Disney aboard for Air Canada Rouge’s new makeover

Air Canada is hoping its new low-cost carrier, Rouge, will give the country’s largest carrier an opportunity to refresh its image both aesthetically and in terms of customer experience.

And it’s reaching out to the experts to do so: The Walt Disney Co.

“We’re going for a relaxed casual, yet stylish look,” Michael Friisdahl, Air Canada Rouge chief executive, said in an interview Monday.

“We’re going to have on an on-board experience that is going to be very engaging, very family focused and we’re engaging Disney to help with that. It’s also going to be very professional, and I think that’s key,” he added.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Disney+aboard+Rouge+makeover/8442144/story.html#ixzz2UpS7twBl

Scotiabank’s diversity sparks profit gain

Bank of Nova Scotia’s international division is offering investors hope amid fears of a cooling Canadian market.

Profit from Scotiabank’s core domestic retail and commercial unit jumped in the second quarter from a year earlier, but the division’s bottom line fell from the hot first quarter. Profit at the international operations, however, climbed even higher, marking the third consecutive quarterly gain, and the sixth gain in eight quarters.

 

Click here for the full story

Air Canada Rouge unveils its new flight attendant uniforms

With only weeks to go before Air Canada’s new leisure airline Rouge takes off on Canada Day, officials are putting the finishing touches on the new carrier.

The airline unveiled its new uniforms for its first group of 150 flight attendants at a Distillery District event in Toronto on Monday.

 

Click here for the full story

Manulife Financial says it’s never too late for Canadians to start saving for retirement

Today, Manulife Financial launched a new national retirement solutions advertising campaign aimed at encouraging the thousands of Canadians, aged 50-59, who are without adequate retirement savings, to feel more comfortable about getting a late start to planning.

The innovative campaign showcases the stories of Canadians who, between 50 and 59, realized that they were without adequate retirement savings but who, through seeking and following financial planning advice, were able to make a significant impact on their retirement savings.

 

Click here for the full story

BlackBerry launches low-cost Q5 phone

BlackBerry on Tuesday unveiled the Q5, a lower-cost, brightly colored smartphone aimed at emerging markets.

“I know this is going be a big hit,” said CEO Thorsten Heins, who showed off the device at the BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando.

Heins didn’t talk much about the phone’s hardware, but he did show off the Q5’s BlackBerry-classic QWERTY keyboard and its 3.1-inch touchscreen. The phone’s design is similar to that of the once-ubiquitous BlackBerry Curve and the recently released high-end Q10 device.

The Q5 will be available in multiple colors, including black, white, red, orange and pink. It will go on sale starting in July in “selected markets” in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Neither Heins nor BlackBerry’s press release mentioned pricing for the Q5.

Click here for the full story

Sun Life Profit Beats Analysts’ Estimates on Asia Bounce

Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF), Canada’s third-largest insurer, reported first-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates as sales in Asia increased.

Net income fell 25 percent to C$513 million ($511 million), or 85 cents a share, from C$686 million, or C$1.15, a year earlier, the Toronto-based firm said today in a statement. Excluding some one-time items, profit was 94 cents a share, compared with the 66-cent average estimateof 14 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

“Our results reflect strong execution against our four pillar strategy, including product and distribution enhancements over the past year, and more favorable market conditions,” Chief Executive Officer Dean Connor, 56, said in the statement.

 

Click here for the full story

Airbus, Air Canada and BioFuelNet Canada push for new aviation fuels

Airbus, Air Canada and BioFuelNet Canada, hosted by Montreal’s McGill University, have formed a partnership to assess Canadian solutions for the production of sustainable alternative jet fuels with the long term goal to supply Air Canada. The first assessment is expected by the end of 2013. The partnership was announced today, at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Aviation and Environment workshop in Montreal.

The partnership will provide a preliminary study of the different processes and raw materials available for alternative fuel production, exploring innovative new pathways and the overall sustainability of solutions.

Click here for the full story

Air Canada, Etihad Airways sign travel-services deal

MONTREAL — Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) has signed an agreement with Etihad Airways to improve travel services between the United Arab Emirates and Canada including discussions to finalize a code-share deal, the airline announced Thursday.

The two airlines already have interline agreements in place for passenger and cargo services and hope to introduce code-share services, which integrate their bookings more closely, in the third quarter.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Canada+Etihad+Airways+sign+travel+services+deal/8294099/story.html#ixzz2SqruHYFv

Exchange students to be benefit from Scotiabank’s $500,000 donation to Carlton U

OTTAWA — A $500,000 donation announced Thursday morning will help exchange students, says Carleton University.

The donation from Scotiabank will be used to set up an endowment fund for awards that are to provide $4,000 to outgoing or incoming exchange students.

The first Scotiabank International Exchange Award is to be handed out in the 2013-14 school year.

The awards will be provided annually to students “participating in an official exchange in countries where Scotiabank operates to foster international study experiences,” stated a press release.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Exchange+students+benefit+from+Scotiabank+donation+Carleton/8326874/story.html#ixzz2Sqr1a73e

Ernst & Young Insight: Women entrepreneurs: Build a public profile

The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program allows Ernst & Young to shine the spotlight on some of the most ambitious and original women entrepreneurs in the country.

The resulting press and other external visibility opportunities provides direct benefits: clearly, it is easier to win the attention of potential customers, investors, advisors and strategic partners if the media and other stakeholders have already identified you as someone to watch by quoting you, hosting you, or offering you time at the microphone. Positive messaging generated by public relations can also help drive the company’s brand position and support business development.

Still, many second-stage women entrepreneurs do not concentrate heavily on their public profile.

 

Click here for the full story