In this year’s 6th annual “Best & Brightest Executive MBAs” by the Poets and Quants for execs, two of our very own were selected and featured amongst 100 selected executive profiles.
Lindsey Kettel (EMBA 2020), Executive Vice-President Chantier Davie Canada Inc. is a Mechanical engineer, and “an avid adventure seeker in expedition-style vacations and in business.”
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work?
“Through the program, I gained new tools as they pertain to strategy. Previously, my career was very operations-focused and the MBA really opened my eyes to how to be more aware of the strategic value of different projects that I am working on in order to maximize their value.“
What did you enjoy most about business school in general?
The lessons and experiences shared by my peers. There were some incredible people in my cohort from whom I have learned a lot and will continue to learn from as we continue through our careers.
Frantz Saintellemy (EMBA 2020), Founder and Chairman of the Board at Groupe 3737 working on helping young and immigrant entrepreneurs improve their lives through socially diverse, inclusive and equal entrepreneurship. President and COO at LeddarTech working democratizing advanced shared mobility, safe and autonomous driving solutions for the masses using advanced artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?
During the Sustainability Challenge Module, thanks to Module Director Luciano Barin Cruz and EMBA Program Director Marianne Vandenbosch, I had the opportunity to host my classmates at Groupe 3737, a non-profit organization I co-founded and financed with my wife Vickie Joseph in 2012. My organization helps entrepreneurs from immigrant backgrounds, as well as young and female entrepreneurs, leverage technology to create wealth in one of the second poorest neighborhoods in Canada. I was very proud to demonstrate through this non-profit initiative that it is possible for anyone to make a difference in their environment regardless of one’s financial means. This gave our entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet with executives from various industries and to establish connections that they would not be able to make under their normal circumstances. This visit led to a long-term relationship with the McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA program where an annual visit is now part of the Sustainability Challenge curriculum.
Who was your favorite MBA professor?
I gained quite a lot of insights from all the professors throughout the program. I am very grateful for being having had many internationally recognized professors contributing to my development. Two professors have had an immediate impact on my development. The first one is Professor Alain Gosselin, Director of the Collaborative Mindset Module that really gave me practical tools and encouragement to become a more collaborative leader. Professor Gosselin used practical and relevant tools that anyone can implement immediately in their daily lives.
The second is Luciano Barin Cruz, Director of the Sustainability Challenge module. Luciano’s passion for a sustainable future now was so contagious and inspired me as a leader to continue to find innovative ways to improve society in a green and sustainable way. He also gave us real insights on tools and methods that leaders and their organizations can implement to achieve growth and recognition through environmentally sustainable initiatives.
