Media Coverage

For the second instalment of our 2020–21 speaker series, we had the pleasure of joining Dr. Opher Baron, Professor of Operations Management, from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He shared his journey creating a Canadian marketplace for personal protective equipment (PPE) to help bridge the crucial supply chain gaps that swept across the country during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One defining aspect of the pharmaceutical industry is its high exposure to negative shocks—product recalls, tornados that shut down production lines, Phase III failures, you name it. As my thinking about some of these shocks has grown over time, I’ve come to realize some shocks may hit twice—the second time being the moment a sub-par decision is made in an attempt to recover from the original hit. With stakes being so high, it seems particularly important for leaders in this industry to remain aware that they are not immune to the perils of reactive decision making.

When an at-home Covid-19 test finally arrives at your doorstep, you may need to unlock the results on your smartphone. As diagnostic companies move to bring Covid-19 tests into people’s homes, some developers are planning to pair the tests with digital tools and smartphone apps. The tools will be able to walk the user through the testing process or in some cases report results directly to health authorities, among other features.

Lessons from the fall will help guide the spring semester. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, hit college campuses last spring, forcing schools into pandemic intervention mode. The pandemic prompted many colleges to empty dorms, send students home and shift to online classes. As the spring 2021 semester nears, colleges have more clarity about how to balance student expectations and COVID-19 precautions.