The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the 2018 ABEX Business Leader of the Year is Saskatchewan businessman Grant J. Kook. Mr. Kook will be presented the award at the 2018 ABEX Awards on October 20th at TCU Place in Saskatoon.

Grant Kook is the founder, President and CEO of Westcap Mgt. Ltd., a leading Saskatchewan venture capital and private equity fund manager. By designing and executing on niche funds that fill capital gaps in Saskatchewan’s economy, Westcap, over the past 25 years has completed investment transactions in excess of a billion dollars impacting thousands of jobs, communities, small and medium-sized companies and the provincial economy as a whole.  Spanning from Cheung on Investments Group,  an international investment fund to Golden Opportunities, the HeadStart on a Home infrastructure fund, First Nations funds and a series of private equity funds supported by high-net-worth investors and financial institutions, Mr. Kook has been instrumental in all parts of the capital eco-system in Saskatchewan.  He is also the owner and President and CEO of the Ramada Hotels in Regina and Saskatoon.
 
Mr. Kook is a seasoned business leader with a strong focus on building the community. He has sat on numerous Provincial and Federal Government task forces on economic policy and is an active supporter of community-based organizations. Mr. Kook is currently the Chairman of the Board of SaskTel, the Vice-Chairman of the Saskatchewan Health Authority,  Vice-Chairman of Saskatchewan Blue Cross, a Board member of 3sHealth Shared Services Saskatchewan, and a member of the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation Pension Plan Investment Committee. Grant Kook has sat on a variety of boards, advisory councils, associations and charity organizations and was a prominent advocate for a new $275 million Provincial Children’s Hospital, anticipated to open in Saskatchewan in 2019.
 
Grant Kook is a sought-after thought leader given his expertise on Canada’s innovation economy, acquisitions and mergers, private equity, investment banking, Indigenous engagement, and infrastructure investment.  In addition, he holds a Chartered Director Designation from McMaster University DeGroote School of Business.
 
Grant Kook  is a recipient  of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal, an inductee into the Junior Achievement of Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame, recipient of the  B’nai Birth – We are Proud of You Award for community involvement, past nominee for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Saskatoon United Way Dinner Honoree – to name but a few of his many accolades for business and community involvement.

"As the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, we are very pleased to recognize Grant Kook with this award. His business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit continues to have a positive effect on Saskatchewan’s business landscape," said Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.