Odette School of Business announces Richard Peddie Leadership Initiative

Alumnus to inspire the leaders of tomorrow

WINDSOR, ON, Jan. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - The Odette School of Business will honour the career and business contributions of Richard Peddie ('70 Hon.BCom, '02 Honorary Doctor of Laws), alumnus, UWindsor booster, and recently retired President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports, with the introduction of the Richard Peddie Leadership Initiative (RPLI).

The initiative, presented jointly by MLSE and the University of Windsor, is aimed at projects that will assess and develop leadership potential and opportunities in its students and in the community. The RPLI is a tribute to Dr. Peddie's commitment to excellence and his generosity in inspiring entrepreneurialism, leadership and innovation at the Odette School of Business. A $750,000 investment in initial funding for the project was raised by Peddie's MLSE colleagues and friends in recognition of his retirement, with Odette planning ongoing funding for the future.

Peddie has received numerous awards from UWindsor, including the Alumni Award of Merit in 2009 and the Clarke Award in 1998, given to outstanding alumni who have made remarkable contributions bringing honour and recognition to the University.

He served as the Odette School of Business Executive-in-Residence in 2002, where he developed and delivered a leadership course, and has been instrumental in supporting the Odette Business School Debating Team, which has enjoyed outstanding success in competitions across North America. High school students from across the city have also had an annual opportunity to compete in the Richard Peddie Invitational Debating Competition held at the Odette School of Business.

The RPLI will be introduced at the first of Odette's 2012 Breakfast With Champions series. The event will take place at 7:15 a.m., Wed., Jan. 25, in room 104 of the Odette Building, where Peddie will speak on How to Build Winning Organizations and Teams.

The key elements to be featured as part of the leadership initiative project include:

• The Centre for Leadership Competency Measurement, dedicated to the measurement and development of leadership competency for Odette School of Business students;
  
  
• The Leader-in-Residence Program, where Peddie will be the first in what will be a series of resident leaders who will deliver guest lectures, be available for small group mentoring, and generally participate as members of the Odette School of Business;
  
  
• The Richard Peddie Invitational Speaker Series, a major annual event to feature top experts on the subjects of leadership, management and success measurement.

Founded in 1963, the University of Windsor has close to 16,000 full-time and part-time students. The University of Windsor's mission is to enable people to make a better world through education, scholarship, research and engagement.

Barbara Barone
Internal/External Relations Officer
Odette School of Business
519/971-3678 tel; 519/973-7073 fax
[email protected]