News > 2017 > A new Sales Institute at HEC Montréal

A new Sales Institute at HEC Montréal

March 3, 2017

HEC Montréal is pleased to announce the creation of the Sales Institute, the first university-level centre in Canada in this field. The Institute will bring together professors and researchers from the School along with six partners from the private and co-operative sectors. Its goal is to create advanced expertise and foster a “sales culture” in Quebec and throughout Canada so as to achieve their full economic potential.

“HEC Montréal is acting as a pioneer by creating the first university body devoted to knowledge transfer, training and research in sales,” says HEC Montréal Director Michel Patry. “Sales is a misunderstood field that is nonetheless an integral part of the manager’s role. What’s more, there is a clear need for this kind of institute. On the website of the School’s Career Management Service, close to half of job offers for our BBA students are related to sales and business development.”

The new Institute will be headed by Jean-Luc Geha, Guest Professor (Marketing Department), the academic supervisor of the Marketing option in the BBA program and co-ordinator of the Intensive Marketing program at the HEC Montréal École des dirigeants.

“By bringing together professors, researchers and practitioners,” explains Geha, “we are looking to encourage advanced research and sharing cutting-edge knowledge adapted to the business world in Quebec and across Canada. This will give organizations access to graduates with training in sales and the top experts in the field.”

In that connection, the School now has a new mandatory course in business development in the BBA program, and will be offering various training opportunities for executives and organizations.

“As for research, we want to share knowledge that corresponds to the real situation in Quebec,” says Associate Professor Renaud Legoux (Marketing Department). “This knowledge transfer with our partners is a two-way arrangement: our research will benefit from their experience in the field, too. The goal is to reflect market realities and the role of managers in the Quebec economy.”

The six partners of the Sales Institute – Fastenal, Lareau Courtiers d’assurances, Merck Canada, Mouvement Desjardins, Nespresso Canada and Voyage Régence – all come from different sectors.

Institut de vente

HEC Montréal Director Michel Patry, Associate Professor Renaud Legoux (Marketing Department), Marketing Lecturer, François Haurat and Jean-Luc Geha, Sales Institute director. (photo: Sylvie Trépanier)