Welcome from
Chancellor Wes Hall
Wesley J. Hall began his term as the 35th Chancellor of the University of Toronto on July 1, 2024. He is the Chairman and Founder of WeShall Investments, a private equity firm with a diverse portfolio of companies supporting racialized and other entrepreneurs.
The University of Toronto conferred the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on Wes in 2023, in recognition of his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and innovator, his leadership as a prominent anti-racism advocate and his contributions as a philanthropist. Wes has also received five other honorary degrees, from the University of the West Indies, the University of Ottawa, Toronto Metropolitan University, Queen’s University and York University, as well as the Medal of Distinction from Huron University College.
For the past twenty plus years, Wes has received many awards and accolades for his leadership and influence. In 2021 he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; he was named Canadian Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2022; and he received the 2023 Nation Builder’s Award from the Empire Club of Canada. He was recently recognized as one of the 40 most influential figures on Bay Street by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, January 2024 edition, and has been inducted as a Knight of The Royal Order of Constantine the Great and Saint Helen. Wes is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of Huron University College, is a member of the Ontario government’s Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce, serves on the SickKids Foundation Board of Directors and chairs its Governance and Nominating Committee.
A dedicated philanthropist, Wes is committed and passionate about helping the needs of those around him and uplifting communities. His responsibility as a prominent change leader prompted him to establish the BlackNorth Initiative to help end systemic anti-Black racism in corporate Canada. He has partnered with the Rotman School of Management to introduce a new course in Black Entrepreneurship and Leadership, which is the first of its kind in North America.
Wes authored his bestselling memoir, No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot, which was a finalist for the 2023 National Business Book Award. He launched a podcast in partnership with the Toronto Star, Between Us with Wes Hall, and is well known as a Dragon on the hit CBC series, Dragons’ Den.
Born in rural Jamaica, Wes was one of several children supported by his grandmother, who instilled in him the values of hard work, industriousness and ambition. In 1985, he immigrated to Canada, and this was the start of his determination to become the successful business leader he is today. His curiosity, intelligence and ability to spot opportunities drove his objectives to turn a $100,000 mortgage against his home to start first business, Kingsdale Advisors, which today is Canada’s preeminent shareholder advisory firms.
Wes is often featured as a guest on BNN Bloomberg and is a sought-after executive leader for many speaking engagements and opportunities on various topics globally.
