Asper School of Business

James W. Burns Leadership Institute

The James W. Burns Leadership Institute offers undergraduate and graduate students from faculties across the university opportunities to develop the leadership knowledge necessary to pursue careers in any field. The institute provides innovative educational programming in leadership and conducts and supports research on leadership and organization studies.

Our mission

We are a catalyst for innovation and collaboration to develop leaders and create knowledge. We do this through:

  • Multidisciplinary connections
  • Innovative education and research
  • Community and the power of inclusion
  • Reconciliation and embracing Indigenous perspectives
Four people seated around an office table watch as a woman writes a list on a whiteboard.

Upcoming events

Leadership in our Times: The Critical Issues Series

  • Veteran and LGBT activist, Michelle Douglas.

The LGBT Purge in Canada: A forgotten history with Michelle Douglas
 

Join the James W . Burns Leadership Institute to kick off the 2021-22 season of the Leadership for our times: The critical issues series on Wednesday, October 20 at 5 p.m. with a leadership talk from Michelle Douglas.

Michelle served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1986 – 1989. Despite a distinguished service record, she was honorably discharged after being deemed “Not Advantageously Employable Due to Homosexuality”.

Join us as Michelle takes us through her journey as a veteran, a survivor of Canada’s “LGBT Purge” and an activist in the movement to seek legal equality for the LGBT2Q+ community over the past 30 years.

Date: October 20, 2021
Time: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Online
Registration: Online, free
 

Register

Programs

Faculty and staff

Faculty and Staff

Suzanne Gagnon.

Suzanne Gagnon

Suzanne Gagnon is the Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education, Associate Professor and Director for the James W. Burns Leadership Institute. In her role, she directs all educational activities of the Institute, and spearheads and designs the programming which the Institute offers, including the flagship President’s Student Leadership Program.
More about Suzanne Gagnon
Zhenyu Wu.

Zhenyu Wu

A new role within the Institute, Dr. Wu will conduct and lead new research that assists in understanding a range of questions on the dynamics of leadership. His expertise is in strategy leadership and entrepreneurship. Dr. Zhenyu Wu was appointed as the Canada research Chair in July 2020.
More about Zhenyu Wu
Melissa Gayle

Melissa Gayle

Melissa Gayle is the Program Coordinator and Assistant to the Director for the James W. Burns Leadership Institute. In her role, she supports all of the work of the Institute as the primary person responsible for coordination of new activities and programming, and in particular the President’s Student Leadership Program (PSLP). Within this role she developed and administers the PSLP Mentoring Program.
More about Melissa Gayle
Suzanne Gagnon.
Zhenyu Wu.
Melissa Gayle

James W. Burns Leadership Institute Advisory Board 

The James W. Burns Leadership Institute Advisory Board is a broad-based group of senior leaders from community, postsecondary and business organizations. They provide advice as a sounding board and source of input into strategic planning and programming for the Institute

Visionary investment
The James W. Burns Leadership Institute at the I.H. Asper School of Business has been created through visionary investment from Canada Life, IG Wealth Management and the Power Corporation of Canada, as well as the Province of Manitoba.

Leadership highlights and takeaways

Co-LEAD International Research Network

  • The fourth international Co-LEAD Net Research conference was hosted by Canada Life Chair and JWBLI Director Dr. Suzanne Gagnon in October 2019. Scholars from Canada, the US, South America and Europe attended this bi-annual conference to present new research on understanding leadership as an often collective and social endeavor. It was previously hosted at McGill University and New York University.

    Thank you to the Scientific Committee for supporting and contributing to the 2019 Co-LEAD conference, hosted at the Asper School of Business by Dr. Suzanne Gagnon, Director, James W. Burns Leadership Institute.

  • Professor Sonia Ospina, Wagner Graduate School of Public Affairs (NYU)

    Professor Kathryn Quick, University of Minnesota

    Professor Viviane Sergi, Université du Québec à Montréal

    Professor Ann Langley, HEC Montréal

    Professor Suzanne Gagnon, I.H. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba

Contact us

James W. Burns Leadership Institute
Room 414 Drake Centre
181 Freedman Cres.
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry Campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V4

204-474-7071