Four inductions into the university competitions hall of fame

HEC Montréal’s University Competitions Hall of Fame welcomed four new people into its fold in 2024. These inductions celebrate their outstanding involvement in this field.

Luc Duchaine

Since joining as a student in 1993, Luc Duchaine (BBA 1996) quickly gained a reputation as a formidable debater within the HEC Montréal delegation at the Jeux du Commerce. He became the team’s coach the following year. One of his most memorable contributions is undoubtedly the organization of the 10th edition of the 1998 Jeux du Commerce, in the middle of an ice storm.

Guillaume Marion

Guillaume Marion, who earned a BBA (Finance) degree from HEC Montréal in 2006, was the founding president of the first student organizing committee of Omnium Financier [Financial Open], that same year. This competition brings together nearly 400 students from Eastern Canada each year and is one of the largest in the competition ecosystem of the Regroupement étudiant des facultés d’administration de l’est du Canada [Students Association of Management Faculties of Eastern Canada] (RÉFAEC). The same events are still being offered twenty years on, testifying to their relevance in setting challenges for participants.

Jean-François St-Pierre

Administrative Director of HEC Montréal’s University Competitions Service (UCS) since its creation in 2020, Jean-François St-Pierre (DESS 2009 and MSc 2018) has been involved in case study competitions for over 15 years. He founded the Comité Juges d’un Soir [Guest Judge Committee], which has brought together over 300 seasoned professionals annually since 2010. Since 2014, he has also served as a coach to the marketing and strategy teams for the HEC Montréal delegation at the Jeux du Commerce, Happening Marketing and numerous international competitions.

Mai Thai

Mai Thai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and has been involved in university competitions since 2012. She first served as academic director on the organizing committee of the International Graduate Competition (IGC), for which she created an innovative structure of case studies by business specialization. Next, she launched Social Business Creation (SBC), an international social entrepreneurship competition that hosts over 150 projects annually and over 500 participants from around the world.

Jean-François St-Pierre, Luc Duchaine, Guillaume Marion and Mai Thai, with (centre), Anne Bourhis, Academic Director of the University Competitions Service.

Anne Bourhis, Philippe Tremblay, René Gendreau, Amélie Vachon and Jean-François St-Pierre.