His wife Susan Wener, a natural health consultant and best-selling Canadian author, also has a deep connection with the university. “One of the greatest gifts of my life was meeting my husband there,” she says.
“Jon and I have always had a special place for Concordia in our hearts. It’s where we eventually decided to build our lives together and it gave Jon his first start in real estate — it was the foundation of his future and of Canderel.”
Their shared bond with the university, combined with their strong belief in philanthropy and higher education, led to their exceptional $10 million gift, a portion of which will be used to establish a Centre for Real Estate in the John Molson School of Business (JMSB). Part of the funds will be earmarked for student bursaries and scholarships.
“For us, this is a very large and important gift,” says Jonathan Wener. “It’s something we feel very strongly about. JMSB is a top ranking school, not only in Canada but in the world. My feeling has always been to invest in excellence and there a great many areas where Concordia is a leader in the country.”