Jim Davidson, Chairman and CEO, FirstEnergy Capital Corp. BES ’80, Geography.
JIM DAVIDSON
Chairman and CEO, FirstEnergy Capital Corp.
2012 Alumni Achievement Award winner
Jim is a true leader in both business and the community. As a founding member, current chairman and CEO of FirstEnergy Capital Corp., Davidson is widely recognized as an advocate for market development through good business practices, competitive spirit and the integration of philanthropy and business.
FirstEnergy transformed the landscape in Calgary from big internationals to locally grown oil and gas companies through the formation of a foundation to provide a funding mechanism previously unavailable to smaller organizations. The result has been more than $90 billion dollars in financing deals for hundreds of companies, creating thousands of jobs and supporting the development of advanced technologies now used around the world.
Under Davidson's leadership, FirstEnergy has become the premier independent energy focused investment bank in Canada. It is rated as one of the three lowest-risk firms in its sector, is a sought after employer and one of Deloitte and Touche LLP’s 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada for the past three years.
Not only profitable, but also charitable, FirstEnergy has also given at least 2.5 per cent of operating profits annually to charities and community groups since its launch in 1993.
Davidson also lives his values outside the boardroom. He has raised money for a wide variety of causes, including $10.7 million for the construction of a new Humane Society facility for homeless animals and a personal $2 million donation for the Edge School for Athletes. He is currently leading fundraising for the Calgary Greenway Project, which aims to raise $63 million to develop a 113 kilometer network of green spaces and pathways that will encircle the City of Calgary.
In 2007, Davidson was named by the Financial Post as Canada’s Top Independent Dealmaker, in 2011 he was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People by Alberta Venture Magazine.