By Mitchell Clark
Ellis Jacob is the CEO of Cineplex Entertainment, known for being the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada. He is an extraordinary businessman, and has been appointed to the Order of Canada because of his outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry.
In a recent interview, I had the opportunity to speak with him and learn about his success.
Jacob began his career pursing an MBA and then obtained a CA designation.
As his goal was to acquire further knowledge in the management field of accounting, he subsequently chose to pursue a Certified Management Accounting (CMA) designation, a perfect fit for those who desire to work within their own industry.
Later, because of his contributions to society in his field, he was elected to Fellowship by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) and is now an FCA.
Jacob was a key player in shifting the entertainment industry from a predominantly American owned business to one that is now primarily Canadian owned. He is responsible for co-creating Galaxy Entertainment Inc. which after merging with Cineplex Odeon Corp and then purchasing Famous Players became Cineplex Entertainment LP.
Jacob and Cineplex strive to give back to the community. Focusing on community, and being an immigrant himself, he is passionate about employing a diverse workforce which truly represents
the Canadian population. Last year, Cineplex successfully raised over one million dollars for the Starlight Children’s Foundation which helps restore the quality-of-life to children with serious illnesses who must undergo intense and long-lasting treatments.
When asked what inspires Jacob, he responded by saying, “…the passion I have for the work I get to do on a day to day basis.” Jacob also commented that, “A person should arrive to work every day because he or she loves what they do. A person who goes to a job just to do the job is not one who succeeds.”
With every business there are competitors and for Cineplex, that competition is is available leisure time and dollars.
Jacob and Cineplex move ahead of the competition by delivering an experience above and beyond what people expect while still providing quality service to each individual.
Cineplex uses up-to-date technology providing some of the best theatres in Canada including SilverCity, Cineplex Odeon and Galaxy locations.
Cineplex also offers a reward program in partnership with Scotiabank entitled SCENE, allowing customers to earn points toward free movies and concession items.
Being above the competition also means providing entertainment that goes beyond movies. Cineplex enables customers to watch sports and even the opera on the big screen. This provides its customer with the most variety in a company that is more than a just a movie theatre.
Jacob’s plans for the future include continuing to work with Cineplex in order to be the best in the industry while continuing to give back to the community. He plans on continuing to expand the Cineplex brand to more locations while keeping the same quality entertainment company it is today.
Leaders such as Ellis Jacob are inspirations to future and prospective CMA students who must learn to not only work hard but also to give back to their communities, while staying on top of inevitable industry change.
Mitchell Clark is a student at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.
