The Minister of Industry, the Honourable Tony Clement, has announced the funding of new or renewed Canada Research Chairs at 53 universities. These include the Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.

This announcement was made on November 24, as part of a regional conference held in Toronto to mark the 10th anniversary of the Canada Research Chair program. This program is aimed at attracting and retaining renowned international experts at Canadian universities and colleges to foster advanced research in all fields. HEC Montréal boasts the most Canada Research Chairs of all the business schools and faculties in Canada.

The Canada Research Chair in Risk Management (level 1), held by professor Georges Dionne, will be able to continue its activities during the next seven years because of the renewal of its subsidy, amounting to $1.4 million. Traditionally associated with the insurance world, risk management has extended to other sectors that significantly affect not only companies but also individuals and society as a whole. Professor George Dionne has contributed to this evolution in many ways. For instance, he designed risk management models with applications in fields such as insurance, the banking sector, road safety, environmental risks, health, public security and finance, notably related to operational and credit risk, and financial portfolio management.

A professor in the Finance department, Mr. Dionne holds a PhD in economics from Université de Montréal and a postdoctoral degree from Wharton School. He is currently the editor of the Journal of Risk and Insurance, a member of the editorial committee of seven journals in the field of insurance and risk management and vice- president of the Canadian Economics Association. He is a prolific author who has won many awards, including three Pierre-Laurin awards from HEC Montréal for his scientific contribution. A member of the Royal Society of Canada since 2000, he received an Honorary Ph.D. from the Université d'Orléans in October 2006, during the university’s 700th anniversary celebrations.