Mike Quinn, BCom鈥88, and Francisca Quinn believe it is critical for the next generation of business leaders to understand climate change and sustainable development concepts.
That鈥檚 why they have made a $2.5-million gift through The Quinn Family Future Foundation to Smith School of Business to establish the Quinn Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Professorship.
The professorship will enhance Smith School of Business curriculum to further develop the next generation of business leaders and positively contribute to an inclusive, diverse and sustainable society where organizations respect planetary boundaries.
鈥淩evitalizing our curriculum will better prepare our students to positively contribute to an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable society,鈥 says Dr. Wanda Costen, Dean of Smith School of Business.鈥淪mith is a key provider of talent for today鈥檚 businesses, so we must offer exceptional learning experiences to equip students to be fluent in sustainability concepts and strategy.鈥
Sustainability is already a key strategic goal at Queen鈥檚. The university is committed to furthering the United Nation鈥檚 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Queen鈥檚 was recently ranked in the top 10 of the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact rankings, which measured the actions of more than 1,500 post-secondary institutions that are trying to advance the UN鈥檚 SDGs. The gift allows Smith School of Business to hire an ESG scholar who will play a leadership role in the development of ESG curricula across programs.
The Quinns have dedicated their careers to sustainable development. Francisca is the president and founder of (a North American ESG advisory firm), and Michael is the co-founder of
鈥淐limate change and social issues are not only significant threats to Canadian business, they can also be tremendous opportunities for organizations and entrepreneurs,鈥 says Francisca. 鈥淲e want to equip every student at Smith to expertly navigate ESG 鈥 whether in business strategy, accounting, finance, technology, or organizational systems.鈥
Mike Quinn鈥檚 commerce degree benefited him tremendously in his career and he is happy to help his alma mater by giving back.
鈥淚鈥檓 very honoured and excited to be able to contribute to Smith School of Business writing its next chapter,鈥 Mike says.
鈥淭hank you to the Quinns for their commitment to finding solutions to some of the challenges facing our world such as climate change and sustainability,鈥 says Queen鈥檚 Vice-Principal (Advancement) Karen Bertrand, Artsci鈥94. 鈥淭heir gift and this professorship will train future leaders to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility and social progress.鈥