Ottawa's business community came together this week for a milestone celebration at the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management: the 25th Annual CEO of the Year Breakfast, honouring Hugh Gorman, CEO of Colonnade BridgePort, as the Ottawa Business Journal's 2025 CEO of the Year.
The Event
The breakfast has become one of the signature gatherings in Ottawa's business calendar, a chance for the local professional community to recognize standout leadership and hear directly from one of the city's top executives. The 25th anniversary edition brought together Telfer alumni, current students, faculty, and members of Ottawa's broader business community.
Gorman was recently named the 2025 CEO of the Year by both the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade, a dual recognition that carries significant weight in the local business community.
Who Is Hugh Gorman?
Hugh Gorman has led Colonnade BridgePort through an aggressive period of growth in Ottawa's real estate market. The company has become one of the city's most active developers, with projects spanning residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties across Ottawa and the surrounding region.
Gorman's profile as a business leader extends beyond real estate. He has been involved in local economic development conversations and is a recognized voice on urban growth, housing, and the future of Ottawa's built environment.
Why the Recognition Matters
The CEO of the Year award isn't just a pat on the back. It reflects the broader business community's assessment of leadership under real conditions: building a company, managing teams, navigating the economic ups and downs of commercial real estate, and contributing to the city's economic health.
For Telfer students in the room, events like this offer a rare opportunity to hear candid reflections from someone who has built something meaningful in the same city where they're launching their own careers.
Ottawa's Business Community
The breakfast is a reminder that Ottawa's business scene, sometimes overshadowed by the dominance of the federal government in the city's economic narrative, has a vibrant private sector full of firms that compete, build, and hire locally. Celebrating those leaders matters for the city's identity and for inspiring the next generation of Ottawa entrepreneurs.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal
