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Heather Maxine Reisman OC (born August 28, 1948) is a Canadian businesswoman and philanthropist. Reisman is the founder and chief executive of the Canadian retail chain Indigo Books and Music. She is the co-founder and past Chair of Kobo, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.
- Early Life
- Founder and CEO of Indigo Books & Music
- Co-Founder of Kobo Inc.
- Retirement
- Board Memberships and Other Affiliations
- Philanthropy
- Film Work
- Personal Life
- Honours and Awards
Heather Reisman was born in Montreal, Quebec, to a middle-class Jewish family. Her father, Mark, was a real estate broker; while her mother, Rose, owned a high-end clothing store where Reisman had her first job folding clothes (see also Clothing Industries). She is the niece of Simon Reisman, who was Canada’s chief negotiator for the 1989 Canada-US...
After leaving Cott, Heather Reisman was contacted by Borders, an American chain of bookstores, to act as a local partner for their expansion into Canada. When the venture failed to receive required federal regulatory approval in Canada, Reisman decided to start her own big-box bookstore chain. Indigo Books & Music was officially launched in 1996. A...
In 2009, Heather Reisman co-founded electronic reader maker and platform Kobo Inc., as a spinoff of Indigo. Within two years, Kobo had become the most popular e-reading platform in Canada. But the high cost of running Kobo and fighting digital giants Appleand Amazon for domination of the e-reader market put a drain on Indigo’s resources. In 2011, R...
In September 2022, Heather Reisman stepped down as chief executive officer of Indigo Books and Music Inc. and became executive chair. Peter Ruis, the retailer’s president assumed Reisman’s former role as chief executive officer. In June 2023, Indigo Books and Music Inc. announced that Reisman would officially retire as executive chair and director ...
Heather Reisman is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg conference, an annual meeting of Europe and North America’s business, political and academic leaders. She serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Sinai Health System in Toronto and Onex Corporation. She is also a former governor of the Toronto Stock...
Heather Reisman supports a variety of charitable and arts organizations through the Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation, established in 1992. She has also raised funds for medical research and Jewishand Israeli organizations. In 2004, Reisman founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, of which she is chair, with a mission to get more...
Heather Reisman was the co-executive producer for the documentary Fed Up (2014) and The Social Dilemma(2020).
In addition to her two children from her first marriage, Heather Reisman has two stepchildren with Gerry Schwartz, and nine grandchildren. A lifelong bookworm, Reisman still tries to read a book a week.
John Molson School of Business Award of Distinction, Concordia University(2000)International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, University of Manitoba(2003)Honorary Doctor of Commerce, Ryerson University(2006)Visionary Award, Waterloo Regional Entrepreneur Hall of Fame (2006)Dec 6, 2023 · Heather Reisman’s retirement didn’t unfold quite as planned. In early June, the founder and executive chair of Indigo Books & Music Inc., the country’s largest book retailer, announced she...
Heather Reisman is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indigo Books & Music Inc., Canada’s largest book, lifestyle, and specialty kids’ retailer. She is also a member of Indigo’s Board of Directors. Ms. Reisman is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Sep 18, 2023 · After a brief retirement, Heather Reisman has been reinstated as CEO of Indigo, the book retailer she founded almost 30 years ago. The retailer announced the news in a press release Monday...
Jun 7, 2023 · Heather Reisman, the executive chair and director of Indigo Books & Music Inc., has announced her retirement, effective Aug. 22, 2023. “The time has come for me to retire from an active role at Indigo,” said Reisman, in a statement.
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Jun 15, 2021 · Today, in recognition of her contributions as “a nationally esteemed business leader, an indefatigable champion of reading and literacy, and as an exceptional philanthropist,” Reisman received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.
