Our organizers of CCBRS 2026
The Canadian Conference for Business Research Students (CCBRS) is a student-led and student-organized event dedicated to uniting graduate students from all specializations within business studies. This conference provides a unique platform for emerging scholars across Canada to connect, collaborate, and share their research, fostering a vibrant community of future business leaders and academics. CCBRS welcomes participants from diverse business disciplines, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue and professional growth.
Atiyeh Kazeroonimonfared
PhD Candidate at Toronto Metropolitan University
Atiyeh K. Monfared is a PhD candidate in Management at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM), specializing in Digital Enterprise and Social Media. Atiyeh holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) anda Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Systems Analysis from Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT), Iran. She brings over a decade of experience in the IT industry. Her research lies at the intersection of Business Data Analytics and Supply Chain Management, with a particular focus on resilience and digitalization. She received the Supply Chain Management Association of Ontario Award in 2023. She has presented her research at prestigious conferences such as the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) and the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS).
Rehan Khan
PhD Candidate at McMaster University
A graduate from IIT Kharagpur in India, Rehan Khan is a fourth year PhD candidate at DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University) in Marketing department. Joined academics with several years of professional experience where he managed huge businesses at senior levels with some of the largest organizations in the world like Cargill, Kerry, IFF, Firmenich, Barry Callebaut, IFFCO, etc. He was the Vice President of DeGroote Doctoral Student Association (DDSA) last year and is the current President of it. Rehan has also founded and run some large NGOs (www.bazmeurdu.org) where he had organized numerous events (from participants ranging from few to thousands). He has been closely involved with some other NGOs (www.aaghaazfoundation.com) providing education to underprivileged students. Rehan is extensively travelled for work and leisure and hascovered more than 90 countries of this world.
Mohammad Reza Gharaei
PhD Candidate at University of Guelph
Mohammad Reza Gharaei is a PhD candidate in Marketing at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph. His research interests lie at the intersection of sustainability and innovation, particularly in understanding how organizations integrate responsible practices into marketing strategy. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Sharif University of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering — Power Systems from Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. Prior to starting his PhD, Mohammad Reza gained several years of industry experience as a product manager, working on artificial intelligence-driven solutions in the financial sector.
Olakunle Oluwakorede (Korede) Ologun
PhD Candidate at McMaster University
Olakunle Oluwakorede (Korede) Ologun is a PhD candidate in Business Administration at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, where his research focuses on corporate finance, ESG, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. He holds an M.Sc. in Finance and Economics from West Texas A&M University and a first degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.
Korede brings a strong blend of academic, professional, and leadership experience to his work. Before beginning his doctoral studies, he served in senior finance and advisory roles where he worked on financial strategy, mergers and acquisitions, valuations, and investment structuring. At McMaster, he has supported teaching across a range of finance courses and has taken on several leadership roles, including President of the DeGroote Doctoral Student Association (DDSA) and Graduate Student Senator on McMaster University Senate. He also served on the organizing team for the inaugural Canadian Conference for Business Research Students (CCBRS), hosted at McMaster University in 2025.
His scholarly engagement includes presenting his work at the ASAC 2025 Conference, where he also served as a session chair and discussant. He is the recipient of the 2025 Ontario Graduate Scholarship and remains actively engaged in university and community leadership initiatives in Hamilton and beyond.
Redwan Siddiqui
PhD Candidate at University of Waterloo
Redwan Siddiqui is in the PhD in Management Sciences program in the Department of Management Sciences & Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo. His doctoral research examines behavioral decision–making theories within the context of human–AI interactions. He holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, and prior to that completed a BBA with a concentration in Marketing Management. Redwan teaches Operations and Supply Chain Management in the Operations & Decision Sciences area at the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University. His research and teaching span applied artificial intelligence, operations and supply chain management, and decision‑making. He actively serves in multiple divisional leadership roles within the Supply Chain & Management Science division, as well as the Case Studies division, of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. Before transitioning into academia, Redwan spent 15 years advancing operational excellence for global brands across diverse industries.