When Onex was in the midst of contentious talks 20 years ago to acquire Spirit Aerosystems, an aircraft structures manufacturer owned by Boeing, Nigel Wright cut a deal that was unorthodox in the private equity world.

In exchange for a 10% cut in wages, equity was pushed deep down into the organisation – such that even those on the factory floor benefited. Employees, management, and owners would share in the company’s fortunes.

A process shrouded in scepticism transformed into an environment where both labour and management were “virtually singing kumbaya”, as one commentator at The Seattle Times put it. Even Boeing was forced to take note of Onex’s model in considering solutions for its own never-ending labour disputes.

Yet that deal struck by Wright came “without any fanfare, without any publicity, but done just because it was the right thing to do”, recalled Tawfiq Popatia, head of Onex Partners, who had been close to, and worked with, him for nearly two decades, latterly heading the sponsor’s upper middle market fund together.

In late September, Nigel Wright passed away from heart failure in his sleep in London, UK, aged 62. Tributes quickly flowed in, with much uniformity across condolences that recognised his formidable intellect, discipline, decency, authenticity, and commitment to the wider public.

“You only had to meet him once to know that he was really special,” said Popatia. “He had a humility about him that was authentic and uncommon in our industry.”

Those same traits came to the fore in 2010 when Wright agreed to serve as chief of staff to Stephen Harper, then Canada’s Conservative prime minister. It was a “thankless” unelected role that carried little credit but all the risk, as he later learnt firsthand during a Senate expenses scandal when an attempt to help a colleague drew him into controversy and, ultimately, ended his political career in 2013.

Wright joined the prime minister’s office at a pivotal time. Taking a secondment that Onex only reluctantly approved, he was responsible for instilling corporate-like discipline in what used to be long meandering meetings. In terms of achievements, Wright previously expressed – with characteristic modesty – his satisfaction at having played a hand in shaping policies that ranged from imposing foreign investment limits on Canada’s critical natural resources and infrastructure sectors, to the country’s membership of what is now the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Within months of his arrival, the Conservatives secured their first majority in parliament after five years of minority rule.

“As an outside observer, a citizen, and as part of the electorate, [Harper’s] time in the Canadian government was, in my opinion, one of the highest functioning governments in the world,” Popatia said. “That was in no small part thanks to Nigel’s involvement.”

His time in Ottawa earned respect across deep and treacherous party lines. Mark Carney, the current Liberal prime minister, acknowledged he “benefitted often” from his counsel. Wright was highly complementary about Carney’s intellectual prowess and work ethic – despite quipping to me that the current premier’s “world views aren’t exactly the same as mine”. Former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau joined Conservative figureheads Pierre Poilievre and Harper in paying tribute to Wright following his death.

Whether in the boardroom or the corridors of power, Wright did not forget those in need. At Onex, where dealmakers are often on call around the clock, insiders knew to avoid his Fridays from 5pm-7pm, as Wright would be volunteering at homeless charities – a commitment he rarely spoke about openly.

Having had the good fortune to run into Wright at several industry events, I was always struck by his generosity in spending some time discussing sponsor trends, his plans for Onex and – as a fellow Canadian – politics.

I last met Wright just days before his untimely passing. As we shook hands, his presence was striking – sharply dressed, radiant, and exuding an ineffable sense of being very present for me. Years of disciplined routine – including his daily half-marathon morning runs, as I only recently discovered – seemed to have maintained that same poise he had shown when I first met him some four years earlier.

As a journalist, networking within the private equity industry comes with its challenges. Industry interviews are often guided by rehearsed media-friendly talking points, operating within strict guardrails. Wright took a more open, discursive, and intellectually rigorous approach. He was willing to explore the topic of the day in depth, at length – and most importantly to us working in journalism, with candour. I learned a great deal from our conversations.

Those of us who mourn Nigel Wright’s unexpected passing were privileged to know someone so genuine and inspiring. He was, in every sense, a good and decent man. His loss is felt profoundly by his family, friends, colleagues – and the many Canadians who had the chance to benefit from his wisdom and sense of public service.