Vancouver, British Columbia, June 3, 2024 – JA British Columbia (JABC) proudly hosted the 18th annual Business Laureates of British Columbia (BLBC) Hall of Fame Gala Dinner and Induction Ceremonies at the Vancouver Convention Centre West—home to the Hall of Fame itself.
With almost 900 attendees, the evening was elevated by the presence of keynote speaker Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. The event kicked off with a territory welcome by Chief Jen Thomas and an address by Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. There were also presentations by JABC student scholarship and award winners.
The Laureates honoured and inducted were:
- Anthony von Mandl, O.C., O.B.C. Founder & CEO of Mark Anthony Group of Companies
- K. Barry Marsden, O.C., O.B.C. (1939-2021) Chairman & CEO of Conair Aerial Firefighting
- Karen Flavelle, Owner, CEO & Chair of Purdys Chocolatier & Charles Flavelle, (1929-2024) Former Owner of Purdys Chocolatier
- Brian Hill, Founder & Executive Chair of Aritzia
The induction ceremonies were performed by 2024 Hall of Fame Co-chairs, Abi Coman-Walker and Fred Withers. Co-presenting sponsors were Fasken and RBC.
Nominations were open to the public and the nomination process was guided by Laureate Selection Sponsor, PFM Executive Search, an executive recruitment firm based in Vancouver.
The final Laureate selection was made by a committee comprised of a diverse group of past inductees and business leaders, including Ratana Stephens (Chair), John Anderson, Peter Dhillon, Kathy Butler, Debi Doucette, Dr. Allen Eaves, and Chief Clarence Louie.
Net proceeds from the BLBC Hall of Fame Gala support the efforts of JABC in delivering work readiness, financial health and entrepreneurship programs to youth in urban, rural and Indigenous communities across the province.
See our Sponsors and read more information here
2025 Nominations are now open. Help us find next year’s Business Laureates and submit a nomination today!