BACKGROUND OF: H. IVAN BERKOWITZ, "the Catalyst"

Ivan Berkowitz was born and educated in Winnipeg, Canada. Ivan has chosen to devote all of his energy and talents here even though he has had opportunities all over the world after receiving his MBA from Harvard and throughout his career.

Ivan returned from Harvard to join his family's clothing manufacturing firm, Monarch Wear. He enjoyed significant achievements for 15 years and contributed to unique expansion by creating "TEE KAYS" for baby boomers, international sourcing and marketing, an initial public offering and a place in the history of the Industry as the Founding President of the Fashion Institute of Manitoba.

Subsequent to the sale of Monarch Wear to h.i.s from New York, Ivan has pursued numerous administrative and marketing activities, most notably partnership in the management of more than 100 Events, Consumer and Trade Shows. Included were major home, boat and car shows; business, ultralight aircraft and waterbed shows; events for seniors; SCI-TREK for students; and professional exhibitions for cardiologists, accountants, lawyers and Winnipeg's attempt to attract the fashion world with the Canadian Outerwear Fashion Fair. He was honoured as a Certified Exposition Manager by the International Association of Exposition Managers.

Ivan worked tirelessly to create the Showcase during Winnipeg's 1996 Winter Cities Conference. He managed the participation of groups from Japan, China, Scandinavia with Canada in a uniquely successful forum for business and networking. Ivan was the catalyst as Founding President of Export Building Products Initiative of Manitoba which built the legacy of Winter Cities, the completely furnished "Export House" across the street from the Winnipeg Convention Centre which continued for four years as the core of the industry's global marketing efforts. Ivan also conceived and managed Canada Export Housing '97 which brought some 300 buyers of construction products to Winnipeg from five continents. In 2006, Ivan facilitated the visit of a delegation from Japan and initiated the Exterior Insulation Promotion Council.

For a combined effort by Cancer Care Manitoba and Canadian Cancer Society, Ivan was hired as the coordinator of two major 'house' lotteries, each of which raised more than $600,000.

In 1992, Ivan approached Dr. Naranjan Dhalla, world-famous cardiology researcher and Director of Winnipeg's Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS). at the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Foundation, University of Manitoba. They immediately found a shared passion to host international conferences. The first initiatives were Ivan's management of world gatherings in Winnipeg on Heart Failure in 1994 and on Angiotension in 1996. The success encouraged Dr. Dhalla to turn his 27 years of service to the International Society for Heart Research into winning the bid to host the XVII ISHR World Heart Congress, July 6 - 11, 2001. His appointment of Ivan as Coordinator began six years of Ivan's increasingly total commitment as the only full-time employee. Ivan's principal responsibility, once facilities were booked, was raising money from governments, corporate partners and foundations - success topped two million dollars. Ivan also assumed responsibility for marketing, a daunting task since the market was the world of cardiology - again the results were unprecedented with close to 2,000 delegates attending. Also, 1,000 Manitobans shared the knowledge at a Public Forum PLUS local media disseminated major daily coverage, the Winnipeg Free Press produced an 8-page special section, reports were picked up nationally and even on CNN. Ivan planned the operations involving more than 300 volunteers. Ivan created detailed concepts for renowned Canadian hospitality to entertain delegates six evenings including exposure to the culinary artistry of local chefs, Manitoba's French Canadian heritage, Winnipeg's multi-cultural community, the Vegas-style Regent Casino, and a western-style barbecue and horse racing. Follow-up activities include coordination of publishing six texts.

Ivan serves as a Consultant to the (ICS) and as Director of Development for the INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF CARDIOVASCULAR SCIENCES (IACS), founded and headquartered in Winnipeg by Dr. Dhalla.. He created Annual Public Heart Forums in Winnipeg and exported the concept to Trinidad and Brazil. He coordinated the Institute's Awards Day featuring Gala Dinners with Chief Guests including Dr. Michael DeBakey, world-renowned as the "founder" of open-heart surgery from Houston; James Willerson, exceptional cardiologist who is at the forefront of stem cell use for heart failure patients from Dallas; and Robert Roberts, Director of Ottawa's Heart Institute. He was the coordinator of a unique event held for the third year in May 2006 - National Research Forum for Young Investigators in Circulatory and Respiratory Health, a program of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health which has attracted over 1,300 scientists from across Canada. 

To celebrate the 70th Birthday of Naranjan Dhalla and the 10th Anniversary of the IACS, Ivan began to conceive  an event in 2005 and worked tirelessly until Oct. 12 - 15, 2006. He personally contacted outstanding IACS leaders from around the world and received unanimous agreement to serve as Honourary Chairs from: Qi-De Han, China; Otoni Gomes, Brazil; N.K. Ganguly, India; Makoto Nagano, Japan; Eugeny Chasov, Russia; Sen. Wilbert Keon, Canada; Eugene Braunwald, USA; Jutta Schaper, Germany; and Sir Magdi Yacoub who at a personal meeting in February 2005 agreed to deliver the Keynote Address. Buoyed by this global support, he approached Alan Menkis, Medical Director of Winnipeg's Cardiac Sciences Program and Grant Pierce, Executive Director of Research of St. Boniface Hospital, who agreed to co-chair a unique symposium on "The 
Future of Heart Health" for which they gathered an incredible faculty from various disciplines - the efforts have drawn praise from around the world. Together, they responded to interest from Merck-Frosst who  enthusiastically agreed to major sponsorship. Sponsorship was aggressively pursued, including from the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement and achieved success estimated to exceed $350,000 from over 30 companies and agencies. Pawan Singal agreed to organize, as part of the event, the 8th Annual Awards program of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences as the scientific portion. Upon contacting the University, Dr. Joanne Keselman, Vice-President of Research, identified the potential of also celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the University joining with St. Boniface Hospital to designate the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences. They developed the plan to have the University and the Hospital jointly host a Luncheon. During a visit to Rochester, Ivan found that Dr. Hugh Smith ex-Chair of the Mayo Clinic was interested to participate and Ivan invited him to be the guest speaker. In spite of efforts to keep the plan as a surprise for Dr. Dhalla, he was told of the plans at a meeting in New Orleans and insisted on organizing an expanded scientific program which ultimately extended to twenty-three additional symposia. Unique social events were organized at the Manitoba Legislative Building, McPhillips Street Station (as a Roast), Tiffani's Restaurant and an Indo-Canadian Tribute to Dr. Dhalla catered by East India Company at the Convention Centre. Each meal highlighted Manitoba products. As well, a 'Made In Manitoba' bag including Old Dutch Salt & Vinegar Chips, ClodHoppers, Crown Royal, Leobard Strawberry-Rhubarb Wine and Bulldog Amber Ale was placed in each visitor's hotel room. Media coverage included a 4-page Section in the Free Press and their large Front Page report on a meeting between Dr. Yacoub and a patient from Brandon whose life he had saved with revolutionary surgery 17 years ago which was also covered by CTV News and CBC Radio. Ivan created a Special Edition of "CV Network" of 40 pages was the official program, added to the website and distributed around the world. A Commemorative Tribute to Dr. Dhalla was produced by "Experimental & Clinical Cardiology". There was a full page tribute in The Indo-Canadian Telegram. "NRC-CNRC Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology", edited by Grant Pierce, is accumulating articles from Dr. Dhalla's colleagues around the world, to create two commemorative issues. With the assistance of St. Jude Medical, talks at the Future Symposium were video-taped and slides gathered to create a DVD which IACS and SJM will distribute around the world. From the DVD, plans are underway to capture talks of interest to use in presentations at schools. Attendance included close to 300 visitors, 200 local delegates, 250 guests at the Future Symposium and more than 1,200 at the Gala Dinner including the Lieutenant-Governor, our Premier, the Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Winnipeg's Mayor. In advance PR, Ivan had repeated the quote "It sounds like an event fit for a King" and he guaranteed everyone the time of their life. In spite of being chastised by his daughter for being carried away in his salesmanship, innumerable delegates as well as many who expressed disappointment that they missed something great, Ivan and his 'team' exceeded the promises! For details, please visit www.heartconference.com

The Academy's development as a "virtual" institution has built Sections in Japan, India, China, Europe, Russia, North and South America as well as establishing charitable status in Canada and the United States. It has given Ivan the opportunity to create a quarterly bulletin "CV Network" , in its fifth year publishing news and important developments around the world in print as well as becoming the cornerstone of the web site he has facilitated - www.heartacademy.org. 

In recognition of Ivan's service to development of the Academy's most vital section in South America, the Sao Francisco de Assis Cardiovascular Foundation in Belo Horizonte, Brazil has designated Ivan as Honorary Professor. Ivan has spoken of his personal experience in raising money and promoting heart health at conferences in China, Brazil and Turkey. Ivan has written two articles which were translated and published in Brazilian texts. He serves on the International Advisory Boards for annual meetings in Brazil as well as for 16th World Congress of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons held in Ottawa on August 17, 2006 and planned meetings in Cuba in January 2007 and Serbia in May 2007. 

Ivan has made a selfless contribution to charitable undertakings not only in Winnipeg but in Canada and internationally. He has been active as a director of the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Blue Bombers, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Montessori School, Manitoba Marathon, Victorian Order of Nurses and St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation (highlighted as an organizer of the Ecumenical Service at Winnipeg Stadium honouring Mother Theresa). Predictably, Ivan was one of the "salmon shirted" volunteers for Winnipeg's '99 Pan Am Games. Joining as a Manitoba founder, Ivan was involved on a virtually daily basis with Variety Clubs International as Telethon Fundraising Director and Chair; Manitoba's Chief Barker; and an International Ambassador; and then elected for six years as an International Vice-President. He led the committee which conducted two highly successful 'house' lotteries which raised more than a million dollars. Variety blended Ivan's passion for the Winnipeg Jets for whom he served on the Management Committee during and subsequent to the successful 1974 "Save The Jets" Campaign. Ivan was the catalyst for Variety and the Jets to create the "Goals For Kids" fundraiser and continued as a Director on the succeeding Foundation.

But Ivan's deepest feelings were for the Manitoba Heart Foundation as he remembers losing both parents, Ivan's models as community leaders, to heart attacks too early in their lives. Ivan fulfilled an once-in-a-lifetime role as the Chair of Manitoba's first public campaign for funds for Heart. This campaign also launched dynamic publicity highlighted by the first course for the public in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Later, as the President of Manitoba Heart Foundation, Ivan left his indelible mark leading the Foundation to its first $1,000,000 Year and the Canadian introduction of "Jump Rope For Heart" which has given school children an incredible introduction to fitness while the kids have raised millions for the charity across Canada. While attending meetings of the American Heart Association as a Director of Canadian Heart Foundation, Ivan discovered his passion to bring such world-class events to Winnipeg. 

He has recently moved into a new area of event management when honoured by the Province of Manitoba as a Marriage Commissioner.

During Ivan's very active life in business and charity, he was literally on the run completing 21 Marathons (26.2 miles) and has shared this passion as trainer of more than 100 first-time marathoners by leading, in Manitoba, Jeff Galloway's Marathon Training Program and the first "Team Diabetes". 

His life-long fascination with art has been manifested recently in creating his own pottery. He has been selected to be a Member of the International Society of Photographers!

In July 2006, Ivan was appointed by the Province of Manitoba as a Marriage Commissioner and had the joy of officiating at the wedding of Sarah Furgale and Kevin Fournier at Fort Gibralter.

Even greater than pride of his role in the community is Ivan's love for his special friend Irene and his three children. He is delighted with his appointment as the Grampa to Esha Sekar.

Ivan can be reached at ivan@mts.net