The Uggla family
The unprecedented commitment from the Uggla family reflects their deep belief in social mobility, equity, diversity and inclusion. Lance Uggla says the impetus for giving back is his family’s belief in the positive return that results when doors are opened for those who have traditionally faced barriers to higher education.
Uggla grew up in Burnaby and nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit while at SFU and, later, at LSE.
He worked in the financial sector in Toronto before moving to London, where, in 2003, he founded Mark-It Partners, a data, analytics and software provider, focused on the financial industry. He grew the company both organically and through acquisition, taking it public in 2014.
In 2016, Uggla jointly led the merger of IHS and Markit, becoming chairman and CEO in 2018. As a leading information company, IHS Markit provides data, insight and software to help its customers within financial services, energy and transportation make more informed decisions, driving their growth, efficiency and performance. The company has more than 15,000 employees in 34 countries globally and embraces an entrepreneurial approach through shared ownership with its employees.
IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 per cent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world’s leading financial institutions.
Uggla was previously Head of Global Markets at CIBC and latterly Head of Europe and Asia and Cohead Credit Trading at TD Securities. Chosen as the Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012, Uggla was also recognized with SFU’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2014.
He is a supporter of numerous charitable causes, primarily those focused on giving children a better start in life including Zamcog, a school in Zambia for street children which his family started, that today have more than 440 students.
I feel fortunate every single day that I have benefited from an excellent university education, and by enabling these scholarships in perpetuity it is my way of saying thank you to Simon Fraser University and LSE for giving me such a strong foundation for my career. I am a father of four amazing children who are all building their careers from a similarly strong foundation. The Uggla Family Scholars that this program will support, all from less advantaged backgrounds, will equally be given the opportunity to excel in the years ahead.
Lance Uggla, Chairman and CEO of London-based IHS Markit, and a graduate of SFU’s Beedie Business School of Business (BBA ’85)