Serge Godin
#2114

Serge Godin

Canada 76 years old Self-Made

Overview

Source of Wealth
Information technology
Industry
Technology
Residence
Westmount, Quebec
Education
Laval University (Master of Business Administration)
Marital Status
Married
Children
2

Assets

  • CGI Group
    24,441,000 shares @ -
    -
    GIB.A-CA

Biography

Serge Godin founded Canadian tech firm CGI Group in 1976 at age 26.

One of nine children, Godin started working for his father (who had just a fifth-grade education) at the family's sawmill at age 12.

He studied computer science and got an MBA from Quebec's Université Laval, then worked in consulting before using $5,000 in savings to start CGI.

Godin serves as co-chair of the $12 billion (revenue) company; he was president and CEO until 2006. His daughter, Julie, was appointed executive chair in 2025.

He has overseen more than 100 acquisitions, including the 1998 purchase of Bell Sygma, which nearly doubled the size of the company at the time.

About

When his father's uninsured mill burned down, a young Godin worked at a convenience store after school and at a dry cleaner's on Saturdays to help pay the bills.