My guest this week is Prerna Mathews. Prerna is a subject matter expert on ETFs and is responsible for the development and execution of Mackenzie’s ETF business strategy. Her team is responsible for initiating product development and shelf management activities and managing ETF capital markets and exchange relationships. Throughout her career, Prerna has gained extensive experience in the development and management of active, strategic beta, and index ETFs. Prerna holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Windsor and an MBA from IE Business School in Spain.

My guest is Matthew Leblanc, regional vice president at IG Wealth Management. Matt started his career as a consultant in 2011 before becoming a division director. He’s also led the creation of a new regional office in Dorval and now holds the title of Regional Vice President. Over the years at IG, Matt has supported a diverse clientele of professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs aiming to provide financial planning expertise and proven tax-optimization strategies to clients for short and long-term financial goals. Matthew is a Laval University graduate in Sciences and is certified as a Financial Planner. As usual, the content in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not serve as financial advice.

My guest this week is Eliot Freeston. Eliot Freeston is a Managing Director at Moelis & Company where he specializes in M&A advisory. Mr. Freeston has over 15 years of investment banking experience, executing public and private buy-side, sell-side and special committee assignments across a broad range of industries. His expertise has led him to advise on numerous high-profile, strategic M&A transactions with an emphasis on the hospitality and leisure sectors. Prior to joining Moelis & Company, Mr. Freeston worked in the M&A group at Centerview Partners, and he began his career in investment banking with Scotia Capital in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Freeston holds an H.B.A. from The Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

This episode was recorded on February 2, 2022. 

My guest on this episode is Lesley Marks, Chief Investment Officer (Equities) of Mackenzie Investments. Ms. Marks joined Mackenzie earlier this year but is a seasoned investment leader with more than 25 years of experience across asset and wealth management, including 22 years at the Bank of Montreal. She was a CIO in both Wealth Management and Asset Management at BMO and, prior to that, had an extensive successful track record as a portfolio manager of Canadian equity portfolios. Ms. Marks is also an active volunteer in her community, channelling her efforts towards causes she is passionate about. She is an Audit and Risk Committee Member for Kids Help Phone, an Advisory Board member for the Institute for Sustainable Finance and the Chair of a Foundation board. Ms. Marks is a CFA charter holder, holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a BCom from Queen’s University. 

My guest this week is Rick McCreary. Rick has over 35 years of experience in the resource sector both as a principal in executive and board roles with various corporates and a financial advisor in investment banking.

On the corporate side, Rick started his career with Gulf Canada as an exploration geophysicist later working with the Noranda-Falconbridge Group in engineering, technology development, and metals marketing; and most recently as Senior Vice President Corporate Development with Barrick Gold where he led over US$1.5B in non-core asset divestitures.

Prior to TD, Rick's most recent investment banking role was Head of CIBC’s Global Mining Investment Banking Group.

During his career, Rick has acted as principal or lead financial advisor in marquee transactions for Placer Dome, Barrick, African Barrick Gold (Acacia), Goldcorp, Kinross, Franco-Nevada, IAMGold, Evolution, Northern Star, Orezone, Noranda, Falconbridge, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Teck, Lundin, Aur, Inmet, Ivanhoe, HudBay, Equinox, Quadra, Baffinland, and Dominion Diamond.

Rick holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from McGill University, and an M.Sc. and B.Sc.Hons in Geological Engineering from Queen’s University.

Recorded June 17, 2021

My guest this week is Charles Hadid. Mr. Hadid is a Managing Director for Credit Suisse in the Global Consumer Sector, focusing on the food and beverage industry. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Hadid started his career with Citi in their investment banking division. Charles Hadid is an engineer by training; he completed his Bachelor of Engineering at McGill University. 

My guest this week is Charles Huot. Charles has over 20 years of experience in institutional equity sales, eight years with Morgan Stanley and 16 years with Bank of Montreal and Credit Suisse. He worked from different locations, amongst them Montreal, Toronto and New York.

Charles joined Morgan Stanley in 2013 as the relationship manager for Quebec-based Institutional accounts, specifically all the significant Pension funds, Mutual funds and insurance companies like CDPQ, PSP, Fiera, and CN Investment trust. He works in the Equity Division and regularly interacts with Investment Banking Division. Charles' main task is to advise large institutions on their investments and to make sure they buy or sell stocks at the right price.

In 2021, Charles will take on additional responsibilities within Morgan Stanley by collaborating on the expansion of Shareworks, a new Morgan Stanley division that offers intuitive solutions that help realize the full potential of stock plan compensation. It is a customizable solution for companies to empower their employees by making their finances a wellness source.

Mr. Huot earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from UQAM as well as Accounting from McGill University.

Charles is the father of three teenagers and enjoys practicing various sports in his free time, especially cycling, which he excelled at, at a younger age.

Recorded on March 19, 2021 

My guest this week is Neil Constable, he is the Head of Quantitative Research and Investments at Fidelity at their Boston Office. In this role, Mr. Constable is responsible for leading the QRI team within Asset Management, overseeing quant research for Fixed Income and Equity, and Fidelity’s Advanced Data and Analytics group. QRI is responsible for the management and development of new quantitative strategies and solutions while providing high-quality quantitative support to Fidelity’s investment professionals, ensuring they have access to the most relevant data and advanced quantitative analysis. Fidelity Investments, the American multinational financial services corporation, is one of the largest privately-held asset managers globally with 4.9 trillion dollars of assets under management and a combined total customer asset value of 6.7 trillion.

His specialties include Global Quantitative Equities and Fixed Income, Developed and Emerging Markets, Asset Allocation, Equity Derivatives and Volatility.

Before joining Fidelity last year, Mr. Constable spent 13 years at GMO, founded by the renowned value investor Jeremy Grantham, as a Partner and Head of Global Equity.

Mr. Constable earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary. He then went on to complete a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. In addition to receiving his Doctorate Degree in Physics at McGill University, Mr. Constable was an MIT Post-Doctoral Fellow in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics.

Recorded on March 12, 2020

Recorded on November 13 

My guest this week is Claire Sturgess. Claire joined RBC Capital Markets' Global Investment Banking team in 2001. Claire is responsible for investment banking coverage of clients in the Consumer and Industrial sector, with a specific focus on Food and Beverages, Distribution, Business Services and Packaging. Claire has worked on a wide range of IPOs, equity and debt financings and mergers and acquisitions assignments for clients such as Brookfield Asset Management and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Clearwater Seafoods, Information Services Corporation, High Liner Foods, Ritchie Bros. and Teranet. During her tenure at RBC, Claire has also acted as a member of the RBC Capital Markets’ Diversity Council, Co-Chair of the Women in Capital Markets’ Return to Bay Street program and is one of the Executive Sponsors of RFuture, a program designed to support and encourage the firm’s next generation of leaders. Claire is a current Director and former Chair of the Conn Smythe Foundation and a Member of the Board of Governors of Branksome Hall. Claire has an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and also holds a BA (Hons.) from McGill University. Claire and her husband live in Toronto and have two children.

Recorded on Nov. 18