News > 2017 > Louis Jacques Filion publishes Entreprendre et savoir s’entourer

Louis Jacques Filion publishes Entreprendre et savoir s’entourer

May 8, 2017

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Of all the characteristics that can be attributed to successful entrepreneurs, the one that makes the most difference is the ability to surround themselves with a team that shares and facilitates the achievement of their vision, according to Louis Jacques Filion. This is the focus of the latest book, Entreprendre et savoir s’entourer, by the researcher, who held the Rogers—J.-A. Bombardier Chair in Entrepreneurship at HEC Montréal for over two decades.

The book describes the experience of 12 men and women, 10 entrepreneurs and 2 facilitators, each of whom successfully used the resources in their ecosystems to grow a company. The cases illustrated in the book include Luc Maurice, Nancy Neamtan, Nicolas Duvernois, Pierre Ducros, and the very well-known Jean Coutu and Lise Watier, described by the author as “the greatest woman entrepreneur in Quebec and Canadian history”. The 12 stories recounted reflect a wide variety of paths and underscore the innovative approaches developed by each of these individuals.

The almost 400-page book is full of interviews and quotes that “create an atmosphere”, in the words of the author, who hopes to give readers a taste for entrepreneurship. “The book emphasizes the solidarity that develops to support the achievement of an entrepreneur’s vision,” he says. “Case studies are often better than a purely theoretical presentation of a subject to help understand the holistic context that paves the way for entrepreneurial action.”  

A number of collaborators assisted Professor Filion in writing this new book: Claude Chapdelaine, Mircea-Gabriel Chirita, Émilie Fortin-Lefebvre, Joëlle Hafsi, Jean-François Lalonde, Rino Lévesque, Myriam Presti and Francine Richer are all listed as co-authors.

About the author

Over the years, Professor Filion has written more than 200 case studies on entrepreneurs. He has received numerous prestigious distinctions for his commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Julien-Marchesnay award from the Association internationale de recherche en entrepreneuriat et PME and the title of Wilford White Fellow from the International Council for Small Business. He holds an MA in International Studies from the University of Ottawa, an MBA from HEC Montréal and a PhD in Systems and Entrepreneurship from the University of Lancaster, in Great Britain. This is his 24th book.  

Entreprendre et savoir s’entourer - by Louis Jacques Filion, Éditions de l’Homme, 2017, 394 pages. Available at the COOP HEC Montréal.