Stephan Crétier
Stephan Crétier | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1963 |
| Education | University of Montreal (Industrial relations), California Pacific University (MBA) |
| Known for | CEO of GardaWorld |
Stephan Crétier (born 8 August 1963) is a Canadian entrepreneur and businessperson.[1] He is the founder and chief executive of GardaWorld, a security firm based in Montreal.[2]
Early life and Education
Crétier was born in Montreal, Quebec to a Swiss mother and Italian father, both of whom immigrated to Canada in the 1950s.[3]
Crétier studied Industrial relations at the University of Montreal and got his MBA at California Pacific University.[4]
Career
Crétier founded GardaWorld in 1995 as Trans-Quebec Security Inc. with an investment of C$25,000, which he raised by placing a second mortgage on his home[5] and selling his car.[6]
Crétier was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.[7] In 2012, he took GardaWorld private in a $1.1 billion transaction with support from U.K. private equity firm Apax Partners.[8]
In 2019, Crétier led the largest private equity buyout in Canadian history with private equity firm BC Partners, valuing the company at $5.2 billion.[9] The transaction resulted in Crétier owning 49 percent of GardaWorld,[10] making him a billionaire.[9]
In 2024, Crétier resumed majority ownership of GardaWorld in a management buyout, making his net worth an estimated $2.6 billion.[11]
In January 2025, the Competition Authority of Kenya granted Crétier permission to acquire and obtain ownership of Kenyan security company KK Security Limited.[12]
Philanthropy
In 2006 Crétier and his wife Stephany Maillery founded Canadian charity the Stéphan Crétier Foundation.[13] Through the foundation, he created the B.O.L.O Program, which offers financial incentives to the public for finding Canada's top 25 most wanted fugitives, in 2018.[14]
In 2018, Crétier and his wife made a donation to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to fund the opening of “Arts of One World Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing.”[13]
References
- ^ Collingridge, John (20 September 2020). "Stephan Crétier, the hungry umpire who's put G4S on the menu". The Times. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Wiggins, Kaye; Massoudi, Arash (18 September 2020). "Stephan Crétier: the security boss with his eyes on the G4S prize". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Oringer, Keith; Hymanson, Michael (2024). Legends of the Security Services Industry: Profiles in Leadership. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Oringer, Keith; Hymanson, Michael (2024). Legends of the Security Services Industry: Profiles in Leadership. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Dow Jones Institutional News (22 July 2019). "BC Partners Nears Deal to Buy Security-Services Company Garda World". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ Collingridge, John (20 September 2020). "Stephan Crétier, the hungry umpire who's put G4S on the menu". The Times. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Zentil, Estelle (1 June 2022). "Stephan Crétier: Grapes From Wrath". Dolce Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ Van Praet, Nicolas (7 September 2012). "Garda to go private following $1.1-billion deal between founder, Apax Partners". Financial Post. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ a b Wiggins, Kaye; Massoudi, Arash (18 September 2020). "Stephan Crétier: the security boss with his eyes on the G4S prize". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Van Praet, Nicolas (28 October 2024). "GardaWorld management taking over company with $13.5-billion buyout". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ Dion, Mathieu; Feng, Venus (1 November 2024). "Canadian in Dubai Becomes Billionaire With 'Private CIA' Empire". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Kwama, Joy (9 January 2025). "Canadian Billionaire Buys KK Security Company". The Kenya Times. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ a b Zentil, Estelle (1 June 2022). "Stephan Crétier: Grapes From Wrath". Dolce Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ CBC News (1 May 2018). "New website asks public for help in finding Canada's most wanted". CBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2025.