Dr. Suzanne Gagnon receives unanimous renewal of Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education
As Director of the Burns Leadership Institute and Associate Dean of research at the Asper School of Business, Suzanne Gagnon "leads from the outside in"
Since 2018, Suzanne Gagnon has served as Canada Life Chair of Leadership Education and Director of the James W. Burns Leadership Institute, UM’s centre for leadership knowledge and education, housed at the Asper School of Business. In July 2024, Gagnon’s role as Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education was unanimously renewed.
When she first took on this role, Gagnon was tasked with launching the President’s Student Leadership Program (PSLP). It was this unique opportunity to put her own leadership expertise into practice that drew Gagnon to Asper, joining from her long service as a faculty member at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
“As an academic role with a mandate to lead in community outreach and engagement and positively contribute to the business and social landscape of Manitoba, it was very compelling” she says. “The challenge of developing rigorous and impactful programming in leadership with strong ties to the community, specifically geared to help students take action for the future was very appealing and has been a great opportunity.”
A leader in leadership education
Gagnon got to work, meeting with business and community leaders across the province in post-secondary and beyond, leading with a curious and collaborative approach.
She quickly felt the connectivity of Manitoba, the willingness leaders had to share insights and networks, and the potential for a completely unique program that could tap into this collective energy.
In 2019, the first cohort of PSLP welcomed 27 students from post-secondary institutions across Manitoba, and in 2024, the program celebrated five years of immersive, inclusive, and innovative leadership education unlike anything else in Canada.
Reflecting on the last five years and the renewal of these interwoven roles, Gagnon says that she is most proud of her journey developing, shaping, launching, and sustaining PSLP.
In addition to this work, Gagnon founded the Leadership for Our Times: Critical Issues Series, and during her first tenure as chair, led the launch of a minor in leadership for UM students across faculties, through the Asper School of Business. She also conducted extensive research in leadership and in equity, diversity, and inclusion as this intersects with leadership and entrepreneurial leadership.
Her recent work includes a new article published in Organizational Dynamics (2024) based on interviews with CEOs across economic sectors conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, theorizing their challenges and expertise in interconnected leadership, and a paper that integrates research paradigms to guide organizational change for greater equity, published in the FT 50 journal Human Relations (2022).
Associate Dean of Research
While excited to carry on her work as director and Canada Life Chair, Gagnon is also looking forward to a new portfolio as Associate Dean of Research at the Asper School of Business.
Gagnon previously served as Associate Dean of Professional Graduate Programs and Executive Education (2021 to 2024), during which she led the Asper MBA, MSCM, and MFin programs through pandemic lockdowns while advancing professional graduate offerings at the Stu Clark Graduate School and increasing enrolments.
With colleagues in Law, she successfully finalized UM’s JD/MBA concurrent degrees program, offered by the Asper School of Business and the UM Faculty of Law, which gives law and business students the opportunity to complete two-high impact degrees in four years.
“These are some of the things that I am most proud of. Of course, none of this work can be achieved by one person and I take pride in helping create that momentum, bringing a positive view to sometimes hard negotiations and seeing exciting new offerings go through.”
As Associate Dean of Research, Gagnon strives to build on the legacy left by past ADs and generate momentum.
“I aim to further advance the research culture at Asper, support and empower assistant professors to really optimize their research, and inspire strong mentorship. The best research benefits from open feedback, exchange, and collaboration, and I hope to support new opportunities for that at the Asper School of Business. We also want to provide every benefit to our PhD and MSc students.”
Big ideas, close connections
When Suzanne Gagnon discusses her work, she speaks as passionately about big-picture initiatives as she does individual students she has mentored through PSLP, the Asper MBA, and other programs.
Conversing with President Michael Benarroch on UM’s What’s the Big Idea podcast, Gagnon shares one of the core lessons PSLP fellows learn in the program, a recognition that they can and should “lead from the outside in.”
“I can lead, and I should lead,” she says, referring to students’ reflections, “but, it’s not just about me; it’s about us—and not only some of us, but all of us.”
Her own leadership is informed by this inclusive leading from outside in, a commitment to creating space for and empowering diverse voices and experiences that represent and contribute to the advancement of community connectivity.
—
The James W. Burns Leadership Institute at the I.H. Asper School of Business was created through the visionary investment from Canada Life, IG Wealth Management and the Power Corporation of Canada, as well as the Province of Manitoba. Learn more about the Institute’s impactful President’s Student Leadership Program here.