News & Media

June 2010
Director's Corner

On May 28th, 2010, McGill University conferred upon Mr. Jacques Bougie, our Advisory Board member and Campaign Co-Chair, the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
On this occasion, Dr. Bougie delivered an acceptance speech that was honed from his extensive experience as CEO of Alcan as well as his long term involvement in an advisory capacity to many Canadian and international enterprises. His thoughtful comments appear below, as a guest Director’s Corner.
David Colman

McGill Convocation, May 28, 2010

Merci David for your kind words. But first let me set the record straight.

The recognition and honor bestowed upon me today is entirely due to my good fortune in meeting the love of my life some 46 years ago, my wife Anne Marie, to the people that believed in me and forced me to go far beyond my own expectations or aspirations and to my colleagues throughout the years that did an absolutely superb job … and made me look good!

In the next few minutes I will provide you with a tool that will help you tackle any job or task. I will illustrate the importance of your respective career choices and the difference you will make. Then I will provide you with benchmarks to identify successful organizations … or the ones that believe that people make the difference. And finally I will leave you with a few words of advice!

First the tool: It’s called “Critical Success Factors or CSF”.

Throughout my career I have been asked to do things or manage operations or businesses that I knew practically nothing about. In my first jobs when I was barely 20 years old, I tried to do everything without really knowing what was important, what made the difference between average, good, or great results! Each time after one or two years, I was able to pin point the tasks or activities that indeed made the difference. But I had lost one or two years in each case!

So I changed my approach, and on day one of every new assignment, my first task was to identify the” things” that needed to be done in an impeccable fashion in order to be “best in class”, to deliver the best possible results, short and long term!

It rarely took me more than one month. I talked to a lot of people, studied why others were doing better than we were and reached a consensus with my colleagues as to what was required to be #1…and did it!

In every job, whether as an environmental officer or as CEO of a company, there are at most 5 to 7 “must do’s”. But they need to be performed in an impeccable way, not just “acceptable or OK“!

When you are in a new job, entry level or not, you need to sit down with your boss, discuss the critical tasks and determine the level of performance that needs to be achieved. Don’t be afraid to suggest other factors or different performance levels. You need to understand the importance of the task and what the options are.

“Doing things right” is just not enough, you need to do “the right things right”! Then you definitively bring value to an organization!

Now on to the importance of your career choices. Agricultural, Agronomy, Environmental Sciences and Human Nutrition are very relevant in today’s world. Why? Because three of the main issues facing us today are: feeding a growing population in the most productive way; protecting the environment and and the growing cost of healthcare.

You have the training, you know the science, and clearly you have a strong passion to ensure we address these priorities and make our planet sustainable and improve everyone’s quality of life. You can and you will make a difference! It is your role....it is your responsibility!

How does this translate to the corporate world?

Well, I have been a senior executive and a board member of a number of companies for more than 25 years. They all have high standards and rigorous governance regarding the environment, health and safety, sustainability, and in one case, food safety and wellness.

Why? Simply because most board members and senior executives strongly believe that an organization’s most important asset is its REPUTATION. And why is it so? Because in the end, an organization’s reputation is the reflection of its core values!

So how do we achieve and maintain a “good reputation”?

Yes… through good products and services, integrity, and innovation. But also care for our people, the environment, and the communities in which we operate. All areas where many of you will bring value and make a difference.

And never think you are alone!

I mention this because often in my career my strongest allies and supporters were not necessarily my peers or even immediate superiors. But someone much higher up the organization that recognized what I was trying to do, and without my knowing, cleared the way!

You might have guessed that having an impeccable reputation was one of the CSF that I determined as CEO of Alcan. Our environmental, health and safety performance along with the flawless application of our Code of Conduct were among the key measures…..and they were not negotiable!

If you strongly believe in something and you have your facts right, and I underline, you have your facts right, then go for it. If you don’t, your self esteem will be at risk!

However remain aware that your way of seeing things may not be the only way. It is said that “there are two sides to a coin”. But I always remind myself and my colleagues “that there are six sides to a cube”, and one needs to consider all aspects of a situation before jumping to conclusions.

And now let me tell you how you recognize an organization that strongly believes that people make the difference. It is when they live by four core values:

1. Simplicity. When an organization has the fewest levels possible, where all communicate freely within a collegial yet challenging environment.

2. Trust. When they give you a task to do and the tools required to get it done, so you are empowered and accountable. And when they don’t constantly look over your shoulders, but are available if you need advice or support.

3. Integrity. When they expect you to stand up for what you believe in and champion the highest ethical standards.

4. Rigor In order to maintain Simplicity and Trust you need to ensure that every decision or recommendation is fact – driven, using the best available information.

Now some final advice.

You are aware that some of the things you learned only three years ago may already be obsolete as new knowledge is now available. So you should not let a day go by without learning something new. And do not limit yourself to your own field of expertise. Be curious! It may come in handy one day and life will be more interesting!

Be prepared to make mistakes, to fail on your first attempt. But be ready to learn from your mistakes because that is when you start building experience.

And you cannot accumulate experience without taking some risks. Five years from now you may be asked to do something you feel ill-equipped to do. Don’t worry; you will not be the first or the last. Remember the concept of CSF.

I will end my remarks by wishing you all the very best of success. As I say this I am reminded of what Albert Einstein once said: “Strive not to be a success … but to be of value”

Finally, please, never take yourself too seriously because you will have lost the ability to listen and learn from others.

Remember that God gave us two ears and one mouth.

There must be a message there!

Bonne chance and may you realize your wildest dreams!

JACQUES BOUGIE, O.C., LL.L., D.S.A., Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, McGill University

Please send any comments about the Director's Corner to David Colman

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Recent News

Outstanding contributions recognized at Neuro Convocation
The annual convocation affords an opportunity for the Neuro community to celebrate the remarkable work and dedication of colleagues. This year, Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Eva Andermann, Patricia O’Connor and to The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.

Eva Andermann received her PhD and MD degrees from McGill University and established a career in neurogenetics with a particular emphasis on the genetics of epilepsy and assessment of the risks of anti-epileptic medication use during pregnancy. With her husband, Fred Andermann, Eva identified a unique disorder among residents in the Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean region of Quebec, which has come to be known as Andermann Syndrome.

Patricia O’Connor served as Associate Director of Nursing (Neuroscience) from 1990 until 2009 when she was named Director of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Implementing a new care delivery model, Patty is responsible for the development of highly effective interdisciplinary care teams at The Neuro. Ms. O'Connor is a strong advocate for the development of advanced practice nursing roles for tertiary ambulatory care delivery across the MUHC and in her current role, she is continuing to advance care-delivery processes.

The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, represented at convocation by Jill and Derek Price, was established in 1937 and was the second family foundation in Canada. For more than 70 years, generous support from the McConnell Foundation has been a critical factor in the growth of The Neuro, including the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, the Brain Tumour Research Centre and the new North Wing expansion. The Foundation’s ongoing commitment has helped to create and secure a strong future for The Neuro.

The 2010 Mid-Career Achievement Award went to Peter McPherson, who joined the faculty at The Neuro in 1995 as a Fellow of the prestigious Alfred B. Sloan Foundation. Now Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Coordinator of the Neuro’s Cell Biology of Excitable Tissues Group, Peter has made fundamental discoveries about neuronal function. He is a leader in the field of membrane trafficking pathways that are emerging as a central theme in the study of neurodegenerative diseases.

Outstanding Team Awards were presented to the Preston Robb Neurological Day Centre and the Animal Care Facility. The Neurological Day Centre is a nursing-led centre that provides tertiary and quaternary treatments and interventions for ambulatory patients, thus reducing hospital admissions and emergency room visits. Establishing strong relationships with their patients, these team members deliver quality patient care: Nurses Catherine Ciaravola, Sheryl Cauvin, Jacki Gordon, Sylvia De Melo, Catherine Savoy and Barbara Taugher; Administrative Technician Isabelle Sansoucy; and Patient Attendant Louise Lajoie.

By maintaining the highest standards of animal care, the Animal Care Facility (AFC) Team is critical to important animal-based research at The Neuro, which advances our knowledge of the nervous system and the development of effective treatment for neurological disease. The AFC team provides training, and veterinary and technical assistance to researchers, and has been consistently recognized for its outstanding performance by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Lead by Janette Green, the team includes Madeleine Arkilanian, Mareille Bouchard-Levasseur, Steven Pelletier and Lisa Volume; Clinical Veterinarian Jessica Hutta; On-call Consulting Veterinarian Simon Authier; Animal Health Technicians Maria Caruso, Benoit Chambaron, Cathy Hunt and Stefanie Perrino; and Animal Care Technicians Ted Kuhn, Christopher Landry, Adrien McCosker, Eddie Telemaque and Donald Toohey-Roberts.

Brenda Milner, NSERC Medal of Excellence
Brenda Milner was again one of three finalists for Canada’s highest prize in natural science, The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Last year, Milner received the NSERC Medal of Excellence as a first time finalist for the Herzberg Medal for her pioneering work in cognitive neuroscience, and will use the prize funds to support her research program.

Our award winning ad
The Neuro’s television ad “What Matters in Life” received the Gold Medal from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (USA) in the Video PSAs and Commercial Spots category of their national awards competition. This video spot, designed and executed by CG Com, has been seen throughout Quebec and on national TV through generous donations of media time from Astral Media, CBC, CTV, Global, RDS, Téléquébec and Canal Savoir.

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Upcoming Events

Come to congratulate the Residents, June 17
Come celebrate with the Neurology and Neurosurgery residents who have recently completed their specialty exams and are ready to will launch their careers. André Olivier, Chief of Neurosurgery, and Anne-Louise Lafontaine will recognize these outstanding trainees at a reception in the Helen Penfield Atrium at 4 pm on Thursday, June 17.

Neurosurgery Fellows Day, June 18
Neurosurgery Fellows will present 15 minute talks on their research in a full day program on Fellows Day, Friday, June 18 in the de Grandpre Communications Centre. Commencing at 8:00 am, the first session will feature 7 talks on Movement Disorders, the 10:15 am session will focus on Neuro-oncology and Molecular; afternoon sessions will address Surgical Neuro-oncology (1 pm start) and Functional/Vascular (2:15 pm start). Rees Cosgrove, a former Neuro Fellow who is now Professor and Chairman of Neurosurgery at Brown University and the Rhode Island Hospitals, will deliver the keynote lecture Psychosurgery… revisited at 4 pm. You are welcome to attend all or part of this informative day. Please see program for details.

Free food and fun for the family: Neuro Family Day, June 19
Join your Neuro friends and bring your family to a good old fashioned picnic on Neuro Family Day, Saturday, June 19 from noon to 5 pm in Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park, 6985 Mackle Road in Cote Saint-Luc (near Cavendish Mall). Enjoy burgers and dogs, chips, sweets, beer and soda. Fun-lovers of all ages are welcome for softball, badminton, soccer, Frisbee, sidewalk art and more. Please bring your toys and sports gear to share, and let us know how many will come by contacting Debbie Rashcovsky, 514-398-6047.

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Congratulations to ...

Jenea Bin from Tim Kennedy’s lab, Jieun Cha from Heather Durham’s lab, and Emily Coffey from Robert Zatorre’s lab, who are graduate students in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, each received a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. news release.

Laurence Mercier, a PhD student in Louis Collins’ lab, who won the Young Investigator Award in Clinical Investigation at the Canadian Neuro-Oncology Meeting for her work in ultrasound-guided brain tumor surgery.

Carole Abi Farah and Neil Schwartz who received the inaugural C. Nance Common Neuroscience Awards at Neuro Convocation on May 26.

Alberto Ramos, former postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Phil Barker, whose work is profiled on the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) website. Dr. Ramos received a Return Home Award from IBRO in 2006 to help him establish his laboratory at the University of Buenos Aires.

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Director - David R. Colman, PhD
Senior Management - Martine Alfonso; Mark Angle, MD; Phil Barker, PhD; Rob Dunn, PhD; Lucia Fabijan; Tom Gevas; Elizabeth Kofron, PhD; Catherine Rowe; Donatella Tampieri, MD
Neuro News: Elizabeth Kofron, PhD & Sandra McPherson, PhD

Please send any items for the Neuro News to Sandra McPherson or Beth Kofron.

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