Source: Wilfrid Laurier University
http://www.wlu.ca/news_detail.php?grp_id=28&nws_id=2613&filter_type=release Laurier announces recipient of Outstanding Business Leader of the Year AwardOctober 18, 2006 Contact: Ginny Dybenko, Dean
Laurier School of Business & Economics
(519) 884-0710 ext. 2671, dybenko@wlu.ca
or Nancy Wilson, Executive Assistant to the Dean
Laurier School of Business & Economics
(519) 884-0710 ext. 2546, nwilson@wlu.ca WATERLOO – Laurier announced Wednesday that its 2006 Laurier Outstanding
Business Leader award recipient is Annette Verschuren, president of The Home
Depot Canada. The award will be conferred on October 24, 2006 in Waterloo. Annually since 1987, Laurier school of business and economics faculty
members, business leaders and previous winners have searched across Canada
for an award recipient who exemplifies the leadership traits that the
university seeks to instill in its students. Verschuren was selected for her
outstanding accomplishments as a retail executive, as well as for her
emphasis on corporate social responsibility and employee morale. "It is a real pleasure for me to name Annette as the top contender in our
competition this year," said Ginny Dybenko, dean of the Laurier school of
business and economics. "Annette has demonstrated her outstanding
leadership capabilities consistently throughout her astonishingly successful
career—in her business ventures and also in her not-for-profit activities.
Annette’s strong management style and impressive community involvement make
her an excellent role model for Laurier’s business students as they begin to
forge their own leadership approach." Joining the Canadian division of The Home Depot in 1996, Verschuren took the
U.S.-based, multi-billion-dollar home improvement retailer from 19 Canadian
stores to more than 140 stores today. Previously, as president of Michael’s of Canada, Verschuren performed a
similar feat when she brought the company to Canada from the U.S. and opened
17 stores in 26 months. A development veteran who was drawn to the
stimulating environment of the retail industry as the vice-president of
corporate development for Imasco Ltd., Verschuren describes herself as one
who embraces change. She also cites her most important leadership attributes
as inspiration, motivation and coaching. These attributes have been recognized in numerous ways: she was the
recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year from the
Retail Council of Canada, she has received two honorary doctorates, and she
was recently appointed by Prime Minister Steven Harper to the North American
Competitiveness Council under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of
North America. Illustrating her belief in the value of corporate social responsibility,
Verschuren also lends her expertise to charitable causes, chairing Habitat
for Humanity’s national president’s council, and spearheading the Corporate
Council on Volunteerism. She also serves as chancellor of Cape Breton
University, and is on the board of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. To learn more about The Home Depot Canada, please visit
http://www.homedepot.ca. With more than 3,000 students enrolled in its programs and approximately 100
full-time faculty members on campuses in Toronto and Waterloo, the Laurier
school of business and economics is one of Canada’s largest and most
innovative business schools. Please visit http://www.wlu.ca/sbe for more
information about the SBE. -30-
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