August 2025

Dear colleagues,

Welcome back! I hope you had a lovely summer. I’m looking forward to another exciting academic year ahead.

Let’s start with some good news!

Celebrating our success

Accreditation & rankings

The Princeton Review named our MBA to its Best On-Campus MBA Programs which is part of its overall Best Business Schools for 2025 report. We are proud to be among 213 institutions recognized in this ranking—and notably, the only Canadian institution to be included. Please feel free to share the story in your networks.

Accolades and honours

Congratulations to Mahesh Sharma, professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, and Barry F. Lorenzetti, founder of BFL Canada and generous donor responsible for our Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women in Entrepreneurship and Leadership. The two were recently named to the Order of Canada.

Congratulations to Kathleen Boies, professor in the Department of Management, on being named among five finalists for The Leadership Quarterly’s Decennial Award. This award recognizes an article published a decade ago that has made a lasting contribution to the field. Kathleen was nominated for an article co-authored with John Fiset and Harjinder Gill on communication and trust in leadership.

Promote collaborative and impactful research

Suchit Ahuja, associate professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, served as the sponsorship co-chair for the Association for Information Systems (AMCIS) conference 2025. The theme was "Intelligent Technologies for a Better Future.” So many of our colleagues, most from the Business Technology Management area, were actively engaged throughout the event. Their research contributions and presence were truly inspiring. I had the honour of participating in a fireside chat with Julie Lévesque, CIO of the National Bank of Canada, at this conference.  

Enrich teaching and learning

Internal and external appointments

Jordan LeBel, professor in the Department of Marketing, has been appointed Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Development. He’ll be in the role from January 1, 2026 to May 31, 2029. I’d like to thank him for his outstanding work as the academic liaison for JMEC last year. I’m pleased to share that Alexandra Dawson, professor in the Department of Management, is now taking on this important role.

I want to congratulate John Molson Advisory Board member Delphine Manceau on her recent appointment as president of the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE). Founded in 1973, the CGE brings together major academic institutions, companies and member organizations to address today’s challenges. Delphine is the dean of NEOMA Business School with whom we offer a double degree in international business.

I’m proud to be re-appointed to the board of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). I look forward to continuing my work alongside a global group of thoughtful, dedicated, and visionary deans who are passionate about shaping the future of business education.

We’re pleased to welcome some new faculty members this year. Jung-Hyun Suh is now part of the Management department as an assistant professor. Sabrina Lairy (Accountancy) and Richard Sejean (Marketing) have reached the rank of ETAs, while Radomir Todorov (Finance), Basmah Ali (Management), Valentina Primossi (Marketing), and Didier Chanut (SCBTM) have joined as LTAs.

We also congratulate Tieshan Li (associate professor in the Department of Marketing) and Juliane Proelss (associate professor in the Department of Finance) on their new chair appointments. Additionally, Xiaodan Pan, associate professor in SCBTM, has been appointed as the new graduate program director for the Master of Supply Chain Management.  

I’d like to take a moment to sincerely thank Darlene Walsh (associate professor, Department of Marketing) for her exceptional leadership as department chair over two consecutive three-year mandates. She introduced innovative and effective ways to engage faculty members in various roles and her positive energy and professionalism made her truly stand out. Her thoughtfulness and wisdom were especially invaluable during the challenges of the pandemic.

I also want to recognize Erkan Yönder (associate professor, Department of Finance) for his impactful leadership over the past three years. Both Darlene and Erkan’s contributions to our bi-weekly Executive Committee meetings were deeply appreciated—not only by me, but also by their fellow department chairs and associate deans. Their thoughtful insights, collegial spirit and commitment to collaboration enriched our discussions and helped strengthen our collective leadership.

Erkan now transitions into an exciting new role as Director of the Jonathan Wener Centre in Real Estate, succeeding Michel Deslauriers (ETA, Finance), who was instrumental in establishing this centre and also building the popularity of the Minor in Real Estate—now one of the most sought-after minors at our school.  

Retirements

We wish a very happy retirement to Professor Dale Doreen. Dale has been a valued member of the Concordia University community since 1971, contributing an exceptional 54 years of service to our institution.

Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated remarkable dedication as both a faculty member and an academic leader. In addition to his teaching, Dale served in numerous key administrative roles, including department chair, academic director of the EMBA program, director of the IATA-Concordia Aviation MBA program and John Molson faculty representative on the planning committee for the MB building.

After nearly 26 years at the Centre for Instructional Technology, Malcolm MacPhail is retiring. He began in 1999 as an intern while completing his Master’s in Educational Technology.

From pioneering the AVSEC aviation security course to guiding our transition to online learning during the pandemic, Malcolm has always been recognized for his expertise, efficiency and kindness. He has also played a major role in the ongoing JMSB curriculum revision, supporting faculty and shaping continuous improvements.

As Malcolm steps into this new chapter, we thank him for his many contributions and wish him the very best. Rhea Westover will take over his responsibilities moving forward.

New hire

We are pleased to welcome Virginie Chane-Teng as executive director of the Climate Business Institute. She replaces Stephen Kibsey, who will remain with the institute as strategic advisor. Virginie is currently vice-president, enterprise risk management, at Investissement Quebec.

She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in risk management and sustainability practices that will be invaluable to the Climate Business Institute. Her primary role will be in forging strong industry connections.

Booking rooms in MB and JMSB templates

Everything you need to know about how to book rooms in MB can be found on the JMSB SharePoint. Please take a moment to read through the MB Boardroom Booking Guidelines so that you are aware of the most recent policies prior to booking a room.

We’ve also updated our official templates to reflect our pride in accreditation. Our email signatures, letterheads, and PowerPoint presentations now include the AACSB and EQUIS logos. I encourage everyone to use them as often as possible—they’re a visible sign of the excellence we represent. You can find all the updated templates on the JMSB SharePoint site via the shortcut on your office computer or by clicking here.

Closing remarks

Please keep in touch about successes happening in your unit by contacting our Communications Manager, Taylor Tower at taylor.tower@concordia.ca.

I wish everyone a positive start to the Fall term and a fruitful academic year ahead! I’m looking forward to welcoming you at our upcoming BBQ!

Warmest regards,
Anne-Marie Croteau, PhD, CDir
Dean