Formative McGill years
Josée Goulet, MBA’90, is already one of McGill’s most engaged alumni. A longtime volunteer with the MBA Career Mentor Program and a generous donor to the Desautels Faculty of Management, she’s now taking on a new challenge: serving as Lead Planned Giving Ambassador for bequests and legacy gifts in support of McGill.
“McGill had a profound impact on my career,” says Goulet. “Supporting legacy giving is my way of paying it forward.”
Originally from Quebec, Goulet was working as an electronics engineer at Bell Canada when she began her MBA at McGill in 1987. At that time, she chooses McGill to improve her English and to complete the program part-time over three years.
Her MBA, especially courses in strategy and marketing, helped her navigate Bell’s transformation after losing its monopoly. Goulet played a key role in introducing cell phones to Canada and later helped lead Bell’s transition to internet services.
One course that stood out was organizational development. “It resonated with me because I had already lived many of those concepts professionally,” she recalls.
Goulet sees her time at Desautels as a powerful catalyst that shaped many aspects of her career. “I found the MBA to be an excellent complement to my scientific training in engineering. It helped me build confidence in my leadership and change management skills, which were crucial in my professional journey. Early in my career, I realized the importance of identifying the strengths of my colleagues, adapting my approach to circumstances and individuals, and motivating my teams to succeed in their endeavors,” she says.
Giving back
Josée strongly believes in the importance of education. After graduating, she remained closely connected to McGill. She became a mentor to MBA students and established the Josée Goulet MBA Fellowships, which support francophone students from Quebec and across Canada.
Her legacy gift will continue supporting Desautels students long into the future. Goulet hopes to inspire others to consider legacy giving as a way to make a lasting impact.
“Legacy giving doesn’t have to be large to be meaningful,” she says. “It’s about contributing to something bigger than yourself—ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities we did.”
“As my spouse and I plan our retirement, we recognize the importance of giving back to the institutions that helped shape our careers. McGill is one of those formative institutions with which we wish to share the fruits of our success. I met professors, colleagues, and staff there who helped me thrive, and I want to thank them by contributing to McGill’s impact locally and internationally.”
“With my Leadership Award, I hope my gift can also contribute to the success of a future leader.”
In closing, Goulet says, “Leading by example inspires me to take on the role of Lead Planned Giving Ambassador. It’s one of the values and lessons McGill instilled in me as a student, and it feels natural to give back and encourage others to do the same.”