Brandt C. Louie, FCPA, FCA

Brandt Louie received word of his ICABC award and a similar lifetime achievement award from the Food Industry of Canada in the same month, prompting him to wonder: “Do they believe my life is over?”

Hardly. Anyone who knows anything about the business magnate knows Brandt—the president and CEO of H.Y. Louie Co. Limited, and chairman and CEO of London Drugs Limited—has no intention of resting on his laurels anytime soon.

He’s been profiled in Beyond Numbers (September 2003), Grocer Today (May 2003), and Maclean’s (March 2002), to name a few. With good reason—the saga of his family’s 100-year old business is the kind of rags-to-riches story that movies are made of.

It started with Brandt’s grandfather, a Chinese immigrant who worked as a farm labourer before saving up enough money to open his own business in Vancouver’s Chinatown. What began as Hok Yat Louie’s humble general store in 1903 has since grown into a large holding company (with branches in retail, distribution, and tourism) that employs an extended family of 8,000 employees. Among the company’s subsidiaries are London Drugs, the Marketplace IGA stores in BC, Sonora Resort, and the jet charter business London Air Services.

Brandt has been running it all since he took over for his father Tong in 1987.

Some career stats

1966: Earned a B.Comm from the University of BC.
1969: Became a CA in BC.
1973: After practising as a CA with then Touche Ross for several years in Vancouver and Montreal, Brandt joined the family business. Over the course of the next 14 years, he worked in every department, working his way up the ranks to become president in 1987.
1994: Joined the board of directors of Slocan Forest Products Ltd. Currently serves as board chairman.
1995: Received the food industry’s prestigious Astra Award for outstanding contributions and leadership.
1997: Became an FCA in BC.
1998: Received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in manufacturing and distribution.
2001: Became a director of the Royal Bank of Canada.
2003: Received the Golden Pencil Award, the Food Industry of Canada’s highest honour.
2003: Ranked #37 on Canadian Business’s annual list of the “100 Wealthiest People in Canada.”

He may be one of Canada’s richest people, but Brandt continues to adhere to his grandfather’s motto: “While pursuing prosperity you must follow the laws of Heaven. Don’t be afraid to be kind and charitable.” In addition to his volunteer work with many professional organizations—including the Vancouver Board of Trade/World Trade Centre and the BC Business Council, Brandt donates considerable time, energy, and financial support to the community.

Among his many contributions, Brandt is a keen supporter of health research and education. He is a national trustee of the Neuroscience Canada Foundation; chair and director of the Heart Center at Duke University Medical Center; and a past trustee and chairman of the University Hospital Society. He has contributed to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society; was an honorary patron of the 1993 Timmy’s Telethon (BC Lion’s Society); and acted as co-chairman of the Variety Club Cash for Kids program for 15 years.

Brandt is also an honorary member of the board of directors of both Vancouver General Hospital and the Vancouver Community College Education Foundation, and serves on Simon Fraser University’s board of governors as Chair.

In recognition of his many contributions, he received the Medal of Merit from the International Association of Lions Clubs in 1998; the Golden Heart Community Achievement Award from the Variety Club of BC in 2000 (an award his father had received 15 years earlier); and the Donat Insignia from the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (an ecumenical Christian charitable order), of which he is now a Serving Member.

Add to this list the ICABC Lifetime Achievement Award. Brandt celebrates this latest award with his family.

This article originally appeared in the Feb/Mar 2004 issue of Beyond Numbers.