Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders Program

Marie-Josée Lamothe

Ms. Lamothe has over 25 years of experience in the competitive digital and consumer products world (Google, L’Oréal, Procter&Gamble, Clairol). She is best noted for her expertise in Global Product Management and Omni-Channel Branding. Ms. Lamothe is a Professor of Practice at McGill University (Desautels Business Faculty) and is the President of Tandem International, an advisory firm specialized in omnichannel retailing and branding. Ms Lamothe has been awarded the Desautels Achievement award by McGill University, which recognizes individuals who serve as role models for students in their education, career, and philanthropic contributions. She was recognized among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the Financial Post and Canada’s Marketers of the Year by Strategy magazine. Forbes Magazine and Social Media Magazine (US) recognized her among Top Marketing Minds to Follow on social media in North America and Canadian Business magazine nominated her among Canada’s 40 Global Leaders.

Julie Le Cardinal

Julie Le Cardinal is a researcher and an associate professor in the Industrial Engineering Laboratory at the Ecole Centrale Paris, France. Her research focuses on the discovery of new design and management methodologies in an industrial context. Julie’s expertise is in team diversity and project management. She coaches project managers in companies concerning the management of their project and the choice of decision-makers in teams. After earning her degree in Mechanical Engineering (UTC, France), she completed a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering Systems at ECP, followed by a PhD Thesis delivering a study of Dysfunctions within the Decision-Making Process.

Sema Burney

Sema Burney is a faculty member of the McGill Executive Institute specializing in the areas of Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Development, and Talent Acquisition. She is a sought-after executive educator and consultant for organizations seeking to better leverage a diverse workforce and create a competitive advantage. As a Chartered Professional Accountant and holder of a Masters in Business Administration from McGill University, Sema brings a refreshing vision to the HR world with her keen business sense and her solid understanding of the bottom line. She has worked with both private and public sector clients spanning several industries including government, transportation, financial services and retail.

Marika Galea

Marika Galea is an award-winning music performer, composer and regular guest artist at the McGill Executive Institute where she facilitates important links between jazz and leadership practices. Best known as a jazz bassist, she earned a spot as one of CBC Music’s 2017 35 best Canadian jazz artists under 35. Her collaborations have garnered nominations and wins for JUNO, Golden Globe, Academy, Polaris, Iris, RIDM and HotDocs Awards. Marika is also an assistant professor of jazz and contemporary popular music at Brandon University. Her research focuses on mental skills for performance, improvisation as community building, interdisciplinary collaboration, music production and performance.

She holds a Masters of Music from McGill University and a Bachelors of Music (Performance, Composition and Contemporary Conducting) from Berklee College of Music.

Estelle Metayer

Estelle Métayer is an expert in Competitive and Strategic Intelligence. Her research focuses on how managers, CEOs, and board members build and improve their strategic planning and/or competitive intelligence function to avoid strategic blind spots. She is a reputed public speaker in international conferences (such as Davos in 2012) and facilitates strategic workshops around the world. She also introduced Competitive Intelligence into the McGill-Rotman School of Business’s certification program for Canadian board directors, and into the new HEC-McGill Executive MBA. Estelle is also a guest lecturer in programs led or co-led by IMD (Lausanne), the IMB (India), INSEAD (France) or MIT (United States).

Dror Etzion

Dror Etzion is the Steven Grossman Endowed Chair of Sustainable Business at the University of Vermont. From 2008 – 2023 Dror worked at the Desautels Faculty of Management, at McGill. Dror is a widely published researcher studying how sustainability promotes innovation and contributes to competitive strategy. Before entering academia, Dror worked for 5 years in the Israeli software industry, and also spent a year at The Natural Step, an international non-profit research and consultancy organization focused on sustainable development. He completed his Ph.D. studies at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.