Mike Lazaridis
Encyclopedia
Mihalis "Mike" Lazaridis (Greek: Μιχαήλ Λαζαρίδης), OC
, O.Ont
(born March 14, 1961, Istanbul
, Turkey
) is a Greek Canadian businessman. He is the founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion
(RIM), which created and manufactures the BlackBerry
wireless handheld device. He is also a former chancellor
of the University of Waterloo
, and an Officer of the Order of Canada
. With an estimated net worth of $US 800 Million (as of June 2011), Lazaridis was ranked by Forbes
as the 17th wealthiest Canadian and 651st in the world.
(specifically Pontic
) parents, Lazaridis was five years old when his family moved to Canada
in 1966, settling in Windsor
, Ontario
. At age 12, he won a prize at the Windsor Public Library for reading every science book in the library. In 1979, he enrolled at the University of Waterloo
in electrical engineering
with an option in computer science. In 1984, Lazaridis responded to a request for proposal
from General Motors
to develop a network computer
control display system. GM awarded him a $600,000 contract. He dropped out of university that year, just two months before he was scheduled to graduate. The GM contract, a small government grant, and a $15,000 loan from Lazaridis's parents enabled Lazaridis, Mike Barnstijn, and Douglas Fregin to launch Research In Motion
. One of the company's first achievements was the development of barcode
technology for film. RIM plowed the profits from that into wireless data transmission research, eventually leading to the introduction of the BlackBerry
wireless mobile device in 1999, and its more well-known version in 2002.
with $100 million of personal funds, along with $10 million contributions from fellow RIM executives Jim Balsillie
and Douglas Fregin.
On April 30, 2004, Lazaridis and his wife together donated $33.3 million to the University of Waterloo for its Institute for Quantum Computing.
On May 3, 2005, Lazaridis gave an additional $17.2 million to the University of Waterloo, primarily to aid the construction of a new building jointly shared by the Institute for Quantum Computing
and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
.
On June 4, 2008, a further donation of $50 million to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
was announced.
As of June 5, 2009, by contributing a new gift of $25 million, Lazaridis and his wife have donated over $100 million to the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.
newspaper. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
and a member of the Order of Ontario
.
He received a Science and Technical award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
in 1998 http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1318793848146
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born March 14, 1961, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) is a Greek Canadian businessman. He is the founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
(RIM), which created and manufactures the BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
wireless handheld device. He is also a former chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
, and an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. With an estimated net worth of $US 800 Million (as of June 2011), Lazaridis was ranked by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
as the 17th wealthiest Canadian and 651st in the world.
Personal, education, and career history
Born in Istanbul,Turkey, has GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
(specifically Pontic
Pontic Greeks
The Pontians are an ethnic group traditionally living in the Pontus region, the shores of Turkey's Black Sea...
) parents, Lazaridis was five years old when his family moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1966, settling in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. At age 12, he won a prize at the Windsor Public Library for reading every science book in the library. In 1979, he enrolled at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
with an option in computer science. In 1984, Lazaridis responded to a request for proposal
Request for Proposal
A request for proposal is issued at an early stage in a procurement process, where an invitation is presented for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. The RFP process brings structure to the procurement decision and is meant to...
from General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
to develop a network computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
control display system. GM awarded him a $600,000 contract. He dropped out of university that year, just two months before he was scheduled to graduate. The GM contract, a small government grant, and a $15,000 loan from Lazaridis's parents enabled Lazaridis, Mike Barnstijn, and Douglas Fregin to launch Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
. One of the company's first achievements was the development of barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
technology for film. RIM plowed the profits from that into wireless data transmission research, eventually leading to the introduction of the BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
wireless mobile device in 1999, and its more well-known version in 2002.
Philanthropic work
On October 23, 2000, Lazaridis founded the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical PhysicsPerimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent, resident-based research institute devoted to foundational issues in theoretical physics located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Perimeter Institute was founded in 1999 by Mike Lazaridis...
with $100 million of personal funds, along with $10 million contributions from fellow RIM executives Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
and Douglas Fregin.
On April 30, 2004, Lazaridis and his wife together donated $33.3 million to the University of Waterloo for its Institute for Quantum Computing.
On May 3, 2005, Lazaridis gave an additional $17.2 million to the University of Waterloo, primarily to aid the construction of a new building jointly shared by the Institute for Quantum Computing
Institute for Quantum Computing
The Institute for Quantum Computing, or IQC, located in Waterloo, Canada, is an affiliate research institute of the University of Waterloo with a multidisciplinary approach to the field of quantum information processing.-IQC's Mission:...
and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology is located at the University of Waterloo and is co-located with the Institute for Quantum Computing in The Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre . WIN is headed by Dr...
.
On June 4, 2008, a further donation of $50 million to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent, resident-based research institute devoted to foundational issues in theoretical physics located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Perimeter Institute was founded in 1999 by Mike Lazaridis...
was announced.
As of June 5, 2009, by contributing a new gift of $25 million, Lazaridis and his wife have donated over $100 million to the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.
Awards and accolades
On October 21, 2000, Lazaridis received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, and in June 2003, he became its eighth chancellor. He was named Canada's Nation Builder of the Year for 2002 by readers of The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
newspaper. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and a member of the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
.
He received a Science and Technical award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
in 1998 http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1318793848146