The Global Automakers of Canada (GAC) is honouring Don Durst for his 51 years in the business with a bursary to be given to a student entering Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC).
The bursary, known as the Don Durst Award of Excellence, will initially start out as a five-year program and hand out $3,000 annually. The award will emphasize high academic standing, diversity, equity, inclusion and financial need.
“Given that we’ve just started a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at the Association in the last year or so, we thought creating a bursary for Don that had that orientation made sense,” said GAC President David Adams in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.
Adams said he initiated the idea for the bursary and was supported by the Steering Committee. He also said the money is being directed to the school because the GAC, the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, and the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association have been providing seed money to it since its inception in the 1980s.
The 71-year-old Durst recently announced his plans to retire from the day-to-day automotive manufacturing world after working the last 18 years with Subaru Canada, most recently as Vice President. He began his career with the American Motors Corporation, then moved to Volkswagen. Durst will be teaching at the ABSC in its graduate management program in the fall, though the bursary is unrelated to this development.
Durst was treasurer at the GAC for three decades and was a member of the Board for 35 years. Adams said Durst helped the GAC transition from being part of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters to a standalone entity. Durst hired Adams in 2004.
“From my perspective there’s not as many people that stick around the companies anymore,” said Adams. “To have somebody with Subaru, for instance, in an executive role for that long — it’s kind of unheard of. Generally, presidents and vice presidents typically move outside the organization. I think it was a good fit for Subaru. He was instrumental in Subaru’s growth and market share in Canada.”
Durst said he retired because it was time. “I love the business; it’s a lot of fun and I love the dealers,” said Durst. “I’ll still keep my eyes on the automotive business.”
He received a special plaque at the GAC’s recent board meeting, which caught him by surprise.
“I thought it would just be a nice handshake and a picture of a car or something — typically that’s what you get (in the automotive industry) when you retire,” said Durst. “All these guys are my friends. This beautiful bursary they gave me for the students is absolutely amazing. I’m so proud to be going to Georgian every year to give that award away.”
