Stephen A. Jarislowsky was born in Berlin, Germany in September 1925. He attended public and high school in the Netherlands and France and then immigrated to the United States in 1941. He attended preparatory school in Asheville, North Carolina, studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University and then served in the US Army. He finished basic training and studied Japanese at the University of Chicago prior to serving in Counter-Intelligence in Japan after the War.

On return to the United States in 1946, he attended the University of Chicago, graduating with an MA and Phi Beta Kappa Honours. He followed this with MBA studies at Harvard Business School, graduating in 1949 with distinction.

He worked three years with Alcan Aluminium in Montreal and briefly returned to the United States prior to starting Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited in June of 1955 in Montreal. Now Chairman Emeritus and a director on the firm's Board of Directors, for nearly 60 years he has directed the growth of the company to become one of the largest and most successful investment management firms in Canada.

He is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a Grand Officier de L’Ordre National du Québec, and holds Honorary LL.Ds from Queens University, University of Alberta, l’Université de Montréal, McMaster University, Concordia University, Assumption University, l’Université Laval, University of Ottawa, Simon Fraser University, McGill University and l’Université de Québec.

Directorships during his lifetime of some 30 companies include, SNC-Lavalin, Canadian Marconi, Abitibi Consolidated, Southam, Unimedia, The Daily Telegraph (UK), Didier Refractories, Swiss Bank Corporation, Canon Canada, Velan Inc., Canfor (formerly Slocan) and former Chairman of Goodfellow Inc.

He is the co-founder and director of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, as well as the Institut sur la gouvernance d’organisations privées et publiques as well as four University Chairs for Corporate Governance. He holds the International Entrepreneur Award from the University of Manitoba, Corporate Director Lifelong Achievement Award, Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors and has been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Mr. Jarislowsky has been active in educational, cultural and charitable activities of many kinds; has endowed more than twenty-three University Chairs and contributes frequently to television, radio, magazines and newspapers. He is the author of “The Investment Zoo” which was published in 2005.

His hobbies are his family, gardening, walking, good wines, music, art and literature.