Early Life
Jay Stewart Hennick was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1957. His entrepreneurial spirit emerged early, founding Superior Pools at age 17, a commercial swimming pool staffing and management business. He studied economics at York University and later pursued a law degree at the University of Ottawa. After law school, Hennick joined a law firm, eventually becoming a partner.
Rise to Success
Hennick's career took a decisive turn when he acquired the College Pro Painters franchise and combined it with Superior Pools to form FirstService Corporation in 1989. He took FirstService public in 1993 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and listed it on NASDAQ in 1995. In 1996, he left private law practice to focus on FirstService. He was named Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 and CEO of the Year by Canadian Business Magazine in 2001.
Key Business Strategies
Hennick's key strategies involve strong equity-aligned compensation for management and decentralized decision-making. He also acquired businesses without a predetermined exit plan. In 2015, FirstService was separated into two publicly traded companies: Colliers International Group Inc. and FirstService Corporation. Hennick became the global chairman and CEO of Colliers and chairman and founder of FirstService.
Philanthropy
Hennick and his wife, Barbara, established The Jay and Barbara Hennick Family Foundation to support education, healthcare, and the arts. Their significant donations include $36 million to Sinai Health, leading to the renaming of Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, and $50 million to the Royal Ontario Museum.
