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Dave McKay, MBA ’92, LLD ’19, honoured with the Ivey Business Leader Award

Oct 28, 2022

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Dave McKay, MBA ’92, LLD ’19.

At long last, Ivey celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Ivey Business Leader Award and the accomplishments of award recipient Dave McKay, MBA ’92, LLD ’19, President and CEO of RBC, at a sold-out gala in Toronto last night.

McKay is the 2020 recipient of the award, but the event to honour him had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 400 guests, including some of Canada’s most distinguished business leaders, attended the formal dinner at The Ritz-Carlton on October 27 where McKay received the award and gave an address.

The award honours individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of business in Canada, and demonstrated leadership in both business and their communities.

McKay has been recognized as a champion of innovation and big ideas at RBC and a passionate advocate for Canada’s future prosperity. He spearheaded RBC Future Launch, a 10-year, $500-million commitment to help young people build the skills required for a rapidly changing world.

McKay spoke passionately about unlocking the potential of the next generation to tackle issues of global concern.

"They are the biggest part of the solution going forward," he said. "We have to unlock that incredible potential and build trust in the next generation that we will solve this challenge, and the solutions are right in front of us." 

An engaged alumnus, McKay has also shared leadership insights with Ivey students and gave advice to Ivey graduates when he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Western University in 2019.

30 years of the Ivey Business Leader Award

The 2022 Business Leader Award ceremony was also a chance to celebrate 30 years of the award, since the School couldn’t hold an in-person event in October 2021 in conjunction with the 30th anniversary.

McKay joins an esteemed list of past Ivey Business Leader Award honourees demonstrating leadership in both business and their communities.

The Business Leader Award event serves as a major fundraiser for Ivey. More than  $600,000 was raised by the event to support scholarships for outstanding Ivey students. Since inception, the event has raised more than $6.3 million.