Latest News
- Category: Rising Stars
Kathleen Kemp and Ajmal Sataar have a nose for business and their heart set on making a difference in their community. Since 2013, the fourth-year students have combined studies in management and finance at the Telfer School of Management with running a business called CigBins, a cigarette butt collection and recycling service.
- Category: Rising Stars
This blog post was submitted by Linda Mouhamou, BCom student.
Leave everything you know about conferences at the door, including a dress code, because when it comes to C2 Montreal’s international conference you can certainly expect them to defy the conventional. Imagined by the Sid Lee creative agency and founding Partner Cirque du Soleil, C2 brings a sensational avant-garde approach connecting intellect with immersive experiences through the dynamic interaction of commerce and creativity.
From May 26 to 28, I was able to represent the Telfer School of Management as one of 100 student delegates from across Canada at this prestigious event. My stimulating experience commenced as I was greeted by a large artistic display of hanging doors that guided me into the contemporary “Innovation Village”, a completely transformed industrial warehouse. C2 exclusively created a mesmerizing venue to ooh and ahh the crowd of ambitious visitors. There were clothing boutiques, exhibits fusing art and technology, activities, scrumptious and artsy food displays, creative seating arrangements, and of course, the always impressive C2 Labs. The labs were out-of-the-box workshops that used virtual reality, a gigantic nest, a fog-filled igloo, and chairs suspended over an 5 meter high net. But it didn’t end there. Making my way outdoors, the circus-like decorum, complete with a Ferris wheel and ship container booths for VIP sponsors instantly made you feel like a big kid. This made it the perfect location for the evening social networking, performances, and the massive final celebration.
All the activities, including over 37 keynote speakers and 30 workshops, were devised around this year’s central theme: choices. Each day conversations took place around food, health, and energy by examining how innovation, social entrepreneurship, investment and technology are shaping our future as a society. The key takeaway of the conference seemed to be the importance of instrumenting projects by building eclectic teams, from strategists to musicians, creatively driving change.
On day one, it quickly became evident that despite setting the bar very high, this year’s C2 had missed the mark in terms of instilling inspiration and delivering valuable content. Nevertheless, being surrounded by 5,000 executive attendees representing 42 countries was enough to give me an adrenaline rush. I wanted to meet everyone! Thus, the biggest lesson that I learned was how rewarding it can be to adapt and turn unfavorable situations into even bigger opportunities. ‘What matters’ to me, as the new Telfer brand goes, is personal development and expanding my network. So, I quickly turned my disappointment around in time for day two by re-strategizing and re-focusing my energy on drawing inspiration and content from dating – ‘brain-dating’ that is. ‘Brain-dating’, the buzzword of the conference, is like your typical online matchmaking tool designed to connect people together to share their life experiences, with one key difference: it’s done platonically.
Now, I should note that I was attending this conference alone, an intimidating feat even for an outgoing person. But it presented a clear benefit: I would be pushed to approach more people, and I could do so at my preferred pace. First, I did my homework. I spent hours every day searching through the participant profile database to find my ideal matches, get to know more about them, discover where sponsors were located, and which attendees were attending what workshops. The next step was reaching out to people I wished to meet. I either requested a ‘brain-date’ on the C2 portal, via social media or I simply approached the keynote speakers at the end of their presentations. Finally, it was time to have fun networking! I had the chance to ‘brain-date’ the CMO of Deloitte Canada in the VIP container, the President of Sid Lee Toronto, the Innovation Leader at PwC, and the Senior Insight/Strategy/Innovation Director at Marriot International.
Although I had the privilege of meeting with these high profiled individuals, I made a point to value each attendee, from students to strategists, equally. Everyone has something to offer, be it as a new friend, business contact, or an opportunity to be exposed to that person’s network. Leaving my resume at home gave me the power to expose my vulnerabilities while paradoxically demonstrating my know-how to these truly fascinating human beings. This resulted in genuine open-minded conversations about career and life paths, and facilitated the exchange of ideas, insight and knowledge.
Post-conference, I find myself with potential business partners for my consulting work, mentors, “ins” in my job pursuit, more ‘brain-dates’ and opportunities waiting to happen. I entered C2 Montreal expecting to have my mind blown with its grandiose approach, but at the end of the day, it was the conversations I shared through networking that evoked the powerful effect. This conference proved to be exceptionally invaluable for ‘what matters to me’. I can’t wait to return next year as a volunteer!
N.B. Presale tickets are on sale for 50% until September 30, 2015. Next year, Martha Stewart and Dr. David Suzuki have already been confirmed as keynotes.
- Category: Rising Stars
globalnews.ca
Enactus National Competition Winner
The University of Ottawa has been named the 2015 Enactus National Champion by this country’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and a 72 person judging panel comprised of top Canadian CEOs, for their ability to enable social, environmental and economic progress through entrepreneurial action.
The team from the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management took home the Tim Hortons Cup in recognition of the impact made at home and abroad through a variety of projects, one of which is providing meaningful job opportunities to individuals with a mental illness.
The winning team included:
- Kathleen Kemp
- Ajmal Sataar
- Sam Thumm
- Hannah Behzadi
- Sayem Reza
- Timmy Guo
“Winning Nationals has been the most amazing ending to my university career. It’s surreal to see that the work that our team has accomplished over the past few years has made such an impact that we’ve been crowned the National champion” said Kathleen Kemp.
“Championing and empowering young people is as important to Tim Hortons as it is with our Tim Horton Children’s Foundation, which shares so many key values with Enactus,” said David Clanachan, President and Chief Operating Officer, Tim Hortons Canada. “Tim Hortons is proud to support Enactus and the entrepreneurial spirits of the young Canadians participating in this competition. We wish them continued success as they make a true difference in their own lives and in that of their communities.”
Enactus University of Ottawa stood victorious with their project CigBins, a cigarette butt and recycling service that has diverted 100,000+ cigarette butts off city streets and generated $73,200 in revenue.
“The Enactus team from the University of Ottawa greatly improved the quality of life for individuals by creating and implementing innovative and forward-thinking community projects,” said Nicole Almond, Enactus Canada president. “We are eager to see Enactus University of Ottawa compete and represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup.”
The National Champion team took home the Tim Hortons Cup and now advances to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup taking place in South Africa in the fall of this year.
More than 1,200 delegates including the country’s brightest university and college students, academic professionals and top business leaders witnessed the crowning of the National Champion at the 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition held in Toronto.
In addition, the financial Literacy team placed 3rd in their category. Congratulations to:
- Mieka Loepp
- Wendy Liang
- Faraz Malik
About Enactus Canada
Enactus Canada, this country’s largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,400 entrepreneurial postsecondary students led 250 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast to coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
- Category: Rising Stars
All students in ADM 4350 (Equity Valuation) took part in a case competition where they had to estimate the value of a real-life company and propose a course of action that the company should take to solve its problems. This term, the mandate was to analyse the valuation of TMX Group limited.
We would like to congratulate:
First place winners (Tie):
Group 1:
- Stephanie Boucher
- Alexa Lebel
- Bruno Levesque
Group 2:
- Cassy Aite
- Daniel Julien
Third prize:
- Ramy Saikaly
- George Andre Skaff
- Mikolaj Adam Kurman
Best poster Award:
- Sepideh Ghorbani
- Aryan Habib
- Justin Mancni
Creativity Award:
- Justin Au
- Graeme Eastwood
We would like to thank all judges: Ray Yuen, Bryan Lunch, Stephen Kavanagh, Carly Shier, Pouya Safi, François-Éric Raciot, Allan Riding, and Michael Reynolds.
- Category: Rising Stars
A total of 79 students divided in groups were responsible for analyzing a case involving a real-life local or Canadian company and report on accounting issues being faced by the subject company. The best groups had to present on April 14th in a competition. The winners received the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA) Case Competition prize for Case Studies in Accounting.
We would like to congratulate the winners:
First Place:
- Amanda Dai
- Saqib Mehmood
- Jordan Pronko
- Connor Snider
- Mohamed Hassan Youssouf
Second Place:
- Idiris Guudle Aden
- Erin Akerley
- Nicholas Chretien
- Elaheh Heidari-Garmesh
- Julianne Selci
Thank you to CPA Ontario for sponsoring the event and to Professor Sheldon Weatherstone, Peter Brennae, Jessica Zhang, Sylvain Durocher, Debbie Rofner and Robert Collier for being judges.
- Category: Rising Stars
The 2015 edition of the Strat 24 case competition, put on by Enactus uOttawa, was a resounding success. Forty competitors, twenty from the Telfer School of Management and twenty from the Faculty of Engineering, worked tirelessly for 24-hours to find a feasible solution to a humanitarian problem provided by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Teams consisted of two engineers and two business students from the University of Ottawa.
The two finalist teams presented at the cocktail evening which was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Ottawa. The cocktail evening had a turnout of about one hundred people including sponsors such as IEEE, Hydro Ottawa and Ceridian. Guests at the final cocktail event also had the opportunity to hear Greg Lane, Managing Director at Cisco Canada, speak about the future of streaming and cloud technology.
The winning team and recipients of the $4,000 grand prize were Andre Smith, Joel Kapongo, Neil Gangal and Shahrukh Anis. Congratulation also goes out to the runner-up team and winners of their Pool, consisting of Anthony Tarasio, Mithun Kommalur, Kristopher Furuness and Philippe Legault. Thank you to all of sponsors, attendees and volunteers who helped make the weekend such a success.
- Category: Rising Stars
As part of a Consumer Behaviour course, several groups of third-year students had the opportunity to look into consumption of gluten-free products for their term project. This project, under the supervision of professors Leila Hamzaoui and Michael Mulvey, was done with the help of Claude Bonnet, owner of Le Moulin de Provence and Olive & Chili in the Byward Market. Mr. Bonnet, who sells gluten-free products and dishes at Olive & Chili, introduced the students to the distinctive features of these products and to consumer perceptions and what prompted them to turn to these products. He also educated them about their benefits and, more generally, about the importance of the relationship between what we eat and long-term health.
Throughout the project, this joint effort mainly allowed the students to understand what matters to consumers of gluten-free products (i.e. the various motivations and values underlying the consumption of these products). Moreover, all of this enabled them to draw up a consumer profile for these products and make recommendations for developing the market for gluten-free products.
As a follow-up to this initiative, one female student went farther in her collaborative approach. Véronic Mageau, a third-year student in entrepreneurship and international management, has had a special interest in gluten-free products for a long time and understands the importance of a healthy diet. She therefore took the opportunity to develop an innovative project with Mr. Bonnet and the Telfer School of Management and to go from theory to practice. She started by creating social media accounts for Olive & Chili, which led her to discover other facets of marketing. With chef Serge Halbardier and operations management director Olivier Chaillot, she participated in developing new gluten- and dairy-free products to be put on the market. Finally, this collaboration should culminate in the implementation of gluten-free product awareness campaigns and the development of entrepreneurial initiatives with the help of various specialists from the Telfer School of Management.
Watch short videos made by the students (in French only):
La clientèle du sans gluten
Évolution du marché sans gluten
Olive & Chili: Les produits sans gluten
The videos were made by : Érica Begley, Mamadou Yero Diallo, Véronic Mageau and Marie-Rose Nyirabavandimwe.
- Category: Rising Stars
All students in ADM4350 (Equity Valuation) took part in a case competition where they had to estimate the value of a real-life company and propose a course of action that the company should take to solve its problems. This term, the mandate was analyze the acquisition of 43 Kentucky Fried Chicken Outlets by Franchise Management Inc.
We would like to congratulate:
First prize:
- Kyle Baker
- Jeff Gottzmann
- Jordan Kord
Second Prize:
- Jivan Moharaj
- Rebecca Mandal
- Joshua Kunze
Third prize:
- Stephanie Furlan
- Mona Mikhael
- Kailin Noivo
Best posters:
- Sang Youn Kim
- Justin Sweeney-Cadieux
Creativity Award winners:
- Raphael Denize
- Emily Lloyd
We would like to thank all judges: Jeff Drinkwater (ScotiaBank), Carly Shiler (Brookfield Renewable Energy Group), Yves Grandmatre (Owner of Oziles Marina), Fred Cotaras (Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems, Inc.), Pouya Safi and Professor François Eric Racicot.
- Category: Rising Stars
Six high performing finance students will be representing the Telfer School of Management at the 2015 Rotman International Trading Competition from February 19-22 in Toronto. RITC is a three-day intensive trading competition and conference that invites teams from 50 of the best universities around the world. The environment is fiercely competitive, and attracts the brightest students from a variety of different undergraduate and graduate programs. The Telfer 2015 team will consist of Cassy Aite, Ian Harten, Malanga Mposha, Daniel Shannon, William Tu, and Ethan Zhang.
Pouya Safi is the manager of the School’s Financial Research and Learning Lab and is in charge of managing and overseeing the development of this year’s team. He helps ensure that his students have all the necessary resources and guidance in order to succeed and compete at the highest level. Pouya has been coaching the team with both training sessions and preparation workshops/competitions. Pouya believes that the frequent training and meetings for the competition since November is something that the team has grown accustomed to and will be their competitive advantage over teams who put in little preparation.
The idea of intense focus and dedication is nothing new to any of these students who had to compete and interview for their spots on the team. Their regular meetings consist of creating complex models, constructing trading algorithms, and stress-testing strategies. William Tu comments, “The preparation towards the competition alone has been an amazing experience in terms of developing camaraderie, thinking strategically as a team, and embracing the fast-paced nature of trading”. Cassy Aite adds, “Our effectiveness comes from the synergetic skills that each and every member brings to the team”.
With the competition date of February 19 fast approaching, the atmosphere of eagerness continues to rise further. The team is concentrated and ready to challenge any obstacles that come their way.
Photo: Daniel Shannon, Ethan Zhang, William Tu, Malanga Mposha, Ian Harten and Cassy Aite
- Category: Rising Stars
The 10th Annual Organizational Behaviour Case Competition (OBCC) is a two-day case competition on Organizational Behaviour (and Human Resources) between 12 universities, that was hosted by the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University took place on Friday January 9 and Saturday January 10, 2015. The Organizational Behaviour Case Competition (OBCC) is a place where students with a passion for HR gather annually to learn, discuss, network, and compete in a rigorous day-long case competition.
This year the theme was “Wired” managing through a digital workplace.
Congratulations to following students for winning the first place!
Team members: Kseniya Stogniy, Brooke Runions, Richard Laberge, and Abhiram Sarvepalli.
Coach: Breanna Scanlan (4th year student who participated in OBCC last year).
- Category: Rising Stars
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation is an exciting and integrative learning opportunity for BCom students as part of their 4th year Strategic Management class.
From November 13-16, there were 37 teams that participated in this simulation at the Telfer School of Management’s Desmarais Building.
Congratulations to members of the winning team:
- Brandon Clifford
- Emem Etok
- Benjamin Guthrie
- Jamie Kibsey
- Sarah Le Mon
The CPA Ontario Intopia Strategy Simulation has been a component of the 4th year strategy course for close to 20 years. It aims to teach students the concepts of strategic management in a simulated online world known as Intopia. The simulation allows students to practice their skills in a concentrated amount of time where they can get immediate feedback on their decisions.
This capstone activity has recently been renamed to recognize CPA Ontario’s comprehensive contribution of $370,000 to the Telfer School to support students, teaching and research.
- Category: Rising Stars
This year marks the return of the Telfer School of Management at the largest HR competition in eastern Canada. The HR Symposium took place from November 21 to 23 at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. The competition brings together more than 250 university students from nine business schools
The delegation distinguished itself by winning two 3rd place trophies;
- 3rd position in the collective agreement negotiation simulation.
- Samantha Paiement
- Benjamin Macré
- Émilie Fournier
- 3rd position in the case of human resources management.
- Brook Runions,
- Ibrahim Gheriani
- Mia-Kin Viau-Gamache
Congratulations to all the members of the delegation that was composed of Maral Eliott, Marc Anthony and Patrick Guénette Patenaude (quiz) Émilie Fournier, Samantha payment, Benjamin Macré (collective bargaining agreement); Magali Mayrand Janice Chapman and Richard Laberge (arbitration); Brooke Runions, Mia-Kin-Viau Gamache and Ibrahim Gheriani (HRM case); Renée Leduc, Oneal Ishimwe Fadi Azzi, Cameron Harvey, Tamara and Alexander Roy-Stang Hannoun (sports) and Patrick Furgeson, Sera Ertan, Steven Benoît Ménard and Marie-Pierre Lafrance for their work as coaches and volunteers.
Congratulations to Rafael Morin, who assumes the dual role of president and coordinator of the Telfer delegation. With the help of all the participants, a colossal work has been done to ensure our participation in the competition.
The delegation wishes to thank the coaches, Suzanne Payette and Jane O'Really and offer a special thank you to the coach and godmother Anne-Julie Charlebois students in human resources. They also want to acknowledge the cooperation of Telfer alumni Audrey Lamarche and Alex Massi.
The financial contribution of the Telfer Human Resources Association (ARHHRA) has been essential to the project and the organizers would like to thank the president of the association, Abhiram Sarvepalli.
Finally, all participants want to personally thank the Rimouski organizing committee who made this event a success.
Photo: Brook Runions, Ibrahim Gheriani and Mia-Kin Viau-Gamache (HRM)
- Category: Latest News
On October 17th, 15 students from the Telfer School of Management embarked on a journey to China that truly brought them a once in a lifetime experience.
Enactus uOttawa is a non-profit organization consisted of a community of student leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world. With 5 incredible projects with this common goal, Enactus uOttawa is currently one of the top teams in Canada, thereby leading to the opportunity to attend and support Team Canada, represented by Enactus Memorial, at the 2014 Enactus World Cup Competition in Beijing, China! Thus, 15 representatives from Enactus uOttawa flew to Beijing, China on October 17 to participate in this Olympic equivalent of the Enactus world.
The experience that followed is one that we will cherish for our entire lives.
Our team arrived in Beijing and experienced numerous exciting tourist attractions: The Summer Palace, the lively markets, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and of course, The Great Wall of China. Not to mention the luging we did down the mountain from the Great Wall!
With 34 countries represented, ranging from Brazil and South Africa to Russia and Australia, the competition began with a fair that featured all the countries’ cultures, including clothing, food, and activities. It was an exciting experience to venture through this large room filled with people from, quite literally, all around the world!
The World Cup competition presentations showcased the teams’ outreach projects’ and their ability to positively impact people’s lives. Team Canada advanced as far as the semi-finals, with Ireland, China, Morocco, and Puerto Rico progressing to the finals which were held the following day.
In the end, China was named the 2014 World Cup Enactus Champions in front of a roaring crowd of over 5,000 student, academic and business leaders! Their project created a wind and solar generator system that supplied electricity to local herdsman and in turn, doubling their annual income. Throughout the competition, there were also some fascinating speaker panels, featuring the CEO of Walmart, the Executive Vice President of Coca Cola, President of the U.S. Foundation of KPMG LLP, as well as many others.
It was an experience to remember, and we were extremely excited to have had the chance to not only explore Beijing, but meet hundreds of incredible like-minded friends who are change-makers —just like us— from around the world.
by: Liora Raitblat
Subcategories
Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please