Walter Strategic Forum
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Admission: By invitation only
Rate: Free
Location: HEC Montréal, Hélène-Desmarais Building
Address: 501 De La Gauchetière St. W., Montréal, QC H2Z 1Z5
Language: English
Format: Executive workshop
Presentation
Walter, in association with Executive Education HEC Montréal and the Centre for Productivity and Prosperity Walter J. Somers Foundation HEC Montréal, is pleased to host the 2nd Edition of the Walter Strategic Forum, an exclusive gathering of business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and partners.
This year’s edition will welcome Dr. Ranjay Gulati, Professor at Harvard Business School and a leading voice on leadership, strategy, organizational purpose and courage. Designed as an immersive and highly interactive executive workshop, the session will invite participants to reflect on what it takes to lead with clarity, purpose and courage in today’s complex business environment.
Rather than a traditional keynote, this half-day workshop will combine academic insight, case-based learning, practical reflection and peer exchange. Participants will explore how leaders can mobilize teams in times of uncertainty, embed purpose into organizational practice, and develop courage as a leadership capacity.
To open the day, Alaric Bourgoin, Professor at HEC Montréal, will introduce the main themes of the workshop and bring a HEC Montréal perspective to the conversation.
Program
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. - Arrival and networking
9:30 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. - Opening remarks
Pierre Somers or Isabelle Somers
9:35 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - Opening presentation
Alaric Bourgoin
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. - Ernest Shackleton: Leading in Uncertain Times
Ranjay Gulati
Through a video case, participants will examine how a leader mobilizes action in a crisis, manages different human responses to uncertainty, and makes decisions under severe resource and time constraints. The session will also open a broader reflection on leadership in organizations facing complex and unpredictable environments.
11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. - Coffee break
11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Organizations
Ranjay Gulati
This session will explore how purpose can become more than a statement or slogan. Through examples of organizations that have successfully embedded purpose into their operating models, participants will examine how leaders can define, communicate and sustain purpose as a source of alignment, transformation and competitive advantage.
12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. - Lunch
1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - How to Be Bold: The Science of Courage
Ranjay Gulati
Based on Dr. Gulati’s work on courage, this session will explore how leaders can move through fear, uncertainty and hesitation to take meaningful action when it matters most. Participants will examine practical strategies to cultivate courage individually and organizationally, and reflect on how bold leadership can support impact, resilience and long-term value creation.
2:30 p.m. - Closing coffee and networking
Instructors
In collaboration with:
