For immediate release—Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Toronto, ON – Ingenium Books will publish Count on Me, the autobiography of Peter J. Bissonnette. Bissonnette was president of the telecommunications giant—which has since been acquired by Rogers—from 2000 to 2015 and played a key role in Shaw becoming one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies by the time of the Rogers acquisition in 2023.

“I didn’t know, as a small child confined in a dark closet, that I’d become a leader one day,” said Bissonnette. “But I found my strengths, I found my purpose, I chased my dreams. I learned that it was possible to count on me. None of us is perfect. I have forgiven my mother. I wouldn’t be the person I am if it weren’t for her.”

Count on Me is Bissonnette’s captivating life story. He’s a self-made man who rose from humble beginnings to achieve more personal growth and career success than his parents told him he was capable of. Instead of becoming “nothing good,” he became the president of Shaw Communications Inc., loved and respected by colleagues and subordinates alike.

“Peter’s manual was his life experience,” said Brad Shaw, now a director with Rogers. “He just seemed to understand everything. He had such a broad view and was able to put things in perspective, to be relatable and personable when he could have stood on higher ground. But he had an unconventional way about him, and I think it was so powerful. I think it helped many, many people in their lives all around.”

Count on Me follows Peter’s journey, his personal setbacks and professional triumphs, set against the backdrop of Canada's ever-changing media landscape. “I feel that I have a responsibility to share this as a part of my legacy and a lesson for those that can learn from the against-all-odds story that my life reflects,” Bissonnette said. “Embedded within these recollections of my life journey are evocative truths about people and choices that challenge stereotypes and invite broader perspectives. The modern world is divided. But there’s a layered context to reality that expands in all directions. We cannot make assumptions or place people in boxes.”

“We’re very excited about publishing Count on Me by Peter Bissonnette,” says Boni Wagner-Stafford of Ingenium Books. “His story isn’t just about an incredible career trajectory, although an insider’s perspective into the telecommunications industry in Canada is interesting. His story is about resilience and the drive to prove the naysayers wrong—something many of us lower down the corporate ladder can identify with as well.”

Count on Me is slated for release in mid- 2025.

Learn more about Peter J. Bissonnette

Learn more about Ingenium Books