Peter Gilgan

Peter Gilgan has built more than 135,000 houses since founding Mattamy Homes in 1978.

Gilgan, who grew up as one of seven children in a middle-class family, worked as an accountant before going into building.

Inspired by the New Urbanism movement, he set out to construct suburban dwellings that broke from the bland and impersonal developments.

Mattamy (named after the two oldest of his eight children, Matt and Amy) began designing and building planned communities from the ground up in 1986.

Gilgan remains CEO of the $4.1 billion (revenues) business.