The Mannix name has been attached to Alberta construction and resource projects since 1898, and Ron Mannix has spent half a century adding to that record, first inside the family’s coal and construction companies and later as founder of Coril Holdings Ltd. The Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame inducted him in 2021, recognizing both the scale of the businesses he has led and the philanthropic institutions he has built alongside them.
A Third Generation Businessman
Mannix was educated at Strathcona Boys School, Ridley College, and the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce in 1973 and, decades later, an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2005. He joined Manalta Coal Ltd. after university and became its President in 1974, then Executive Vice President of parent company Mancal Ltd. in 1977 before being named President and CEO in 1978. The Chairman title followed in 1980. In 1997 the family businesses were divided between Ron and his brother Fred to ease estate planning, and Ron has since led Coril Holdings Ltd. and its subsidiaries.
From Coal Mines to Global Investment
The roots of the Mannix family business trace back to 1898 and have touched heavy construction, engineering, coal mining, oil and gas production and pipelining, railroad construction, ranching, and venture capital. Coril Holdings, the company Mannix founded, now spans global investments, a railroad equipment and service business, real estate ownership and advisory work, and integrative health services. He is a Member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and its Entrepreneurs’ Circle, and he spent lengthy terms as a director of the Bank of Montreal, Canfor Corporation, Manalta Coal Ltd., and Pembina Corporation.
Philanthropy Across Music, Health, and Education
Mannix founded the Norlien Foundation, where he serves as Vice Chairman, and founded the National Music Centre Foundation as well. He has chaired the Carthy Foundation and the Max Bell Foundation, sat on the Scripps Foundation International Board in La Jolla, California, and supported the Calgary International Organ Festival and Competition and the Cantos Music Foundation. His board service has also extended to Strathcona Tweedsmuir School, the University of San Diego, and the Esther Honens International Piano Competition.
A Legacy Recognized
Junior Achievement Southern Alberta describes Mannix as a Canadian and international entrepreneur and philanthropist, a fitting summary for someone whose family business now stretches past 125 years. His complete biography is available through JA Southern Alberta’s profile at jasab.ca.
What does it take to keep a family business relevant across four generations and more than a century of Alberta history?
