Auctioneer founder wins entrepreneur award

by Dianne George

Ritchie

Dave Ritchie, chairman of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, has been named 2005 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year by UVic’s faculty of business and its board of advisors.

The annual award acknowledges an inspirational entrepreneur who has had a significant and positive impact on the global community through his or her business leadership.

“Dave is a real inspiration,” says David Schneider, chair of the board of advisors. “He’s a role model of entrepreneurial leadership for the business community and for our students.”

Ritchie grew up in Kelowna where, working with his brothers, he built his father’s used furniture store into a global leader among industrial auctioneers. Ritchie Bros. is listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and achieved gross auction sales in 2004 of approximately $1.79 billion, a 14 per cent increase over 2003.

Nominations for the award were considered by a five-person panel made up of members of the faculty’s board of advisors. It was chaired by Peter Gustavson, president and CEO of Custom House Global Foreign Exchange. The panel reviewed nominations based on a set of criteria including vision, entrepreneurial drive, and impact on the Canadian and global economies.

Ritchie will be presented with the award at a gala ceremony on May 25 at the Victoria Conference Centre. For more information visit www.business.uvic.ca/deya or call 721-6406.