Jay Mandarino
President & CEO
(and Head Oyster Shucker)

As President and CEO of The CJ Group of Companies, Jay Mandarino oversees the daily operations of 31 companies (and currently still growing!), including his Not-For-Profit ventures, with total sales reaching over 40 million dollars. Located in a 240,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the companies continue to grow despite the economic challenges our industries face.

Jay’s founding company, CJ Graphics Inc., is one of the most award-winning printing companies in North America, receiving over 6500 awards to date and the first company in North & South America ever to win eight Benny awards for eight individual pieces, and the only company in Canada ever to win eight Benny awards – the highest honour from the most prestigious print competition in the world. Jay was previously named Canada’s Printing Leader of the Year at the Canadian Printing Awards, celebrating world-class printing and industry achievement. His accolades include Canada’s Printer of the Year (Graphic Monthly magazine), making the list of 100 Most Profitable Companies (Profit magazine), Entrepreneur of the Year (Etobicoke Chamber of Commerce), and he has appeared on the front cover of PrintAction magazine followed by a feature article entitled “The Facilitator” where he discusses growth by mergers and acquisitions. Jay gives back to the community through his philanthropy. He was voted Community Leader of the Year by his peers in PrintAction.

Jay currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario and has served on the Pinball Clemons Foundation Board, The Advertising & Design Club of Canada (ADCC), past Director of the Graphic Designers Association of Toronto, past President of the Toronto Club of Printing House Craftsmen, past President of the Waterless Printing Association in North America and has served on several boards and committees for PIA, OPIA and IAPHC. Jay’s philanthropic work has been acknowledged in many editorial articles, letters of praise and with numerous awards including three medals – the Diamond Jubilee Medal from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, recognizing individuals who, through exceptional long-term efforts, have made outstanding contributions to their communities, and the Order of International Ambassadors Medal. Jay was awarded Hero of the Year and the Urban Hero Award in the category of sports for his Not-For-Profit CJ’s SKATEPARK and was the recipient of the Business Award from The Rotary Club of Toronto for exemplary contributions and dedication to assisting youth at the Rotary Youth Impact Awards Gala.

Jay intuitively thinks outside the box, which empowers his team to be both innovative and successful. He employs the best of the best, believing that if you surround yourself with excellence, the result can only be exceptional. Jay has also consulted for many printing and communication companies around the globe. He is an international speaker who is both informative and captivating, using humour to make his presentations more memorable. Jay is the author of Cause For Laughter, a joke book whose entire proceeds go to charities, currently in its second printing.

For more information about Jay, visit www.JayMandarino.com