Carolyn Richardson Hursh is the Honorary Chairman and Director Emeritus of James Richardson & Sons, Limited (JRSL), a family-owned corporation founded in 1857 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba with interests in agriculture, oil and gas, insurance, transportation and real estate.

Mrs. Hursh retired in 2021 after 30 years of dedicated service as a JRSL Board member and 21 years as the non-executive Chairman of JRSL’s Board of Directors. Upon her retirement and in recognition of her dedication and valuable contributions to JRSL, she was appointed Honorary Chairman and Director Emeritus. Mrs. Hursh continues to be an active and engaged Shareholder in the family business.

In 2000, Mrs. Hursh co-founded and organized the biennial Shareholders’ Symposium for the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Richardson family. Known as “The Family Conference,” this event helps to engage and educate current and future shareholders. Through it, lasting relationships have been built, and a sense of collaboration has been fostered. This engagement and support from the Richardson Family continues to be a key factor in JRSL’s growth and succession today. Mrs. Hursh was also instrumental in the Management and Directorship transition from the 5th to the 6th generation.

Mrs. Hursh attended the University of Manitoba where she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work in 1974 and won the Gold Medal for her class. After working for several years as a Social Worker at the Grace Hospital Psychiatric Unit in Winnipeg, she completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1978 and received the Manitoba Fellowship Award. From 1974 to 1993, she worked as a Research Consultant in the field of Social Welfare.

Mrs. Hursh served as a Director of Corus Entertainment for 10 years and was the Chairman of the Max Bell Foundation in Winnipeg for 15 years. She also previously served on the Advisory Boards of the Ohlson Research Institute at the University of Calgary and The Centre for Entrepreneurship & Family Enterprise at the University of Alberta.

Carolyn Hursh and her husband, Larry, a Criminal Lawyer, have been married for 51 years. They reside in Calgary and have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Terry Paul is the Chief of Membertou, a position he has held for the past 41 years. During that time, Paul has guided his community and administration into one of the most efficient and economically flourishing Indigenous communities in the country.

Chief Paul started his career with the Boston Indian Council where he received his background training in finance and management. Returning home to Membertou, Chief Paul joined the Membertou Band Council in the role of Economic Development Officer and progressed to the position of Band Manager before he was elected as Chief in 1984.

Chief Paul has achieved many notable accomplishments in his current role, as Chief and CEO of Membertou, including being named to one of Canada’s highest honours; in 2017, Chief Paul was appointed to the Order of Canada. He is also an inductee of the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Frank McKenna Leadership Award.

Chief Paul holds honourary doctorates from Cape Breton University, Dalhousie University and Mount Allison University. He’s led Membertou to being named a Canada’s Best Managed Company, and in 2025 reached Platinum Status. In 2022, Chief Paul was named Atlantic Canada’s Top CEO and Waterstone Human Capital named him as one of Canada’s Most Admired CEOs in 2024.

Chief Paul is credited with tripling the land base for the Membertou and increasing the employment rate in Membertou to more than 80%. In January 2021, Chief Paul led the single largest investment made by an Indigenous group in Canada, with the 50% acquisition of Clearwater Seafoods. Most recently, Membertou purchased 50% of NewDock – the St. John’s Dockyard in Newfoundland. The Membertou motto of “Welcoming the World” is undoubtedly the most accurate representation of the open and progressive Mi’kmaw community that Membertou has become under the leadership of Chief Terry Paul.

Hartley T. Richardson is the Chief Executive Officer of James Richardson & Sons, Limited (JRSL), a private, family-owned corporation, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. The company has interests in agriculture and food processing, energy sectors, transportation, insurance and real estate.

Mr. Richardson is now entering his 48^th year with JRSL. He served as the seventh family President of JRSL for 32 years, until his son, Thor R. Richardson, was appointed his successor and the eighth family President in July 2025. Mr. Richardson continues to have representation in a board or executive capacity on all the organization’s subsidiary companies.

Mr. Richardson currently serves as a Director of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He is Past Chairman of both the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Business Council of Manitoba. Over the years, he has contributed his acumen and perspective to a number of corporate boards, including as a director of the Royal Bank of Canada and CP Rail, as well as a member of the Board of Governors for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Charter for Business.

Mr. Richardson has also made an impact thought his involvement with a number of charitable endeavours and community organizations, most notably as Founding Chair of Partners in the Park and the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, leading the largest transformation in Assiniboine Park’s history; and as Co-Chair of the TransCanada Trail Foundation, furthering its mission to connect Canadians and visitors to nature and one another by one national trail.

A graduate of the University of Manitoba, B. Com (Hons), Mr. Richardson received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from each of the University of Manitoba in 2004 and the University of Winnipeg in 2012. He was appointed to the Order of Manitoba in 2008, and also appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007. He was promoted to an Officer within the Order of Canada in 2013, and in 2019, was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr. Richardson and his wife, Heather, reside in Winnipeg and have been married for 42 years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. The family enjoys skiing in Big Sky, Montana; golfing in Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas; and spending time in the summer at Lake of the Woods.

Ojus Ajmera is an entrepreneur, innovator, and Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The FGF Group of Companies—Canada’s largest industrial baker and one of the world’s fastest-growing producers of bakery and snack foods. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, FGF supplies a broad range of branded and private-label products to leading retailers and foodservice partners across the globe. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves great food at an affordable price, FGF has earned a reputation as a values-led enterprise that fuses culinary craftsmanship with advanced industrial technologies.

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Ojus was deeply influenced by his father, Soham (Sam) Ajmera, an immigrant entrepreneur whose resilience, humility, and work ethic shaped a lifelong journey of purpose and possibility. Raised in an environment that valued curiosity and creativity, Ojus and his brother Tejus began building small ventures as children—from lemonade stands and snow removal routes to selling candy bars and soft drinks in high school to help fund their private school tuition. Those experiences instilled in him a belief that business is both a privilege and a responsibility.

After attending the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business, Ojus followed his father’s advice: “If you want to get into business, you need to start a business.” In 1999, he founded Specialty Rice, Inc. (SRI) in Brinkley, Arkansas, with a small seed investment from his father. There, he learned firsthand how innovation, customer understanding, and early trend-spotting could transform even the most traditional industries. Ojus grew SRI into one of the largest producers of organic rice in the United States before successfully exiting the business to refocus his energy on the fast-growing bakery venture, he and his brother were building with their dad back in Toronto.

In July 2004, Ojus and his brother Tejus co-founded FGF with seed investment from their father and a shared ambition “to become the World’s Greatest Baker.” They began with six team members, two small ovens, and a single mixer in a 5,500-square-foot facility. Through relentless focus on innovation, people, culture, and technology, FGF has rapidly grown to over 10,000 team members across 35 manufacturing and distribution facilities in Canada and the United States.

In 2009, driven by necessity to support FGF’s rapid expansion, Ojus led the family into the industrial real estate sector. What began as a means to scale FGF’s facilities evolved into Caplink, a thriving industrial real estate and development company with a growing portfolio across Canada and the United States—further testament to Ojus’ instinct for long-term value creation and entrepreneurial foresight.

FGF’s expansion has been powered by both organic innovation and strategic acquisition. In 2016, the company acquired snack food start-up RDJ Bakeries, which evolved into Snackruptors™, a global manufacturer of premium crackers and snacks. In 2022, FGF acquired Weston Foods, transforming it into Wonderbrands®. This acquisition marked a defining chapter, transforming FGF into a North American powerhouse, doubling its footprint while preserving its entrepreneurial spirit. Today, The FGF Group operates a network of 35 world-class facilities and owns iconic brands such as Stonefire®, ACE®, Wonder®, Country Harvest®, and D’Italiano®, cementing its position as a cornerstone of North America’s modern food industry.

Beyond business, Ojus is deeply committed to healthcare, education, and youth development. The Ajmera family has made transformative contributions to medical research and innovation, including the creation of The Ajmera Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital—now recognized as one of the world’s leading transplant programs. The family also endowed the Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Chair in Molecular Diabetes Research and the Ajmera Family Chair in Urology at Sunnybrook Hospital, advancing global research in metabolic and genetic medicine.

Together with his brother Tejus, Ojus is a passionate advocate for expanding access to quality education. The brothers have endowed multiple full scholarships to ensure that talented students can pursue their potential regardless of financial means. Their belief in science and technology education is exemplified through The Science & Technology Centre at St. Andrew’s College—a pioneering maker-space that inspires hands-on learning and creativity in STEM.

Known for his strategic vision, relationship-first mindset, and deep curiosity about people and markets, Ojus continues to lead with entrepreneurial energy and purpose. He believes that long-term success is built on trust, innovation, and optimism—and that great partnerships can change industries. For Ojus, business is not just about making food—it’s about building lasting relationships that feed communities, empower people, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Ojus lives in Toronto with his wife Roberta and their two children.

Soham (Sam) Ajmera is a trailblazing Canadian entrepreneur whose vision, integrity, and mentorship have shaped one of North America’s great family business success stories. As the Founding Chairman of The FGF Group of Companies—Canada’s largest industrial baker and one of the world’s fastest-growing food manufacturing enterprises—Sam’s legacy spans five decades of innovation, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.

Born on February 12, 1948, in Mumbai, India, Sam grew up in modest circumstances, learning early the values of hard work, humility, and perseverance. At 22, he left India for the United States to pursue a Master of Business Administration at the University of Detroit Mercy. While researching his graduate thesis, he focused on Canada and concluded it was “a land rich in opportunity.” Acting on that insight, Sam immigrated to Canada in 1974—and within three days of graduation launched his first venture, Dough Delight, with his brother Shreyas, laying the foundation for a lifelong journey in food manufacturing.

Dough Delight quickly became a pioneer in introducing traditional pita bread, authentic bagels, and French croissants to Canadian consumers, serving the evolving tastes of Toronto’s diverse and growing communities. With an unrelenting focus on quality, efficiency, and innovation, the company scaled rapidly and became one of the first in Canada to export fully finished baked goods to the United States. By the time Sam sold the business to Canada Bread in 1994, Dough Delight was producing more than five million bagels and three million croissants per day—an extraordinary achievement for an immigrant entrepreneur who had arrived in Canada with just $19 in his pocket.

After selling Dough Delight, Sam briefly stepped back from business life but quickly realized that retirement was not for him. By 1999, he was once again mentoring the next generation—supporting his eldest son, Ojus, in launching their first venture together, Specialty Rice, Inc. (SRI), in Brinkley, Arkansas. Acting as both investor and mentor, Sam provided the seed capital, guidance, and encouragement for the business while giving 22-year-old Ojus full entrepreneurial freedom to build it. The venture grew into one of the largest producers of organic rice in the United States before being successfully sold – a defining early milestone in the Ajmera family’s entrepreneurial journey.

That same spirit of partnership and mentorship culminated in 2004, when Sam helped his two sons, Ojus and Tejus, co-found FGF Brands in Toronto. Providing the seed investment, strategic counsel, and an experienced hand, Sam served as founding chairman and mentor. His wisdom and discipline anchored the company through its formative years as the brothers built the business from a 5,500-square-foot bakery into a high-growth, technology-enabled food manufacturing enterprise.

Today, FGF employs over 10,000 team members across 35 world-class facilities in Canada and the United States, producing bakery and snack foods under iconic brands including Stonefire®, ACE®, Wonder®, Country Harvest®, and D’Italiano®.

Sam’s role throughout FGF’s evolution has been that of experienced chairman, wise mentor, and proud father. He often says, “A parent’s role is to help their children cross the street safely. Once they’ve crossed, let them climb as high as they can.” That philosophy of empowerment, inspiration, and courage continues to define FGF’s culture and the Ajmera family’s values today.

Sam’s entrepreneurial achievements have been widely recognized. In 2009, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce named him Entrepreneur of the Year, honoring his business leadership and contributions to Canadian industry. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, celebrating his civic and philanthropic impact.

Philanthropy, together with his wife Shaila, stands as a cornerstone of Sam’s life and legacy. Sam serves on the Board of Directors of the UHN Foundation, continuing to support advancements in patient care, research, and technology. The family’s contributions have transformed care and research across Canada:

• The Ajmera Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital has helped establish UHN as one of the world’s leading transplant programs.
• The Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Chair in Molecular Diabetes Research advances medical innovation in metabolic health.
• The Ajmera Family Chair in Urology at Sunnybrook Hospital supports groundbreaking genetic research in prostate cancer.

Through every chapter of his life, Sam has led by example—building with integrity, giving without expectation, and teaching that success is best measured by the lives one improves. His enduring message to future generations is simple yet profound: “Always work as if you’re starting from the ground floor. Stay humble, stay hungry, and use your success to lift others.”

Soham “Sam” Ajmera’s life remains a testament to perseverance, purpose, and generosity—a living embodiment of Canada’s entrepreneurial and humanitarian spirit.

Tejus Ajmera is an entrepreneur, innovator, and Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The FGF Group of Companies—Canada’s largest industrial baker and one of the world’s fastest-growing producers of bakery and snack foods. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, FGF supplies a broad range of branded and private-label products to leading retailers and foodservice partners across the globe. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves great food at an affordable price, FGF has earned a reputation as a values-led enterprise that fuses culinary craftsmanship with advanced industrial technologies.

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Tejus was deeply influenced by his father, Soham (Sam) Ajmera, an immigrant entrepreneur whose resilience, humility, and work ethic shaped the foundation for a lifelong journey of purpose and possibility. Bred to be entrepreneurs at a young age, Tejus and his brother Ojus had lemonade stands at age 8, snow removal businesses over the winters, and sold candy bars and soft drinks to their classmates during high school to help pay for their private school tuition. From a young age, Tejus learned that great businesses are built by people who stay curious, work hard, and keep finding better ways to do things.

By July 2004, shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College with a degree in Economics, Tejus and his brother Ojus, co-founded FGF with seed investment from their father and a shared ambition “to become the World’s Greatest Baker.” They began with six team members, two small ovens, and a single mixer in a 5,500-square-foot facility. Through relentless focus on innovation, people, culture, and technology, FGF has rapidly grown to over 10,000 team members across 35 manufacturing and distribution facilities in Canada and the United States.

Under Tejus’s leadership, FGF has become known as “the tech company that bakes.” The company pioneered many proprietary baking technologies, including a patented tunnel-style tandoor oven that replicates traditional naan at scale. Drawing inspiration from the fashion, automotive, and pharmaceutical industries, FGF reimagined what modern baking could be – leveraging advanced robotics and proprietary process technologies to combine craftsmanship with precision at scale. In 2020, FGF launched Cerebro Technologies™, a proprietary SaaS platform that uses computer vision and AI to monitor production, detect anomalies, and drive real-time operational excellence. This initiative reflects FGF’s core belief that “digital is not part of the strategy—it’s in our DNA.”

FGF’s expansion has been powered by both organic innovation and strategic acquisition. In 2016, the company acquired snack food start-up RDJ Bakeries, which evolved into Snackruptors™, a global manufacturer of premium crackers and snacks. In 2022, FGF acquired Weston Foods, transforming it into Wonderbrands®. This acquisition marked a defining chapter, transforming FGF into a North American powerhouse, doubling its footprint while preserving its entrepreneurial spirit. Today, The FGF Group operates a network of 35 world-class facilities and owns iconic brands including Stonefire®, ACE®, Wonder®, Country Harvest®, and D’Italiano®, cementing its position as a cornerstone of North America’s modern food industry.

Beyond business, Tejus is deeply committed to education, healthcare, and youth development. The Ajmera family has made transformative contributions to medical research and innovation, including the creation of The Ajmera Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital—now recognized as one of the world’s leading transplant programs. The family also endowed the Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Chair in Molecular Diabetes Research and the Ajmera Family Chair in Urology at Sunnybrook Hospital, advancing global research in metabolic and genetic medicine.

A passionate advocate for access to high quality education, Tejus serves on the Board of St. Andrew’s College and Bowdoin College. Together with his brother Ojus, they have endowed multiple full scholarships to ensure talented students can pursue their potential regardless of financial means. Their commitment to science and technology education is exemplified through The Science & Technology Centre at St. Andrew’s College—a pioneering maker-space that enables hands-on STEM learning and creativity. As Tejus often says, “Kids are our country’s future. We need to inspire and equip the next generation of ethical, curious, and courageous leaders to tackle the challenges ahead.”

Known for his clarity of vision, integrity, and passion for innovation, Tejus continues to lead with purpose—transforming how food is made and enjoyed. He believes the convergence of technology, talent, and sustainability will redefine the future of food, making it more natural and accessible for all. Through his leadership, FGF remains driven by curiosity, and the conviction that doing well and doing good can—and must—go hand in hand. And the two brothers’ youthful energy still makes them feel like they are just getting started!

Tejus lives in Toronto with his wife Payal and their two children.

Jacynthe Côté grew up on a farm in a small village in northern Québec and studied Chemistry at Laval University. While Jacynthe was attracted to scientific study, she benefited most from learning how to learn. “Throughout my career, it has provided me with the courage to challenge prevailing truths and the humility to never stop looking for ways to grow and develop.”

Jacynthe credits Alcan, which she joined in 1988, with the “organizational intent” to help her gain the right leadership experiences. “Mentoring and coaching are important, but 85% of what makes you as an executive are the jobs you’ve been offered and navigated through.”

The Montreal-based executive was responsible for Alcan’s global mining and refining operations when, in 2007, the company was acquired by Rio Tinto for US $38 billion. Jacynthe was appointed president and CEO of the business responsible for power generation and primary aluminum activities worldwide. Her decision to stay on with Rio Tinto Alcan was purpose driven. She loved the people and the industry. She also recognized that the fully recyclable metal was an essential part of “lightweighting” transportation vehicles – an essential step to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. During this time, she helped deliver $1 billion in synergies.

In 2009, Jacynthe was appointed CEO of Rio Tinto Alcan, a fully integrated bauxite-to smelting operations with 24,000 employees in 30 countries. That same year, aluminum demand and prices collapsed. Jacynthe initiated a massive transformation by closing and curtailing production, while re-investing over $7B in building more productive plants. These efforts enabled the company to operate in the lowest quartile of the industry cost curve, making the business profitable in good and bad days. Combined with strong innovation programs, the portfolio also generated the lowest carbon footprint in the industry.

In 2014, Jacynthe started her directorship career. “Directorships allow me to contribute in meaningful ways to the present and future success of an organization,” explains Jacynthe, who is a member of the boards of directors of Transcontinental Inc., CGI Inc., and serves as the Chair of Royal Bank of Canada. Previously, she served as the Chair of Hydro Québec.

Jacynthe also dedicates time to help children grow up healthy. As Chair of the Sainte-Justine Foundation, she supports its efforts to advance scientific and clinical pediatric research. And as Chair of Alloprof, she supports the not for profit to help students learn how to learn.

Jacynthe describes family as her “biggest achievement.” But given her demanding schedule, she was not able to be the primary caregiver for her three children, a source of guilt over the years. Yet her career has also helped her stay “relevant” as they grew up. “The time ‘invested’ in my career has allowed me to share perspectives and model behaviours that have helped my children chart their own course. That’s generated a strong return in my relationship with them.” None of this would have been possible without Jacynthe’s husband, Denis Dion, who she describes as “my toughest critic, my mentor, and my rock for more than 45 years.”

Jacynthe has been awarded honorary doctorates by Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and Université de Montréal (HEC Montréal). She has also been designated as a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directorship for her outstanding contributions to Canadian organizations through exceptional governance leadership in the boardroom.

Larry Tanenbaum is widely honoured for his significant contributions in the areas of business, sports and philanthropy. He continues to enrich the fabric of Canadian life, dedicating himself to empowering people and building communities.

Mr. Tanenbaum is Chairman and CEO of Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited (“Kilmer”), a multi-generational enterprise . For over 50 years, Kilmer has owned and operated leading Canadian businesses in sectors as diverse as heavy construction, road building, private equity, forestry, infrastructure, land development, cable television, and consumer goods.

Kilmer, under Mr. Tanenbaum’s leadership, grew as a multi-faceted civil engineering and construction company which undertook subway and transit system projects in Canada, the United States and South America.

Mr. Tanenbaum served as Chairman of Warren, which was Canada’s largest asphalt paving and aggregate company and later merged into Lafarge North America, North America’s largest diversified construction materials company.

Today, Kilmer remains family owned with a continued focus on private investing, infrastructure & real estate, and sports & entertainment.

Current private investments include majority ownership of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling in partnership with Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling. Kilmer has been a leader in such transformational projects as Port Credit’s Brightwater, the ONroute Highway Service Centres, the Pan Am Athletes’ Village, and Affordable Rental Housing Programs for both Provincial and City governments.

Mr. Tanenbaum is also a giant in professional sports. He is a 30-year veteran of building championship-caliber teams. In 1996, he became a part owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, and then in 1998, Mr. Tanenbaum was instrumental in the acquisition of the Toronto Raptors basketball team and the Air Canada Centre, thus forming Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). Today, Mr. Tanenbaum is Chairman of MLSE, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NBA, and a Governor and member of the Executive Committees of the NHL, the NBA, and MLS.

In 2024, Mr. Tanenbaum founded Kilmer Sports Ventures, which was awarded Canada’s first WNBA franchise, and also purchased AS Saint-Étienne, one of France’s most beloved Ligue 1 football clubs.

Mr. Tanenbaum is committed to medical research, brain science and healthy communities.  Among his many volunteer roles, he is Co-Founder and Board Member of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute at Montreal Neurological Institute, Chairman of the Research Board for the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and Vice-Chair, Brain Canada.

The Tanenbaum Family Foundation made a significant gift to launch the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport, in co-operation with the University of Toronto and Sinai Health.

The Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics was established at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in 2012.  To date more than 10,000 patients and over 3,000 clinicians have completed pharmacogenetics testing through this Centre.

Mr. Tanenbaum is an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Toronto.   He was inducted into the Ontario Road Builders’ Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the 2015 Region Builders Award from the Toronto Board of Trade.  In 2020, Mr. Tanenbaum was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Sports Business Journal and in 2024, was awarded the inaugural UNMATCHED Award for Investment In Women’s Sport.

Pierre Lassonde has a B.A., University of Montreal, a BSc Electrical Engineering from Polytechnique, Montreal and an MBA, University of Utah. He received his P.Eng. Ontario designation in 1976, CFA designation 1984 and OIQ in 2020. He holds honorary Ph. D’s in Engineering from the Universities of Toronto, Montreal and Ryerson, Doctor of Business, University of Utah and Honorary Doctorates of Law from both York and Western Universities, and has also been awarded Doctor of Science by Concordia University.

Mr. Lassonde is Chair and CEO of Firelight Investments, which serves as his family office company. Firelight acts as a merchant bank in the development of mineral properties and natural has, owing substantial stakes in companies such as Franco-Nevada Corporation, Orla Mining, Prime Mining, Foran Mining, Americas Gold and Silver, Birchcliff Energy, and others.

In 1980, Pierre began ten years as president of the gold division of Beutel, Goodman & Company. He co-founded Franco-Nevada Mining Corporation in 1982, which twenty years later was acquired by Newmont Mining Corp., the world’s largest gold producer at the time. Pierre served as President of Newmont from 2002 to 2007 and Vice-Chairman in 2007. He has also served as Chairman of the World Gold Council from 2005 to 2009.

In 2008, Mr. Lassonde led a group of investors and former executives in bringing back Franco-Nevada Corporation to the public market and assumed the role of Chairman. The US $1.2 billion IPO of Franco-Nevada was the largest mining company Initial Public Offering ever done on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Pierre was responsible for leading investors in start-ups, including Metallica Resources/ New Gold who discovered gold deposits in Chile and Mexico, and Enghouse Systems Ltd, a provider of software to the telecommunications companies. Today, both companies have a market capitalization in the billions.

He is an active and engaged philanthropist in Canada, the United States and in Europe through his family foundation the Pierre Lassonde Family Foundation. The main areas of interest for his Foundation are in support for the fields of education, the arts and the overall community.

Pierre’s donations have created iconic programs such as the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and Studios at the University of Utah, the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, and the Lassonde Mining Engineering program at the University of Toronto and countless Scholarships within various universities in Canada.

He has served on the board of the Denver Opera Company, as President of the Board of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) and presently serves as Chair of the Board of the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA).

Pierre Lassonde is a Fellow of The Canadian Academy of Engineering, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Québec.

Ryan Beedie is President of one of the most successful real estate development companies in Canada as well as a dedicated philanthropist.

Born and raised in Burnaby, B.C., Ryan’s passion for real estate was ignited by his father Keith, who founded the Beedie business in 1954. Ryan obtained his undergrad at Simon Fraser University and earned an MBA from the University of British Columbia before joining the company in 1993 and becoming President in 2001. Since then, Ryan has expanded the reach of Beedie across North America and grown the company into the largest industrial real estate owner in British Columbia.

Now encompassing three divisions: Beedie Industrial has built more than 35 million square feet of industrial space across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Nevada. In 2023, Beedie completed the largest single-building asset sale globally — $390 million — and holds over 13 million square feet of property in its industrial portfolio. Beedie Living is the residential development arm with more than 11,000 homes currently in planning and development, Beedie Living is one of British Columbia’s most dynamic and fastest-growing residential developers, and is committed to building quality homes in thriving communities. Beedie Capital is a multi-strategy direct investment platform, with a focus on technology, energy and mining. Founded in 2010, Beedie Capital has quickly grown to be the one of the biggest direct investment firms in Canada. Since its inception, Beedie Capital has deployed close to $1 billion in capital. Beedie’s motto “Built for Good” continues to reflect the quality, integrity and generosity that have been cornerstones of the business since its founding 70 years ago.

Passionate about giving back, over the past decade alone, Ryan and his wife Cindy have donated and committed $140 million to more than 350 charities across B.C.. Ryan founded Beedie Luminaries — a program that offers scholarships and wraparound support to promising students from disadvantaged backgrounds — and to date, has awarded over $35 million dollars in scholarships and helped more than 800 students attend life-changing post-secondary programs. Ryan and his father Keith contributed $22 million to Ryan’s alma mater, Simon Fraser University, to help fund the Beedie School of Business.

Avid concertgoers, Ryan and Cindy have hosted four Beedie Rocks concerts at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park since 2016. The concerts always include a fundraising component, benefiting a different charity each time. In August of 2023, more than $2 million was raised for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

Ryan is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Order of British Columbia and Canadian Business Leader of the Year – Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He also holds a Guinness World Record for Most Pool Balls Potted Off the Break!

Jay Hennick is a Canadian Billionaire, businessman and philanthropist. He is the global Chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder of Colliers International, a global leader in commercial real estate and investment management with more than $4.5 billion in revenues and about $100 million in assets under management. Jay is also the Founder, Chairman and largest individual shareholder of FirstService Corporation, the largest residential property management and services company in North America with more than $4.2 billion in annualized revenues.

For over 28 years, shareholders of both companies have received compound annual returns in share value of greater than 20%.

Jay is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Hennick & Company, a private family investment firm established to invest in high-quality, growth-oriented business and real estate assets that the family would be proud to own for the long term. Since its founding in 2014, Hennick & Company has made significant investments in Foster + Partners, a global leader in architecture, infrastructure, design and engineering and Haventree Bank, a leading provider of residential mortgage loans to near prime borrowers, among others.

Before establishing FirstService, Jay completed a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics) from York University and a Doctor of Laws (J.D) from the University of Ottawa. In 2011, Jay received an Honorary Doctorate from York University and in 2014, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Ottawa.

In 2019, Jay was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada and in the same year was the recipient of the International Horatio Alger Award. In 1998, Jay also received Canada’s coveted Entrepreneur of the Year and was named Canada’s CEO of the Year in 2001 by Canadian Business Magazine.

Jay served as the Chairman of the board of the Sinai Health System and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto between 2013 and 2016. Jay and his wife Barbara are also active philanthropists establishing the Hennick Family Foundation to support many causes in health care, education, and the arts, the largest of which include:

• $50 million donation to the Royal Ontario Museum, the largest single donation in the history of the institution to support of a multi-year revitalization of one of Ontario’s most treasured institutions.
• $36 million donation to Sinai Health, the largest single donation in the history of the institution to name “Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital”, the largest complex care and rehabilitation hospital in Canada.
• $10 million donation to the World Holocaust Remembrance Center (Yad Vashem) in Jerusalem, Israel.
• $8 million donation to name the “Hennick JD-MBA Program” at Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business at York University.
• $7.5 million donation to name the “Hennick Family Wellness Gallery”, a healing and respite gallery at Mount Sinai Hospital that houses the largest collection of artworks by famed Canadian artist, Sorel Etrog.
• $3.5 million donation to provide special scholarships to worthy recipients at the University of Ottawa Law School; and
• Several smaller benefactions to a variety of causes in health care, arts, and education in Canada.