Forzani to join Haskayne faculty as 2011/12 resident fellow

John Forzani, co-founder and former chairman of the Forzani Group, has accepted the 2011/12 Jarislowsky fellowship in business management at the Haskayne School of Business.

Forzani is a former Calgary Stampeder and a driven entrepreneur who built one small athletics equipment store into a multi-million dollar sports retailing empire across Canada. In 2005, he became a part-owner of the Calgary Stampeders and is now chairman of the CFL team. As the Jarislowsky fellow, he will spend several days on campus over the course of the academic year, and will be involved in student activities, in-class and public lectures, and a variety of functions where students, faculty, and alumni can learn from his extensive experience.

Forzani comes to campus just a month after stepping away from his successful retail enterprise. In May 2011, the Forzani Group was acquired by Canadian Tire Corp. in a friendly takeover worth $770 million. At the time, the company was Canada's largest retailer of sporting goods, offering brand name and private-brand products across all price points, operating close to 1000 stores across the country under six corporate banners and franchising under 11 different banners.

“This is a great opportunity for the faculty, staff, and students at the Haskayne School of Business to have direct access to one of this country’s most renowned entrepreneurs and team-builders,” adds Leonard Waverman, dean of the school. “His is the kind of wisdom we strive to share with our students as much as possible—which growth strategies work and what lessons can they learn from someone who has been deep in the trenches of building successful businesses and winning teams.”

The Jarislowsky Resident Fellow in Business Management is the result of a million-dollar gift to the Haskayne School of Business by Stephen A. Jarislowsky, founder of the investment management firm Jarislowsky Fraser. The gift was matched by the Government of Alberta’s Access to the Future Fund. Forzani plans to direct his honorarium to the Calgary Dinos football team to provide support for its coaching staff.