When it comes to long-term thinking, family-controlled businesses have an advantage
Family-controlled businesses demonstrate exceptional long-term performance. Since 2005, such businesses have significantly outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite. Family-controlled businesses earned an annualized return of 8.3%, compared to 7% for their publicly-traded counterparts, according to the National Bank of Canada’s Family Advantage 2023-24 Report.
A combination of approaches results in better decisions
Navigating decision-making complexities is no easy feat, but Henry Mintzberg, John Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University, and Frances Westley, J.W. McConnell Chair in social innovation at the University of Waterloo, have crafted insightful methods to ease this process.
Long-term investments help Canadian pension plans outperform international counterparts
Canadian pension funds have outperformed their counterparts elsewhere, and a recent study co-authored by Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier examines how they’ve accomplished this. The study analyzes four deals – in the agricultural, railway transportation, real estate development, and financial services– that diversified their holdings and enabled their success.
More Canadians are renewing their mortgages at higher rates, as economy heads toward forecasted recession
More than 3 million Canadians will be facing mortgage renewal in the next 18 months – and with interest rates still at their highest level in years, many will face payments that are 30-40% higher. “Inflation has been off the charts for the past couple years, and when the Bank of Canada raises interest rates, it is to bring inflation down,” explains Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance.
GCPA guest lecturer Michael Richardson receives teaching excellence award
Congratulations to Michael Richardson (GCPA'18, 2018 CFE Honour Roll and Gold Medal in Quebec) on receiving the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA)Teaching Award for Guest Lecturers for the second time!
2023 CFE Honour Roll for GCPA Participants
Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) Tian Cheng Huang (BCom’22, GCPA‘23) and Kyra Swift (BCom UOttawa’21, GCPA’23) have been named to the Honour Roll of the Common Final Exam (CFE) for their outstanding results.
Navigating the retail conundrum: striking the right balance in inventory management
It has been a challenging few years for supply chains. After pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, many retailers increased their inventory for the 2022 holiday season. After all, demand was still booming at the time. But demand has come down off its peak, and that presents an entirely different problem for retailers in 2023. Some major retailers have reduced inventory so as to not be left with products they can’t sell.
Lightspeed CEO JP Chauvet credits globetrotting childhood with fostering intercultural sensitivity
After a childhood spent in France, Ireland, Nigeria and Singapore, JP Chauvet’s career has spanned yet more countries and continents. He was lured from London to Montreal to work for Lightspeed, where he is Chief Executive Officer. Growing up, Chauvet never felt fully accepted in any one place, but his ability to understand different cultural perspectives has been an asset in his career.
Suggestion that out-of-province students don’t contribute to Montreal’s dynamism false
Brett Miller (BCom’86) moved to Montreal to study at McGill, but he has made the city his home and become a leader in Quebec’s business community. Now the CEO of the real estate development company Canderel, Miller is concerned about the Quebec government’s plan to double tuition for out-of-province students beginning in Fall 2024. “To suggest that out-of-province students don’t contribute to the dynamism of the city is such a false message to send.
Asking the right questions can help leaders understand their business
After working in investment banking in Amsterdam, New York and Tokyo, Sarab Hans (MBA’00) returned to Canada to take the reins of the family business. Mississauga-based Hans Dairy specializes in South Asian dairy products, but Hans didn’t have experience in dairy food and beverage production and needed to learn about the manufacturing process.
Bargain hunters beware: online deals can come with unanticipated conditions
Scouring for holiday gifts at bargain prices is a savvy way to cut costs, but the allure of Black Friday deals sometimes masks potential pitfalls. In an article for BNN Bloomberg, Associate Professor Vivek Astvansh emphasizes the need for caution among bargain hunters to ensure they're fully informed about any unforeseen conditions.
Holiday grocery price freeze includes more products this year, but long-term affordability solutions needed
This year, Canada’s large grocery chains are freezing the price for a greater variety of items than usual before the holidays. While 10-15% more products are included in the freeze this year, the true test of affordability will come later. “How high will grocery prices be when the price freeze ends?” asks Professor Saibal Ray in an interview with CBC Radio’s As It Happens.
Ava Labs and CBER Forum launch new blockchain and crypto podcast series
Ava Labs, a software provider for the Avalanche blockchain network, has launched a new podcast series under its Owl Explains initiative. “Crafting the Crypto Economy” spotlights top researchers from leading academic institutions and features McGill Desautels Assistant Professor of Finance Thomas J. Rivera as part of the opening lineup.
BCom alum’s paper on the financial literacy of immigrants an FCAC finalist
McGill Desautels graduate Avneet Bhabra (BCom’23)’s research paper “23% and Counting, but Not ‘One Size Fits All’: Helping Canada’s Immigrants Strengthen Their Financial Knowledge” has been published by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) on Canada.ca. Focusing on financial literacy amongst immigrants in Canada, the paper was selected as a finalist in the undergraduate category of the FCAC’s 2023 Building Better Financial Futures Challenge.
McGill Desautels launches the Management Science Case Writing Competition
The inaugural McGill Desautels Management Science Case Writing Competition, organized by Assistant Professor (Teaching) Rob Glew and supported by EY, turns the tables on the traditional case competition format. Since May, 34 BCom students worked to write case studies on their experience with operations management and analytics on their summer work placements.
