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JMSB Awards of Distinction honour financial pillars 

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The heads of Quebec’s largest financial institutions are seldom in one room at the same time. But that’s exactly who the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) attracted when it celebrated its 20th Awards of Distinction Nov. 24.

The awards ceremony at the Centre Mont-Royal drew 220 people. The four companies honoured represent the four pillars of Quebec’s financial services sector: banking, wealth management, institutional investment, and insurance.

President Judith Woodsworth said the honourees were chosen “because they have shown leadership, innovation and drive. This is why they are successful and have remained competitive over time.”

Woodsworth added, “the individuals who lead these companies have risen to the top because they have actively sought out opportunities to improve themselves through hard work and higher education.”

In their addresses, each company leader stressed the importance of education.

Pierre Brunet, chair of the Caisse de dêpot et placement du Quebec, said “leadership is a responsibility—to our peers and to our community but, above all, to those who will succeed us and shape society in the future.”

Louis Vachon, president and CEO of National Bank Financial Group, said the business world has “a duty” to work closely with universities and CEGEPS because, “they are the major drivers of economic growth.”

Monique Leroux, the first woman to lead the Desjardins Group as its chair, president and CEO, echoed Vachon’s sentiments: “Education is the motor of our future prosperity, of our capacity to innovate and of our capacity to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.”

John LeBoutillier, chair of Industrial Alliance, Canada’s fourth largest life and health insurance company, said, “I’m delighted to be here because this honour reflects one of Industrial Alliance’s fundamental values: education. In their own way, our financial organizations are institutions of higher learning, which rely on educational institutions like Concordia University to develop and to prosper.”

JMSB Dean Sanjay Sharma added, “this tribute underscores the special relationship between our business school and industry, especially the financial services industry. Our mission is to create new knowledge and prepare students with the practical skills to run organizations effectively, efficiently and ethically.” Sharma pointed to the fact that among Canadian universities, Concordia boasts the highest number of graduates holding a CEO position in Global Fortune 500 companies, according to a January 2008 study by the École des mines de Paris.

Kathy Assayag, Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Relations, described the honoured companies as partners whose support is “necessary to ensure the high academic quality of our programs and the best academic standards.”

All the honoured firms actively recruit Concordia graduates and support the JMSB in various ways.

In 2004, the National Bank of Canada, pledged $1 million to fund 50 students over 10 years.

In 2007, the Mouvement des caisses Desjardins donated $2 million to create the Desjardins Centre for Innovation in Business Finance and to fund research initiatives, and graduate and undergraduate scholarships. Desjardins also gave $300 000 to establish the Bourse d’études supérieures Humberto-Santos in memory of the president and CEO of the Desjardins Laurentian Financial Corporation who died suddenly in 1997.