Visionary Donors

After earning a Queen's Commerce degree in 1957, Donald R. Sobey joined the family business headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. With skill and passion he helped lead the Empire Company to become a multi-billion dollar enterprise that includes food distribution, real estate and corporate investment activities. He currently serves as Chairman Emeritus. Donald has served on the board of many major corporations and not-for-profit organizations, and is a member of the Queen’s School of Business Advisory Board. In recognition of his business success and a lifetime of serving the broader community, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2007. From his own experience as a scholarship recipient while at Queen’s, Donald was inspired to establish the D&R Sobey Atlantic Scholarship. Each year six students from Atlantic Canada entering the Queen’s Commerce program are awarded the scholarship, which is renewable for four years, for their academic excellence and leadership skills. The Donald R. Sobey Professorship – which strengthens the School’s ability to attract and retain talented professors who can provide strong intellectual leadership – is another example of his commitment to higher education. His leadership has transformed our ability to attract the best and brightest students and faculty. We are honoured to call Donald Sobey one of our inaugural visionaries.

In 2015, Stephen made an extraordinary gift of $50 million to Queen’s University. This was the single largest gift ever made to Queen’s or to a Canadian business school. In recognition of his gift, the school was renamed the Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Stephen is one of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs in the financial services industry. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of First National Financial Corporation, Canada’s largest non-bank lender of residential and commercial mortgages. He also serves as the Chairman and co-owner of Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance. In 2007, Stephen received the Ernst & Young’s “Ontario Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Stephen graduated from Queen’s in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Electrical Engineering and then obtained a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Stephen is an avid supporter of post-secondary education. At Queen’s, he has also established a bursary for students in economics and engineering, a Chair in Economic Policy and volunteered on the Queen’s University Initiative Campaign Cabinet. He has served on the boards of many major corporations and not-for-profit organizations and in 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canada. Stephen believes business has a social responsibility. Successful businesses fuel a healthy economy, and a healthy economy is critical to a strong and well-functioning social infrastructure. His gift will help equip the leaders of tomorrow with the skills to sustain Canada’s business, economic and social development. We are inspired by his beliefs and his philanthropic leadership in enhancing the role of Queen’s University in business education.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Jerry graduated from Queen’s with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1985 and an MBA in 1987. He considers his Queen’s experience life-changing, having remarked, “My eyes were opened to opportunities I didn’t know existed.” A long-standing volunteer and supporter of both Queen’s University and Smith School of Business, Jerry has always given back to Queen’s and has encouraged other alumni to do the same. While pursuing a career as a successful banker and businessman, Jerry continued his commitment to Queen’s. As Chair, he led the "Invest in Smith" Campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in the business school’s history. In addition to contributing financially to the Campaign, he volunteered his time as a member of both the school’s Advisory Board and Global Council. He is also a past member of Queen’s University’s Board of Trustees. Jerry is the founder and Executive Chairman of Copper Street Capital LLP, an independent investment firm. Previously, he was a senior executive of Barclays Bank PLC in London, U.K., and New York. His contributions to his profession include having served as Chairman of the Board of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and as a member of the boards of the Global Financial Markets Association and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. A passionate believer in the transformative power of education, Jerry also serves as a board member of Room to Read, a global education and literacy organization, and the Sutton Trust in London, U.K. We are privileged to have Jerry as one of our visionary donors. He continues to set the highest standards of philanthropic leadership of his alma mater.