Wesley J. Hall is a Canadian businessman and entrepreneur, best known as a "Dragon" investor in the Canadian reality television series Dragons' Den.Murtz Jaffer, "New panelist on ‘Dragons’ Den,’ Wes Hall (a.k.a. ‘The Fixer’) brings a different approach". Toronto Star, October 19, 2021. He has served as the 35th chancellor of the University of Toronto since July 1, 2024.
Early life and education Born and raised in Saint Thomas, Jamaica,Noelle Boughton, "I don't know what impossible is, says Wes Hall". Wealth Professional, September 7, 2021. Hall moved to Toronto, Ontario, as a teenager.Joe O'Connor, "Man on a mission: How Wes Hall and the BlackNorth Initiative are bringing change to Bay Street". National Post, September 23, 2020. Hall attended George Brown College to be educated as a law clerk.
Career After completing his education, Hall worked in the legal division of CanWest until founding Kingsdale Advisors, a shareholder services and business consultancy, in 2002. In 2006, the firm became a major player in Canadian business when it managed Xstrata's purchase and takeover of Falconbridge. He also later established QM Environmental, an environmental remediation firm.
In 2020 he launched the BlackNorth Initiative, an organization which works to combat racism in business.Shannon Proudfoot, "How Wes Hall is attacking racist systems, starting at the top". Maclean's, January 18, 2021.
He joined Dragons' Den in 2021 for the show's 16th season.
In 2022, Hall wrote his autobiography No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot.
Hall was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto in 2023.University of Toronto, U of T to confer honorary degrees on 14 academic, business and community leaders, February 16, 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024. In 2024, he was elected to serve as the university's 35th chancellor, and has held the office since July 1, 2024.
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