Brilliance in business

On Feb. 1, Montreal’s power-suited biz crowd gathered at Le Windsor for the Desautels Faculty of Management’s 28th Annual Management Achievement Awards luncheon. Following welcoming remarks by Dean Peter Todd, student organizers presented the awards to five of Canada’s top business leaders in recognition of their outstanding contributions inside the boardroom and in their communities.

The 2008 award recipients were: Arlene Dickinson, President of Venture Communications Ltd.; Daniel Germain, Founding President of Québec Breakfast Club; Gerald W. Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of Onex Corporation; Moses Znaimer, media innovator and producer; and Herschel Victor, Chairman and CEO of Jack Victor Ltd. With the exception of Mr. Schwartz whose presence was sorely missed due to a snowstorm in Toronto, each of the recipients shared some words of wisdom with the students in attendance. From Arlene Dickenson’s stirring message on the importance of doing what you love, to Herschel Victor’s ultimate top-ten list of business success pointers to Daniel Germain’s imperative on giving back to one’s community, valuable firsthand advice was imparted on the students as they prepare to blaze their own paths as the next generation of great business leaders.