May 13, 1998

Shaw Media CEO John Cassaday Wins Highest Alumni Honour At U of T's Rotman School of Management

TORONTO - John M. Cassaday, a leading figure in Canadian broadcasting, is the winner of the 1998 Distinguished Business Alumni Award at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, according to Dean Paul Halpern.

Cassaday, who received his MBA from the Rotman School in 1981, is the president and chief executive officer of Shaw Media and executive vice president of Shaw Communications Inc. He receives the award for distinguished leadership and achievements in business and outstanding

commitment to community service. The award will be presented during a dinner at the Rotman School on Wednesday, May 13, 1998.

"Throughout his career, John Cassaday has demonstrated extraordinary leadership that is reflected in both his professional life and in his community involvement," says Dean Halpern. "He is an outstanding role model for U of T alumni, current students, and the entire community."

The Distinguished Business Alumni Award is the highest honour bestowed upon graduates of the Rotman School of Management.

After obtaining an undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1976, Cassaday pursued part-time MBA studies at the University of Toronto where he graduated with an MBA (Dean's List) in 1981.

Cassaday began his climb to the CEO's office through sales and marketing. He joined R.J.R. MacDonald in 1974 as a sales promotion manager in Calgary. He later moved to the head office in Montreal where he assumed a position in brand management. In 1977 he moved to General Foods where he held progressively senior positions in sales, marketing and strategic planning in Canada and the United States.

In 1984 Cassaday returned to Canada as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Campbell Soup. He was promoted to president in 1988 before moving to England to become president and CEO of Campbell Food, U.K., and vice president of Campbell Soup, U.S.A.

In 1990 Cassaday transferred his international packaged goods experience and marketing know how to the television industry with his appointment as president and CEO at CTV. Under Cassaday's leadership, CTV enjoyed a ratings resurgence driven largely by the growth in CTV's news audience and special events, a return to profitability and a resolution of 30 years of ownership instability.   Cassaday was appointed to his newly created position with Shaw in September 1997 with a mandate to develop Shaw's media and entertainment assets.

Cassaday serves on numerous boards, including Canadian Airlines Corp., Premdor Inc., Manulife Financial, Nestle Enterprises Inc., and IBM Canada.

He has been a long time supporter of the Rotman School of Management, currently serving as chair of the Dean's Advisory Council and as co-chair of the School's $40 million Great Minds Campaign.

A believer in community service, Cassaday has served on the boards of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation. In 1995, he was the Chair of the United Way Campaign for Metro Toronto, leading a successful campaign which surpassed its goal of $50 million by over $1 million.

He was awarded the 1997 University of Toronto Arbor Award and the 1995 Paul Mulvihill Heart Award. Cassaday is the recipient of the 1994 CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations presented by the Canadian Public Relations Society.

The 1997 Distinguished Business Alumni Award winner was Leslie Dan, founder, chairman and CEO of the Novopharm Group of Companies. He completed his MBA at the U of T in 1959.

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto provides management education programs for students and executives, and research in all the disciplines of management. Consistently ranked among the top business schools in Canada, the Rotman School offers graduate and undergraduate degrees including the Toronto MBA, Executive MBA, and Ph.D. programs.

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For more information, contact:
Ken McGuffin, Public Relations Officer
Rotman School of Management
Voice (416) 946-3818
Fax (416) 978-1373
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca