Paying it forward

Over 40 years later and having enjoyed a highly successful business career, Bob Briscoe and his wife Raye are paying that support forward with a major donation to the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).

The gift will help establish the Bob and Raye Briscoe Centre in Business Ownership Studies, in addition to two new scholarships through the Bob and Raye Briscoe Endowment for Student Awards in Business Ownership Studies.

“Concordia is truly grateful that Robert Briscoe is setting the pace by giving back to his alma mater,” says Concordia President Alan Shepard.

“The Concordia community is inspired by his generosity. Bob and his wife Raye will help the next generation of students reach their full potential and the JMSB chart new territory in business studies.”

JMSB Dean Steve Harvey says the Briscoes’ gift creates a new focus on research and teaching in business ownership — an underrepresented area of entrepreneurship.

“Bob is a great example of someone who has given back abundantly to the institution he credits as providing him the tools to succeed,” Harvey says.

“I feel we owe it to Concordia,” says Bob Briscoe, who earned his two degrees by enrolling in night classes, part-time, over 12 years while also working full-time.

By the time he finished his MBA, Briscoe knew he wanted to be a business owner. “It was an evolution,” he says, crediting those night classes for giving him the opportunity to find his true calling and laying the groundwork for his career.

His legacy includes three decades as president of Macco Organiques Inc., a food and pharmachemical company based in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.

In 1987, Briscoe invested in IEC Holden — a North American-based manufacturer of electrical rotating equipment and components — and currently acts as chairman of the board. He was also president of AlimPlus Inc. for 25 years, a company he formed in 1990.

Briscoe served as chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce from 2001 to 2002. He received the Alumnus of the Year Award from the Concordia University Alumni Association in 2002.

The secret to his rise to success, he says, is to defer gratification. “If you buy a business and you’re eating out at expensive restaurants every night, driving a BMW and spending all your earnings, then very likely you’ll fail,” Briscoe says.

To be successful, he explains, you need to save and reinvest what you make. “That’s what we did,” adds Raye Briscoe, noting how the couple refrained from indulging in any big expenses for the first 12 years of their marriage.

“We never did anything,” she says with a laugh. “We went out once a year — on our anniversary — and that was it!”

Inspiring future business owners

Scheduled to open its doors in 2016, the Bob and Raye Briscoe Centre in Business Ownership Studies will provide a space for students and faculty to cultivate ties with the business community, as well as support teaching and research on business ownership.

“There’s a lot more to entrepreneurship than inventing something new,” says Bob Briscoe, who made a living by growing existing businesses into successful companies.

Providing mentorship to future business owners is exactly what the Briscoes hope the new centre will offer. “Nothing is more motivating than hearing a story of real, hard-earned success,” says William Meder, BComm 65, the centre’s incoming director. “Our goal is to bring successful alumni back to Concordia and give them the opportunity to speak to students and share their experience.”

A long-time friend of the Briscoes, Meder says he learned a lot about helping students achieve their goals from his five years as academic advisor for the John Molson MBA International Case Competition. He hopes the centre’s resources will encourage students to aspire towards becoming owners rather than just employees.

Raye and Bob Briscoe share that hope. As Raye Briscoe says, “Students need to feel that they can do it, and the centre will be there to help them build that confidence.”