Western University receives $30 million donation from alum for new Ivey Business School campus in downtown Toronto.
On April 25, Canadian philanthropist and business leader Donald K. Johnson announced a $30 million donation to help Western University establish a new Ivey Business School campus in Toronto.
This is the largest individual donation in Western’s history, and Johnson, who graduated from the Ivey MBA program in 1963, has been a generous supporter of the university for many years.
Canadian philanthropist and business leader Donald K. Johnson originally studied electrical engineering, but shifted towards investment banking after obtaining his MBA degree from Western University’s Ivey Business School in 1963. From 1984 to 1989, he served as the President of Burns Fry, and later became the Vice Chairman of BMO Nesbitt Burns.
Since 1997, Johnson has been a member of the Ivey Advisory Board.
“I am delighted to see the expansion of the Ivey campus in Toronto,” Johnson said in a press release on Tuesday.
“Pursuing an MBA at Ivey allowed me to begin a new career in an area I was very passionate about, and I feel this is the best opportunity to give back to a place that has had such a profound impact on my career and personal life,” he said.
The new donation will expand the current 36,000-square-foot space in First Canadian Place at 77 Adelaide St. W. in downtown Toronto, which will also host the Ivey Academy, alumni and student programs, and other events.
The new campus will be three times the size of Ivey’s current Exchange Tower campus in Toronto. The expansion will double the capacity of Ivey’s classrooms and study spaces and provide new classroom learning.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunities and possibilities this new space will open up for us,” said Sharon Hodgson, Dean of the Ivey Business School at Western, in a news release. “It not only gives us space to expand our existing programs, but also allows us to dream up new opportunities.”
Western’s business program ranks among the top five in Canada, especially the Ivey Business School, which is popular among local students. The undergraduate Ivey AEO program is a popular choice for Chinese students every year.
