Schulich Alum Shares His Experience, and More – Toronto News
Toronto’s business schools have seen some exciting developments from students, alumni, and faculty this week. Let’s take a look at some of the high points.
Alumni Stories: Michael Zanella – MMgt – Schulich School of Business
A Schulich School of Business alum was recently profiled on his time in the school’s new 12-month Master’s of Management program.
Michael Zanella, a 2017 graduate, who turned his education into a role with Ceridian Dayforce as an Implementation Consultant Associate. You can watch his full interview below.
Wine, Beer, Spirits Brand-Builder WX Names Michael Lukan CFO – North Bay Business Journal
Michael Lukan was recently named the official new CFO of WX Brands, a company that creates wine, beer, and spirits. Lukan, an alum of Western University Canada’s Ivey Business School, co-founded Wine Hooligans in 2013. He has also worked at Purple Wine Company and Sonoma Wine Company. With news of the Lukan’s arrival at the company, WX Brands President and CEO Peter Byck says, “His well-rounded experience and entrepreneurial mindset will make him a great asset for WX Brands to continue to build on our tremendous growth.”
Regarding his new role, Lukan says, “Peter and the WX team have positioned the company for tremendous growth by delivering an exceptional customer experience and I’m looking forward to helping realize this opportunity.”
You can read more about Lukan and WX Brands here.
What Is Less Scary in the Dark? – Scientific American
Ping Dong, a Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and Chen-Bo Zhong, Professor at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, recently conducted a study that examined the, “impact of visual darkness on people’s perceived risk of contagious-disease transmission.” The researchers predicted that the darkness would make people feel more separate or insulated from one another, so they would be less squeamish about the germs of those around them. In fact, the study concluded that being in a darker environment would make subjects reduce their caution when it came to unethical behavior, of which might include cheating on one’s significant other and other acts of selfishness.
Their research showed that perceived risk of contracting airborne illnesses decreased when participants were in more dimly-lit rooms, as well as when they were wearing sunglasses. “In addition,” writes Scientific American writer Cindi May, “visual darkness increased participants’ perceived distance from the confederate, and this increase in distance mediated the reduction in perceived risk of contagion in the dark. Their fear of non-contagious diseases did not depend on the lighting.”
You can read more about the duo’s research here.
Future U.S. Relations, Fullbright Scholars, and More – Toronto News
As summer roles on through North America, lets take a look at what has been going on at Toronto’s business schools.
Lessons in Chinese History As America Shuts Off From the World – The Conversation
Walid Hejazi, International Business professor at University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, recently wrote about how the possible trajectory of the U.S. under President Trump would be similar to that of China’s downfall in the 1800s.
Hejazi warned that Trump’s isolationist actions, such as his rejection of the Trans Pacific Partnership and imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, could close the U.S. off to the rest of the world.
“There is a clear contradiction between ‘make America great again’ and closing off from the world,” Hejazi wrote in The Conversation. “If the U.S. closes itself to the world, its future as a world leader in every way is at significant risk.”
You can read the entire Hejazi’s piece here.
CIBC Mellon Appoints Karen Rowe Chief Financial Officer – CIBC Mellon
Investment services company CIBC Mellon has announced that Karen Rowe will fill in as the brand new CFO. Rowe is also an acting member of the Advisory Council for the School of Accounting and Finance at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management. In a recently released statement, Rowe says:
“CIBC Mellon is well-regarded by institutional investors as Canada’s leader in asset servicing, and I am proud to join the company and support its financial management. I am looking forward to contributing to CIBC Mellon’s strong operational execution, service excellence and continuous improvement.”
You can read more about Rowe’s role at CIBC Mellon here.
Fulbright Scholar Award Powers Adam Fremeth’s Energy Policy Research – News@Ivey
Ivey School of Business Associate Professor Adam Fremeth has been officially named as the newest Fullbright Canada Scholar Award winner—the first school recipient to earn the award since 1990. He will be joining Indiana University in the U.S. from January to May of next year, “where he’ll research how electric utility firms are interacting with state regulatory bodies as well as the impact of energy policies, particularly in the area of renewable energy,” according to an Ivey press release.
Ivey Associate Professor Adam Fremeth, the newest Fullbright Canada Scholar Award winner / Photo via ivey.uwo.ca
“A lot of my work deals with energy policy issues in the U.S. and being in Indiana and the Midwest more broadly allows me to get exposed to a lot more of those issues and to interact with, not just the academic community, but also the business and public policy communities they serve,” Fremeth said in the release. “I hope to bolster my research agenda, get some firsthand interactions in the areas I’m studying, as well as perhaps broaden my work with exposure to what people outside of Ivey and Canada are doing.”
You can read more about Fremeth’s work and the award here.
