Patrick Dovigi

Patrick Dovigi is the founder and CEO of Green For Life Environmental Inc. (GFL), a Canadian multi-sector environmental services company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario instilled an early interest in winter sports in Patrick, who excelled at hockey goal-tending. In 1997, Patrick achieved a goal few are able to attain when he was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers as a goalie. Utilizing the experience and knowledge he gained from previous endeavors, Patrick established GFL in 2007. GFL was born from Patrick’s desire to offer sustainability and innovation in the environmental services sector. Since the company’s founding, Patrick has successfully led GFL in merging and acquiring more than 100 environmental services businesses. In 2011, the company won a $186-million, nine-year contract to manage and collect the residential waste of 155,000 homes in the west end of Toronto. In 2016, GFL gained an equity investment from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, which raised the total value of the company to roughly $2.4 billion. Under Patrick’s leadership, GFL has grown from a one-site location outside Toronto into North America’s fourth largest provider of diversified environmental solutions, operating in Canada and 23 U.S. states. The company has also been acknowledged by the media as one of the country’s fastest growing environmental services companies. In October 2018, GFL merged with Waste Industries in a deal that valued Waste Industries at approximately $3.65 billion. The merger doubled GFL’s presence in the United States. Outside of his responsibilities at GFL, Patrick is a dedicated philanthropist and supporter of charitable causes. He contributed $5 million to help create a revolutionary sports medicine research and care facility in Canada. The Dovigi Family Sports Medicine Clinic will make a difference in the lives of approximately 1.5 million Canadians who suffer sports-related injuries each year.