Aldo Bensadoun

Albert "Aldo" Bensadoun (born 1939), is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of the ALDO Group, a retail shoe company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Bensadoun's family foundation donated $25 million to McGill University to help found the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.[2]

Aldo Bensadoun
Born1939 (age 80–81)
Fez, Morocco
NationalityCanadian
Alma materMcGill University[1]
Known forFounder, Aldo Group
Spouse(s)Dianne Bibeau
Children3

Early life

Born in Fez to a Moroccan Jewish family, his father was a shoe retailer in Fez, Morocco and France. Bensadoun moved to the United States for his post-secondary education. He attended Cornell University before relocating to Montreal and graduating from McGill University with a commerce degree in 1964.

Career

He worked at Yellow Shoes before founding the precursor to the Aldo Group in 1972 as a stand within the Le Château store in Montreal.

Honours

Bensadoun is a recipient of the Order of Canada.[3] He is a recipient of the National Order of Quebec,[4] and the Ordre de Montréal.

Personal life

Bensadoun has been married twice. His first wife was a Scottish Protestant;[5] they had two sons: David (born 1970) and Douglas (born 1973). His second wife is Dianne Bibeau;[6] they have a daughter, Daniela (born 1991).[6][7] His son David is the CEO of the Aldo Group [8] and is married to Isabelle Poirier.[9]

In 2012, his son, David, along with Patrick Beaule were the first Canadian four wheel team to complete the Dakar Rally.[10][11]

References
  1. "Aldo Bensadoun". Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013.
  2. "McGill University Opens Bensadoun School of Retail Management". The Business of Fashion. 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  3. General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2017-09-21). "Order of Canada". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  4. "Aldo's global footprint". The Globe and Mail.
  5. Mills, David (February 2014). Zero to Sixty. p. 113. ISBN 9781483408446.
  6. L'Actualite: "Aldo : l’homme qui vous fait marcher" by Kathy Noël 18 novembre 2012 | "La seconde épouse du fondateur, Dianne Bibeau – de 17 ans sa cadette -, travaille aussi dans l'entreprise. De même que les deux fils d'Aldo?: David, 42 ans, et Douglas, 39 ans. La petite dernière, Daniela, 21 ans..."
  7. Footwear News: "How ‘Mr. B’ Has Built Aldo Into a Global Shoe Powerhouse" By Katie Abel November 29, 2016
  8. La Presse: "Aldo Bensadoun: le génie du detail" by Jean-Philippe Décarie 11 février 2012
  9. Vancouver Sun: "Friendly-Streets-Gallery" by Phil Carpenter September 17, 2009
  10. The Globe and Mail: "Five things about the only Canadian car entry at Dakar" by Philippe DeVos December 27, 2011
  11. Wheels Canada: "David Bensadoun, Patrick Beaule become first Canadians to finish Dakar Rally on four wheels" by Lawrence Hacking January 19, 2012
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