Anthony LeBlanc
Drive and ambition have propelled Anthony LeBlanc to the top of the business world, and he is now becoming a prominent figure in the sports world. A willingness to push himself has been one of the traits that has allowed LeBlanc to succeed. He was born in Baie Comeau, Quebec, and moved to Thunder Bay when he was ten. As a child, he loved playing sports and following the Montreal Expos and Quebec Nordiques. “I grew up in a family where sports dominated our lives. My father was an avid hockey and baseball fan, and my brothers and I played pretty much every sport we could.”
Anthony Leblanc attended Lakehead University where a fascination with politics led him to earn an HBA in Political Science in 1993. After university, he landed a sales job with a small New Brunswick cell phone dealer. His decision to concentrate on cultivating government clients provided valuable training for his later career. From this position, LeBlanc moved on to sales and marketing jobs with Ottawa-based software giant Corel Corporation and then the Giga Information Group, an e-business consulting company. In 2000, he was hired by Research in Motion (RIM). LeBlanc’s time with this wireless communications firm and creator of the BlackBerry Smartphone coincided with its dramatic growth and near domination of the smartphone market. Through his savvy and expertise, he rose to the position of Vice President of Global Sales and expanded the government sector of the BlackBerry market to 10% of its total sales.
After eight years with RIM, Anthony LeBlanc wanted the autonomy to pursue his own ventures. His lifelong enthusiasm for sports spurred him to form Ice Edge Holdings, a partnership dedicated to bringing major and minor league hockey to Canadian markets. LeBlanc is using negotiating experience gained in a bid to purchase the NHL Phoenix Coyotes, in his quest to bring sports franchises to Canadian venues. He has long been committed to bringing semi-professional hockey to Thunder Bay, which he sees as a way to foster tourism and economic revitalization. He also remains involved in our community through his work on Lakehead University’s Board of Governors, spending part of the year at his home in Thunder Bay. In addition to his sports enterprises, he is investigating real estate and restaurant deals.
Anthony LeBlanc’s willingness to take risks and to follow his passions has raised Canada’s profile in the business and sports arenas. He has also taken on an advocacy role as a member of the Canadian American Business Council, an organization aimed at strengthening trade between Canada and the U.S. In the future, LeBlanc’s love of a challenge and his leadership abilities may see him make his mark in the political realm.
