Seymour Schulich
Seymour Schulich | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1940 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, author, philanthropist |
| Known for | Co-founder of Franco-Nevada; philanthropy in Canadian education and healthcare |
| Notable work | Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons |
Seymour Schulich (born January 6, 1940) is a prominent Canadian entrepreneur, investor, author, and philanthropist.
Biography
Raised in a Jewish household in Montreal, Quebec, Schulich completed a Bachelor of Science degree in 1961 and an MBA in 1965, both from McGill University. He further earned the Chartered Financial Analyst credential from the University of Virginia in 1969.
He is married to Tanna Schulich; the couple lives in Willowdale, Toronto, and they have two daughters along with four grandchildren.
Career
Schulich's professional journey began at Shell. Between 1968 and 1990, he was employed at Beutel, Goodman & Company, a major asset management firm overseeing assets exceeding $43 billion CAD as of 2023. During his tenure, he rose to the positions of president and vice-chairman.
In 1978, together with Pierre Lassonde, Schulich introduced the concept of royalty payments within the mining sector through Franco-Nevada and Euro-Nevada. Their innovative royalty approach involved acquiring ownership interests in highly lucrative mines. For instance, a $1,000 investment in Franco-Nevada stock back in 1983 appreciated to $1.2 million by 2002, representing an average annual return of approximately 40%. In 2002, Franco-Nevada merged with Australia's Normandy Mining and Newmont to create Newmont, which became the largest gold mining company worldwide. Schulich held the roles of Director at Newmont Mining and Chairman of its merchant banking division from 2002 until 2007.
In 2007, he published Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons.
Philanthropy
Schulich has made significant contributions to numerous Canadian universities. These include York (Schulich School of Business), Western Ontario (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry), Calgary (Schulich School of Engineering), Dalhousie (Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie Faculty of Computer Science), McGill (Schulich School of Music), Nipissing (Schulich School of Education), and Queen's (Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection). His largest initial endowment was directed to the Schulich School of Business at York University, where his signature now appears on all degrees awarded. His philanthropic efforts also extend into healthcare institutions such as the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Schulich Heart Centre) in Toronto, as well as internationally to facilities like the University of Nevada, Reno (Schulich Lecture Hall) and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
On October 15, 2009, Schulich contributed $20 million to Dalhousie University's Law School, which was subsequently renamed the Schulich School of Law.
On October 14, 2011, he unveiled a $100 million scholarship initiative aimed at supporting STEM students in Canada and Israel. Administered jointly by the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Schulich Foundation, the Schulich Leader Scholarships constitute the largest undergraduate STEM scholarship program available in both nations.
Honours
- 2013: Awarded Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by Dalhousie University
- 2011: Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada for impactful philanthropy in education and healthcare
- 2011: Inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
- 2010: Conferred Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by University of Calgary
- 2008: Received Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from University of Western Ontario
- 2006: Entered into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
- 2004: Honored with an Honorary Doctorate from McGill University
- 2003: Granted Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by York University
- 1999: Designated Member of the Order of Canada
- 1998: Named "Developer of the Year" by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
- 1997: Alongside Pierre Lassonde, recognized as "Mining Man of the Year" by The Northern Miner
Partial bibliography
- Schulich, Seymour. Get Smarter Life and Business Lessons. Toronto: Key Porter Books, 2007.
- Schulich, Seymour. Weather Gas Distribution Companies and Stock Markets (a Theory for Short Term Traders). 1965.
See also
- Schulich School of Law
- Schulich School of Music
- Schulich School of Business
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
- Schulich School of Engineering
Sources
- McGill University news
- The Schulich donation and naming of the Schulich School of Medicine
- Biography of Seymour Schulich – Indigo Author
- Titans: How the New Canadian Establishment Seized Power
Further reading
- Gray, John. 2006. "LIVE & LEARN – Seymour Schulich – The Entrepreneur, Mentor and Philanthropist on His First Investment and Favourite Painter". Canadian Business. 79, no. 24: 144.
- 1940 births
- Living people
- Anglophone Quebec people
- Businesspeople from Montreal
- Canadian mining businesspeople
- Canadian business writers
- Canadian investors
- Canadian philanthropists
- Jewish Canadian writers
- McGill University Faculty of Management alumni
- Officers of the Order of Canada
- University of Virginia alumni
- Writers from Montreal
- CFA charterholders
- Canadian billionaires