Simon Ashbourne

Simon Ashbourne started his career at Procter and Gamble and also worked at Cadbury before moving into consulting. His work is primarily with senior marketing and sales managers and focuses on helping them develop clear and compelling answers to the "tough questions" they face in the marketplace, for example: What do we want our consumers or customers to do differently than they are doing today? How can we influence their attitudes and behaviours? How should we organize our marketing and sales resources so that we are most effective?

How do we identify the most attractive business opportunities to pursue? How do we plan effectively - neither under-investing or over-investing in the planning process?

Dr. Tomas Casas, B.Sc., MBA, Ph.D.

Lecturer, Institute for Leadership and HR Management
University of St. Gallen

Professor Tomas Casas has expertise in theoretical entrepreneurship models, business practices in Chinese firms and behaviorist economics. His extensive business experience includes having founded various IT and software firms in greater China as well as operational companies in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Manila. He has worked as a project manager in international business development for the NEC Corporation in Tokyo and as an international trade consultant for the Wharton Export Network in Philadelphia.

Prof. Jim Fisher, MBA

CCMF Chair in Entrepreneurship, Professor of Strategic Management, Vice Dean, MBA Programs & Executive Education, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Three times voted “Teacher of the Year” by the second-year MBA classes, Professor Jim Fischer teaches leadership, strategy and organization design in the MBA, Executive MBA and Executive Development Programs. He brings extensive practical business experience to the classroom. Having worked with McKinsey & Company, Professor Fisher co-founded the Canada Consulting Group, the country's largest Canadian-owned strategy firm before it merged with the Boston Consulting Group.  He joined George Weston Limited in 1986 and served as Executive Vice President of Weston Foods, Chairman and President of William Neilson Limited and President of George Weston North American Bakeries.  Currently he serves on a numbers of boards, including Canadian Tire Corporation, Atlas Cold Storage and the ICD Corporate Governance College. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA in political science and economics and from Harvard University with an MBA.

Prof. Walid Hejazi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, International Business, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Professor Walid Hejazi’s research interests focus on the interaction between globalization and economic growth. He has written on the importance of trade, foreign investment, human capital accumulation and financial and institutional development for the growth experience of a large number of countries. He has examined, in particular, the strategies pursued by multinationals, and the effects these strategies have had on home and host economies, especially as they relate to the diffusion of technology. His most recent work addresses the social, economic and fiscal problems posed by the rapidly aging populations of East Asia and makes policy recommendations for pension reform. Professor Hejazi has advised the governments of several developing countries on the formulation of optimal monetary and fiscal policies.

Prof. Dr. Martin Hilb

Professor of Business Administration, Managing Director, Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management, University of St.Gallen

Professor Martin Hilb is an expert in corporate governance. He has consulted on board and human resources management in more than 50 countries and published ground-breaking governance research gaining widespread notice. He acquired his practical business experience with Nestlé SA in Switzerland, Martin & Co in Berlin and Schering-Plough Corporation, USA. He ultimately served as the director of Germany’s Essex Chemie AG. His teaching experience has included engagements at the University of Dallas, the SMU in Singapore and the EIASM in Brussels. He has also conducted research at UBC in Vancouver and the MGSM in Sydney.

Prof. Doug Hyatt, Ph.D.

Professor of Business Economics, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Professor Doug Hyatt teaches micro- and macroeconomics for Omnium and other Rotman Executive MBA programs. His research interests are primarily in the area of labour economics, particularly wage and employment determination. Professor Hyatt applies his expertise in legal disputes involving the valuation of economic losses, and to music and publishing copyright tariff matters.

Prof. Suren Mansinghka, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor,
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Professor Suren Mansinghka has extensive experience in teaching executive programs on various topics in the field of finance, investment and risk management to US, European, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indian executives. He has served as a director on the board of San Francisco State University Foundation and was chair of its Finance and Investment Committee. Prof. Mansinghka was also a board member of the Cal State Credit Union 9. In addition, he was elected to serve as the chair of Education Committee and Board Member of Security Analysts of San Francisco Society, and served on the Board of Hong Kong Society of Financial Analysts. He has worked as a consultant for various profit and non-profit institutions primarily in the areas of valuation, and financial and investment analysis. Prof. Mansinghka's research interests covers Financial Analysis and Valuation, Survey based research in the use of Derivatives for Risk Management and choice of Capital Structure by corporate firms, Role and effect of Insiders-Trading, and, Case Studies for Financial Decisions. He has been a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, Davis and Riverside, Santa Clara University, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, China-European International Business School, Shanghai and San Francisco State University.

Prof. John Oesch, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Professor John Oesch teaches negotiation, decision making, organizational behavior, organizational change and team building at the Rotman School.  His research interests encompass negotiation, decision making and organizational justice.

Prof. Rick Powers, MBA, LLB

Assistant Dean and Executive Director, MBA Programs
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

A recipient of numerous teaching awards, Professor Rick Powers is an expert in corporate governance, ethics, business and corporate law and sports marketing. He is an Academic Director of the Directors Education Program and the Governance Essentials Program (in partnership with the Institute of Corporate Directors – ICD). He is also a director of several not-for-profit organizations and frequently comments on legal and governance issues in various media across Canada. Professor Powers is currently completing his doctoral studies in Higher Education at the University of Toronto.

Prof. Dr. T. Flemming Ruud

Professor of Auditing, University of St. Gallen and University of Zurich

Professor T. Flemming Ruud’s expertise encompasses internal and external auditing, financial issues of corporate governance, internal control and risk management. As well as teaching in several Executive MBA programs, including Omnium, Dr. Ruud is an advisor to European governments, businesses, academic institutions and auditing firms. He is a recipient of the Leon R. Radde Educator of the Year Award.

Professor Ruud was formerly an associate professor in auditing at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, and full professor at the Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway, where he is now adjunct professor.

Prof. Thorsten Truijens, MBA, Ph.D.

University of St. Gallen

Professor Thorsten Truijens is a consultant and practitioner of financial management and value-generation strategies and has worked for large multinationals including Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, DaimlerChrysler, Merck and Novartis. He has taught at Harvard Business School, University Witten/Herdecke, Eidgenössisch Technishe Hochschule, Centre Européen de Management Colmar and University of St Gallen (HSG). In addition, he has worked on several training projects in areas including financial and management accounting training and leads top management seminars in finance and accounting for leading European institutions.