Andrea Robertson and Wayne Chiu to be recognized at 30th Distinguished Business Leader Awards

Investing in civil society. Saving lives. These are no small ambitions for the 2022 Distinguished Business Leader Award recipients Wayne Chiu and Andrea Robertson. Both recipients exemplify a commitment to ethical community leadership — Chiu as the founder and CEO of Trico Group and founder of the Trico Charitable Foundation, and Robertson as the president and CEO of STARS.

“There is no limit on the good that is created when leaders value community and each of these recipients is a shining example,” says Jim Dewald, dean, Haskayne School of Business. “Both of these leaders have used business as a force for good — to inspire change and to make a difference.”

Robertson and Chiu will be recognized on June 23 at an in-person gala co-presented by Haskayne and the Calgary Chamber, with support from gala partner Calgary Foundation. The 30^th anniversary will be celebrated at the Hyatt Regency with previous recipients invited to join  the festivities.

Andrea Robertson – 29^th Distinguished Business Leader Award recipient

“Trying to always do the right thing is very difficult, unless you are both values and purpose driven,” says Robertson. She emphasizes that ethical leadership isn’t an individual approach. It takes a team that is both empowered and given boundaries to make decisions towards their singular focus — for STARS, this means saving the sickest and most injured people, no matter where they live in Western Canada.

Robertson will celebrate her 11th anniversary with STARS in June — the same month as the Distinguished Business Leader Award gala celebration. Before joining STARS, Robertson held leadership roles with Alberta Health Services, Foothills Medical Centre and Alberta Children’s Hospital. She serves as a director on the boards of the Calgary Airport Authority and Canadian Pacific Railway. Each role she takes on is in service to her community.

Robertson sees STARS as a uniquely Western Canadian solution. It is an organization created by the community for the community. “The reason STARS exists and has existed for 37 years is because of the business community, and the business community continues to invest in us because they see us an emergency safety net,” says Robertson.

Wayne Chiu – 30^th Distinguished Business Leader Award recipient

It is auspicious that Chiu is the 30^th Distinguished Business Leader Award recipient because the Trico Group is also celebrating their 30^th anniversary this year. Chiu’s commitment to philanthropy and community building began in 1998, a few years after the company started, and it has only grown since then.

“I have always said that we are not just home builders, we are community builders as well,” says Chiu, who lives this commitment through his family, business, charitable foundation, and philanthropic work. Chiu sees business as not just a way to make money, but also a way to make change.

For the past 15 years the Trico Charitable Foundation, established by Chiu and his wife, Eleanor, has been driving discussion about social entrepreneurship and how business can — and should —  care about civil society. Living by these values, Chiu is a generous and committed philanthropist with education being one of his priorities.

His family contributed to the Roderick H. Mah Centre for Continuous Learning and SAIT’s Trades and Technology Complex, co-funded the University of Calgary’s Chiu Family/AstraZeneca Chair in Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, established the Chiu School of Business at Bow Valley College, and created the Trico Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Centre at the Haskayne School of Business.

Buy tickets to celebrate on June 23

“We are so fortunate to have leaders like Andrea and Wayne — who have led by example and shown that business and community service go hand in hand,” says Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and UCalgary chancellor.

A common thread that sets this year’s recipients apart is a commitment that goes far beyond the bottom line and extends to meaningful actions to build a better community for everyone.

Robertson and Chiu will share their personal insights and stories on ethical leadership with the community at the June 23 Distinguished Business Leader Award gala. Don’t miss this! Tickets are now available. Celebrate 30 years of outstanding leadership in the community while raising money for scholarships benefiting future business leaders.