George Cope: BCE and Bell Canada President & CEO

George Cope was raised in Port Perry, a small town in Ontario, Canada. He played basketball for Western University until a knee injury sidelined him. George earned a Business Administration (Honours) degree from Ivey Business School at Western University and was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws from Western in recognition of his success in telecommunications and his dedication to promoting mental health awareness. 

George was President and CEO of  cellphone provider Clearnet for 13 years. The company was bought out by TELUS Mobility in 2000 and George eventually wound up as President and CEO of TELUS Mobility. 

He became president and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada in 2008. 

BCE Inc., is a telecommunications and media company that provides wireless, wireline, Internet and television services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media segments. 

The company operates approximately 30 conventional TV stations; and 39 speciality pay, pay, and pay-per-view TV channels; 106 radio stations; 10,500 advertising faces; and 200 Websites. 

Sergio Marchionne: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV

Sergio Marchionne was born on June 17, 1952, in Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. When he was 14 years old, he emigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada where they had relatives. Sergio has dual Italian and Canadian citizenship and is fluent in both Italian and English. 

He earned a bachelor of Commerce and an MBA from the University of Windsor in 1979 and 1985 respectively. In 1983 he earned a law degree from the Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. Sergio is a Canadian Certified General Accountant (FCGA), barrister, and a fellow of the Certified General Accountants of Ontario. 

He worked as an accountant and tax specialist for Deloitte & Touche in Canada from 1983 to 1985. Sergio was Group Controller and then Director of Corporate Development at the Lawson Group in Toronto. After working with several other companies in senior executive roles he became the CEO of Fiat S.p.A. in May 2003. 

Sergio is widely recognized for turning Fiat back to profitability in 2006 less than two  years after taking charge; he played a key role in also turning Chrysler back into profitability after it emerged from bankruptcy. In August 1, 2014, Fiat and Chrysler merged and Sergio now sits as CEO of Fiat Chrysler automobiles and Chairman of CNH Industrial. 

Dean Connor: Sun Life Financial CEO

Dean Connor earned an Honors Business Administration (HBA) from Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University. He worked for Mercer Human Resources consulting for 28 years and became President for the Americas, responsible for its business operations in Latin America, United States and Canada. 

In 2006, Dean joined Sun Life Financial as Executive Vice-President with responsibility for Sun Life’s Reinsurance and United Kingdom operations as well strategic international activities and corporate functions. He was named President of Sun Life’s Canadian operations in 2008. 

On December 1, 2011, Dean was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, and is a member of Sun Life’s Board of Directors. 

The company that Dean leads is around 150 years old having been founded on March 18, 1865, by Mathew Hamilton Gault. Sun Life which is one of the largest companies in the world is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The firm has around 16,275 employees and generates sales of more than $23 billion. 

Sun Life Financial, Inc. is a diversified financial services company. It offers savings, retirement and pension products, and life and health insurance to individuals and groups through its operations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia. 

Sun Life operates its business through five segments: Sun Life Financial Canada, Sun Life Financial United States, MFS Investment Management, Inc., Sun Life Financial Asia and Corporate Support. 

The Sun Life Financial Canada segment provides group benefits and retirement solutions sponsored by employers and affinity groups and more recently distributes directly through the Internet and other channels. The Sun Life Financial United States segment provides annuities, life insurance and group benefits. The MFS Investment Management segment is a global asset management company which offers products and services that address the varying needs of investors over time. 

The Sun Life Asia segment operates through subsidiaries in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Indonesia and through joint ventures with local partners in Indonesia, India and China. The Corporate Support segment includes Sun Life Financial United Kingdom and corporate support operations. 

Albert Monaco: Enbridge President & CEO

Albert “Al” Monaco is a holder of a Certified Management  Accountant designation and is a member of the Society of Management Accountants of Alberta. Albert obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.

Al has more than 30 years experience in the energy industry . This includes the upstream oil and gas exploration, development and pipeline businesses. Al joined Enbridge in 1995 and has held various positions including Executive Vice President, Major Projects & Green Energy, and as President, Enbridge Gas Distribution.

He was President, Gas Pipelines, Green Energy & International with responsibility for the growth and operations of Enbridge’s gas pipelines, including the Gas Gathering & Processing operations in the United States, the Gulf Coast Offshore assets of Enbridge, and the firm’s investments in Alliance, Vector and Aux Sable, as well as Enbridge’s international business development and investment activities and Green Energy. 

Al was appointed President of Enbridge Inc., in February 2012 and became President and Chief Executive Officer on October 1, 2012. He also is also a board of director. 

Enbridge is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in business for over 65 years, employing over 11,000 people, primarily in Canada and the United States. 

Bruce Flatt: Brookfield Asset Management CEO

Bruce Flatt earned a business degree from the University of Manitoba in Canada. Bruce was trained as an accountant at Clarkson, Gordon and Company, which is now part of Ernst & Young. He joined Brookfield in 1990 and held various leadership roles as he climbed the corporate ladder. From 1995 to April 2000 he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Brookfield Properties Corporation. Then from April 2000 to February 2002 he was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Brookfield Properties Corporation. 

Bruce finally got the top post on February 2002 when he became the Chief Executive Officer at Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. Since April 2001 he has been a Director of the company and its Senior Managing Partner since 2002. 

In relation to his position he has been the Chairman and Director of General Growth Properties Inc., since November 2010. Bruce also serves as the Chairman of Carma Corp. He served as the Chairman of Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc. from October 2002 to May 2007. Bruce served as Director of Brookfield Residential Properties Inc from October 2002 to August 11, 2010.

The company that Bruce leads is over a hundred years old. Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. is an asset management company based in Canada that manages a worldwide portfolio with total assets under management of over $200 billion. This is invested on behalf of clients and the firm concentrates its assets in property, renewable energy, infrastructure and private equity.

Interestingly enough the company which was founded in 1899 was actually not focused on Canada but was a builder and operator of electricity and transport infrastructure in Brazil. In fact the company’s former name “Brascan” reflected its history (“Brasil" + “Canada”).

As stated by Brookfield their business model is simple: utilize its global reach to identify and acquire high quality real assets at favorable valuations, finance them on  a long-term, low-risk basis, and enhance cashflows and values of these assets through its leading operating platforms to earn reliable, attractive long-term total returns for the benefit of its partners and Brookfield. 

Steve Williams: Suncor President And CEO

Steve Williams earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Exeter University. His is also a graduate of the advanced management program at Harvard Business School and also the business economics program at Oxford University.

Steve held various executive positions at Esso Petroleum Company Limited, an affiliate of Exxon. He then moved to Octel Corporation in 1995 where held a number of number of executive positions. Steve joined Suncor Energy Inc. in May 2002. He was an Executive Vice President of Oil Sands at Suncor Energy Inc. Steve served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Suncor Energy until May 30, 2003. He served as the Chief Operating Officer at Suncor Energy from March 5, 2007 to May 1, 2012. 

Steve became the President of the company on December 1, 2011 and then also Chief Executive Officer on May 1, 2012. 

While his predecessor was known for making bold decisions such as the 2009 deal worth $22.9 billion to acquire Petro-Canada, Steve  has taken a more measured approach given the environment he came in. When oil prices collapsed the company made huge losses with debt totalling more than $13 billion. While being more cautious it does not mean at the expense of profitability. Steve is more concerned with profitable growth than growth for the sake of just growing. 

Given the assets the company currently has which includes 27 billion barrels of resources on the books with 23 billion of it oil sands, Steve looks to better operational efficiencies than major expansions which means improving their technological capacities. He has also made it clear that investments in the company’s future will not dry up. 

Steve is a fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers and is a member of the Institute of Directors. He is one of 12 founding CEOs in Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA). He is also a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

William Downe: BMO Financial Group CEO

William Downe was born in 1952 in Montreal, Canada.  William earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto. He joined Bank of Montreal in 1983 and as he rose through the corporate ladder held various senior management positions in Canada and the U.S. 

In 1991, William was promoted to Vice-Chair of the Bank of Montreal. In 2001, he became Deputy Chair, BMO Financial Group and Chief Executive Officer, BMO Nesbitt Burns. William was appointed Chief Operating Officer of BMO Financial Group in 2006. On March 1, 2007 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group.

William is the only Canadian member of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council of the Mayor of Beijing (IBLAC). He received the Rotman Distinguished Business Alumni Award from the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management.

BMO Financial Group was established in 1817 as the Bank of Montreal. It is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America with total assets of $589 billion as of October 31, 2014. 

Christopher A. Viehbacher: Sanofi CEO

Christopher A. Viehbacher was born on March 26, 1960.  He holds German and Canadian nationalities. Christopher graduated from Queens University (Ontario – Canada). A certified public accountant he speaks French, German and English.

Christopher began his career in finance at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. He then joined GlaxoSmitKline (GSK) in 1988. During the next 20 years with GSK he gained wide international experience in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. His last position at GSK before joining Sanofi was President, Pharmaceutical Operations North America. Christopher was also a member of the board and Co – Chairman of the Portfolio Management Board.

In December 2008 he became CEO of Sanofi and has since held the position. Christopher is a Board member and is also a member of the Strategy Committee. In February 2011, Sanofi acquired Genzyme of which he is also the Chairman.

Christopher was awarded a knight of the French Legion of Honor in 2003 for his commitment to public health and business. For his leadership role within the pharmaceutical industry he was awarded the prestigious 2012 Pasteur Foundation Award.

With headquarters in Paris, France Sanofi is a global healthcare leader with 110,000 employees, with net sales of €34. 95 billion in 2012. 

Donald A. Guloien: Manulife Chief

Donald A. Guloien graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Donald joined Manulife Financial, one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world, in 1981 as a research analyst. His talent enabled him to quickly move through a number of strategic and marketing positions in both the Canadian and U.S. Divisions.

Donald became Vice President, US Individual Business in 1990. He was responsible for the operations of Manulife’s individual insurance and annuity business in the United States. From 1994 to 2001, he headed the company’s Business Development unit. Donald led a number of key acquisitions, divestures and strategic initiatives, including: the merger of Manulife with North American Life Assurance Company; sale o f Manulife’s U.K. business; Manulife’s conversion from a mutual life insurance company to a publicly traded stock company; and its entry into Japan.

Donald rose further through the ranks and became the Chief Investment Officer from 2001 to 2009. He became the CEO in 2009 under very tough economic and business conditions. Donald took the controversial actions of going to the market for $2.5 billion in common equity in November, 2009 and slashed the dividend in half in August, 2009.

A true leader, Donald took the painful but necessary actions to keep Manulife healthy and continue to experience solid returns.