Heather Reisman

Heather Reisman is the founder and Executive Chair of Indigo, Canada’s largest book, lifestyle and specialty kids’ retailer and the host of the podcast, Well Said. She is also the co-founder of Kobo, a leading global eReading company.

Ms. Reisman was born in Montreal and educated at McGill University.

For the first 16 years of her career, Ms. Reisman was Managing Director of Paradigm Consulting, the strategy and change management firm she co-founded in 1979. Paradigm was the world's first strategic change consultancy and pioneered many organizational change strategies still in use today.

Ms. Reisman is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange. She has served on many North American boards and continues to serve as a Director of Onex Corporation, Sinai Health and The National Library of Israel.

Ms. Reisman has co-executive-produced a number of important documentary films, including Emmy and BAFTA winning, The Social Dilemma, and Fed Up. The Social Dilemma explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, and has found resonance around the world having now been seen by over 100 million people. In 2021, Ms. Reisman co-authored Imagine It! A Handbook for a Happier Planet.

Ms. Reisman is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the recipient of eight Honorary Doctorates including from University of Toronto, McGill University, and The Weizmann Institute of Science. She has been included in the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada; the Financial Times of London list of Top 50 Women in World Business; Waterloo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, University of Waterloo; International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, University of Manitoba; and the John Molson School of Business Award of Distinction, Concordia University. She also received the Desautels Management Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Canadian business and society.

In May 2015, Ms. Reisman was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Ms. Reisman is married to Gerald Schwartz, Chair and CEO of Onex Corporation. She has four children and 11 grandchildren.