David Michael Culver, (December 5, 1924 – February 6, 2017) was a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
businessman and former
chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
and
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
of
Alcan Aluminum Limited from 1979 to 1989.
Early life
Born in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, Culver attended
Selwyn House School
Selwyn House School (SHS) is an English-language independent K-12 boys' school located in Westmount, Quebec. The school was founded in 1908 by Englishman Captain Algernon Lucas and was named in honour of Selwyn College at the University of C ...
and
Trinity College School
Trinity College School (TCS) is a co-educational, independent boarding and day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than two years before Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for ...
. He received a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
from
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
in 1947, an MBA from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, and a Certificate from the Centre d'Études Industrielles in Geneva.
He was a first cousin once removed of
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-British writer and former politician, Publishing, newspaper publisher, Investor, financier, and Fraudster, convicted fraudster.
Black's father was businessma ...
; his father’s sister was the maternal grandmother of Black.
Career
Culver began working at Alcan in 1949, eventually rising to CEO in 1979. From 1986 to 1989, he was chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
In 1989, he became a founding partner of CAI Private Equity, a firm specializing in
leveraged buyout
A leveraged buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant proportion of borrowed money (Leverage (finance), leverage) to fund the acquisition with the remainder of the purchase price funded with private equity. The assets of t ...
s, restructurings, acquisitions, and recapitalizations. He was a co-founder and Canadian chairman for 11 years of the Canada-Japan Business Committee. He was the chairman of iLiv Technologies Inc. (iLiv.com). He was a member of the
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is known for hosting the annual Masters Tournament.
Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Rob ...
.
Culver was the author, with Alan Freeman, of ''Expect Miracles: Recollections of a Lucky Life'' (McGIll-Queen's University Press 2014).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
and was promoted to Companion in 1988. In 1990, he was made an Officer of the
National Order of Quebec
The National Order of Quebec ( French: ), also known as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Governor Jean-Pierre Côté granted royal assent to the (Natio ...
. He also joined the
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...
, Grand Cordon, of Japan.
L'Harmattan web site (in French)
/ref> Additionally, in 1990, he was awarded Concordia University
Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...
's John Molson School of Business Award of Distinction.
Death
Culver died on February 6, 2017, aged 92.
References
*
*
1924 births
2017 deaths
Businesspeople from Winnipeg
Canadian chief executives
Canadian investors
Companions of the Order of Canada
Harvard Business School alumni
Officers of the National Order of Quebec
Private equity and venture capital investors
Black family (Canada)
Selwyn House School alumni
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