George Heller
Encyclopedia
George Heller is a Canadian businessperson. He was the president and CEO of Hudson's Bay Company
from 1999 to 2006, when the company was acquired by Jerry Zucker
. He continued to serve as Senior Director of the Board until late 2008.
He was President and CEO of the Victoria, BC. Commonwealth Games
Committee, which organized the 1994 XV Commonwealth Games
. In 1995, he became President for North America
and Europe
of Bata Industries Ltd.
He became President and CEO of Kmart
's Canadian unit in 1997. In February 1998, he became President and CEO of Zellers
and Executive Vice President of Hudson's Bay Company
.
Heller has Honourary Doctorates from the University of Victoria
and Ryerson University
. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Government of Canada for service to his country. Recently elected to the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame, Heller is also a Senior Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation in Vancouver. He serves on several Boards, including Chair of the Commonwealth Games Foundation and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Ryerson University School of Retail.
He was appointed Honourary Consul General of Thailand in 2007 and has served as Honourary Trade Advisor to the Government of Thailand
since 2000.
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
from 1999 to 2006, when the company was acquired by Jerry Zucker
Jerry Zucker (businessman)
Jerry Zucker was an Israeli-born American businessman and philanthropist.-Biography:Jerry Zucker was the son of Holocaust survivors. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, chemistry, and physics and went on to earn his M.S...
. He continued to serve as Senior Director of the Board until late 2008.
He was President and CEO of the Victoria, BC. Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Committee, which organized the 1994 XV Commonwealth Games
1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
. In 1995, he became President for North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
of Bata Industries Ltd.
Bata Shoes
Bata Shoes is a large, family owned shoe company based in Bermuda but currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, operating 3 business units worldwide – Bata Metro Markets, Bata Emerging Markets and Bata Branded Business. It has a retail presence in over 50 countries and production...
He became President and CEO of Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
's Canadian unit in 1997. In February 1998, he became President and CEO of Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
and Executive Vice President of Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
.
Heller has Honourary Doctorates from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
and Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Government of Canada for service to his country. Recently elected to the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame, Heller is also a Senior Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation in Vancouver. He serves on several Boards, including Chair of the Commonwealth Games Foundation and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Ryerson University School of Retail.
He was appointed Honourary Consul General of Thailand in 2007 and has served as Honourary Trade Advisor to the Government of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
since 2000.