Extraordinary Women: Jeanne Beker

Compromise is not a dirty word but don’t settle simply because you don’t have the patience to wait.

~ Jeanne Beker

Jeanne Beker is one of the most influential women in the fashion industry—in Canada and around the world. A long-time celebrity, Jeanne speaks on how she rose to the top of arts and culture media as the iconic host of TV’s Fashion Television, along with what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Jeanne started her professional “show biz” career when she was just 16, when she moved to New York to study acting, and to Paris to study mime. In 1975, she found herself in St. John’s, Newfoundland, covering arts for CBC radio.

Three years later, Jeanne landed a job at Toronto’s CHUM radio. In 1979, she helped launch the ground-breaking series The New Music, on CITY TV, which she co-hosted for six years.  A founding member of MuchMusic, Jeanne continued to trail-blaze, and in 1985, launched the legendary Fashion Television, which she presented on in over 130 countries for 27 years.

A seasoned newspaper columnist and features writer, Jeanne was editor-in-chief of FQ and SIR magazines from 2003 to 2008; she has authored five books; and she is a frequent guest on myriad lifestyle shows.

Jeanne has been at the creative helm of numerous fashion lines under her own eponymous label, and since 2015, has been Style Editor for The Shopping Channel, where she currently hosts the series “Style Matters”.

Active with several charitable organizations, Jeanne received an honourary doctorate from St. Mary’s University, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Special Achievement Award from the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television, and a Crystal Award from Toronto Women in Film and Television.
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In 2014, Jeanne was named to the Order of Canada, and she was inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Hall of Legends in 2015. She also received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2016, and an honorary doctorate from OCAD University in 2018.

~ Martin and Farah Perelmuter, Speakers' Spotlight