Paul Desmarais III
Canadian businessperson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Guy Desmarais III (born 8 June 1982)[1] is a Canadian businessperson and philanthropist.
Paul Desmarais III | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 June 1982 |
| Education | Lakefield College School |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Employers | |
| Spouse |
Mary Dailey Pattee (m. 2008) |
| Parents | |
| Relatives |
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Early life and education
Desmarais was educated at Lakefield College School[2] and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD.[3]
Career
After working at Goldman Sachs, Imerys and Great-West Lifeco, Desmarais became Vice-President of Power Corporation of Canada and Power Financial Corporation in 2014.[4][5] In January 2017, he was named Senior Vice President of both companies.[6] He is Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset manager involved in venture capital, private equity, private credit, real estate and royalties.[7][8] He is a co-founder of various businesses, such as investment fund Portage Ventures and Diagram Ventures.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
In 2019, he was the recipient of the Arnold Edinborough Award (Business / Arts Awards)[18] recognizing his impact on the arts in Canada. In 2000, he was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (Gold Level).[19]
He is a founder or co-founder of various business-led initiatives, such as the Black Wealth Club,[20] which provides resources to support emerging black leaders, the Young Canadians in Finance[21] and the Indigenous Leadership Circle.[22]
He also acted as co-chair for the Centraide of Greater Montreal 49th fundraising campaign, launched in 2022.[23]
Personal life
Paul Desmarais III is the son of Paul Desmarais Jr. and the grandson of Paul Desmarais.
