Spotlight on new students, Gail Asper at Ignite Award gala

Incoming students of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba will be welcomed into the province’s business community tonight at the fourth annual Ignite Award dinner.

Around 850 people are expected to attend the event at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg, 410 of whom are new students — record attendance for both categories, according to organizers. The gala will honour 2025 Ignite Award recipient Gail Asper, who spearheaded the establishment of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The purpose of the event is two-fold, said Connor Egan, chair of the dinner organizing committee and a board member of the Young Associates of the Asper School.

“The primary purpose is welcoming these new Asper students to the Manitoba business community,” he said. “It’s their second week in the business school and our intention with Young Associates is basically to have them come out and be at their first formal networking event and gala dinner.”

There is no cost to attend for new students, as sponsors of the event pay for their tickets. Most of the sponsors are members of the Associates or Young Associates, organizations that support the Asper School.

The second purpose of the event is to honour someone with ties to the Asper School who is also a local thought leader — a term the Young Associates defines as someone who is influential or innovative in the community, Egan said.

Gail Asper practised corporate and commercial law before joining her family’s business, CanWest Global Communications Corp., as an executive.

In 2002, she became president of the Asper Foundation, a private charitable foundation established by her mother, Babs, and father, Israel (for whom the U of M’s business school is named). Upon her retirement in 2023, Asper became chair of the foundation’s board.

Asper was instrumental in the establishment of the CMHR and has volunteered with numerous organizations, including the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and United Way Winnipeg.

“The philanthropic impact she’s had on the community is exceptional,” Egan said.

After she receives the Ignite Award, Asper will give some remarks, he added. Asper has tailored her acceptance speech toward new business students and will touch on the importance of community involvement.

Afterward, Asper and Egan will sit down for a fireside chat, during which she will answer questions about her career. “We’re just hoping the students and the business leaders in attendance will be able to have some takeaways from Gail,” Egan said.

Asper was travelling and was not available for an interview.

She follows Ash Modha (co-founder and CEO of Mondetta Clothing Inc.), Dayna Spiring (former CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg) and Mark Chipman (executive chairman of the board of True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd.) as the Ignite Award recipient.

The Asper School of Business trains more than 5,000 students annually through its various offerings, which include undergraduate, graduate and research programs, said dean Bruno Silvestre.

The school welcomed more than 800 new students this month, he added.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca