On a crisp Tuesday morning in the heart of Toronto’s Financial District, the DeGroote School of Business welcomed renowned economist and academic Glenn Hubbard for the School’s annual DeGroote Insight Lecture – held in partnership with Columbia Business School, and supported by Adam Felesky, BA & B.Eng. ’99, President of Portag3 Ventures. The sold-out event took place at the Fairmont Royal York, and attracted more than 200 distinguished guests, alumni, students, faculty, and senior members of the city’s business community.

Hubbard is currently serving as Dean and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics of Columbia Business School. He’s also the former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and worked in the Executive Office of the President of the United States as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

During his hour-long lecture, Hubbard focused on the current state of the American economy and the policy decisions of the new administration. He also discussed the implications of these themes for the global economic order. A lively question and answer session was led by Sherry Cooper, TMX Industry Professor at DeGroote, and Chief Economist of Dominion Lending Centres. Below, members of the DeGroote Network can relive the event in photos.

All images courtesy of Mike Lalich:

The 2017 DeGroote Insight Lecture was held at the famed Fairmont Royal York on Front Street. Since opening its doors in 1929, the hotel has remained one of the most recognizable buildings in Toronto.

The event took place in the Royal York’s Imperial Room, one of city’s most historic and elegant dining and dancing establishments.

Len Waverman, Dean of the DeGroote School of Business, welcomes keynote speaker Glenn Hubbard to the stage in the sold-out hall.

Among other topics, Hubbard spoke about the impact digital transformation is having on the economies of North America, and what our workforce could look like in the not-too-distant future. In recent years, digital transformation has become one of DeGroote’s primary academic focuses.

Following the lecture, Hubbard took part in a question and answer session with DeGroote’s own Sherry Cooper, TMX Industry Professor and Chief Economist of Dominion Lending Centres.

Paul Douglas, B.Com. ’76 & MBA ’78 (left), shares a laugh with Michael Latimer, B.Com. ’76, recipient of last year’s Wayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award. Douglas is Executive Vice President, Canadian Business Banking, TD Bank Group, while Latimer is President and CEO of OMERS.

Gino Scapillati, B.Com. ’81 (centre), chats with David Wilkinson, McMaster’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic (right), and Lynton “Red” Wilson, BA ’62, McMaster’s former Chancellor and longtime supporter.

All smiles. Guests were treated to a number of witty and insightful exchanges between Hubbard, Waverman, and Cooper during the morning event.

The DeGroote Insight Lecture is graciously supported with a philanthropic gift from Adam Felesky, BA & B.Eng. ’99, President, Portag3 Ventures, and a great friend and supporter of the DeGroote School of Business and McMaster University. Felesky’s generosity and commitment to higher education help ensure that these opportunities continue to be available to our DeGroote Network.