Laurier appoints acting dean of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics

May 3, 2022

Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Shelley McGill as the acting dean of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. McGill will serve as acting dean beginning July 1, 2022, until the dean search is completed and the successful candidate commences their appointment.

McGill currently serves as business law professor in the Policy Area of the Department of Business and recently was associate dean of Laurier’s undergraduate business programs in the Lazaridis School. She joined the Laurier community in 1992.

“I look forward to working with Professor McGill in this new role and to continuing to build upon the strengths and initiatives in the Lazaridis School,” said Tony Vannelli, provost and vice-president: academic. “I have no doubt that Professor McGill’s outstanding experience and contributions to Laurier and the Lazaridis School will position us for success.”

Prior to her role as associate dean of undergraduate business programs, McGill held the role of director of the Bachelor of Business Administration programs from 2017 to 2019. Currently, she serves as a member of the provincially appointed board for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

“This is a very exciting time to be part of the Lazaridis community; it is a time of reconnection and renewal following the disruption of the pandemic,” said McGill. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Lazaridis School’s outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni to deliver innovative programming, support research excellence and nurture the relationships, networks and partnerships that have contributed to the Lazaridis School’s success.”

McGill’s research on business and consumer arbitration has been published in top-tier Canadian and international business law journals. It has also been argued before and cited by courts and legislative policymakers across North America. Additionally, she has authored a leading Canadian business law textbook. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her research including the Distinguished Article Award from the American Business Law Journal and the Distinguished Proceedings Paper Award from the International Conference of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.

Prior to joining Laurier, McGill was a partner in the law firm of Sims Clement Eastman, which is now Miller Thomson. She is presently a member of the Law Society of Ontario and serves as a deputy judge for the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario at Kitchener’s Small Claims Court.

McGill earned her Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and Bachelor of Laws from Western University.

She succeeds current Lazaridis School Dean, Micheál Kelly, who finishes his 10-year term on June 30, 2022.

During Kelly’s term, the university’s Building Canada’s Best Business School fundraising campaign successfully secured the largest gift to an Ontario business school at that time to name the school and the building. Over the last decade, his vision and leadership has helped to raise $40 million for key strategic initiatives. As a result of Kelly’s vision and leadership, the Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises was created and its participant companies have raised more than $1 billion in capital after completing the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program. Under his leadership, professional graduate programs have expanded, enrolment in undergraduate programs has grown, and by establishing advisory boards around the globe, he has elevated Laurier’s brand and reputation.

“I’d like to thank Micheál Kelly for his inspiring vision and commitment to building an outstanding reputation for Laurier and the Lazaridis School over the last decade,” said Vannelli. “His leadership has helped to make the Lazaridis School a premier destination for undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty.”