Michael Lee-Chin

Michael Lee-Chin: Career Highlights

After graduating from McMaster University in Canada with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1974, Lee-Chin worked briefly as a road engineer for the Jamaican government. He then returned to Canada for graduate studies in business.

In 1983, Lee-Chin secured a loan from the Continental Bank of Canada to purchase a stake in Mackenzie Financial Group. He also formed Kicks Athletics with Andrew Gayle.

In 1987, Lee-Chin bought a Kitchener-based company called the Advantage Investment Council and renamed it AIC. He developed AIC into a fund that controlled around C$6 billion, with hundreds of thousands of investors.

Lee-Chin set up the Berkshire group of companies, comprising an investment planning arm, a securities dealership, and an insurance operation.

In 2007, Manulife acquired Berkshire from Portland Holdings in exchange for shares, making Portland one of the largest shareholders of Manulife.

In 2009, Lee-Chin sold AIC Limited to Manulife for an undisclosed amount.

Lee-Chin has also invested in the Caribbean, including purchasing 75% of the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica and establishing the AIC Caribbean Fund.