Magazine Speaker Series
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Magazine Speaker Series
Four contributors from each issue give short, TED-style talks based on their work. The talks take place at the Rotman School in Toronto or virtually. Paid registration includes a copy of the current issue. Current magazine subscribers can attend these events at no charge. To find out when the next event takes place, subscribe to the magazine or visit the Rotman Events website.
Fall 2023, Work in Progress
On September 12, 2023, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Fall 2023 edition of the magazine: Work in Progress. Leadership is a continuous journey requiring constant growth and adaptation. In the fall issue of Rotman Management, we invite you to open your mind, challenge your assumptions and embrace the opportunities for growth and transformation that lie ahead. Because like the world itself, each and every one of us is a Work in Progress.
Spring 2023, Next-Level Leadership
On May 23, 2023, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Spring 2023 edition of the magazine: Next-Level Leadership. Over the last decade, leaders have faced one disruptive challenge after another, and no one knows what our world will throw at us next. But we can be certain of one thing: leading effectively will demand balancing performance with transformation. And those who possess a repertoire of complementary competencies and mindsets will be most effective at leading their organizations through the turbulence. It’s time to take your leadership to the next level!
Winter 2023, The Big Ideas Issue
On January 24, 2023, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Winter 2023 edition of the magazine: The Big Ideas Issue. In this issue, we present some of the key insights leaders need to incorporate into their mindsets going forward. Leadership today is permeated by paradoxes: leaders must generate short-term and long-term results; hold and share power; perform and transform; and optimize data and use their intuition—to name a few. The skillset required to achieve this has been summarized as ‘meta, macro and micro all at once’.
Fall 2022, The Future-Proof Issue
On September 27, 2022, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Fall 2022 edition of the magazine, The Future-Proof Issue. Given the state of the world, it might feel pointless to try to forecast the future past a few weeks or months. But there are things you can do today that will make your organization stronger tomorrow. As people rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic, leaders who take this opportunity to revisit and redesign their purpose, culture and norms will pull ahead of their rivals. In the fall issue of Rotman Management, we share some of the insights, concepts and tools required to future-proof your organization.
Spring 2022, The Art of Transformation
On May 25, 2022, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Spring 2022 issue - The Art of Transformation. The pace and scope of the change we are experiencing surpass any other period in human history. Successive waves of disruptive technologies are emerging, converging and evolving into a digital ecosystem that is redefining how we connect, communicate, and take collective action. Market expectations are evolving and morphing at such an astonishing rate that leaders can’t keep up. In this environment, pursuing a transformation agenda is not optional; it is essential to organizational survival.
Winter 2022, The Disrupted Issue
On January 26, 2022, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Winter 2022 issue - The Disrupted Issue. In the past 18 months, we have all been disrupted to some degree by the COVID-19 pandemic. But disruption is a shape-shifter that can take many forms. Four contributors from our winter issue throw the spotlight on a unique dimension of disruption.
Fall 2021, Now What?
On September 29, 2021, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Fall 2021: Now What? issue. A year-and-a-half since the global pandemic turned our lives upside down, serious flaws in our societal and economic systems have come to light. For leaders eager to seize this unique moment in history to jumpstart their organizations, the question is, Now What? In the fall issue of Rotman Management, we explore some of the mindsets, insights and operating principles that will be required to thrive in the post-pandemic world.
Spring 2021, The Health(y) Issue
On May 25, 2021, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of Spring 2021: The Health(y) Issue. If there was ever any doubt that successful economies depend upon a healthy population, it has likely been erased in the past year. COVID-19 has shown us that societal issues are not just legitimate areas of concern for business — they are sources of both risk and opportunity. Like market forces, societal forces can profoundly affect the competitive environment. Four contributors from the spring issue put the spotlight on what has become the Holy Grail for organizations, economies and individuals alike: Health. Here are the four talks:.
Addressing the Other Healthcare Crisis
Speaker: Mark Britnell, Global Healthcare Expert, KPMG International; Senior Partner, KPMG United Kingdom; Senior Fellow and Executive-in-Residence, Rotman School of Management
Leading the Way to Recovery.
Speaker: Mara Lederman, Academic Lead, Partners Program, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL); Site Lead, CDL Toronto; Professor of Strategic Management, Rotman School of Management
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Winter 2021, World 2.0
On January 26, 2021, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Winter 2021 issue, World 2.0. 2020 has been the most challenging year in recent memory. Given the seismic shifts among consumers and markets themselves, the strategy your organization had in place last January is likely no longer relevant. Unfortunately, the energy required to keep your employees and customers safe and your operations afloat has left little time to step back and explore the new world that is emerging around us. Four contributors to the winter 2021 edition of Rotman Management discuss key aspects of ‘World 2.0’.
How COVID-19 Has Impacted our Mental Health
Speaker: Dr. Andrea Levinson, Psychiatrist in Chief, Health and Wellness, University of Toronto, Assistant Professor, Child and Youth Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
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Fall 2020, A Toolkit for Leaders
On September 29, 2020, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Fall 2020 issue, A Toolkit for Leaders. Leaders across industries and borders are confronting the most challenging questions of their careers: How can I keep my employees and customers safe? How is COVID-19 shifting consumer behaviour? And what will the new normal look like for us? Four contributors from the fall issue shared some key insights for thriving amidst the uncertainty that lies ahead. Below are three of the four talks.
- No Going Back: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Speaker: Anita M. McGahan, University Professor and George E. Connell Chair in Organizations & Society, Rotman School of Management and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, U of Toronto
- 4Ps for The Next Normal
Speaker: Chris Stamper (Rotman MBA ’94), former SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, TD Canada; past Chairman of the Board, Canadian Marketing Association
- How to Build Back Better
Speaker: Sarah Kaplan, Director - Institute for Gender & the Economy, Distinguished Professor of Gender & the Economy and Professor of Strategic Management, Rotman School of Management, U of Toronto
Spring 2020, Behavioural Insights
On May 26, 2020, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Spring 2020 issue, Behavioural Insights. Social and psychological factors affect nearly every decision people make — and therefore, these factors affect organizations and the economy as a whole. It follows that a more complete understanding of human behaviour and decision processes provides a powerful tool for strategy and policy design. Four experts from the Spring 2020 issue provide key behavioural insights in four short talks.
The Paradox of Passion
Speaker: Stéphane Côté, Geoffrey Conway Chair in Business Ethics; Professor of Organizational Behaviour & HR Management; Director, PhD Program; Director, Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics, Rotman School of Management
Nudge’s Evil Cousin: Sludge
Speaker: Dilip Soman, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics; Director, Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR]; Author, The Last Mile: Creating Social and Economic Value from Behavioural Insights (Rotman-UTP Publishing, 2015)
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Winter 2020, Creative Destruction II
On February 4, 2020, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Winter 2020 issue, ‘Creative Destruction II’. Everywhere we look, digital technologies and innovative business models are transforming organizations. And as Joseph Schumpeter warned long ago, whenever such creative destruction occurs, there are winners and losers. But as these four contributors to the issue show, ironically, technology might actually make us all more human — by freeing us up to be more creative, empathetic, and innovative.
Deconstructing Occupational Stereotypes
Speaker: Sonia Kang, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Department of Management, UofT Mississauga; Chief Scientist, Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR); and Research Fellow, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Rotman School of Management
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Fall 2019, Secrets of the Best Leaders
On September 30, 2019, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Fall 2019 issue, ‘Secrets of the Best Leaders’. From knowing how to make a strategic pivot to understanding today’s ‘needs-adaptive’ consumer to creating an inclusive workplace to preparing for a cyber attack - these are secrets you won’t want to keep to yourself. Watch the videos below for TED-style talks by four contributors from the fall issue.
Spring 2019, The Art of Change

On May 29, 2019, Rotman Management celebrated the launch of the Spring 2019 issue, ‘The Art of Change’. Wherever human behaviour is involved, there are opportunities for behavioural insights to influence outcomes. In the issue we look at some of the key areas that demand behaviour change, the opportunities it presents and some of the tools and mindsets required to achieve it. The four speakers at this event each have an article or interview in the issue.
The Origins of the Gender Gap
Speaker: Mikhail Simutin, Associate Professor of Finance and Associate Director - International Centre for Pension Management at Rotman
Inequality as an Innovation Challenge
Speaker: Sarah Kaplan, Distinguished Professor of Gender and the Economy, Professor of Strategic Management and Founding Director - Institute for Gender and the Economy at Rotman (GATE), Rotman
Harnessing Behavioural Insights: A Playbook
Speaker: Dilip Soman, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics, Professor of Marketing and Founding Director - Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR), Rotman
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Winter 2019, The Disruptive Issue II

On January 28, 2019, we celebrated the launch of our Winter 2019 issue. Our first issue on disruptive innovation was published in Fall 2016. Not surprisingly, much has changed since then. In The Disruptive Issue II we put disruption in the spotlight again and examine the strategies and mindsets of successful innovators, disruptors, and entrepreneurs. At this event, four Rotman professors who have articles in the Winter 2019 each gave short talks based on their articles.
Putting A.I. To Work
Speaker: Brian Keng, Adjunct Professor of Data Science, Rotman School of Management, Chief Data Scientist, Rubikloud
Exploring the Impact of AI
Speaker: Joshua Gans, Jeffrey Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Professor of Strategic Management and Chief Economist - Creative Destruction Lab, Rotman School of Management, Co-Author, Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence (HBR Press, 2018)
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Fall 2018, You 2.0
On September 26, 2018, we celebrated the launch of our
Fall 2018 issue. AI, machine learning and other technologies are fundamentally transforming every industry. But as indicated in this issue, for an organization to thrive, its leaders must focus just as much on the human elements. At this 60-minute event, four experts whose expertise is featured in the issue, each presented a 12-minute TED-style talk on You 2.0.
Design-or Re-design-Your Life
Speaker: Ingo Rauth, Adjunct Professor, IE Business School; Former Post-Doctoral Research Follow, Rotman School of Management
Improve Your Self Control
Speaker: Kim Ly, Research Follow - Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR) Research Institute, Rotman School of Management
Make Better Data-Driven Decisions
Speaker: Kristina McElheran, Assistant Professor, Strategic Management, U of T Scarborough and Rotman School of Management and Digital Fellow, Initiative on the Digital Economy at MIT
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Spring 2018, Value Creation
On May 28th, 2018, we celebrated the launch of our Spring 2018 issue. Four experts from that issue each gave a talk on value creation.
Speakers
Avi Goldfarb, Rotman Professor of Marketing and Chief Data Scientist, Creative Destruction Lab, on “Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence” @avicgoldfarb
Partha Mohanram, Rotman Professor of Accounting, on “Twitter as a Value Creation Tool” @pmohanram
Melanie Kim, Research Associate, Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR), on “Consumer Behaviour Online” @melaniekimca
Geoffrey Leonardelli, Rotman Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour, on “The Prospecting Mindset” @geoleonardelli
The Prospecting Mindset
Speaker: Geoffrey Leonardelli, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour HR Management, Rotman
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Winter 2018, Creative Destruction
On January 25th, 2018, we celebrated the launch of our Winter 2018 Creative Destruction issue. Four experts featured from that issue each gave a talk on how creative destruction is unfolding across all sectors.
Speakers
Anita McGahan, Rotman Chair in Management, Rotman (@anitamcgahan)
David Pardy, Co-Founder & Product, Helpful.com (@DavidPardy)
Chen-Bo Zhong, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour and HR Management, Rotman
Heather Fraser, Adjunct Professor of Business Design, Rotman; Co-Founder, Rotman Design Works (@HeatherMAFraser)
Fall 2017, The Inequality Issue

On October 3rd, 2017, together with Rotman's Institute for Gender and the Economy, we celebrated the launch of our Fall 2017 issue on inequality. Four experts featured from that issue each gave a talk on inequality in the workplace and society and offered solutions for what to do about it.
Speakers:
Sonia Kang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Rotman (@Sonia_Kang)
Tanya van Biesen (Rotman MBA ’00), Executive Director – Canada, Catalyst Inc. (@TanyavanB)
Stéphane Côté, Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Director – PhD Program, Rotman (@StephaneCoteTO)
Sarah Kaplan, Professor of Strategic Management; University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Gender & the Economy; and Director – Institute for Gender & the Economy, Rotman (@sarah_kaplan)
Why Progress is Slow on Gender Parity
Speaker: Sarah Kaplan, Professor of Strategic Management and University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Gender & the Economy and Director - Institute for Gender & the Economy, Rotman
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