|
 Mr.
Fierheller graduated from Trinity College at the University of
Toronto with an Honours Degree in Political Science and
Economics in 1955. He joined IBM in Toronto that year and
subsequently progressed through a number of positions in their
sales organization. He was Marketing Manager for IBM's federal
government business in Ottawa prior to founding Systems
Dimensions Limited (SDL) in 1968.
Mr. Fierheller
was President of SDL from the inception of the company until it
was acquired by Crown Life of Toronto. SDL was one of the
pioneering companies in the computer services industry in
Canada.
In April, 1979,
Mr. Fierheller moved to Vancouver as President and Chief
Executive Officer of Premier Cablesystems Limited. In July,
1980, Premier merged with Rogers Cablesystems Inc. to form one
of the world's largest cable TV companies. Mr. Fierheller was a
Vice Chairman of Rogers Cablesystems Inc. and Chairman of
Canadian Cablesystems Limited, as well as the President and CEO
of Rogers Cable TV - British Columbia Limited.
During 1983,
Mr. Fierheller led the team that was successful in winning the
mobile cellular radio licences for Cantel. He was the founding
President and CEO of Cantel Inc. In September 1989, he was
promoted to Chairman and CEO of Rogers Cantel Mobile Inc. He was
Vice Chairman, Rogers Communications Inc. until 1996 and now
heads a private investment and consulting firm.
Mr. Fierheller
has been actively involved in community affairs in Ottawa, and
Vancouver and Toronto including: Chairman of the Board of
Governors of Carleton University, Chairman of the Finance
Committee of the Board of Governors of Simon Fraser University,
Chairman of United Way Campaigns in Ottawa in 1972, Vancouver in
1981 and in Toronto in 1991, President of the Canadian
Information Processing Society, member of the Executive
Committee of the National Arts Centre, a Trustee of the
Vancouver General Hospital Foundation, a Director of Vancouver
Opera and a member of the Vancouver Centennial Commission.
Since returning
to Toronto, Mr. Fierheller has served as Chair of the Board of
the United Way of Greater Toronto, Chair, Information Technology
Association of Canada, Chair, Smart Toronto, Trustee of the
McMichael Canadian Art Collection, President of The Toronto
Board of Trade, Director, Ontario Exports Inc., Chair of The
Spirit of Leadership Campaign, Trinity College, University of
Toronto, Chair of the Sigma Chi Canadian Foundation and
President of the National Club.
Mr. Fierheller
currently serves as the Chairman of the Honorary Board of the
Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance. He is Chair Emeritus of the
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Capital Campaign, a Director
Emeritus of The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Past
Chair, Toronto Adventurers Club, and is also on the Board of SOS
Children's Villages and the Advisory Board of the Council for
Business & the Arts in Canada.
He continues to
volunteer and is on the 1812 Bicentennial Committee, the Toronto
Symphony Development Committee as well as being a patron of the
Alzheimer Society and the Toronto Public Library Foundation.
He has also
served on a number of public company Boards including:
Extendicare Inc., Falconbridge Inc., Telesystem International
Wireless Inc., Teleglobe Inc., GBC North American Growth Fund
and Rogers Wireless Inc.
Mr. Fierheller
has received many awards including a Doctor of Laws degree from
Concordia University in 1976, a Doctor of Sacred Letters from
Trinity College in 1999, the Award of Excellence from the
Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association; is a
Significant Sig from Sigma Chi Fraternity, and in March 1991, he
received Toronto's highest honour, The Award of Merit. In 1998
he received the highest award from the United Way of Canada, the
Andre Mailhot Award. In the Fall of 1998, he was admitted into
the Canadian Information Productivity Hall of Fame, as well as
receiving the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto.
In July, 2000
Mr. Fierheller was appointed a Member of The Order of Canada.
In May, 2001,
he was honoured by the Association of Fundraising Professionals
as the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year during The
International Year of the Volunteer. In 2002, he received the
Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Salute to the City Award
for service to the City of Toronto. In 2005 he was made a member
of the Sigma Chi Hall of Fame. In 2012, he received the Queen's
Diamond Jubilee Medal.
You can read
some of his books here in pdf format...
Finnie’s Family: The Fierhellers – a Canadian story
“most families are better dead than alive”
A lighthearted overview of the Fierheller family history
reaching new heights with a description of my somewhat messy
career.
108 Pages, 62 Illustrations.
Talk of Toronto – Growing Up in a Growing City
"I was clearly in the right place at the right time"
A look at growing up in Toronto during the Depression of the
1930’s, the Aggression of the 1940’s and the Progression of the
1950’s.
206 Pages, 202 Illustrations.
Wireless in Wonderland – Canadians Cut The Cord 1983-1993
"now I ‘can tell’ the story of the first decade of CANTEL"
We must have been out of our minds. In 1983, a small group
started a new company in a new industry with new tech- nology.
Then we took on the largest and most profitable companies in
Canada. Somehow it worked.
165 Pages, 170 Illustrations.
Let me say this about that – Talks on Topical Topics
"progress is capitalizing on the inevitable"
I have opinions on everything, usually unencumbered by facts.
This is a collection of forty-eight talks given to a wide range
of very patient audiences over many decades. 276 Pages, 56
Illustrations.
Other books and
articles can be read on his web site at:
http://www.gfierheller.ca |
