There鈥檚 a lot that AI can do鈥攁nd quite a bit that it can鈥檛. And the mix of numbers and letters on a spreadsheet is one thing that AI has struggled to make sense of. Prior Labs wants to change that by developing machine learning models optimized to understand spreadsheets, which host an enormous amount of critical information in many firms.
Jonathan Victor (BCom鈥99) has been appointed COO of Insurity, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for insurance carriers, brokers, and managing general agents. He undertakes this new role with extensive experience at Insurity, where he has previously held roles such as CIO and EVP of Customer Success. In his expanded capacity, Victor will oversee cloud operations, customer success, enterprise security, system integrator operations, and professional services, ensuring streamlined processes and integration across the company.
Susan Margles (BA鈥88, MBA鈥91) has been appointed President and CEO of the Ottawa International Airport Authority. Like other airports, Ottawa鈥檚 suffered during the pandemic, but it鈥檚 bouncing back with major infrastructure projects, like a new hotel and a connection to the city鈥檚 light rail transit system. Margles joins the Airport Authority after nearly two decades at Canada Post, where she鈥攁mongst other roles鈥攕erved as chief people and safety officer and was responsible for human resources, labour relations and government affairs.
Cynthia Price Verreault (BCom鈥82) has been appointed 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 first Deputy Chancellor. In this new role, she will support the Chancellor, President, and Board of Governors. Throughout her two-year term, Price Verreault will offer counsel and play a key role in representing the University at events and high-level meetings.鈥淲e are delighted that someone with as deep a knowledge of the institution as Ms. Price Verreault has will be working alongside our new Chancellor, Pierre Boivin,鈥 says Maryse Bertrand, Chair of the 9I制作厂免费 Board of Governors.
For Ashley Farrington (BCom鈥21), short-term sacrifices are worth it if they pay out as long-term gains. The 24-year-old auditor with KPMG in Bermuda has earned some early career returns for her efforts and was recently named a Rising Star by The Bermudian. She aims to become an empathetic leader who is both approachable and decisive. 鈥淚 want to be someone who has wedged her foot in the door to bring other women up with her,鈥 says Farrington.
When working for a Big Four accounting firm early in her career, Sheila Vokey (BCom鈥84)鈥攏ow President and CEO of the responsible investing firm Central 1鈥攕aw senior managers struggle to balance work and family life and decided on a different approach. After stints at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the Bank of Canada, and Payments Canada, Vokey headed west to Vancouver to become CFO at Central 1, where she has been an advocate of remote work and work-life balance ever since.
Each year the 9I制作厂免费 Alumni Association (MAA) recognizes alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff whose commitment has had a significant impact on alumni life, the University and/or the community. This year, three 9I制作厂免费 Desautels alumni were among those honoured for their contributions to the 9I制作厂免费 community.
Lesly Yao (BCom鈥18) isn鈥檛 your stereotypical small-town Quebec firefighter. Born in Tahiti, the Bachelor of Commerce grad was growing disillusioned with her work at a marketing firm when a Canadian Forces recruitment advertisement caught her eye鈥攁nd her imagination. But because Yao was not a citizen at the time and a job with the Forces was not in the cards. 鈥淚鈥檇 always had it in the back of my mind to become a firefighter,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 watched shows about firefighting, and it appealed to me, but it also seemed unattainable.
In Canada, ice time is at a premium and the nearest rink might not be able to accommodate your beer league team. But in large cities, there鈥檚 often ice available somewhere, and Jonathan Azouri (BCom鈥16) spotted an opportunity. The co-founder and CEO of CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated, an app that allows users to book sports facilities, launched it in Toronto in 2019 and is now making it available in markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.
Swimmer Cl茅ment Secchi (BCom鈥22) has become the first 9I制作厂免费 graduate to reach the podium at the Summer Olympics since 2008. The 24-year-old management graduate from Aix-en-Provence, France, earned bronze for his native country on Sunday as part of the men's 4x100 medley relay. A four-time All-Canadian at 9I制作厂免费, the 5-foot-11, 157-pound butterfly specialist was a three-time recipient of the Forbes Trophy as the University's male athlete of the year.
Fr茅d茅ric Perron (BCom鈥97) was serving as the Chief Commercial Officer for Vodafone Poland when he was asked to return to Canada to become the new president and CEO of Cogeco, an internet service provider. Although Cogeco鈥檚 corporate offices are in Montreal, Perron鈥檚 position is based in Burlington, Ontario. That puts him closer to the company鈥檚 US customers, some of which are in nearby Ohio. Americans make up about half of Cogeco鈥檚 business, and as the US government makes major investments in connectivity, there remains room for growth in the United States.
Jordan Cowie, 9I制作厂免费 Desautels Faculty of Management鈥檚 2024 valedictorian, spoke with the 9I制作厂免费 Reporter about her student experience and shared her insights upon completing her degree. Graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce in Labour-Management Relations and Human Resources, Jordan chose 9I制作厂免费 for its affordability and proximity to her family in Westchester, N.Y., and for her strong affinity to Montreal鈥檚 urban and natural beauty.
Kanuk jackets are made for Quebec winters鈥攂ut Quebec winters aren鈥檛 as cold as they used to be. Bertrand Cesvet (BA鈥86, MBA鈥88) wants to make Kanuk jackets more versatile. Cesvet led a group of investors who recently bought the Montreal winter wear company from Champlain Financial, a private equity group. Cesvet shares with La Presse the company鈥檚 plans to sell jackets that are more suited to temperature fluctuation, making its products more appropriate for markets where it plans to expand, such as the United States.
Gillian Stein (BCom鈥00)鈥檚 great-grandfather founded the Toronto-headquartered electronics business Henry鈥檚 in 1909, but she never envisioned becoming the company鈥檚 CEO. Growing up, she had seen how stressful running the company could be for her father Andrew, who had a heart attack at the age of 47. 鈥淚 always had a ton of respect and passion and admiration for the business but it wasn鈥檛 something I wanted for myself,鈥 says Stein. 鈥淚 changed and the business changed.
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Bachelor of Commerce student Nikki Tye is the recipient of the 9I制作厂免费 Collaborative for AI & Society (McCAIS)鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Award (McURA) for Summer 2024. The $8,700 award, aimed at promoting interdisciplinary AI research in society, recognizes Nikki's project on "Protecting the Amazon Forest from Illegal Activity through Image Recognition and Operations Research: A Partnership with JungleKeepers and Peruvian Indigenous Communities."