I received my BCom from Carleton University in 1990 and my PhD from the University of British Columbia in 2000. In between, I worked for several years in Vancouver as a Marketing Manager for an educational institute and as a Business Consultant for an immigration law firm. I started my career as an Assistant Professor within the Department of Strategic Management and Organization at the Alberta School of Business in 1999.

Over the past 20 years, I have examined a variety of research questions pertaining to entrepreneurship, family business, gender, and the work-family interface. Examples include: How and why do women’s perceptions of entrepreneurship differ from those of men? Do female and male entrepreneurs tend to organize, manage, and grow their firms differently? Do family considerations and gendered labour market experiences play a contributing role? What are the implications for firm innovativeness, venture performance, and the wellbeing of entrepreneurs and their families? 

My work on these topics (and others) has been published in several books and numerous academic journals. Some of my studies have even been featured in the media and recognized with Best Paper awards at international academic conferences. 

I teach courses in general management, family enterprise and entrepreneurship at the undergraduate, MBA and PhD levels respectively. Early on in my career, I played a lead role in designing a Major in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise for the Alberta School of Business, which was the first of its kind in Canada. In 2011, my contributions on the teaching front were recognized with a McCalla Professorship.

Over the years, I have supervised individual research projects for numerous undergrad and MBA students. I have also served as the supervisor (or co-supervisor) of several PhD students. My current doctoral student is Zahid Rahman.  

This year I am teaching Managing Family Enterprise (SMO 428/628) in the Fall 2017 term and two sections of Introduction to Management (SMO 310) in the Winter 2018 term. I am also the Course Coordinator for SMO 310, the Faculty Advisor for the SMO Club, and the Associate Director (Programs) for the school’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise (CEFE).

Service

I currently serve on the editorial boards for the Academy of Management Review, the International Journal of Gender & Entrepreneurship, and the Journal of Business Venturing. I will soon be joining the editorial board for Family Business Review. In 2015, my work as a JBV Field Editor was recognized with an Outstanding Service Award.

In 2009, I was elected onto the Executive Committee of the Entrepreneurship Division of the worldwide Academy of Management (AOM ENT Division). I served as Representative-at-Large and Chair of the Membership Committee until 2012.

I was a co-author, with Tony Briggs, on two impact reports conducted on behalf of the University of Alberta. Our 2012 report examined the university’s general economic impact. Our 2013 report examined the impact of the university’s alumni through entrepreneurship and innovation.

Awards

2015 Outstanding Service Award, Journal of Business Venturing

2015 Kauffman Foundation Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Conference

2014 Bertarelli Family Best Paper Award, BCERC-IVEY Entrepreneurship Research Conference

2014 Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Conference

2012 Best Paper Award (Entrepreneurship and Gender), ACERE-DIANA Conference

2011 McCalla Professorship, University of Alberta

2010 Aldrich and Cliff (2003) appears on list of “25 Most Influential Family Business Articles”

2008 Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Symposium 

2007 Best Paper Award (High Potential/Fast Growth), AOM ENT Division

2006 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Business Venturing

2003 Best Paper Award (Women’s Entrepreneurship), AOM ENT Division