Sheldon Levy
Sheldon Levy OC (born 1949) became, in December 2018, special advisor to the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, advising on improving the scale-up ecosystem.[2] He also serves as a strategic consultant and special advisor to Knightstone Capital Management Inc.[3]
Sheldon Levy | |
|---|---|
 Levy in 2008 | |
| Special Advisor to (Canada) Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion | |
| Assumed office December 07, 2018 | |
| CEO of NEXT Canada | |
| In office October 30, 2017 – December 30, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Andrea Matheson (Interim) |
| Succeeded by | Joe Canavan |
| Ontario Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities | |
| In office December 1, 2015 – September 30, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Deborah Newman |
| Succeeded by | Greg Orencsak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 (age 71–72)[1] |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | York University |
| Occupation | CEO, Educational Administrator, Civil Servant |
Levy was educated at Downsview Public and Secondary School, in Toronto, and earned his master's degree in mathematics from York University.
Employment
Levy has previously been employed as
- CEO of NEXT Canada 1 November 2017 to 30 December 2018
- Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for Ontario[4] 1 December 2015 through 30 September 2017.
- President and vice chancellor of Ryerson University 1 August 2005 through 30 November 2015. He retired from his executive positions at Ryerson on 31 July 2015,[5][6]
- President of Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology;[7][8][9]
- Vice president, finance and strategy, University of Ontario Institute of Technology;
- Vice president, government and institutional relations, University of Toronto;
- Vice president, institutional affairs, York University.
Levy's current board and committee appointments include:
- Honorary chair, Brookfield Institute Advisory Board
- Board of directors, Innovation Institute of Ontario
- Advisory board, Elder Research Centre, Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Levy's previous Board appointments include:
- The Board of Directors, Toronto Board of Trade.
Accolades
An article by the Toronto Life magazine, called the "Ryerson Revolution", describes in detail how Levy has taken the initiative since starting as president to improve Ryerson University, by purchasing Maple Leaf Gardens, shutting down Gould Street and a space sharing agreement with AMC theatres, creating an urban campus, instead of the more traditional closed-off university campus.
He was the driving force behind the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) which opened in April 2010. It is a multidisciplinary workspace for research and learning, home to both entrepreneurial companies and industry solution-providers. With access to overhead, business services, and a rich network of contacts, entrepreneurs and researchers can accelerate product launches, and contribute to Canada's success in the digital economy. It has taken over three floors at the AMC Complex building.
In 2015, Levy was the subject of a viral video produced by Ryerson University custodian Bob Skelly.[10]
Controversy
In 2006, Levy sparked controversy by defending the decision of Ryerson's Awards and Ceremonials Standing Committee of the Academic Council to award an honorary degree to Margaret Somerville, who is noted for her opposition to same-sex marriage and gay families. He explained that while Ryerson University did not agree with Dr. Somerville's views, revoking the award would be counter to freedom of speech and the right to expression.[11][12]
References
- Gee, Marcus. "The Ryerson revolution: how the once dumpy polytechnic is redrawing downtown". Toronto Life. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/minister-ng-appoints-special-advisor---sheldon-levy-named-special-advisor-on-scaling-up-small-and-medium-sized-businesses-702158821.html. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - https://www.k-cap.com/team/sheldon-levy/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ryerson-president-sheldon-levy-heading-to-queen-s-park-1.3209932
- "Ryerson president Sheldon Levy to tackle new role at Queen's Park". Toronto Star. August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- "Biography: Sheldon Levy President and Vice-Chancellor Ryerson University" (PDF). Digital Media Zone. Ryerson University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- Sonja Puzic and Alison Northcott: "Goodbye Rye High: Sheldon Levy — New pres wants to make Ryerson a more welcoming place for students". The Eyeopener. 2005-08-23. Archived from the original on 2005-11-05.
- "UOIT vice-president named next president of Ryerson University". University of Ontario Institute of Technology. 2005-02-01. Archived from the original on 2005-12-30.
- Chiose, Simona. "Ryerson University's Sheldon Levy to join higher education ministry". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- dangreenwoo (2015-12-18), This Song is for Sheldon Levy, retrieved 2016-07-20
- "Faculty protests award for Montreal ethicist". CTV News. Retrieved June 19, 2006.
- "Protests as ethicist Margaret Somerville awarded honorary degree by Ryerson". Erin Atack, Canadian Press. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2006.
External links
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Claude Lajeunesse |
President of Ryerson University 2005–2015 |
Succeeded by Mohamed Lachemi |