Co-Founder, Co-Owner, President & CEO, Georgian International
James (Jamie) G. Massie is the President and Co-Founder of Georgian International Limited, an automotive, aircraft and property development business based in Barrie, Ontario. Jamie is also President of Georgian Chevrolet Buick GMC Inc. as well as Georgian BMW, MINI Ltd., both located in Barrie. In addition, he is Chairman of Georgian Aircraft Corp, which operates 30 aircraft out of Barrie, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, moving over two million passengers per year under the Air Canada Express banner. Jamie’s real estate companies operate under the Georgian International Land Corp. brand and are involved in many Barrie and area developments.
Jamie has spent his career working to strengthen the community of Barrie through business, sports and philanthropic channels. He led the expansion of the Ontario Hockey League to Barrie, helping to spearhead the construction of the Barrie Molson Centre in 1994. Until 2007, he was the Chairman of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Today, he is the Honorary Colonel at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Canada’s largest military training base. A true entrepreneur and business visionary, Jamie’s combined contributions have resulted in the creation of over 2,000 jobs in the Barrie area.
Jamie has an impressive list of awards and acknowledgements. He was named Barrie Businessman of the Year and one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. He was a recipient of the first MacLaren Art Centre Legacy Award, the Ontario Provincial Police Public Citation Award, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals for citizenship, and he was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame. Jamie also received an Honorary Degree and a Prestigious Fellowship from Georgian College. In 2014, Jamie was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada for significant contribution to the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2015, Jamie was awarded the prestigious “Order of the Spirit Catcher” from the City of Barrie for lifetime contributions to the City.
Currently, Jamie is a member of the board of Southmedic, a Barrie-based manufacturer and distributor of specialized medical products. Jamie has previously served on the boards of the Ontario Hockey League, Georgian College, The Georgian College Foundation and Ridley College, as well as many industry-related boards. He has actively been involved in fundraising for numerous charities including the Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie Public Library, MacLaren Art Centre, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation, the Barrie Molson Centre and numerous youth sports programs.
Jamie and his wife Wendy have four sons, who like their father enjoy the outdoors, sports, business, and discussing and debating the current issues that affect Canada and the world. Jamie attributes much of his success in business to the four years he spent at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1980.
*All biographical information is only current up to the date of the award.
