James K. Irving Biography: Parents, Salary, Net Worth, Ethnicity

Short Info

Net Worth	7.3 billion USD
Date Of Birth	March 20, 1928

James K. Irving is a Canadian businessman and the co-chief executive officer of Irving Oil. He is the son of billionaire industrialist Kenneth Irving and the older brother of Arthur Irving.

Early Life

James K. Irving was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of Mary Elizabeth (née Burns) and Kenneth Colin Irving. His father was a billionaire industrialist and his mother was a homemaker. He has two younger brothers, Arthur and John.

Irving attended high school at Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay, New Brunswick. He then studied economics at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Career

Irving began his career working for his father’s company, Irving Oil, in 1976. He became the company’s president in 1986 and co-chief executive officer in 1993.

Under Irving’s leadership, Irving Oil has become one of the largest privately owned energy companies in North America. The company has operations in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Irving Oil has a refining capacity of 320,000 barrels per day and a network of more than 1,000 retail outlets. The company also owns and operates Canada’s largest private-sector oil tanker fleet.

In addition to his role at Irving Oil, Irving is a director of J.D. Irving Limited, a conglomerate with interests in forestry, shipbuilding, food processing, and other industries. He is also a director of New Brunswick Power Corporation and Brunswick News Inc.

Irving is a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. He is a past chairman of both organizations.

Irving has been awarded honorary degrees from Acadia University, the University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison University, and St. Francis Xavier University.

In 2012, Irving was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.