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JOANNE PAPARI
BASc ’84
J
oanne Papari is president at Biochem Environmental Solutions
Inc. The company, based in Toronto, Ont., is now the largest
company in Canada producing and servicing washroom hygiene
systems, and one of the top three companies in North America
with more than 10,000 customers worldwide.
Born and raised in Greece, Papari moved to Canada to
study chemical engineering at the University of Windsor. After
graduating, she was the first woman hired as a sales representative
by a large chemical manufacturer. In just three months, she
became the top salesperson in Canada, and then the top sales
representative in North America.
In 1996, Papari founded Biochem Environmental Solutions
in response to a market demand for washroom hygiene products
that both enhance the environment and reduce the risk of
bacteria and contamination. Biochem has enjoyed double-digit
growth, year after year, and currently holds approximately 30 per
cent of the Canadian washroom hygiene market, estimated to be
worth between $50 and $100 million.
Papari and her company actively raise money for many
charities, including the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities
of Canada. She is also a business partner in the Learning
Partnership, an organization that prepares children for the
business world.
Papari was the winner of the 2004 Rotman Canadian Woman
Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Innovation by the University
of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
JENNY COCO
MBA ’85, LLD ’12
J
enny Coco is the chief executive
officer of Coco Paving Inc.,
a division of the Coco Group, a
company founded by her parents,
William and Nina Coco. She
is joined in the company by her
brother and fellow UWindsor grad,
Rock-Anthony Coco, BASc ’87. She
started her career in commercial
lending with a financial institution,
then joined the Coco Group full
time in 1987, having spent many
summers learning the family business.
Overseeing the daily management of the Canadian and U.S.
Operations, Coco is largely responsible for the negotiation of
