Charles Sirois, CM, CQ (born May 22, 1954) is a Canadian businessman. He is the founder, controlling shareholder, Chairman and CEO of Telesystem Ltd., a Canadian private equity company.
Born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, he received a Bachelor's degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and a Master's degree from Université Laval.
Charles Sirois has experienced significant success in his business career. He is currently a director of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Cossette Communication Group and Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. He led BCE Mobile Communications from 1988 to 1990 as its Chairman and CEO. Subsequently, he was Chairman and CEO of Teleglobe, the leading provider of international long distance and broadband services in Canada. He also served as Chairman of Telesystem International Wireless, and founded and was Chairman of Microcell Telecommunications, a GSM cellular provider in Canada best known for its Fido brand name. He was also a member of the G8 Dot Force, of the National Broadband Task Force, and was a founding member of the Washington based Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC).
Charles holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Sherbrooke (Quebec), a Master’s degree in Finance from Laval University (Quebec City), as well as honorary doctorates from University of Quebec Montreal (UQAM), University of Ottawa, Concordia University, Laval University and the École de technologie supérieure (ETS).
In 1994, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition for being "a visionary in the area of intercontinental communications".[1] In 1998, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.[2]
In 1995, he published a book on the information highway entitled “The Medium and the Muse” (ISBN 0-88645-175-2). In his second book, published in June 2000, “Organic Management: Creating a Culture of Innovation” (ISBN 0-00-200053-9), Charles shares his management philosophy, along with his vision of the new economy.
Sirois had a net worth of $811 million CDN in 2006.[3]
Sirois is probably best known within investment circles for his disastrous purchase of U.S. based Excel Communications in 1998. Excel, which was a reseller of residential long distance services, relied on door-to-door sales and so-called multi-level marketing. While Sirois was able to sell Teleglobe to Bell Canada in 2000 at a handsome price of $6.5 billion, the subsequent bursting of the internet bubble and telecom bust forced Teleglobe into bankruptcy in 2002 and the writedown of $2.1 billion of Excel.
Charles Sirois is one of the founding partners of Enablis and has served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from inception.
In February 2009, Sirois became the Chair of CIBC.[4]
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Etherington |
Chair of the Board of CIBC February 26, 2009–present |
Incumbent |