Early Life
Stephen Jarislowsky was born in Berlin, Germany, in September 1925. He attended schools in the Netherlands and France before immigrating to the United States in 1941. He studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University and served in the U.S. Army. Jarislowsky graduated from the University of Chicago with an MA and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1949.
Rise to Success
Jarislowsky began his career with Alcan Aluminium in Montreal. In 1955, he founded Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited in Montreal, an investment management firm. He directed the growth of the company for over 60 years. Under his leadership, the firm became one of the largest and most successful investment management firms in Canada. The firm was sold to Scotiabank in 2018.
Key Business Strategies
Jarislowsky is known for his adherence to quality investing, fundamental research, and a long-term investment horizon. He is also known for his advocacy of good governance and sustainable investing. Jarislowsky emphasized the importance of ethical business practices, serving on the boards of numerous corporations and co-founding the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance.
Philanthropy
Jarislowsky is a dedicated philanthropist. He founded the Jarislowsky Foundation in 1993, which supports excellence and ethics in education, medicine, arts, and the environment. The Foundation donates approximately $15 million yearly, primarily in education. The Jarislowsky Foundation has endowed numerous university chairs across Canada.