Galen Weston & family – Food & Retail

Willard Gordon Galen Weston, OC, OOnt, (born October 29, 1940) is a Canadian businessman and descendant of George Weston of the George Weston Bakeries Limited. Weston is the son of Willard Garfield Weston and grandson of the founder George Weston. Brother Garry Weston (1927-2002) took charge of Associated British Foods plc, the family's UK operations.

While he studied in London, Ontario at the University of Western Ontario, Weston was roommates with Dave Nichol, whom he would make President of Loblaws in 1976. He and his family are the second richest family in Canada, with a net worth of US$8.4 billion, and the 59th richest family in the world (according to Forbes[1]. His family's fortune comes from their interest in such stores as Loblaws, Holt Renfrew, and Selfridges. Following the death of his brother Garry Weston, Galen's interests have again spread to the United Kingdom, against the unwritten pact which followed the division of their father's assets into the British/European enterprises, notably Associated British Foods, controlled by Garry, the North American bakeries George Weston Limited controlled by Galen, and the US interests controlled by eldest brother Grainger. Their six sisters received nothing.

Weston is married with two children, Galen Jr. and Alannah. His wife Hilary (born Hilary Frayne in Dublin in 1942) served as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1997 to 2002.

Following the purchase by Weston's holding company of Selfridges in 2003, he appointed his daughter, Alannah Weston as Creative Director of the British retailer. This was seen by many as a poor decision and led to the creative direction of Selfridges pushing away from fashionable trends. Her team's Winter 2006 theme of "Christmas is Gold" has been derided by staff throughout the store as being disconnected from London trends. Most departments have struggled to find any golden coloured items amongst their stock to display in the themed areas.

In 1990, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Ontario.

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