Guy Laliberté was born in Quebec City in 1959. An accordion player, stiltwalker and fire-eater, this daring visionary founded Quebec's first internationally renowned circus. With the help of a small band of kindred spirits, Laliberté recognized and groomed the talents of the street entertainers from the Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul and created Cirque du Soleil in 1984.

 

Already a multitalented artist, Guy Laliberté quickly dove into the business world to plan and maintain the growth of the young company. Despite the group's lack of experience, he managed to convince financial institutions to back the project, winning them over with the originality and audacity of youth. He also developed a network of partners around the world to help Cirque du Soleil make a name for itself abroad.

 

Guy Laliberté was the first to orchestrate the marriage of cultures and artistic and acrobatic disciplines that is the hallmark of Cirque du Soleil. Since 1984, he has guided the creative team through the creation of every show and contributed to elevating the circus arts to the level of the great artistic disciplines.

 

Thanks to its founder's vision and talent for bringing people together, Cirque du Soleil has become an international organization, as much in terms of its makeup as in the scope of its activities and influence. Guy Laliberté now heads an organization with activities on five continents.

 

In 2007, Guy Laliberté received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for all three levels: Quebec, Canada and international. In 2004, he received the Order of Canada, the highest distinction in the country, from the Governor General of Canada.  The same year, he was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2003, he was honoured by the Condé Nast group as part of the Never Follow Program, a tribute to creators and innovators. In 2001, he was named a Great Montrealer by the Académie des Grands Montréalais. In 1997, Guy Laliberté received the Ordre National du Québec, the highest distinction awarded by the Government of Quebec