Creation of the Institute for Entrepreneurship National Bank | HEC Montréal
October 31, 2013
At the seminar on business transfers and takeovers held today, HEC Montréal and the National Bank officially announced that they will be creating the Institute for Entrepreneurship National Bank | HEC Montréal. This step is made possible thanks to a $10 million donation announced last January by the National Bank as part of the Campus Montréal fundraising campaign. The Institute will be headed by Luis Cisneros, Associate Professor with the Department of Management at HEC Montréal.
The Institute, to be devoted to entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial takeovers and business families, will give students from the Campus Montréal institutions (HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal and Université de Montréal) and the business community access to tools and the opportunity to attend events to encourage and support the creation and takeovers of businesses, by helping to develop innovative entrepreneurs. The Institute will offer activities revolving around education, research, spinoffs and networking, as well as training.
“The National Bank has supported the growth and success of local businesses’ since it was founded more than 150 years ago. So it was a natural step for us to join with HEC Montréal to create this Institute,” explains Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank. “Starting from our combined strengths, we can do more to help develop people and their talents. This is essential to a dynamic entrepreneurial culture in Quebec.”
“The Institute for Entrepreneurship National Bank | HEC Montréal confirms the key role of the university community in creating and transferring knowledge regarding entrepreneurial management,” agrees HEC Montréal Director Michel Patry. “Together, the National Bank and HEC Montréal are building an institute of entrepreneurship that has no equivalent in Canada.”
An Institute at the heart of entrepreneurial growth
The Institute for Entrepreneurship National Bank | HEC Montréal will have four roles:
- An observatory of Quebec entrepreneurial trends and good practices.
- An idea accelerator.
- A centre for knowledge transfer and customized training.
- A networking and event space.
“Entrepreneurial initiatives will no longer be limited to a select few,” says Luis Cisneros. “The Institute will offer new training and nourish and share knowledge in this field, as well as creating bonds among students, faculty and entrepreneurs. By bringing together in one place all the players needed to develop creative start-ups and entrepreneurial takeovers, this ecosystem we are creating will provide an ideal setting to address the entrepreneurial challenges of today and tomorrow.”