An Evening of International Excellence

On Monday, November 25, we hosted a celebratory dinner in Toronto to honor a extraordinary leader in the Canadian business community. Ian Edwards, President and CEO of AtkinsRéalis Group was recognized for his innovation and leadership in propelling Canadian business into the international arena and was honoured as our 2024 International Business Leader of the Year. The evening was amplified by a special presentation from political analyst, David Frum, who offered his insight into the most recent U.S. election results. This, coupled with the talent of local musicians and a room full of honoured guests ready to celebrate Mr. Edwards, made this night truly memorable.

Ian Edwards, International Business Leader of the Year

Ian L. Edwards is the President and CEO of AtkinsRéalis, a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world. In his role, he is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, developing a growth plan for sustainable success and pursuing SNC-Lavalin’s purpose to “Engineer a better future for the planet and its people”. 

For over 30 years, Mr. Ian L. Edwards has been delivering complex infrastructure projects and leading businesses in the engineering and major projects industry in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. As a global executive with multidisciplinary expertise, he has redirected vision with a focus on creating value by simplifying and de-risking business, delivering high-quality global services locally and executing a roadmap that ensures financial resiliency, accelerates organic and inorganic growth, and creates value for shareholders. 

In 2019, Mr. Edwards was appointed President and CEO of AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin), a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world. At the helm of AtkinsRéalis, he is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, steering its growth plan for sustainable success and pursuing its purpose to engineer a better future for the planet and its people.  

In 2023, Mr. Edwards spearheaded the unification of several brands under the name AtkinsRéalis, an inflection point for the company after many years of successful transformation to become a leading Engineering Services and Project Management company. 

Mr. Edwards is committed to pushing the sustainability envelope from discussion to action, bringing to the forefront the engineering solutions required to address the most pressing global challenges of our time such as climate adaptation and the transition to clean energy including nuclear power. Through Mr. Edwards’ leadership, AtkinsRéalis continues to demonstrate its ability to enable sustainable, efficient, and better outcomes for clients and the communities they serve.  

Mr. Edwards is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He supports various philanthropic causes such as the annual United Way/Centraide campaign and the McGill University Health Centre Foundation. Mr. Edwards invests in his continuous personal development while also nurturing a culture where values of safety, integrity, collaboration and innovation are lived every day, driving how one works, delivers and shows up in the world.  

We were once again joined by local Toronto band, the Supersonic Hearts Band during dinner for some light ambiance. We were also very excited to have notable political analyst, David Frum offer a special presentation and fireside chat after dinner. As a Staff Writer at The Atlantic, David’s commentary on social and political issues generates thought-provoking discussions throughout America and around the world. He sat down with our Executive Vice President, International & Chief of Public Policy, Matthew Holmes to earnestly discuss the current state of Canada-U.S. relations and how our economic landscape might fare over the next several years.

We would like to extend a special thank you to
the Ritz-Carlton and all of our event sponsors.