Wes Hall (businessman)
Wes Hall | |
|---|---|
 Hall in 2024 | |
| 35th Chancellor of the University of Toronto | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2024 | |
| President | Meric Gertler |
| Preceded by | Rose Patten |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wesley J. Hall Saint Thomas, Jamaica |
| Occupation | Businessman, entrepreneur |
Wesley J. Hall is a Canadian businessman and entrepreneur, best known as a "Dragon" investor in the Canadian edition of the reality television series Dragons' Den.[1]
Life and career
Born and raised in Saint Thomas, Jamaica,[2] Hall moved to Toronto, Ontario, as a teenager.[3] After being educated as a law clerk at George Brown College, he worked in the legal division of CanWest until founding Kingsdale Advisors, a shareholder services and business consultancy, in 2002.[3] In 2006, the firm became a major player in Canadian business when it managed Xstrata's purchase and takeover of Falconbridge.[3] He also later established QM Environmental, an environmental remediation firm.[2]
In 2020 he launched the BlackNorth Initiative, an organization which works to combat racism in business.[4]
He joined Dragons' Den in 2021 for the show's 16th season.[1]
He has written his autobiography "No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot", honouring his grandmother.[citation needed]
Hall was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto in 2023.[5] In 2024, he was selected to serve as the university's 35th chancellor.[6]
References
- ^ a b Murtz Jaffer, "New panelist on ‘Dragons’ Den,’ Wes Hall (a.k.a. ‘The Fixer’) brings a different approach". Toronto Star, October 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Noelle Boughton, "I don't know what impossible is, says Wes Hall". Wealth Professional, September 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c Joe O'Connor, "Man on a mission: How Wes Hall and the BlackNorth Initiative are bringing change to Bay Street". National Post, September 23, 2020.
- ^ Shannon Proudfoot, "How Wes Hall is attacking racist systems, starting at the top". Maclean's, January 18, 2021.
- ^ University of Toronto, U of T to confer honorary degrees on 14 academic, business and community leaders, February 16, 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ UofT News Team (May 16, 2024). "Wesley J. Hall elected to serve as the 35th chancellor of the University of Toronto". U of T News.