Meeting of the International Advisory Board
Leading international executives meet and take part
November 22, 2011
HEC Montréal brought key business figures and executives from around the world together in Montréal on November 20 and 21 during a meeting of its International Advisory Board (IAB) members. In a public roundtable that attracted more than 300 participants from the university and business communities, corporate leaders came to share their views and to exchange with the public on the theme of “Emerging economies and traditional multinationals.”
Guest panellists included Robert Bieler, Vice President, Investment, SNC-Lavalin; Zubin Irani, Senior Managing Director, United Technologies Commercial Companies India; Liping Xie, Senior Managing Director, United Technologies Aerospace Chine; and Jianwei Zhang, President, Bombardier China. Their viewpoints illustrated three winning strategies for staying at the head of the pack: innovating, attracting top talent and adopting sustainable development policies. In demonstrating what their respective companies have done to bring about change and stimulate performance in growing markets, the panellists agreed that the unconventional, personalized and creative strategies they used in these markets are what enabled them to succeed, often despite sustained local competition, regulatory obstacles and unfavourable government policies.
In closing comments, Louis Chenevert, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), and chairman of the IAB, urged students to heed the needs of today’s global economy in planning their future careers. “As we have seen in the last few years, some of the biggest areas of economic growth have been outside North America, in countries like China, India and Brazil. This trend will continue – and most likely accelerate – in the decade ahead,” Chenevert said. “As a result, those who are able to bridge cultural gaps and connect people across geographies will continue to be in great demand.”
The IAB, founded in 1993, is tasked with supporting the school’s strategic thinking and approach to its worldwide positioning and profile and to support the school’s international activities.
From left to right: Zubin Irani, Senior Managing Director, United Technologies Commercial Companies India, Michel Patry, Director of HEC Montréal, Robert Bieler, Vice President, Investment, SNC-Lavalin, Jianwei Zhang, President, Bombardier China, Louis Chenevert, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies Corp. and chairman of the IAB, Liping Xie, Senior Managing Director, United Technologies Aerospace Chine, and Glenn Osaki, President, MSL Group Asia.