Two connected values drive George Georghiades’ vision for his own company and for Canada’s future prosperity: a belief in the transformative power of education and a commitment to making long-term investments in our communities — whether as businesses or as individuals.
These twin ideas have lit George’s path as a 1995 Loran Scholar, as a community-building entrepreneur, and as an outstanding volunteer.
George maintains that “to be competitive globally, Canada needs to invest significantly in its young people.” Loran’s program, he says, ensures that talented young students can “study on Canadian campuses, serve their broader school communities, and inspire others to follow their example.” To support Loran, he explains, is to give scholars the option to stay and excel in Canada, and to invest in the future impact that they can make on the world.
George sees three ways to contribute to Loran, or to any cause: “You can give your time, you can give your financial resources, and you can help someone else give their time or their financial resources.” He’s done all of this and more. In addition to being the first alumni representative on Loran’s Board of Trustees, George has interviewed with and chaired the Kitchener-Waterloo/Guelph selection committee, served as a mentor for a scholar, and motivated others to engage in volunteer positions.
George continues to support Loran as a major donor and was also instrumental in reaching out through his own network of contacts to secure major funding for the foundation.
For him, two decades of contributions — financial and personal — “demonstrate, in a small but tangible way, my gratitude for the significant role that Loran has played in my life, and the amazing opportunities it’s afforded me.” Additionally, they offer a meaningful way for him to stay in touch: “Supporting Loran allows me to pay it forward to future generations of scholars and gives me a sense of purpose.”
As those students move on in their careers, he adds, they bring Loran values of character, service, and leadership to both their workplaces and to their communities — all of which Canada needs to thrive. “We need young people to live lives of integrity,” he says, “who are willing to take meaningful risks, and who believe in serving the greater community.”
As a Loran Scholar, George has brought this mindset to his own education and career. He describes the opportunity provided by Loran to study at Western University’s affiliated Huron College and Ivey Business School as life-changing. While working at McKinsey & Company, he focused on alternative investments, real estate, and private equity. He went on to earn a MSc in real estate economics and finance from the London School of Economics and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.
This academic and business background helped build the foundation for George and his brother Nickolas to found their own firm, Lexington Park. Today, the real estate investment and asset management firm based in Waterloo, ON, manages a diverse portfolio of
retail, office, and multi-residential properties and specialized in revitalizing, repurposing, and preserving historic spaces.
Lexington Park has adopted as its guiding principle the belief that “when businesses and communities grow together, everyone thrives.”
“Lexington focuses on helping certain areas of our communities grow while maintaining their history,” George says. “By revitalizing and preserving heritage buildings, we’re making our region’s history clear while also repurposing these buildings for future use and forward momentum. I think this is one thing that Lexington can do for our community that few others can,” he comments, encouraging other businesses to consider the ways in which they are uniquely positioned to address unmet needs and give back.
Through Lexington Park, George reinvests not only in his region, but also in future Loran Scholars as a corporate donor. “I support Loran in a business capacity because Lexington Park’s values directly align with those of the Loran Scholars Foundation,” he explains. “Integrity, excellence, character, intellectual curiosity, determination – those are values that we hold dear at Lexington, and there’s incredible overlap with those of Loran.”
George also recognizes the parallel between Loran’s investment in Canadian youth and Lexington Park’s own philosophy.
“It takes time and a great deal of support, but the long-term impacts that Loran Scholars can have on their communities is amazing,” he says. “That’s what resonates with me, and that’s why I support Loran. As an investment firm, Lexington Park’s investment approach is underpinned by a strict adherence to the long view. We measure success based on expectations and performance over a long investment horizon. We chart the course, just like Loran, based on informed thinking, strategies, and proven knowledge, and we stick to it.
“The impact of Loran’s investment in scholars’ potential is very future-thinking — and that aligns really well with what we do at Lexington Park.”