Canada

PIERRE L. MORRISSETTE INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario

The Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship endeavors to be the premier entrepreneurship centre in Canada and respected throughout the world.  Our goal is to serve entrepreneurs from start-up to succession.

The Institute works with students to build a foundation from which to successfully launch new businesses; with Canada's best entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level; and with business families to facilitate a successful transition to next generation or next opportunity.  The Institute supports all of this work through attention to research in areas of high growth and entrepreneurial learning. 

BACKGROUND

Launched in 1995, the Institute grew out of a partnership between Ernst & Young, Bank of Montreal and the Richard Ivey School of Business. The Institute’s goals and objectives include a strong research focus, vigorous and dynamic new student programs, and a mandate to secure independent funding following the expiration of startup seed money.

Program highlights include a Certificate in Entrepreneurship which directs students on how to think and act as successful entrepreneurs rather than simply studying or writing business plans. Certificate Program requirements include enrollment in mandatory and elective courses, completion of an internship by working with an entrepreneur or launching a new venture, and participation in initiatives such as entrepreneurship clubs, networking events and business plan competitions.  

Apart from the Certificate, the Institute offers 13 courses in entrepreneurship covering topics from Creativity & Opportunity Recognition to Entrepreneurial Finance, and from New Venture Creation to Leading Family-Owned Firms.

The Institute’s Advisory Council and network of entrepreneurial alumni support the Institute’s expanding vision by hiring student interns, coaching new venture project teams, assisting in the development of entrepreneurial case studies and speaking to classes or at networking events.

Our wide array of programs and research projects has bolstered efforts to establish an independent financial base from which the Institute has flourished. The generous support of alumni, friends, corporations, community leaders and business supporters has ensured a long and bright future for entrepreneurship learning, research and outreach at Ivey.

Of particular note is the contribution by Pierre Morrissette, MBA ’72, President and CEO of Pelmorex Media Inc, of a gift of $2.5 million to provide funding for research, PhD scholarships, outreach activities and enhanced student initiatives. “Entrepreneurship is the engine of the Canadian economy,” he says. “It is a key pillar of our society that we must nurture and support. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship myself and I totally support Ivey’s commitment to this field.”  In January 2007, the Institute was renamed the Pierre L Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship in honour and appreciation of this generous gift and outstanding commitment to entrepreneurship.

THE CENTRE TODAY

Ivey’s champion for entrepreneurship is Dr. Stewart Thornhill, Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Executive Director, Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Richard Ivey School of Business. Prior to joining Ivey, Dr. Thornhill belonged to the faculty in Entrepreneurial Studies at York University's Schulich School of Business in Toronto. He received his PhD from the University of British Columbia and also holds a BSc (Eng.) in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA with a concentration in Finance. Dr. Thornhill's research interests include strategic execution, leadership, competitive strategy, innovation, and corporate entrepreneurship.

Associate Professor Simon Parker also serves as Director, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Research Centre. Prior to joining Ivey, Dr. Parker was Head of the Department of Economics & Finance and Professor of Economics at Durham Business School in England, and visiting professor and Lansdowne Fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in economics, entrepreneurship and management journals and has edited several books on the Economics of Entrepreneurship. His book, The Economics of Self-employment and Entrepreneurship, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2004; an updated version entitled The Economics of Entrepreneurship will appear in 2009.

Ron Close, HBA ’81 is the Institute’s Executive Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Prior to joining Ivey Ron was President, Bell New Ventures where he was responsible for driving material innovation, VoIP services and Consumer Services Development. Mr. Close started his career with progressively senior roles at companies such as Andersen Consulting, Motorola Canada (Codex Division), Unitel Communications and Delrina.  He is past-Chairman of Ability Online, a charitable organization for children with disabilities or illness, and Chairman of the Toronto Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). 

Dave Simpson, MBA ‘88 is Director for the Business Families Centre. A London-based financier with a broad range of business experiences and a passion for Entrepreneurship, Dave has financed and operated a diverse range of businesses including restaurants, golf courses, aircraft leasing, oil field serves and retail. As a family business entrepreneur, he is keen to support Ivey’s efforts to understand and support learning in this vital sector of the Canadian economy. 

Ellen Brown and Sarah Buck support the Institute as Initiative Coordinators, delivering programs and events to Ivey students and alumni engaged in entrepreneurship.

Our Vision

The Institute’s goal continues to be to create a world class program and reputation in entrepreneurship. We believe that Our Vision captures the aspirations of the entrepreneurship community at Ivey:

Ivey will be the first choice of the best learners who wish to pursue an entrepreneurial path.  We will be admired by our peers and external stakeholders for our innovative programs, research productivity and contribution to practitioners.  Through our interaction with learners we will transform lives and significantly contribute to the Canadian economy.  Ivey will be synonymous with entrepreneurial success.

 Programs & Initiatives

To transform Our Vision into reality, the Institute has developed an extensive range of programs and initiatives for students, alumni, entrepreneurial business leaders and others engaged in professions that directly support Canada’s entrepreneurs. The Institute’s offerings include but are not limited to:

Students (HBA & MBA unless otherwise noted): Certificate in Entrepreneurship (HBA); 3x5 Dinners; Entrepreneurship Clubs; Scholarships; Entrepreneurship Speaker Series; Integrative Program Events; Wes Nicol New Venture Creation Competition (HBA);Ivey Business Plan Competition (MBA); LEADER Project.

Alumni, Entrepreneurs and Supporting Professions: Networking Events; Entrepreneur 1.0 Workshop Series; Ivey Entrepreneur Newsletter; National Post Small Business Case Series; National Family Business Day; Leading Family Firms Program; Quantum Shift Conference and Quantum Shift Fellows Program.

Research

The Institute also supports the work of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Research Centre, one of four Cross-Enterprise Leadership Centres designed to encourage and facilitate cross-disciplinary involvement, and maximize research impact for academics and practitioner audiences. The Centre supports the research of Ivey faculty and PhD students, several of which are engaged in the development of an entrepreneurship database populated with information from interviews with hundreds of entrepreneurs. The goal of the project is to unlock and build models of how successful entrepreneurs think, act and make decisions.

Outreach

In addition to providing support and expertise for the School’s entrepreneurial students and alumni, the Institute also seeks to establish partnerships with the broader community of entrepreneurs. These alliances help create and maintain an environment in which entrepreneurs can continue to cultivate personal and professional success, and have also helped to establish the Institute as a centre for expertise and resources available to wider entrepreneurial community. The Institute’s partnerships include but are not limited to: KPMG Enterprise (Quantum Shift); TechAlliance (Entrepreneur 1.0 and Case Series); CAFÉ (National Family Business Day); Bruce R. Dodds Memorial Foundation (HBA Integrative Program Event).

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pierre L Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship

1151 Richmond St North

London, Ontario N6A 3K7

Email:    entrepreneurship@ivey.uwo.ca

Web:     www.ivey.uwo.ca/entrepreneurship