Laurentian University’s multi-million-dollar post-insolvency operational transformation will be a “game-changer,” said the man hired to lead the way.
After a national search, Laurentian welcomed Frédéric Nickner as its lead transformation officer in November. He was most recently the CIO and director of IT at Northern College, and before that he served in leadership roles at Mohawk College and Collège Boréal.
Nickner is also a graduate of Laurentian, having completed his Masters of Business Administration via the Faculty of Management.
In 2023, Laurentian approved an Operational Transformation Plan, something that was mandated under its plan of arrangement following its 2022 exit from insolvency restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).
Nickner was invited to speak at the Dec. 13 meeting of Laurentian’s board of governors.
“There's a lot of work to be done, but I think it's exciting because it's really going to be a game-changer,” he said.
The point is to “make everybody’s world a lot more efficient,” he said, pointing to automation and more streamlined processes that are being put in place that will create “a better customer experience, a better student experience."
With Laurentian eventually looking to hire five people for its transformation office, Nickner said he’s doing interviews to hire his staff.
“Hopefully we'll have great talent in place, and we'll see some results, really, really soon,” he said.
Vice-president, finance Sylvie Lafontaine said during the Dec. 13 meeting $7.2 million per year has been set aside to devote to operational transformation (although the amount budgeted for the 2024-2025 fiscal year was actually $8 million).
The process will look at updating and automating processes governing the registrar student services, HR, financial services and IT.
“It is about how we get to improve the processes for our student experience, as well as how we can best support our faculty members as well as our researchers,” she said.
It’s about “providing the tools for people and clear roles and responsibilities,” and anchored in putting in place the changes as “mandated from our CCAA proceedings and providing that solid foundation for the future.”
Lafontaine said Laurentian recently held six “solution labs” related to its operational transformation, which involved bringing people together and “going through what type of roadblocks, what is needed, from a process improvement point of view, or any clarification of roles and responsibilities and new automations that need to be put in place.”
The Ontario Auditor General’s Office recently released a report detailing the progress Laurentian has made on the recommendations contained on its 2022 probe of LU’s insolvency.
While 81 per cent of the recommendations have either been completed or are in progress, it said many of the actions to support their implementation are contained within the transformation plan.
“We're very proud of the accomplishments that 81 per cent have been completed or made significant progress as part of the report from the Office of the Auditor General,” said Lafontaine.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.