Throughout his 55-year career at the pinnacle of Canadian finance, Donald K. Johnson, O.C., MBA ’63 and LLD ’07, has been a presence on Bay Street.
So there could hardly be a more fitting name for Ivey’s facility in the heart of Toronto’s financial district than the Donald K. Johnson Centre. Ivey renamed the facility following Johnson’s recent gift of $2.5 million, which brings his total giving to the Ivey Business School to more than $4.2 million.
Located on the ground floor of the Exchange Tower, the 11,800-sq.-ft. Johnson Centre is home to Ivey’s EMBA Program, and executive education programming delivered through The Ivey Academy. It also hosts many of the Ivey Idea Forum events that feature senior Canadian and international business leaders. It was most recently known as the Tangerine Leadership Centre.
For more than 20 years, Johnson has served on the Ivey Advisory Board (IAB), including as a member of the IAB’s Executive Committee and as the Vice-Chair of the Ivey Campaign for Leadership. He is known throughout Canada for his leadership roles in investment banking, and for his philanthropic and volunteer support of major healthcare institutions and community organizations. Johnson also played a leading role in transforming charitable giving in Canada, by advocating successfully for the removal of the capital gains tax on donations of listed securities.
“When you consider the tremendous impact Don has had on Canada’s investment banking and philanthropic sectors, there is no better role model for the next generation of business leaders to emulate," said Acting Dean Mark Vandenbosch. “I know the entire Ivey community joins me in thanking Don for his generous and unwavering support over the years.”
“My Ivey education played a big part in my career success, and I think it is very important to give back to the School,” Johnson said. “Ivey and its graduates also play a key role in the growth of Canadian business, and our physical presence in Toronto is a very important part of that success. I was therefore honoured and privileged to have the chance to name this facility.”
Donald K. Johnson retired in 2004 as Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, for BMO Nesbitt Burns and predecessor companies, but continues as a Member of the Advisory Board of BMO Capital Markets. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation and Chairman of the Eye Institute Fundraising Campaign at the Toronto Western Hospital. He is Chairman Emeritus and a Director of Business for the Arts in Canada, and is a member of the 2019 Major Individual Giving Cabinet of the United Way of Toronto York Region.
