May/June 2025

Dear colleagues,

I want to thank everyone who attended Convocation. The spirit at Place des Arts was joyful and it was a pleasure to see so many smiling faces. It is always a treat for me to be able to congratulate each one of our graduates with a handshake and well wishes for the future. You can see photos from both ceremonies here.

Celebrating our success

Accreditation & rankings

The biggest news from last month is our EQUIS accreditation - an achievement that, when combined with our AACSB accreditation held since 1997, places us among an elite group of business schools worldwide. In fact, fewer than 1% of business schools globally hold this “double crown” of accreditation.This recognition is more than a badge of honour; it’s a reflection of the values we live by and the standards we uphold. As a reminder, we earned high marks for our research in ethics, responsibility, and sustainability; for the strength of our student support services; for our competitive case competition programs and hands-on learning experiences; for our deep ties to industry; and for how well we prepare our graduates for meaningful careers.

Let’s be proud of this achievement and why not share it with the world? An easy way to do so is to download and use email signatures with the AACSB and EQUIS logos, which can be found on the JMSB SharePoint. You’ll also find PowerPoint templates, word templates and more.

I am also very proud to share that, for the second consecutive year, our School has been recognized as a Level 4 “Transforming School” in the Positive Impact Rating 2025. This places us among the top tier of institutions globally—Level 4 is one of five possible levels and is defined as “showing a positive impact culture, embedded in governance and systems, with visible results across many impact dimensions." This recognition is especially meaningful as it is based entirely on student feedback. This year’s rating included responses from over 17,000 students across 28 countries, highlighting the global reach and credibility of the assessment. 

Accolades & honours 

On May 28, Concordia held its Celebration of Faculty Excellence. Congratulations to our award winners: Xiaodan Pan and Denis Schweizer, President’s Media Outreach Award; and Michel Magnan, the Royal Society of Canada’s Yvan Allaire Medal, for outstanding contribution in governance. I have also been included as a new member of the Provost's Circle of Distinction.

Congratulations to Krzysztof Dzieciolowski on receiving the 2025 SAS Educator Award, honouring educators who “have shown exceptional dedication to their students and leadership in promoting the use of SAS software, AI and data education.”  

Congrats to Michel Laroche on earning the 2025 AMS Distinguished Marketing Educator Award.

Congratulations to Constantine Constandis and co-authors Matthäus Tekathen and alumni Ian Gergovich on publishing the book Finding the Suite Spot: Preparing YOUR Journey into the Boardroom. The royalties from the book launch will go towards experiential learning initiatives in business schools across North America.

Francis Scarpaleggia, MBA 84, became the first Concordia University graduate to be named Speaker of the House of Commons. The Liberal MP represents the Quebec riding of Lac-Saint-Louis and is one of 14 Concordians who were elected to Canada’s 45th Parliament. During his MBA, Scarpaleggia was supervised by Lawrence Kryzanowski.

We celebrated many joyous graduations and other events in May and June.

The Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program marked its 25th anniversary on May 13, coinciding with the students’ graduation celebration. Alexandre Bilodeau (BComm 16), partner and co-founder of A2 Partners, delivered an inspiring keynote address. Drawing from his experience as an Olympic gold medalist and investment professional, he shared valuable insights on the realities of managing a portfolio with alumni, students, and their families in attendance.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Sukyong Yang, who, after more than six years as program director, has decided to pursue new ventures. Under her leadership, the program not only celebrated a memorable milestone but also saw its portfolio grow to over $6 million—a testament to her knowledge, experience and dedication.

The Van Berkom Investment Management Program hosted its graduation on May 28. You can see photos here.

The 27th Induction Ceremony of new members to the Concordia Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma was held on June 9. I want to congratulate our newly inducted members on their remarkable academic achievements and give a special thank you to Nathalie Le Prohon, chair of our advisory board, on her inspiring keynote speech. She reminded students the importance of keeping a healthy balance between being ambitious and staying humble at the same time.

On June 10, the EMBA and the Goodman Institute of Investment Management also held their respective graduation celebrations.  

Career Management Services hosted its second Toronto Networking Trip for John Molson international students from May 14-16 through the C-RISE program. The trip was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Scotiabank and gave students the opportunity to expand their networks in Toronto and get a feel for the city. Undergraduate and graduate students were able to visit employers and attend the International Student Alumni Networking Cocktail.

Enrich teaching and learning

The Centre for Teaching and Learning has a new series of interviews with professors on their teaching. You can hear from two of our marketing professors Lea Prevel Katsanis and Michèle Paulin now, with more to come.

Internal appointments

External appointments

Michel Magnan has been reappointed to the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec (FCDQ) Board of Directors.

President and CEO of Desjardins Group Guy Cormier, who served as the Class Champion for the 2023-2025 EMBA cohort, was named to the rank of commander, Order of Montreal.

New hires

Edda Fargnoli joined us on June 9 as advisor, student academic services in the Undergraduate Programs Office. Edda joins us from the Exams Office where she was the administrator, examinations and academic scheduling. Welcome Edda!

Retirements  

June marked the retirements of Meral Büyükkurt (supply chain and business technology management) and Muhammad Jamal (management).

Meral joined the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management in 1984. Her decades-long career includes many highlights, particularly building up the Major in Management Information Systems, now a cornerstone of the department. She will also be remembered for her rigorous and compassionate teaching and her mentorship of junior faculty members. As Director of Accreditations, Meral was instrumental in advancing our triple-crown accreditation efforts. She led the evaluation and successful implementation of Academ, a platform that now plays a critical role in collecting faculty CVs and generating the detailed reports required by EQUIS and AACSB. Her legacy is one of dedication, innovation, and lasting impact.

Muhammad came to Concordia in 1976. Over his career, he was a productive scholar and a respected teacher in Organizational Behaviour, teaching at all levels, but especially focused on teaching MBA and MSc students. He also worked with many MSc and PhD students as a supervisor or committee member.

In May, we wished a very happy retirement to Norma Paradis. A graduate of Concordia in psychology, Norma joined John Molson in 2011 as the department coordinator for the Centre for Multidisciplinary Behavioural Business Research. She filled many roles across the faculty before serving as the budget assistant for the past 10 years. 

We wish everyone a lovely retirement!

Closing remarks

We have so much to be proud of as we close this academic year and move into summer. I hope everyone will be able to relax and recharge this summer and I look forward to welcoming you back on campus at the start of Fall term!

Au plaisir et bon été!

Anne-Marie Croteau, PhD, CDir
Dean