David Foster’s going back to school this morning, but not as a student.
Several hours before he receives the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business 2015 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year award at a sold-out gala at the Victoria Conference Centre, the music producer and songwriter will address students at the University of Victoria.
While Foster is best known for his creative accomplishments with a who’s who of musical superstars, including Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall and Céline Dion, he’ll be sharing his hard-won wisdom about the business side of the arts when he leads a classroom discussion with UVic students from the business school and the Faculty of Fine Arts at 10:30 a.m.
The globe-trotting musician’s philanthropic endeavours and success as an entrepreneur are often overshadowed by his artistic achievements, which makes his hometown honour especially significant, said Peter Gustavson, chairman of the Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year committee.
In addition to Foster’s 16 Grammy Awards, 50 Grammy nominations, Emmy Award, Golden Globe and three Oscar nominations, the prolific producer’s business achievements are substantial.
He heads 143 Records, a boutique label created in partnership with Warner Bros., and is chairman of Universal’s iconic Verve Music Group.
In 1986, he established the David Foster Foundation to provide financial and emotional assistance to families with children who require life-saving organ transplants. It has supported 1,000 families so far.
“Our goal is to shine a light on his incredible talents as an entrepreneur, businessman and mentor to so many in the global music industry,” Gustavson said.
Honouring a hometown hero this year is additionally significant, since 2015 marks the 25th birthday of the Gustavson School of Business, he added.
Previous recipients of the award, established in 2004 to recognize inspirational entrepreneurs who have had a significant impact globally, include former Yahoo Inc. president Jeff Mallett, the late Thrifty Foods co-founder Alex Campbell, and Dennis Washington, the Montana-based construction and transportation magnate and philanthropist.
