Business leader Seymour Schulich, one of Canada’s greatest entrepreneurs and benefactor of York’s Schulich School of Business, was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame last night.
York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri congratulated Schulich on the rare honour, awarded at the annual gala in support of Junior Achievement of Canada. “For more than two decades, Seymour Schulich has been an incredible friend and ambassador of York University. He is a tireless advocate for students and is committed to providing Canada’s future leaders with a world-class education,” said Shoukri.
Right: Seymour Schulich
“Many institutions have benefited from his generosity, including York. His gift helped us to establish the Schulich School of Business, now ranked one of the top business schools in the world. Since its inception, the school has had the privilege of teaching some of Canada’s leading business experts, a testament not only to the quality of our student success and academic excellence, but also the commitment of Seymour himself. The York community congratulates him on this incredible achievement.”
Dezsö J. Horváth, dean of the Schulich School of Business, also praised Schulich. “Seymour Schulich’s association with our school has been transformational. His support and encouragement have given us the confidence to expand our global footprint and to compete at the highest level. More importantly, he has created a lasting legacy that will help shape thousands of future business leaders,” said Horváth. “Our alumni, students, faculty and staff take great pride in the fact that Seymour Schulich is being recognized by the Canadian business community for his significant contributions to the economic growth and development of our country.”
Schulich, president of Nevada Capital Corporation Ltd., was inducted as a Companion of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame with three other leading business people: Aldo Bensadoun, founder and CEO of Aldo Group Inc.; Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil; and W. Galen Weston, chairman and president of George Weston Ltd. The four prominent business leaders are being recognized for their business excellence and outstanding professional achievements and contributions to Canadian society. Schulich revolutionized the mining industry when he and his partner pioneered the concept of royalty payments. He also created what was at one time the largest gold mining company in the world, during a successful business career that spanned several different industries.
The Schulich School of Business was named after the Hall of Fame inductee following his $15-million donation to the school in 1995 – at the time, the largest gift of its kind ever made to a Canadian university. The donation was used to endow five chairs and to create a series of annual scholarships for Schulich students and faculty – scholarships that reward excellence in academics and in teaching. His gift funds more than 27 annual named scholarships and awards, as well as numerous bursaries that have benefited hundreds of students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels.
In addition to his 1995 endowment, Schulich contributed $10 million toward the state-of-the-art business education complex at York, which was opened in 2003 and houses the Schulich School of Business and the Schulich Executive Learning Centre. He has also supported several other important initiatives at York, including the Lorna R. Marsden Honour Court and Welcome Centre. In total, Schulich has given in excess of $30 million to York University over the past two decades.
In 2007, Schulich published the best-selling book, Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons (Key Porter Books), which summarizes his business philosophy and offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. The book has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide and is published in numerous languages.
Schulich was appointed to York’s Board of Governors in 1996 and is now an honorary governor on the board, as well as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business. He received an honorary doctor of laws degree from York University in 2003.
One of Canada’s greatest philanthropists, Schulich was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2000. He has given more than $280 million to Canadian and foreign universities, is responsible for the awarding of thousands of scholarships and has endowed facilities ranging from professional schools of business, law and engineering to medical health centres.