Mike Lazaridis

Mihalis (Michael) Lazaridis (born 1961, Istanbul, Turkey) is the founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), which created and manufactures the wildly popular BlackBerry Wireless Handheld (similar to a PDA but with more emphases on communication functions). He is also the chancellor of the University of Waterloo, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Just before graduating in Engineering from Waterloo, Mike dropped out to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. With a $15,000 loan from his Greek immigrant parents, a small government grant and a contract from General Motors, he, Mike Barnstijn and Douglas Fregin launched RIM and got to work on creating one of Canada's most successful high-tech start-ups. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (735x1105, 105 KB)Mike Lazaridis Source [1] Original file [2] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (735x1105, 105 KB)Mike Lazaridis Source [1] Original file [2] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: / Konstandinúpoli, historically known in English as Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (TSX: RIM, NASDAQ: RIMM) is a Canadian wireless device company. ... The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. ... palmOne Tungsten T5 Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are handheld computers that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. ... A Chancellor is the head of a university. ... The University of Waterloo, also known as UW, UWaterloo, or simply, Waterloo is a medium-sized research-intensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ... Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (TSX: RIM, NASDAQ: RIMM) is a Canadian wireless device company. ...

Early life and education

Born in Turkey to Greek parents, Mihalis Lazaridis was five years old when his family migrated to Canada in 1966, settling in Windsor, Ontario. A voracious reader from an early age, Lazaridis won a prize at the Windsor Public Library at age 12 for reading every single science book in the library.^[1] In 1979, he enrolled at the University of Waterloo in Electrical Engineering with an Option in Computer Science. He dropped out in 1984 just two months before graduation, having been offered a lucrative contract from General Motors for the nascent RIM. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Nickname: The City of Roses Motto: The river and the land sustain us. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English (de facto) Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ...

He is married to Ophelia Lazaridis. They have two children, Cleo and Kern.

Philanthropic work

On October 23, 2000, Lazaridis founded the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics with $100 million of personal funds, along with $10 million contributions from fellow RIM executives Jim Balsillie and Doug Fregin. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The Institute facing Waterloo Park The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is located in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (also home to the University of Waterloo). ... James L. (Jim) Balsillie was born on February 3, 1961 in Peterborough, Ontario. ...

On April 30, 2004, Lazaridis and his wife together donated $33.3 million to the University of Waterloo for its Institute for Quantum Computing. April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 Nanotechnology Engineering program. May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Awards and accolades

On October 21, 2000 he received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, and in June 2003 became its 8th chancellor. He was named Canada's Nation Builder of the Year for 2002 by readers of the Globe and Mail newspaper, and has received various other accolades as a result of his financial success and philanthropic efforts. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario ^[2]. For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... The Globe and Mail is a large Canadian English language national newspaper based in Toronto. ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ... The Order of Ontario is an award given in the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

External links

• PM Paul Martin Speech
• Acceptance Speech

Footnotes

1. ^ Article on Mihalis Lazaridis
2. ^ Order of Ontario appointments announced