Harper’s chief of staff Nigel Wright was hailed as future of Conservative Party

As a young man, Nigel Wright thought of becoming an academic or a priest. In the end, he chose business and politics, reaching pinnacles in both fields. He served as one of the most senior executives at Onex Corporation, the private equity firm, and as chief of staff when Stephen Harper was prime minister.

Yet his greatest accomplishment might have been that, despite spending decades in those cut-throat environments, “if he had an enemy, I don’t know who it is,” said Gerry Schwartz, founder and chairman of Onex, in an interview.