February/March 2026

Dear colleagues,

I hope the winter term is going well for everyone as we head into the last stretch before final exams and (hopefully) warm spring weather.

I’m pleased to share that, following four years of service, I have been reappointed for an additional year to the AACSB Board of Directors, beginning July 1, 2026. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues around the world to elevate the quality and impact of business education.

Fostering a sense of belonging and engagement

Dean's Spring Celebration

It was a joy to see so many smiling faces at our annual spring celebration. We had the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our retirees and their lasting impact on our School. You can see photos from the event on the JMSB Flickr here. Thank you to Sabrina Catalogna for organizing another wonderful edition of this event.

Retirements

In June, our faculty retiring in Accountancy include Charles Draimin and Dominic Peltier-Rivest. From Management, Ron Abraira, Rick Molz and Barbara Shapiro. In Marketing, Bryan Barbieri and Mickey Thakor. And from Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, Dale Doreen and Mahesh Sharma.

And to our staff retiring in April and May, we wish all the best to Bridget Flynn in the Undergraduate Office; Arthur Kazakian, Cynthia Law and Jacklin Lu in the Graduate Office; Dolores Mosquera in the Research Office, and Catherine Sarrazin from the Department of Accountancy.

To our retirees: Your impact will continue in the confidence you gave to a graduate who found their voice, in a colleague who learned by watching you, and on an institution that stands stronger because of your care, your rigor, and your commitment. You are and will remain a treasured part of our story at John Molson. May the seasons ahead bring you the same fulfillment that you have given so generously to our community. Thank you for everything you’ve done to make us the best business school in Canada. Thanks to you, #WeAreJMSB!

Appointments

While staff and faculty hiring freeze remains in effect, I am pleased to confirm that one revised position has been approved. Mercedes Santamaria will assume the role of Manager for both Graduate Admissions and the CPA Program, replacing Cynthia Law, effective April 1. I extend my sincere thanks to Mercedes for taking on these expanded responsibilities. I would be remiss not to acknowledge the remarkable and long standing service that Cynthia has given to our community. Like our other retirees, she will be deeply missed. Thank you, Cynthia!

After six years as chair of the Department of Finance, four years as MBA program director - where she led a major program transformation and served on the Board of Governors - and three mandates of three years each as associate dean of professional graduate programs, Sandra Betton will be completing her mandate as associate dean at the end of June. This marks an amazing 21 years of dedicated leadership and academic service. For almost a decade, Sandra pushed our curriculum forward and represented us with great care and professionalism on important university committees, including the APC. Her impact on our school is deep and lasting. I want to thank Sandra for her commitment, integrity, and support towards our colleagues, students and myself.

Matthäus Tekathen will replace Sandra as of July 1. Over the past five years, he has demonstrated strong academic leadership as chair of the Department of Accountancy and, more recently, as director of the CPA program, while also leading the Climate Measures and Reporting Impact Lab of the Climate Business Institute. He has driven significant curriculum innovation through major course redesigns and the development of new offerings. Please join me in thanking him for his steadfast service over the past five years and in wishing him continued success as he begins this new mandate. As he transitions into this role, we will be launching the search for a new chair of the Department of Accountancy.

Open House

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Open House on Saturday, February 21. This one-on-one interaction with potential applicants (and often their parents) is a great opportunity to emphasize our strengths and our important place in the Montreal business community.

Celebrate and share John Molson School of Business successes

On March 19, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Mahesh Sharma was formally inducted into the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. He was recognized for his exceptional service, philanthropy, and long‑standing contributions to our community. Please join me in congratulating Mahesh on this well‑deserved national honour.

Congratulations to Rucsandra Moldovan, associate professor in the Department of Accountancy, on being appointed to the Accounting Standards Boards (AcSB). AcSB is at the highest level of accounting policymaking in Canada.

Congratulations to Suchit Ahuja, co-director of Concordia’s Applied AI Institute and associate professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, on being named among the Top Voices in Higher Education by Vevox.

Enrich teaching and learning

Lots of exciting curriculum changes are happening in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management. The Master’s in Supply Chain Management dual pathway has been approved by Senate, which will give students the option to pursue a 21-credit research thesis, or a 9-credit supervised project with more courses to complete the 45-credit program.

In addition, the new Major in Business Analytics has also been approved by Senate. It will introduce students to business intelligence concepts and data analytics theory, methods, tools and techniques. The Minor in Data Intelligence has also been renamed the Minor in Business Analytics.

Internal events

I had the pleasure of sitting down with alumnus, Great Concordian and a founding principal of Robbins Gupta Holdings, Ajay Gupta, as part of the "In Conversation With..." series presented by University Advancement. The audience of students, faculty and staff at this sold-out event were captivated by his thoughtful and generous answers during our conversation. Thanks to Joe Capano and Daniel Cere for their support in bringing Ajay to campus. You can see photos from the event here.

Following its successful first edition, the Department of Marketing hosted another live podcast recording in collaboration with 4TH SPACE. Talking Shop: Retail in Motion explored the shifts reshaping retail. You can watch a video of the event here.

Sophie Audousset-Coulier, professor in the Department of Accountancy, organized and hosted the 5th Accounting Auditing Control Conference. Sophie is the co-editor-in-chief of the journal Comptabilité Contrôle Audit/Accounting Auditing Control (CCA/AAC) and organized this journal conference for a special issue on contemporary auditing practices.

We are proud of our highly engaged faculty members who work to create an inspiring and stimulating environment for our colleagues and students. Bravo!

Internal events

Valentine's Day Bake Off

The JMSB Social Committee held its third annual Valentine’s Day Bake Off with great success! A big thank you to the bakers. Congratulations to Manal Tarhini, Amalia Dinut and Salvatore Colavita and thank you to the judges: Jordan LeBel, Oliver de Volpi (from Hospitality) and Tanya Giannelia.

Writing workshop for The Conversation

On Friday, March 27 at 2pm, the Concordia media relations team is inviting John Molson researchers to a workshop on writing for The Conversation, a news platform reserved exclusively for academics and researchers, including PhD scholars. These skills will also translate to writing for John Molson Perspectives. The workshop will be held in MB 15.254. You can register here.

Closing remarks

All the best as we head into finals and warmer weather.

Warm regards,

Anne-Marie Croteau, PhD, CDir

Dean