Lloyd Steier Awarded Killam Professorship

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to scholarship and the University community, Dr. Lloyd Steier, Professor in the Department of Strategic Management and Organization and Academic Director for CEFE has been selected as one of eight 2007-2008 Killam Annual Professors within the University of Alberta.

“Lloyd Steier is one of those well-rounded scholars who’s firing on all cylinders,” comments Dean Mike Percy. “His efforts have enhanced the reputation of the University of Alberta School of Business in the areas of teaching, research and service, both nationally and internationally.”

The Killam Annual Professorship is based on scholarly activities such as research, publications, creative activities, presented papers, supervision of graduate students, and courses taught as well as service to the community beyond the university. Funding for this award comes from the Killam Trusts, established by Izaak Walton Killam and his wife Dorothy J. Killam who devoted the greater part of their wealth to higher education in Canada.

Dr. Steier researches and publishes in the areas of family business, strategic management, new venture creation, venture capital governance and management education. He is active in organizing Theories of Family Enterprise, an internationally recognized annual academic conference and has co-edited numerous special issues of leading journals.

In the area of teaching, Dr. Steier has made significant contributions to curriculum and program development. He was instrumental in the development of undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship and the technology commercialization specialization at the MBA level. He currently teaches the MBA course Venture Creation and Organization and frequently invites to his class former students who have gone on to found successful new businesses. Recently Marlene Rodriguez, MBA 2006, was appointed as an Alberta Ingenuity Industry Associate and wrote Dr. Steier: “Thank you for developing in me the necessary skills that now make a difference in my life.”

Dr. Steier has also worked on the development of courses and major/minor in family enterprise. Asserts Dr. Steier, “There’s more to the business world than publicly traded Fortune 500 companies. Family enterprise is the most predominant form of organization world wide and business schools need to prepare students to work within these dynamics.”

As Academic Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, Dr. Steier is able to promote family enterprise as an area worthy of academic study within the University of Alberta and on the world stage. And as Academic Director of Alberta Business Family Institute, which was founded to serve the business community, he is able to ensure that academic research becomes accessible to those within family enterprise.

Dr. Steier also continues to be involved in community entrepreneurship and economic development activities by coordinating the seminar portion of VenturePrize, a province-wide business plan competition. Recently the competition was expanded to include a post-secondary student component so that students, regardless of institution or faculty, can explore their entrepreneurial dreams.