Frank Giustra is a visionary entrepreneur, financier and philanthropist whose career has left an indelible mark on the global mining industry. He was instrumental in the formation and growth of Wheaton River Minerals, orchestrating its merger with Goldcorp to create one of the largest mining companies in the world. This is just one achievement that highlights Giustra’s talent for building and developing major mining corporations.
Born in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1957 to an immigrant miner father, Giustra started his career as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch. By age 33 he had become President of Yorkton Securities, and by 36 was Chairman and CEO.
In 2001, he became Chairman of Endeavour Financial, a leading natural resource focused investment bank. Giustra demonstrated a long history of leadership and innovation, having founded Endeavour Mining and Silver Wheaton (now Wheaton Precious Metals), a pioneer in precious metals streaming. The company would go on to form UrAsia Energy in 2005, which was subsequently acquired by SXR Uranium for $3.4 billion.
Giustra served as Chairman of Leagold Mining from 2016 to 2019, which successfully merged with Equinox Gold to form a significant gold-producing company operating in the Americas. Giustra’s commitment to innovation led to the creation of Nations Royalty, which has become Canada’s largest majority Indigenous-owned public company. Additionally, recent ventures include West Red Lake Gold and Nexgold.
In 1996, he left the brokerage business and built Lionsgate Entertainment—one of the world’s largest independent film companies. Though no longer involved with Lionsgate, he remains in the movie business and was recently an executive producer of Blade Runner 2049.
Philanthropy is a central part of Giustra’s legacy. In 1997, he established The Giustra Foundation that supports initiatives focused on women and children, education and refugee resettlement, and is a founding partner of the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative. He has been Co-Chair of the International Crisis Group since 2020, an organization dedicated to conflict prevention. In 2007, he co-launched Acceso, a social business builder that fights global poverty through entrepreneurial solutions in Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti and Guatemala.
Currently, as President and CEO of the Fiore Group, Giustra has received several honours and awards for his contributions and achievements, including the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia. His career in mining finance and corporate development is characterized by a series of groundbreaking achievements that have shaped the industry and made a positive global impact through both business and philanthropy.