Stephen Lister is a private financier and Co-Founder of Imperial Capital, one of Canada’s most successful private equity buy-out firms. He served as Managing Partner from its founding in 1989 until 2019 and continues to contribute as a member of Imperial’s Investment Advisory Committee. Mr. Lister has been a director and trustee for several private and public companies including Stantec Inc., E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd., Associated Freezers Income Trust, Lise Watier Cosmetics, YPTel Corp., and Petra Pet Inc.
Since 1989, he has co-led the establishment of Imperial Capital Acquisition Funds I through VII and led many acquisitions and management efforts for portfolio companies in Canada and the United States. His strategic oversight helped drive growth and public listings on major stock exchanges.
Before Imperial Capital, Mr. Lister was President of Startups Inc., a venture capital firm supporting early-stage companies and worked as a management consultant with Touche Ross & Partners. He also began his career as an economist for the Canadian House of Commons.
Mr. Lister holds an MBA from Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario and an Honours BA in Economics from the University of Toronto. He grew up in Ottawa where he attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
Since 1985 Mr. Lister has been married to Dr. Margaret (“Molly”) Rundle, a family physician, and they have two sons. He plays amateur golf and has competed in two Canadian Mid Amateur Championships. He is an avid reader and collects biographies, and Canadian art. He is a Level II ski instructor, ski races, plays the tenor saxophone, and is a fitness enthusiast.
