It’s evident in more than one way that Richard W. Ivey, HBA’72, is following in his family’s footsteps.
Not only has he demonstrated signs of their influence through his leadership and generosity in giving back to the community, but he now joins his grandfather, Richard G. Ivey; father, Richard M. Ivey; and late mother, Beryl, in having an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.) from Western.
He received the distinction at Western’s 301st Convocation ceremony on June 17 for Ivey’s HBA graduates and the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, in recognition of his leadership and philanthropy.
“Obviously, I have not earned this honour entirely on my own. I’ve also been blessed with accomplished forefathers and mothers who have built a great family name and legacy at Western,” he said.
His grandfather was the Business School’s first Advisory Board chair and led the campaign for its first building. The Ivey family has also committed more than $30 million to Western’s Business school over the years and the School now bears the name, Ivey Business School, to honour the contributions.
Richard W. Ivey has continued to be a strong supporter of the School as an Advisory Board member. He congratulated Ivey Dean Carol Stephenson and volunteers from the School’s advisory board and alumni for successfully raising $206 million through the Campaign for Leadership to continue the School’s growth.
He told graduates to focus their time and efforts on more than just business, but also to their communities and the world as a whole. In addition to being Chairman of Ivest Properties Ltd and MaRS EXCITE (Excellence in Clinical Innovation and Technology Evaluation), he is a director of the Ivey Foundation, a Toronto-based charitable foundation. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, the Ivey Foundation has donated more than $75 million to various causes and charitable organizations.
“My recommendation is that you consider a parallel career as a volunteer. Many, if not most, of you will have already sampled or actively engaged in the world of volunteerism, which is great. I hope to persuade you to aspire to make it a determined, life-long journey,” he said.
Although he attributed his initial engagement in volunteerism to his family’s example, he said the exposure triggered a lifelong passion.
“I now choose to spend my time this way versus playing more golf… because it gives me great enjoyment and enriches my life. You could say my serial volunteer work has developed into a passion,” he said. “Volunteering provides a tremendous practical education as well…The practical learning from volunteering inevitably extends deeply into the strategic, financial and human resources realms.”
In her citation, Dean Stephenson pointed out the signs of the family influence on Richard W. Ivey and thanked him for his contributions to Ivey Business School.
“As a generous donor and active volunteer, Richard has followed in the steps of both his parents and grandparents who instilled in him a passion for community building,” she said. “We are honoured and grateful that Richard has chosen lvey as one of the institutions to which he has given so willingly of his time and talents.”
For more on the ceremony, please see Western News article or watch video above.
