{{short description|Canadian businessman}} {{Infobox person |name = John Risley |image = |alt = |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|4|26}} |birth_place = Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |birth_name = John Carter Risley |death_date = |death_place = |occupation = Businessman | known for = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | boards = | spouse = Judy MacDonald (divorced) | children = 2 | website = | awards = Order of Canada }} '''John Carter Risley''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} (born April 26, 1948) is a Canadian billionaire businessman with interests in fisheries, food supplements, and communications. He is the co-founder of Clearwater Seafoods.
In 2026 Risley's partly-owned company, CFFI Ventures was seeking creditor protection after a number of setbacks including the loss of access to lands in Newfoundland and Labrador for a proposed green hydrogen venture called World Energy GH2.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cuthbertson |first1=Richard |title=Restructuring of John Risley's troubled investment firm back in court |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/john-risley-investment-firm-ccaa-9.7127939 |access-date=17 March 2026 |work=CBC News |agency=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=Mar 13, 2026}}</ref> ==Early life and career== Risley was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia,<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/clearwater-seafoods-john-risley-hes-still-got-lots-of-pots-on-the-boil/article12001438/ Clearwater Seafoods’ John Risley: He’s still got lots of pots on the boil] Globe and Mail</ref> the son of Robert Campbell Risley (1908–1964), the first commanding officer of a military police unit and later an insurance broker, and Patricia Anne Bourke (1920–2014).<ref>[http://w.nsga.ns.ca/news/372-THE_NSGA_MOURNS_THE_LOSS_OF_PATRICIA_RISLEY THE NSGA MOURNS THE LOSS OF PATRICIA RISLEY] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508121822/http://w.nsga.ns.ca/news/372-THE_NSGA_MOURNS_THE_LOSS_OF_PATRICIA_RISLEY |date=2018-05-08 }} Nova Scotia Golf Association</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|number=466197226109165569|user=Frank_Mag|title=Obit for Patricia Anne Risley, mum of restaurateur Robert and fishmonger John. She was 93.|date=13 May 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1964-1015&Event=death&ID=447971 John Campbell Risley – Death Record] Nova Scotia Archives</ref><ref>[http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1198672-cfb-halifax-getting-multimillion-dollar-makeover CFB Halifax getting multimillion dollar makeover] Halifax Chronicle Herald</ref> He never attended university, instead choosing a career in real estate. By 1976 he was struggling through a housing slump and he opened a lobster business in Bedford, Nova Scotia.<ref name=Rockefeller>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/article839318.ece "The Northern Rockefeller"], ''Globe and Mail'', August 24, 2006 (updated on April 6, 2009)</ref>
==Major holdings==
===Clearwater Fine Foods=== {{Main|Clearwater Seafoods}} thumb|200px|Antarctic scallop at McMurdo Sound Within ten years of its founding in 1976, Clearwater had grown into one of the largest international food fish businesses by specializing in high return products including scallops, lobster, clams, coldwater shrimp and crab, which it air-freights around the world. It is the largest holder of rights in Canada for each of these shellfish species and by 2008, it owned the rights to all offshore lobster fished in offshore Atlantic Canadian waters and all Arctic surf clams.<ref name=AIF2008/> By 2008, the fleet included ten factory freezers (the largest such fleet in Canada) and the entire international fleet totalled 21 vessels.<ref name=AIF2008>[http://www.clearwater.ca/site/media/Parent/AIF2008.pdf "Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund Annual Information Form"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706173716/http://www.clearwater.ca/site/media/Parent/AIF2008.pdf |date=2011-07-06 }}, March 2008</ref> Its Argentinian fleet fishes Antarctic scallop.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.clearwater.ca/storefrontusa/Recipe.aspx?recipeid=26 |title=Clearwater Antarctic Scallop Quesadillas |access-date=2011-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040822033622/http://www.clearwater.ca/StoreFrontUSA/Recipe.aspx?recipeid=26 |archive-date=2004-08-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The business became an income trust in 2002 at which time Risley turned the business over to Colin MacDonald.<ref name=Rockefeller/><ref>[https://secure.globeadvisor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/gam/20050908/RDECLOET08 "Nothing's fishy about this captain riding out his sinking ship"], ''Globe and Mail'', The company was nearly ruined by the stock market failure and a shipyard that sunk their brand new vessel during seatrials</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/dockside-capsizing-sinks-clearwaters-hopes/article18139909/|title=Dockside capsizing sinks Clearwater's hopes|access-date=27 September 2018|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=26 June 2007 }}</ref><ref name=rich100>[http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/rich100/2009/displayProfile.aspx?profile=69 "The Rich 100"]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Canadian Business'' magazine.</ref> The company has since had a full recovery and has become one of the world largest vertically integrated shellfish harvesters, processors, and distributors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business.financialpost.com/executive/c-suite/clearwater-seafoods-rides-the-export-wave-of-good-fortune|title=Clearwater Seafoods rides the export wave of good fortune|date=19 February 2016|newspaper=Financial Post|access-date=27 September 2018|last1=Post |first1=Special to Financial }}</ref> In 2014, they received the Rabobank award for innovation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fis.com/fis/techno/newtechno.asp?l=e&id=73435&ndb=1|title=FIS – Companies & Products – Clearwater Seafoods wins Rabobank Innovation Award|website=fis.com|access-date=27 September 2018|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121345/https://fis.com/fis/techno/newtechno.asp?l=e&id=73435&ndb=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016 they purchased the largest shellfish producer in the UK, MacDuff Shellfish Group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1385518-clearwater-eyes-further-expansion-after-macduff-purchase|title=The Chronicle Herald|website=thechronicleherald.ca|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref>
===Ocean Nutrition Canada=== His company is the major shareholder in Ocean Nutrition Canada, which he founded in 1997 as a manufacturer of fish oil-derived dietary supplements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ocean-nutrition.com/about|title=MEG-3: Omega-3 EPA/DHA|website=ocean-nutrition.com|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref> Headquartered and with R&D offices in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, it has manufacturing facilities in Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, Arcadia, Wisconsin, and Peru. It is the world's largest producer of omega-3 fatty acids.<ref name=Rockefeller/>
In 2010, the company announced the accidental discovery of ONC T18 B, the most prolific strain of oil-producing algae known, which appears capable of producing oil at a rate 60 times greater than other types of algae being used for the generation of biofuels.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30iht-renalg.html?src=busln | work=The New York Times | last= Hillary Brenhouse| title=Canada Produces Strain of Algae for Fuel | date=2010-09-29}}</ref> It has embarked on a four-year R&D program to determine whether the algae is a viable a fossil fuel replacement.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
===Columbus Communications === Risley was a major shareholder in Columbus Communications, a Caribbean cable television and Internet provider which he co-founded in 2004. He entered the business with Brendan Paddick from Grand Falls, Newfoundland and was a board member of the company based in Freeport, Bahamas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.columbuscommunications.com/home.html |title=Columbus Communications |access-date=2011-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207130459/http://columbuscommunications.com/home.html |archive-date=2011-02-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In March 2015, the company was acquired by Cable & Wireless Communications at a cost of US$1.85 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Cable & Wireless Communications {{!}} CWC/Columbus Merger Finalized|url = http://www.cwc.com/news-and-media/press-releases/cwccolumbus-merger-finalized.html|website = www.cwc.com|access-date = 2015-06-08}}</ref> He is now a non-executive director of Cable & Wireless.<ref>{{Cite web|title = John Risley: NED, Joint Deputy Chairman|url = http://www.cwc.com/past-present/board-of-directors/john-risley.html|website = www.cwc.com|access-date = 2015-06-08|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150601001752/http://www.cwc.com/past-present/board-of-directors/john-risley.html|archive-date = 2015-06-01}}</ref>
==Philanthropy== Risley provided 25 million CDN in funding to the Ocean Frontier Institute, an ocean research centre based in Dalhousie University. "Risley’s gift to OFI is the culmination of his long-time association with Dalhousie University and its many stakeholders, both internal and external."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://dalmag.dal.ca/blog/2017/02/27/a-catalyst-for-ocean-research-funding/ | title=DAL Magazine }}</ref>
==Personal life== His ex-wife is the former Judy MacDonald of Halifax. The Risley 32,000-square-foot home near Chester, Nova Scotia overlooks the Atlantic Ocean on a {{convert|91|acres|ha}} property formerly owned by Joseph N. Pew, Jr., founder of Sunoco.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.net/article/the-world-according-to-john/|title=The world according to John – Atlantic Business Magazine|website=www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.net|access-date=27 September 2018|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928044007/https://www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.net/article/the-world-according-to-john/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After purchasing the property, Risley added another 210 acres to the estate. Besides a mansion, he has a barn with cows purchased from the Rockefeller family and his horses include Dutch Warmbloods, which he shows.<ref name=Rockefeller/>
In 2010, their daughter Sarah Risley married Guy Barnett, "a British deckhand who came to Canada to work on Risley's yacht".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2010/08/20/clearwaters-john-risley-gets-a-son-in-law|title=Clearwater's John Risley gets a son-in-law|first=Tim|last=Bousquet|website=thecoast.ca|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7952445/Mackerel-fisherman-returns-home-in-100m-super-yacht.html|title=Mackerel fisherman returns home in £100m super-yacht|first=Martin|last=Evans|date=19 August 2010|access-date=27 September 2018|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>
His brother is the Halifax restaurateur, caterer and hotelier Robert Risley.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rcr.ca/catering/about/staff.php#Robert-Risley |title=RCR Hospitality Group - About Us: Meet the Staff |access-date=2011-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706202120/http://www.rcr.ca/catering/about/staff.php#Robert-Risley |archive-date=2011-07-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Risley was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gg.ca/honours/pdf/OCnewsFall2008_e.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215045942/http://gg.ca/honours/pdf/OCnewsFall2008_e.pdf |archive-date=2010-12-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Since his divorce from Judy Risley (MacDonald) John has built a second home in South End Halifax with his girlfriend, Amy Gordinier-Regan (owner of skinfix) and her two children.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
Since 2009, Risley has owned a 246-foot megayacht, ''Northern Star'', which has been listed for sale at $170 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/petulant-self-entitled-brats-morning-file-thursday-april-16-2015/#2.+John+Risley,+billionaire+hypocrite|title=Petulant, self-entitled brats: Morning File, Thursday, April 16, 2015|website=halifaxexaminer.ca|date=16 April 2015 |access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * Quinten Casey, 2023, ''Net Worth: John Risley, Clearwater, and the Building of a Billion-Dollar Empire'', Halifax: Nimbus {{ISBN|9781774711705}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Risley, John}} Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Halifax, Nova Scotia Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:1948 births Category:Canadian billionaires