Clayton Howard Riddell, OC (July 13, 1937 – September 15, 2018) was a Canadian billionaire businessman who was the founder, president and CEO of Paramount Resources, based in Calgary, Alberta.
[5][6] The original donor agreement allowed the Riddell Family Charitable Foundation to appoint three out of five members of a steering committee, chaired by Manning, which had significant influence over the program's budget, hiring decisions, and curriculum.
This level of donor control, coupled with Manning’s involvement, was criticized by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) as an unprecedented infringement on academic independence.
[7] The agreement also allowed Riddell’s foundation to withhold $10-million of the pledged funds if it was unsatisfied with the program's performance after five years.
The revised agreement clarified that the steering committee, now described as a "strategic advisory" body, would no longer have the power to approve faculty hiring or curriculum changes, which would be governed solely by university policies.