Heather Reisman
Co-Chair
O.C., CEO, Indigo
Heather Reisman is the founder and CEO of Indigo, Canada’s largest book, lifestyle and specialty toy retailer, and co-founder of Kobo, a leading global eReading company. Ms. Reisman was born in Montreal and educated at McGill University.
For the first 16 years of her career Ms. Reisman was Managing Director of Paradigm Consulting, the strategy and change management firm she co-founded in 1979. Paradigm was the world’s first strategic change consultancy and pioneered many organizational change strategies still in use today.
Heather is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange. She has served on many North American boards and continues to serve as a Director on the board of Onex Corporation, and as an Officer of Mount Sinai Hospital.
In 2020, Ms. Reisman co-executive produced “The Social Dilemma.” This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations. Social Dilemma has found resonance around the world. In 2014, she co-executive produced the feature documentary “Fed-Up,” focussing on the role which the processed food industry is playing in the worldwide obesity crisis.
Ms. Reisman is the recipient of Honorary Doctorates from Ryerson University (2006), Wilfrid Laurier University (2009), Mount Allison University (2010), St. Francis Xavier University (2013), University of Manitoba (2016), McGill University (2017), and The Weizmann Institute of Science (2017), as well as several awards including The Order of Canada, The WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Financial Times of London Top 50 Women in World Business, Waterloo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, University of Waterloo; International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, University of Manitoba; and the John Molson School of Business Award of Distinction, Concordia University. In January 2015, Ms. Reisman received the Desautels Management Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Canadian business and society.
In May 2015, Ms. Reisman was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
Ms. Reisman is married to Gerald Schwartz, Chair and CEO of Onex Corporation. She has four children and nine grandchildren.