Heather Reisman
| Heather Reisman | |
|---|---|
 Heather Reisman in 2007 |
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| Born | August 28, 1948 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Occupation | CEO of Indigo Books and Music Chairwoman of Kobo Editor-at-Large of Huffington Post Canada |
| Spouse | Gerald Schwartz |
| Children | 4 |
Heather Reisman (born August 28, 1948) is a Canadian businesswoman. Reisman is the founder and chief executive of the Canadian retail chain Indigo Books and Music. Previously, she was president of Cott Corporation, a leading supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks.[1][2] Reisman is married to Gerald Schwartz, founder and CEO of Onex Corporation. Together they have four children and seven grandchildren.
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[edit] Early life
Reisman was born to a Jewish family from Montreal, Quebec. She is the niece of Simon Reisman, who headed the Canadian delegation that negotiated the 1988 Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.
She was educated at McGill University.
[edit] Career
In 1996, she founded Indigo which, in 2001, merged with its main rival, Chapters, to form the largest book retailer in Canada. In 2006 she founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation whose mission is to enrich the libraries in under-resourced public schools.[citation needed]
She drew praise and criticism in October 2001, after announcing that Indigo would not sell Hitler's Mein Kampf in its bookstores.[3][4]
In August 2006, as a result of differing reactions by the two main Canadian political parties to the 2006 Lebanon War, Reisman announced that she and husband Gerry Schwartz would be joining Robert Lantos in withdrawing their longtime support for the Liberal Party of Canada and supporting the Conservative Party of Canada under Stephen Harper. [5]
As part of her role as CEO of Chapters/Indigo, she has been removing a number of titles available, such as Mein Kampf.
[edit] Advocacy
[edit] Death penalty for Sakineh Ashtiani
On July 5, 2010, Reisman started to create an online petition to save an Iranian woman, Sakineh Ashtiani, from the death penalty by stoning. Her initiative found support around the world.[6]
[edit] Bilderberg Group
Reisman is listed as a member of the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group, a controversial group of influential business and government leaders who meet annually behind closed doors under a media blackout to discuss world issues.[7]
Reisman has been a delegate for several years at the annual conference of the Bilderbergs. In Istanbul, Turkey, 31 May - 3 June 2007 she was in the company of other notable Canadians: Jason Kenney, Member of Parliament; and Gerald Butts, Principal Secretary in the Office of the Premier of Ontario.[8]
She is also reported to have attended the last meeting in Sitges, Spain.[9][10][11]
[edit] Awards
In 2006, Reisman received an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University.[citation needed] In 2009 Reisman received an honorary doctorate Wilfrid Laurier University.[citation needed] In 2009, the Financial Times listed Reisman as one of the top 50 businesswomen in the world.[12] In 2010, she received an honorary doctorate from Mount Allison University.
[edit] References
- ^ Profile at indigo.ca
- ^ Profile at Facebook
- ^ Adams, James. Globe and Mail. "Reisman bans Mein Kampf from Chapters and Indigo."
- ^ "Remember Mein Kampf". Vancouver: The Jewish Independent. 21 December 2001. http://www.jewishindependent.ca/archives/dec01/archives01dec21-01.html. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ^ Clark, Campbell (4 August 2006). "Liberal power couple back Harper on Mideast". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060804.wxliberals04/BNStory/National/home&ord=371591196729276519. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- ^ Globe and Mail, July 8, 2010: Heather Reisman spearheads 11th-hour bid to save Iranian woman from stoning
- ^ http://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/governance.html
- ^ Bilderberg 2007 "Towards a One World Empire". Canadian Action Party Website. 2007. http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/cgi/page.cgi?aid=920&_id=128&zine=show Bilderberg 2007.
- ^ "B.C. premier, Indigo CEO among delegates at `secret' Bilderberg conference". Winnipeg Free Press. June 7, 2010.
- ^ Fowlie, Jonathan."Campbell mingles with world elite at private meeting". Vancouver Sun. June 8, 2010.
- ^ Steffler, Josh. "Let the light shine on the Bilderberg Group". Times Colonist. June 8, 2010.
- ^ [1]
