Ivey to Launch Business Families Centre

(London, Ontario) – The Ivey Institute for Entrepreneurship (link) will announce the creation of the Business Families Centre on May 17th at a reception at the London Chamber of Commerce. Following the launch, entrepreneur Philippe de Gaspe Beaubien will deliver a talk titled “Celebrating Business Families”. The Business Families Centre will enhance family business management through outreach programs, curriculum development and research. Ivey realizes the need to understand and support learning in the area of entrepreneurship – a truly vital sector of the Canadian economy. That’s why, in the last few years, the Ivey Institute for Entrepreneurship was created – whose goal is to develop curriculum in the area of entrepreneurship, cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit within the School, and develop the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. The Family Business Centre will help the Institute for Entrepreneurship achieve its goals. “With so many Canadian businesses being family-owned and operated, leading edge curriculum and management approaches utilizing best-of-class techniques need to be developed to help family businesses grow and prosper and simultaneously help develop family business leaders from within,” said Ivey Dean Carol Stephenson. Philippe de Gaspe Beaubien is one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs and has enjoyed success in several different venues. In the late 1960’s, Philippe was asked to head operations for Expo ‘67 and he led that organization through what has often been described as Canada’s greatest year. He later purchased control of Telemedia. With his wife Nan-b they built the company into one of Canada’s largest media and communications firms. Recently, the couple poured their energies into the Business Families Foundation, which they had established several years ago to explore their interest in Family Business Education. The Foundation develops and delivers stimulating educational programs based on innovative research in close cooperation with Universities, other families in business, and professionals who counsel them. The Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario (www.ivey.uwo.ca) offers full-time undergraduate (HBA) and graduate degree programs (MBA and PhD), and Executive MBA programs in addition to non-degree programs in Entrepreneurship and Executive Development. Ivey has campuses in London (Ontario), Mississauga, Toronto, and Hong Kong, where it was the first North American business school to establish a campus in Asia. -30- For more information please contact: David Simpson Executive Director, Business Families Centre Richard Ivey School of Business 519-661-3262 dsimpson@ivey.ca Marisa Kanas Communications Coordinator Richard Ivey School of Business 519-850-2536 mkanas@ivey.ca