Herbert Samuel Holt was born in 1856 in Geashill, Ireland, and came to Canada at the age of 20. An engineer, he was associated with the powerful businessman William Van Horne in building the Canadian railway system, and this connection opened the doors of Montréal financial circles to him. Holt worked to merge gas and electricity providers in the Montréal area. He quickly turns the merged company, the Montreal Light, Heat and Power Company, into one of the largest industrial empires in Canada. One of the most influential men of his day, Holt for many years was president of Montreal Light, Heat and Power, the Royal Bank of Canada, and Montreal Trust. He was a prudent administrator and always used the same strategy: swallowing up competitors when they became too much of a threat.