Peter Munk
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Peter Munk, OC , B.Eng , LL.D (Born: November 8, 1927 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist.
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[edit] Business Empire
Despite being an engineer, Munk's rise came from a career in business. He is Chairman and founder of Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold mining corporation. Munk was founder, Chairman and CEO of Trizec Corporation, now known as Trizec Properties (one of the largest U.S. REITs – listed on the NYSE), where he remains Chairman.
In 1958, he founded Clairtone of Canada with business partner David Gilmour. This company manufactured high-end console stereos and later televisions, which were recognizable icons of their day. The most famous Clairtone designs were the "Project G" series which was seen in the film The Graduate. Later, he founded and was Chairman and CEO of Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation, the largest hotel and restaurant chain in Australasia in the 1970s.
[edit] Early Years
Munk was born in Hungary into a well-off jewish family.
In 1944, the government of Hungary, an ally of Germany, wavered and was occuppied by Germany. At this time, the Holocaust came to Hungary (much later than elsewhere in occupied countries).
Munk's family was transported to the Bergen-Belsen transit camp. They managed to be admitted to Switzerland as refugees. It is reported that their escape was part of a plan to trade jews for trucks[1].
Many consider Swiss policies to Jewish refugees to have been ungenerous. Munk has defended Switzerland: it saved his life and that of 14 family members.
[edit] Education
Munk graduated from University of Toronto in electrical engineering in 1952. Munk was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity while at University of Toronto.
[edit] Personal
Munk is married to Melanie Jane Bosanquet Munk and has five adult children.
[edit] Honours
He has received a number of honorary degrees:
- Doctorate from Upsala College, New Jersey.
- Doctorate from University of Toronto.
- Doctorate from Bishop's University, Quebec.
- Doctorate from Concordia University, Montreal.
- Doctorate from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Doctorate from Trinity College, University of Toronto
He is a distinguished lecturer at James Gillies Alumni Lecture, York University, Toronto. Munk has also been a member of various boards including:
- Trustee of the Toronto Hospital.
- Chairman of the University of Toronto Crown Foundation.
- Member of the World Gold Council.
He was appointed to the Order of Canada (Canada's highest civilian honour) in 1993; received The Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2002 (the first time awarded in Canada); has been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
In 1992, the Peter Munk Charitable Foundation was founded. The Foundation has since dispersed over $50m to a variety of organizations that work to improve the health, learning and international reputation of Canadians.
On May 30, 2006, Munk announced that he will donate $37m to Toronto General Hospital - the largest gift ever made to a Canadian medical institution. The donation will help to support the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, which Munk helped create with a $6m donation to the hospital in 1997.
[edit] See also
- Trizec Hahn
- CN Tower
[edit] External links
| Barrick Gold Corporation |
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| Corporate Directors: Howard Beck • C. William Birchall • Gustavo Cisneros • Marshall Cohen • Peter Crossgrove • Peter Godsoe • Angus MacNaughton • Brian Mulroney • Anthony Munk • Peter Munk • Joseph Rotman • Steve Shapiro • Jack Thompson • Gregory Wilkins |
