiation

admin — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:16:22 +0000

It is not yet clear whether US President Donald Trump will follow through on his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada—or even what the motivation for that threat really is. Inconsistent messaging could be a deliberate tactic by the US president, Vivek Astvansh told canadianfamilyoffices.com. “We should care less about the reasons Trump is threatening tariffs, because they keep shifting,” says the Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at ��ϲ�� Desautels.

How one MBA student finds time for healthy living

admin — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:54:58 +0000

For Liela Touré, an MBA student at ��ϲ�� juggling a marketing role at a consultant firm, grocery shopping is more than a necessity—it’s a form of self-care. With long days and limited time to cook, she meal-preps in bulk, freezes balanced meals, and prioritizes high-quality pantry staples. Making intentional choices has helped her stay energized and avoid burnout. She has cut out alcohol for the semester, limits caffeine, and swaps restaurant outings for home-cooked meals.