QSB Executive Education launches International Executive Program in Mining Leadership
 
On November 21, Queen’s School of Business welcomed executives in mining and related industries who attended the inaugural session of its newest executive education program offering. The International Executive Program in Mining Leadership is offered in two one-week modules, the first delivered in November with the second module running from February 27 to March 2, 2012. These modules can be taken in any order which affords participants maximum flexibility.
 
The program provides participants with a strategic framework and the practical tools to address contemporary issues and opportunities in the mining sector. The first module attracted participants from industry leading companies such as Goldcorp, Agnico Eagle, Colt Resources and Codelco from the mining sector, as well as those from AMEC, the global engineering company, and Accenture.
 
Confronting external challenges facing the mining industry was the theme of the first module. Queen’s faculty and industry experts covered such topics as doing business in developing nations, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, government relations and permit regulations, the role of industry associations, and strategic leadership in the mining industry.
 
Bob Buchan, founder and former CEO of Kinross Gold, was a keynote speaker during the inaugural session that also featured presentations by such industry experts as Larry Phillips, former VP Corporate Relations of IAM Gold; Ed Opitz, VP Corporate Relations at Kinross; Stephen Wilkinson, Executive Director of the Zinc Institute; and Diego Hernandez, CEO of Codelco, Chile’s state copper company and 2010’s “Copper Man of the Year”.
 
The second module that debuts in February focuses on leading and managing within the internal environment and includes such topics as operations strategy, managing large-scale strategic projects, labour relations, and leading and managing organization and culture change. In addition to faculty experts, featured guest speakers will include Ken Thomas from Kinross, and Sebastian Conde, Vice President of Human Resources from Codelco.
 
Applications are being accepted for the Program that starts with Module 2 in February followed by Module 1 repeating in November 2012. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a Queen’s International Executive Program in Mining Leadership Certificate of Achievement—a widely recognized symbol of excellence in executive education.
 
Learn more about the Mining Leadership Program.

Be cautious and continue to prepare for the unexpected – that’s the advice from members of the Business Forecast Lunch, which was recently hosted by Queen’s School of Business.
 
A group of business professors – Lynnette Purda, Barry Cross and Ken Wong and fourth year Commerce student Danny Hertz – made their predictions to a luncheon that attracted business leaders from across the Kingston community.
 
Overall, the panel predicted that uncertainties in the Euro zone and slowing growth from emerging markets will drive both business and personal spending decisions in 2012. While businesses have shown recent signs of stronger corporate profits in the third quarter of 2011, they remain hesitant to invest in large scale growth opportunities while uncertainty remains high. Smaller corporate investments combined with lower levels of government spending will result in small gains for Canada’s economy next year, the panel predicted.
 
“Despite another year of volatility and tremendous uncertainty due to global events, such as the Japanese Tsunami, European sovereign debt crisis and the US credit downgrade, 2011 has not been a bad one for Canada,” said Dr. Purda, a finance Professor and Business Forecast Lunch moderator.
 
Locally, a survey of Kingston businesses and consumers revealed conflicting levels of optimism regarding the local economy.
 
“Relative to the rest of Canada, the recession was relatively kind to Kingston. This can primarily be attributed to its public sector base,” said Professor Wong, noting the many government jobs in Kingston such as Corrections Canada and CFB Kingston.
 
The trade off, Professor Wong says, is that public-sector based economies tend to remain stable during recovery periods and, as a result, Kingston’s overall economy did not rank as highly as other Canadian municipalities.
 
The Business Forecast Lunch was founded 30 years ago by Queen’s School of Business professor emeritus Merv Daub to establish an important link between the business school and the Kingston business community.

On Friday, December 2nd, the Goodes Hall atrium transformed into a winter wonderland for the wrap-up event of the Commerce Society’s annual Holiday Hope initiative. Started three years ago, Holiday Hope gives student groups the opportunity to partner with the Kingston Children’s Aid Society to purchase holiday gifts for underprivileged families in Kingston, who otherwise may have not received gifts. Numerous faculty and staff members from QSB also supported the campaign.
 
This year, students brought gifts for 49 families including 81 children. Students signed up with their committees, housemates, and groups of friends. Holiday Hope is one of the Queen’s Commerce Society’s Outreach Commission’s most popular initiatives. The ComSoc Outreach Commission is comprised of two fourth year students, Rachel Williams and Warren Duncan, as well as third year student, Nicola Plummer.
 
Nicola describes the spirit behind this popular event; “It means so much to see the Commerce community come together and give back to the Kingston community. They have been so welcoming to us during our studies, so we think it is fitting to give back during the holiday season, to show our appreciation.”
 
With another successful year under its belt, the Commerce Society hopes to continue this mutually beneficial partnership with the Children’s Aid Society for years to come. Other valued sponsors and partners include the NetImpact Support Centre, Oil Thigh Designs, the Tea Room and the Queen’s School of Business.

Larry Phillips has spent a lot of time in airports. In his 21-year career as a founder and later EVP Corporate Affairs of Toronto-based IAMGOLD, he would typically spend upwards of 20 weeks per year outside of Canada. The travel came with the territory in his role as an executive of one of the largest publicly traded gold mining companies in the world, with 6,000 employees producing nearly one million ounces of gold annually on three continents.
 
After retiring in June, he received numerous offers to serve on corporate boards but saw something different in a proposal from QSB. Would he be interested in becoming the School’s Executive-in-Residence? He’s certainly familiar with Queen’s as a proud parent of Andrew, Artsci’10, and Emily, Comm’12, and also as a guest speaker in Prof. Keith Rogers’ undergraduate International Business class. The corporate directorships may follow, but for now, a one-year term as the School’s newest Executive-in-Residence fits the bill.
 
“What appeals to me is the opportunity to look at some of the challenges in international business from a fresh perspective by really engaging the students, seeking their ideas and tapping into their enthusiasm,” he says. “I see it as an exercise in challenging the students to realize that their new ways of approaching problems can really be valuable.”
 
The word is already out that this former mining executive is willing to share the wealth of his experience. In November, he was a featured speaker at ComSoc’s annual Queen’s Conference on the Business Environment Today (Q’BET) and a guest speaker in the International Executive Program in Mining Leadership offered by QSB Executive Education. There will be ample opportunities for more dialogue during his periodic visits to QSB throughout the school year.

QFAC 2011 aims to forge and maintain lasting connection between today’s greatest financial minds and the leaders of tomorrow’s markets.

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2011 – The Queen’s Finance Association Conference (QFAC) was held at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in the heart of downtown Toronto’s financial district November 17th to 20th.
 
Delegates were exposed to all aspects of the financial services industry, from investment banking, to sales and trading, to private equity. Diverse topics were covered by speakers Dave Roland, CEO of Paradigm Capital, Howard Green, anchor of “Headline” on BNN, Jim Fasano, VP and Head of Principal Investing at CPPIB, and Mike Durland, co-CEO of Scotia Capital. The flagship event, co-hosted by Rotman School of Business, was the Desjardins stock trading simulation held on the trading floors of the old TSX that mirrored activity in trading pits without the use of computers. The winning team opened the Toronto Stock Exchange. Delegates also got the opportunity to experience first-hand the operations of their choice of one of ten Bay Street firms in addition to attending three unforgettable socials.
 
Echoing Tio Charbaghi, founder of QFAC and an analyst at Citadel Group, “Our generation needs to be constantly seeking to gain edge … to get ahead.” QFAC provided the perfect opportunity for delegates to gain an edge in their intended careers in finance.
 
QFAC is Canada’s first student-run conference focused entirely on finance and the capital markets. Its mission is to provide delegates with practical knowledge and tangible experience in order to facilitate their transition into careers within the financial services industry. For further information, please visit http://www.qfac.ca/.

QLEAD delegates and the conference’s executive in front of Goodes Hall

KINGSTON, Nov. 14, 2011— Queen’s Leadership, Excellence and Development (QLEAD) has concluded its twelfth annual conference, this year showing delegates what it means to “Own Your Path” and find success through choosing unique avenues.
 
QLEAD is a weekend-long conference that aims to excite and motivate high school students who are passionate about leadership and interested in its application in the business world. The conference, which attracted 120 delegates from Vancouver, Halifax and across Ontario, featured six prestigious speakers who demonstrated that entrepreneurship is not limited to a certain age group. As explained by QLEAD Logistics Coordinator Charlotte MacDonald, “Many students come to QLEAD thinking there is only one structured path to success. Several speakers were entrepreneurs who emphasized the option of developing your own path to success and happiness.” Notably, university student entrepreneur Dave Wilkin spoke of the importance collaboration and mentorship have played in the launch of his companies Redwood Strategic and CampusPerks.ca.
 
QLEAD was sponsored by Chubb Insurance, Scotiabank, and the CMA. To learn more about QLEAD, visit www.qlead.ca.

KINGSTON, Nov. 10, 2011 – This year’s Queen’s Women in Leadership (Q.WIL) conference was held Nov. 10th and 11th and featured presentations by several successful businesswomen, interactive workshops and a speed networking session. Headed by co-chairs Gillian Lee and Brynn Burstyn, the Q.WIL executive is comprised of eighteen Commerce students. This year’s theme “A Limitless Generation” provided motivational insights that inspired delegates from Queen’s and other universities across Canada.
 
Q.WIL’s unique Mentorship Program matches Queen’s Commerce students with Commerce alumnae who act as professional mentors. These relationships come into play during the Q.WIL Mentorship Brunch which took place in Toronto two weeks before the Kingston conference.
 
The Speed Networking session gave delegates the opportunity to connect one-on-one with representatives from firms including KPMG, PwC, and Monitor. Hearing from Leslie Morris of Your Signature Look at the Style Workshop was a highlight of the conference that also included fourteen other keynote speakers such as Linda Mantia, Senior VP of Procurement and Corporate Real Estate at RBC, and Kathleen Hebert, BCom’04, who is now working for Boston Consulting Group in the U.K.
 
For more information, visit www.qwil.ca
 
The Queen’s Women in Leadership conference is the only conference at Queen’s that aims to empower women to take on leadership roles. This year, it welcomed 61 delegates from any faculty of Queen’s, as well as 11 delegates from elsewhere in Canada. This year marks the 15th annual QWIL conference.

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Chloe Tait, (613) 583-5932, 9celt@queensu.ca.

KINGSTON, Nov. 4, 2011 – The challenging and current cases, high-calibre judging and creative twists at the 2011 Queen’s Commerce Corporate Challenge (Q3C) ensured that the quality of student presentations surpassed all expectations.
 
This year’s competition featured two guest speakers: Matt Price, BCom’09, an associate consultant at Monitor, and Jennifer Bryant, a consultant at Level5.
 
Each of the three rounds of competition consisted of three hours of preparation time, a ten-minute presentation before their judges followed by a group feedback session. The last case of the competition involved a significant twist that forced competitors to think on their feet. The judges—representatives of Q3C’s corporate sponsors—were impressed by the high-calibre thinking that competitors demonstrated, as well as by the professionalism of their presentations.
 
The three winning Queen’s Commerce teams were first place winners Brennan Foo, Chester Lau, Gloria Pu, Walter Pang; second place winners Tyler Hennick, Winston Zhang, Artin Memar, Shayan Jawaid, Kiefer Cheng; and third place winners Danielle Amirault, Rachel Jurgens, Bryan McCann, and Chelsea Kerr.
 
The Queen’s Commerce Corporate Challenge (Q3C) is a three-day case competition hosted annually at Goodes Hall. The competition is organized and executed by a student team, led by co-chairs Jemima Fogarty and Alanna Fonsecca, whose vision is to create the most realistic business world simulation that current case competitions offer.
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For more information:
Chloe Tait, (613) 583-5932, 9celt@queensu.ca

Linda Lundström, second from left, with Q’BFFI attendees

Queen’s Business Forum on the Fashion Industry (Q’BFFI) held its 7th annual conference Oct. 27 to 29 with the theme, “Fashion Undressed: The Business Behind the Garments.” Featured speakers included Lindsay Cook (Senior Marketing Director at Joe Fresh), Donna Bishop (CEO of Green Beauty), Nancy Sahota and Jan Gandhi (Founders of the Peacock Parade), Jen McNeely (creator of the blog ‘SheDoesTheCity’), Dimitar Popovski (Founder of DDN Media and designer of the apps Stylish Girl and Cool Guy) and Linda Lundström (fashion designer and founder of Linda Lundström Works).
 
The conference featured a team-based fashion challenge and the annual Q’BFFI Fashion Show. XOXO Wine returned for another year as the conference’s main sponsor joining such other corporate supporters as Flare Magazine, Lug Accessories, Svedka Vodka, and local fashion retailer Chris James.

17 Ontario charities vying for four prizes of $5,000 for best annual report

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2011 – The finalists have been announced in Ontario’s award program for best charity annual reports. The 17 finalists in the Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards (VSRAs) will each have a chance to win a prize of $5,000 at an awards luncheon November 18 in Toronto.
 
“We were overwhelmed with over 100 nominations for the VSRAs this year. I think that these nominations show that the charity sector is taking its responsibility for accountable and transparent reporting very seriously. We’re pleased the VSRAs have helped promote high quality annual reporting for Ontario’s charities and we look forward to announcing the winners on November 18 in Toronto,” said Steve Salterio, Director of the CA-Queen’s Centre for Governance at Queen’s School of Business, which organizes the VSRAs every year in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO). PwC has been the sponsor of the program since its inception.
 
The awards, now in their fourth year, are open to registered charities that produce annual reports in Ontario.The winners in each category will receive $5,000. This year’s finalists include:
 
National and International Organizations headquartered in Ontario:
• Amnesty International Canadian Section
• Canadian Feed the Children
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada
• Mennonite Economic Development Associates
• The Nature Conservancy of Canada
• World Vision Canada
 
Ontario only organizations
 
Total revenues over $10 million
• Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario
• Hamilton Community Foundation
• Ontario March of Dimes
• Vita Community Living Services of Toronto
 
Total revenues from over $1 million to $10 million
• DeafBlind Ontario Services
• Food Banks Canada*
• Kingston Literacy & Skills
• United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington
 
Total Revenues up to $1 million
• Brant Community Foundation Inc.
• Girls Incorporated of Durham
• Hospice King-Aurora
 
*Given the organization’s relatively small size compared to others in the National and International organization category it was judged also in this size-appropriate category.
 
“Given the current economic climate, the need for efficient and effective not-for-profit organizations has never been greater,” noted Brian Leader, FCA, Vice-President of Learning at the ICAO. “As any Chartered Accountant could tell you, clear and comprehensive financial reports help reassure volunteers and donors that their contributions are going to a worthwhile cause. The Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards highlight the achievements of those worthy charities.”
 
More information about the VSRAs is available online at the CA-Queen’s Centre for Governance website – www.annualreportaward.ca. More information is also available from PwC’s’ website http://www.pwc.com/ca/vsra and at the ICAO website www.icao.on.ca.

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Editor’s Note:
Media are invited to cover the VSRA Award Luncheon November 18th at 11:30AM in Toronto. To book an interview, attend the event or to get more information, please contact:

John Suart, CA-Queen’s Centre for Governance
613-583-3062 / go@johnsuart.com

Perry Jensen, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735 ext. 271
pjensen@icao.on.ca