Stephan Crétier
Canadian entrepreneur / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephan Crétier (born 8 August 1963) is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the founding president and chief executive officer of GardaWorld.[1]
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Crétier founded GardaWorld in 1995 with an investment of $25,000, which he raised by placing a second mortgage on his home.[2] The company now generates over $5 billion in annual revenues[3] and is one of the largest employers in the security industry, with 122 000 employees worldwide. Over the past 25 years, Crétier has pushed the expansion of his company[4] into the security, risk management and cash services sectors, having grown the company organically and through acquisitions.
Recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998,[5] Growth Leader by Profit 100 magazine for 11 consecutive years,[6] and Great Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006,[7] Crétier was named one of Canada's Entrepreneurs of the Decade by Profit Magazine in 2009 and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.[8] He took the company private[9][10] in a $1.1 billion transaction[11] with support from private equity firm Apax Partners.[12]
In July 2019, he led the largest buyout in Canadian history in a transaction worth $5.2bn with private equity firm BC Partners where Crétier now owns with selected management 49% of GardaWorld.[13]