Issy Sharp On May 22, 2008, Toronto Chapter, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, will honour Isadore Sharp, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Isadore (Issy) Sharp founded the company in 1960 with the opening of the first Four Seasons hotel on Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto. After a decade of trial and refinement Mr. Sharp created a single vision that today has made Four Seasons the leading luxury hotel operator exclusively focused on mid-size luxury hotels and resorts of exceptional quality.

The educational background of Issy Sharp combined with his design and construction expertise, his single focus on satisfying the customer and his leadership skills have allowed him to attract the capital sources and a loyal employee base to create the largest hotel management company in the world.

Issy Sharp understands the benefits of education and hard work. His very generous commitment to create the Isadore Sharp Einstein Doctoral Scholarship Endowment at the Hebrew University will be a tribute to his own work ethic and that of our best and brightest students! The scholarships will award the academic excellence of the top doctoral students from a variety of faculties. Sustained funding for scholarships is one of the University’s most pressing needs as the world-wide competition to attract and fund the most promising graduate students explodes.

Funds raised at the Gala Dinner in May 2008 will all be directed to the Isadore Sharp Einstein Doctoral Endowment.

Sharp is also well known for his community involvement. As a Director of the National Terry Fox Run, he initiated the corporate sponsorship program supporting the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope and founded the annual Terry Fox Run Program, the largest single-day fund raising event for cancer research worldwide.

Isadore Sharp and his wife Rosalie (Wise) Sharp have three sons, Jordan, Gregory and Anthony. The Sharps lost a fourth son, Christopher, to cancer in 1978.  

For more information contact Julea Gasner jgasner@cfhu.org