Awards of Distinction for business leaders

18th edition of the John Molson School of Business Awards of Distinction, presented at the Canadian Centre for Architecture on Nov. 21

Emilia Di Raddo, chartered accountant, began with Zittrer Siblin Stein Levin in 1980, becoming a partner in 1988. While she chaired the staff committee, the firm was twice voted one of the best 100 companies in Canada to work for. Now she is president of Le Chateau Inc., which manufactures 50 per cent of its clothing in Canada; it operates 185 locations in Canada, and five in the New York area.

Jean-Yves Monette is president and CEO of Van Houtte. He has 30 years’ of experience in the retail food industry, half of it in the coffee business. He was in charge of Van Houtte’s coffee roasting plants and retail marketing for eight years During that time,he expanded prod-uction and orchestrated the spectacular development of the Van Houtte brand across Canada and the eastern U.S.

Alfred T. Spain is Senior Vice President, Operations, for JetBlue Airways Corporation, based at New York’s JFK International Airport. Mr. Spain, who earned his Aviation MBA from Concordia in 1998, maintains currency as an Airbus A-320 captain and check airman in addition to his executive respons-ibilities. Mr. Spain flew in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Air Medal for Valor.