McMaster welcomes Gordon Pitts as Business Writer-in-Residence

Well-known business journalist Gordon Pitts has joined McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business as Business Writer-in-Residence.

Pitts will draw on his 36 years of experience writing about Canada’s business leaders – most recently for the Globe and Mail – to help students develop enhanced skills in communication, persuasion, media, teamwork, corporate culture, philanthropy and volunteerism.

A particular area of focus will be the historical and geopolitical context of business in Canada and its impact on decision-making.

The creation of the two-year Writer-in-Residence program is a response to feedback from Canada’s business executives, who have noted a general decline in the “soft skills” that help skilled managers become strong leaders.

Pitts will work closely with Leonard Waverman, dean of the DeGroote School of Business, and other faculty to embed these skills within existing curricula.

“The awareness that is developed along with these skills cannot be acquired in one or two courses,” Pitts says. “The characteristics of good leadership must be developed in every course and experience during a student’s academic career.”

“Executives across Canada are asking for these skills in their new managers,” says Waverman, “and we are taking this step to help ensure that our graduates have already developed these skills when they transition from the classroom to the boardroom.”