Top boss award goes to BCE’s Cope
Top executives from across the country gathered for Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year awards. Now in its 26th year, the award for outstanding leadership and community service went to George Cope, the CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada. The gala, held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, was attended by more than 440 community and business leaders.
Proceeds from the dinner support scholarships for 10 university students from across Canada. Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year award program was founded in 1990.
Bright lights making the scene included Finance Minister Bill Morneau; Clara Hughes, six-time Olympian and Bell Let’s Talk spokesperson; Michael Wilson, chairman, Barclays Canada; Toronto Mayor John Tory; Hugh MacKinnon, chairman and CEO, Bennett Jones; G. Edmund King, chairman, Caldwell Partners; William A. Downe, president and CEO, BMO Financial Group; Michael E. Roach, president and CEO, CGI Group; Frank Vettese, managing partner and chief executive, Deloitte Canada; Grant Ellis, general manager, BNN; John Wallace, president and CEO, Caldwell Partners; Paul Godfrey, president and CEO, Postmedia Network Inc.; Brian Porter, president and CEO, Scotiabank; Gord Nixon, chair of Bell Canada/ BCE; Michael Copeland, president and CEO, Toronto Argonauts; Sonja Bata, chairman, Bata Shoe Foundation; Dezsö J. Horváth, Dean & Tanna H. Schulich Chair in Strategic Management, Schulich School of Business, York University; and Philip Orsino, board director, BMO Financial Group.
“We are delighted to honour George Cope and BCE/ Bell Canada with this distinguished award,” said MacKinnon. “Since taking over the CEO role in 2008, George has transformed the company, and it’s now one of the most successful telecom businesses in the world.”