Despite being a lucrative revenue source for the government, the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) monopoly is under scrutiny for limiting consumer choices, especially for premium spirits like high-end bourbons. Exclusive distribution rights mean that if SAQ doesn’t stock a particular brand, it won’t be available in Quebec's retail outlets.

Saloua Benkhouya (BSc’04, MBA’11) has been elected as President of the Board of Directors of the Women in Finance Association in Quebec (AFFQ), an organization dedicated to women in the financial services sector. Benkhouya has been an active member of AFFQ since 2016, previously serving as secretary and a member of the audit and risk management committee.

Widespread access to higher education is a relatively recent phenomenon. People in Quebec only started attending university in significant numbers in the 1960s. And Quebec’s highly educated workforce has yielded dividends, writes Nicolas Bérubé in La Presse. In 2021, the median household income was up 26% from ten years before. It’s a golden age for earners in Quebec, and with more income comes more money management responsibility. McGill’s free, online Personal Finance Essentials course can help people learn more about managing their money.

In February 2024, the low-cost carrier Lynx Air announced it was filing for creditor protection and would cease operations, with just a few days’ notice to its ticket holders. The airline had significant overlap with Air Canada’s routes and never managed to gain a foothold in the market. “It’s a difficult environment for airlines to make money in Canada,” says Prof.

After completing his studies at McGill, Jeremy Awori (MBA’90) worked briefly in the financial services sector in Canada before becoming head of retail banking for the Standard Chartered Bank of Kenya at just 28 years old. Today, he is director general of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, a pan-African banking conglomerate with operations in 33 countries. This year, Financial Afrik named Awori one of 100 people who are transforming Africa.

Lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose operates in 20 countries, but they haven’t expanded to the neighbouring United States – until now. The Montreal-headquartered company is opening three stores in New York state, with an eye cast toward operating nationwide one day. But with a more crowded market for lingerie in the United States, they’re taking a cautious approach.

This winter, the sustainability efforts of 13 University offices were recognized by the rigorous Sustainable Workplace Certification program hosted by the McGill Office of Sustainability, with nearly half coming from McGill Desautels. The Academic Affairs Office earned a Gold-level certification, while the Dean’s Office and Infrastructure Team earned Silver, and the EMBA McGill-HEC program, Human Resources Team, PhD in Management Office, and Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship were recognized with Bronze awards.