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This gala event offers unparalleled access to Legge family's take on the personal and professional aspects of their business
Peter Legge is no stranger to the spotlight. Co-founder of Canada Wide Media, he is a business leader, a prolific author, a philanthropist and a world-recognized speaker. Which is to say he has amassed quite an audience.
On April 27th, the UBC Sauder School of Business’s Family Legacy Series gala will offer those in attendance the opportunity to see a side of Legge very few ever have, and learn about the inner workings of his family business and all that has led to its success.
“This isn’t Peter speaking as you may have seen before,” says Bruce Wiesner, associate dean, UBC Sauder Executive Education. “He will be joined by his entire family and original business partners who will share valuable insights and candour on the opportunities and challenges his firm has faced.”
Presented by the UBC Sauder Business Families Centre, the Family Legacy Series gala will bring together leading members of the business community to hear first-hand from Legge and his family about the personal and professional issues they face while running the largest independent publishing company in Western Canada.
Unlike other galas, the Family Legacy Series is a learning event that lifts the veil on traditionally very private family firms and allows key members and their leading employees to be interviewed and share personal and candid stories. This year, David Bentall, a world-renowned family business consultant, who himself comes from a prominent business family, will act as moderator.
“Part of what makes the Legge family fascinating is that their story is still being written,” says Wiesner. “The next generation, in particular two of Peter’s daughters, Rebecca and Samantha, are more involved in the business than ever before. Plus, the media industry itself has gone through transformational change in the past few years.
“So in addition to navigating family business dynamics, the Legge family has had to weather an industry that is going through unparalleled change.”
In Canada, family business is a significant economic contributor. In fact, approximately 80 per cent of Canadian businesses are family-owned, employing nearly six million people and generating some 60 per cent of GDP.
The UBC Sauder Business Families Centre exists to serve these enterprises. It is an unrivaled resource for business families, offering support for their most complex challenges in the form of educational programs and academic research, both for the families themselves as well as the professionals who advise them.
“Families are often understandably private about many aspects of their dynamic,” Wiesner says. “They’re not necessarily going to sit in on a traditional management development session and share everything. Through the UBC Business Families Centre they’re able to find resources tailored to their unique needs.”
The Family Legacy Series gala is a landmark event for the centre that brings together members of leading Canadian family businesses and those who work for them. Since 2001, it has featured the Rosen, Shaw, Rogers and Molson families, among many others.
“Through the Family Legacy Series, family businesses often find many others are facing similar challenges, whether around communication or strategy or transferring leadership from one generation to the next,” says Wiesner.
“We find those who attend the Family Legacy Series gala, regardless of the size of their company, gain real insight into critical issues that affect the ultimate success of their family business.”
The Family Legacy Series Presented by UBC Sauder’s Business Families CentreThursday, April 27, 2017 – 6:00pmFairmont Hotel Vancouver