W. Brett Wilson

William Brett Wilson
William Brett Wilson
Born	July 1, 1957 (age 69); North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, former investment banker, television personality
Years active	1985–present
Known for	Panel member on CBC Television's Dragons' Den (seasons 3–5), co-founder of FirstEnergy Capital Corp.

William Brett Wilson (born July 1, 1957) is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, and former investment banker. He gained recognition as a panel member on CBC Television's Dragons' Den during its third through fifth seasons and has attracted media focus due to his forthright public commentary, particularly on social media platforms.

Career

Wilson holds a degree in Civil Engineering and initially spent three years working for Imperial Oil in the oilfields of Western Canada. He obtained an MBA specializing in entrepreneurship from the University of Calgary in 1985, which marked the beginning of his career in investment banking at McLeod Young Weir (currently Scotia Capital). In 1991, he co-established the investment banking advisory firm Wilson Mackie & Co., and two years later, in 1993, he co-founded FirstEnergy Capital Corp. alongside partners including Rick Grafton, Jim Davidson, and N. Murray Edwards. FirstEnergy is a Canadian brokerage firm that offers investment banking services to clients worldwide within the energy sector. Wilson stepped down as Chairman of FirstEnergy in 2008. Additionally, he holds ownership stakes in the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

After departing from Dragons' Den in 2011, Wilson created the entrepreneurship-centered series Risky Business. He has been a frequent contributor on entrepreneurial subjects to publications such as Oilweek, Alberta Venture, and the National Post. In 2012, Penguin Books released his publication titled Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes. Wilson regularly addresses business professionals and students on topics including marketing, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, advocating for their integration into educational curricula.

Wilson was the principal shareholder and chairman of Forent Energy, an energy company that declared bankruptcy in 2017 following an unsuccessful merger attempt.

Philanthropy

Wilson regards corporate social responsibility as a strategic opportunity to create considerable social and economic value through philanthropy. His charitable activities have included shaving his head to support Kids' Cancer Care and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Alzheimer's disease research. Over many years, he has participated in annual mission trips with Youth with a Mission to construct housing for impoverished communities in Mexico. Wilson has also shared his philanthropic perspectives through articles published in Alberta Venture magazine.

He has organized events benefiting numerous causes such as prostate cancer research, the David Foster Foundation, Right to Play, Little Warriors, Boomer's Legacy, 777 Run for Sight, Dare to Care, and the Veterans' Food Bank. Wilson finances research focused on domestic violence and founded the Wilson Centre for Domestic Abuse Studies at the Calgary Counselling Centre. Furthermore, he supports volleyball initiatives at Calgary's Rally Pointe facility and champions mental health programs targeting eating disorders.

Wilson made visits to Canadian troops deployed in Afghanistan alongside figures including General Walter Natynczyk, Defence Minister Peter MacKay, hockey legend Guy Lafleur, and actor Paul Gross. He continues to host functions that support military personnel and their families.

Comments on Calgary mayoral election

On June 3, 2020, Wilson posted a tweet accusing Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi of "playing the race card" during the 2017 election campaign. Mayor Nenshi condemned the message as "hateful" and an instance of "casual racism." Actor Andrew Phung called on Calgary non-profit organizations to refuse donations from Wilson and declined involvement with events linked to him.

Royal Roads University, which had previously conferred an honorary degree upon Wilson, expressed being "deeply disturbed" by his remarks citing inconsistency with its institutional values and subsequently removed mentions of Wilson from its website. The Nashville Predators, partially owned by Wilson, released a statement disassociating themselves from his opinions and reaffirmed their commitment against racism.

In response to the criticism, Wilson issued a full apology without reservation.

Call for capital punishment of protestors

In 2018, Wilson posted on Twitter referring to opponents of pipeline projects as "slimy bastards" and advocated for their execution on charges of "treason." These statements sparked significant backlash and resulted in CBC Calgary ceasing to feature Wilson as a commentator.

Campaign to remove from Order of Canada Advisory Council

During May 2018, Wilson suggested organizing financial incentives to encourage B.C. NDP MLAs to defect and bring down the province's minority government. This proposal led to a petition demanding his removal from the advisory council of the Order of Canada, citing his persistent undemocratic rhetoric and violent incitements that threatened democratic processes.

Personal life

Wilson's birthplace is North Battleford, Saskatchewan. He was married to a fellow engineering student from 1981 until 2001, and together they have three grown children.

Notable honors

Recognized among Canada's Top 40 under 40 by Caldwell Partners (1997)
Listed as one of Canada's Top 20 Deal Makers by Globe & Mail (1999)
Named among the Top 10 M&A experts in Canada by Globe & Mail (2000)
Recipient of the Management Alumni Excellence (MAX) Award from University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business (2003)
Honored with the International Legacy of Honour by Young Presidents Organization (2004)
Awarded the Spirit of Giving by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (2005)
Included in University of Calgary’s Top 40 Alumni (2006–2007)
Designated Calgary's Person of the Year by Avenue Magazine (2007)
Received University of Saskatchewan Alumni Award of Achievement (2007)
Selected among University of Saskatchewan’s Top 100 Alumni (2007)
Distinguished Lecturer at CJ Mackenzie Banquet, University of Saskatchewan College of Engineering (2008)
Alberta Venture Magazine’s Business Person of the Year (2008)
Honored with Nation Builder Award by Canadian Youth Business Foundation (2009)
Conferred Honorary Doctor of Laws by Royal Roads University (2010)
Recognized as one of Calgary's Top 10 New Mavericks (2010)
Awarded City of Calgary Signature Award for outstanding contributions to Calgary (2010)
Appointed to the Order of Canada (2011)
Received Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2012)
Awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
Granted Honorary Degree during Olds College Centennial celebrations (2013)
Honored with Bachelor of Science honorary degree from SAIT (2015)
Conferred Honorary Doctor of Laws by University of Saskatchewan (2015)
Recipient of the Bob Edwards Award (2015)
Inducted into Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame (2016)
Presented with Oil and Gas Council Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)

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