In partnership with the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre, The Sobey School of Business is proud to announce the new, Faculty in Residence program.

April 2021: Dr. Claudia De Fuentes

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Dr. Claudia De Fuentes is Associate Professor at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary's University. Her research experience includes innovation in firms, systems of innovation, the creation and use of knowledge in a globalized economy, new forms of academia–industry collaboration that foster innovation, and science, technology and innovation policy.   

She has done research and lectured internationally in Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Vietnam, and Peru on topics such as innovation systems, innovation policy, innovation management, global innovation, and entrepreneurship. She has supervised Master’s and PhD students on related topics.  

Her work has circulated internationally and her publications have received several citations by academics and policy makers. She is editor of one book, author or co-author of over ten book chapters, and author or co-author of over 14 articles in refereed journals such as Research Policy, Science and Public Policy, Long Range Planning, Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Innovation and Development, and International Journal of Institutions and Economies.

She has presented over 30 pieces of her work at international conferences such as GLOBELICS, DRUID, Triple Helix, Atlanta conference, ALTEC, CCSBE, and MEIDE. Her work can also be reached at open access in working paper series at the IADB, CIRCLE, and Universidad de la Republica.  She has collaborated in international research groups to work on different projects financed by SSHRC (Canada), CONACYT (Mexico), IADB, IDRC, SMU, and the EU. She has worked on contractual consultancy and research projects for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) on impact assessment, for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) on innovation in the services sector, for the Foro consultivo científico y tecnológico (FCCT) in Mexico on science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, and for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on Innovation for Inclusive Development.  

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January 2021: Dr. Ethan Pancer

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Dr. Ethan Pancer is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. He is an expert in impression formation and how digital innovations and social media shape consumer behavior. Dr. Pancer’s research has appeared in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Advertising, and the Journal of Interactive Marketing among others and has been awarded multiple federal (SSHRC) grants for his work. He often speaks at major conferences, advises early stage companies, and has worked with organizations like IBM, Rogers Communications, IDC, and Hope Blooms. 

Dr. Pancer has designed and taught courses on Marketing Management, Consumer Behavior, and Entrepreneurship. Since joining the Sobey School of Business, he has been recognized with multiple teaching awards including the Stewart Medal, the university’s highest honor for excellence in teaching. Dr. Pancer was named as one of “The 40 Most Outstanding B-School Profs Under 40 in the World” (Poets & Quants 2017) at age 32.

He received his B.Com., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Marketing from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

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Executive-In-Residence

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Ian D. Smith | Chief Executive Officer

Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership

Ian D. Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Seafoods.  Mr. Smith joined Clearwater in May 2010 and has over 33 years of international experience in the food and consumer products industry.  Prior to joining Clearwater, Mr. Smith held senior leadership positions at the Campbell Soup Company within Canada, the United States and China.  Prior to his time at Campbell’s, Mr. Smith held various marketing, sales and international business development positions with Allergan, Colgate-Palmolive and the Gillette Company.

Mr. Smith currently participates as a director on a number of boards and advisory councils focused on international trade and public policy including; The Business Council of Canada and the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council of the Asia Pacific Foundation.  He is a graduate of McGill University (BA Economics, MBA), a former Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve and currently serves as Honorary Colonel of 36 Canadian Engineer Regiment located in the Province of Nova Scotia.

Alumni-In-Residence

Wendy Luther | President and Chief Executive Officer

Halifax Partnership

Wendy Luther Proud Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. EMBA’08

Wendy Luther is a leader in economic and export development, with vast experience promoting Nova Scotia and its assets globally. Halifax Partnership is Halifax’s public-private economic development

organization. Wendy joined as President & CEO in 2019. In 2023, Halifax

Partnership was honoured with four Excellence in Economic Development

Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

including Gold for Economic Development Organization of the Year. Prior to joining Halifax Partnership, Wendy was President & CEO of EduNova, a co-operative association of public and private-sector education providers committed to promoting Nova Scotia’s knowledge economy internationally. Under her leadership, EduNova was honoured with the prestigious international PIEoneer Association of the Year Award in 2017. Earlier in her career, Wendy worked in export development with the Atlantic Canada World Trade Centre and Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) where she led trade missions to over twenty countries and has mentored and advised hundreds of Nova Scotian exporters on how to be competitive in international markets. At NSBI, through her role as Nova Scotia’s first Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO), she was appointed by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to connect entrepreneurs and institutions to opportunities funded by International Financial Institutions. Wendy has served on and led numerous boards and committees including advisory boards for two private sector companies (Canada and U.S. based). Currently, Wendy serves on the Board of Directors and the Management Resources and Compensation Committee of Canadian-owned LED Roadway Lighting; the Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Governance Committee of Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization focused on increasing Canada’s innovation competitiveness; and is Membership Chair on the Executive Committee of the International Women's Forum (IWF) Atlantic Chapter. Born in Vancouver, Wendy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and an MBA from Saint Mary’s University. She holds a Certified International Trade Professional designation (CITP) and is an alumna of the Caribbean Canada Emerging Leaders Dialogue and Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Leaders at Sea (CLaS) Program. In November 2023, she attained her ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director Education Program and is really geeking out on governance! In March 2023 Wendy was honoured with Atlantic Canada's 25 Most Powerful Women in Business award.