CAP YVR: Demystifying Family Offices 2026
Overview
Sept. 29 from 12:30pm – 5pm
This afternoon event is designed to shed some light on the family office market – both for those who are working with (or aspire to) family offices and those who are part of these entities (either as family members/principals or full time professional staff).
Following an engaging luncheon keynote, two panels will feature a selection of multi-family offices and single-family offices who will delve into a number of topics of interest to virtually anyone in the audience.
2026 Speakers
Chris Tsoromocos
Managing Partner
Prime Quadrant Partners
James Winckler
Executive Director – Family Office (Wealth & Investment Strategy)
KPMG Family Office
John Wilson
Principal
Wilson Family Office
Andrew Garrett
Chief Investment Officer
Ruck Lane Inc.
Scott Morrison
Chief Investment Officer
Wealhouse Capital Management
Praveen K. Varshney
Director
Varshney Capital Corp.
Neil Nisker
Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus and Board Director
Our Family Office
Priya Garg
Assistant Vice President
Citi
Daniel Stow
President
Zen Capital & Mergers
Chris Tsoromocos
Managing Partner
Prime Quadrant Partners
Chris Tsoromocos is the Managing Partner of Prime Quadrant Partners and is responsible for leading direct and co-investment opportunities on behalf of Prime Quadrant clients and working with families as a trusted consultant.
Prior to joining Prime Quadrant, Chris held various leadership and executive advisory roles with well-established Vancouver-based family offices, where he was primarily responsible for leading investments in private equity, real estate, alternative investments, and public equities. Chris was also a partner in a Canada-based private equity fund focused on both private and public debt and equity investments. Chris previously worked as an investment banker at Citigroup and CIBC Capital Markets in the UK and Canada, where he was involved in M&A and debt and equity offerings.
Chris has a well-established background in direct investing and advisory services. His 20+ year career spanning direct investing, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, and executive leadership provides him with a comprehensive view when advising families. Chris has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with honours from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business. He is also a CPA.
In his spare time, Chris is busy raising two young children with his wife, Rachel, and enjoying traveling with his family. Chris is also a board member and Treasurer of the CKNW Kids Fund and a Trustee and Head of the Investment Committee for the St. George’s School Foundation.
James Winckler
Executive Director – Family Office (Wealth & Investment Strategy)
KPMG Family Office
James is an Executive Director of the Wealth Strategy team within KPMG Family Office. He has 13 years of Portfolio Management, Equity Research, and Family Office experience with High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth clients. He carries CFA and CAIA designations, and for the past four years has served as the primary contact for helping Families architect and implement tailor-made Wealth Strategies. At KPMG, he covers a wide array of investment consulting engagements including Strategic Review/Planning, Investment Policy Statement formulation, Asset Allocation (long-term and tactical), Manager Selection, and Performance/Risk Monitoring.
John Wilson
Principal
Wilson Family Office
John Wilson is Principal of his family’s SFO located in Dallas, TX, while he is based in Calgary, where he oversees multi-generational capital with a focus on private equity, multi-family homes, and options trading. He brings more than 20 years of experience in wealth management and family office leadership. Having lived and worked in eight different countries, he speaks multiple languages and is comfortable doing business across North America, Latin America, and Europe. MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and BBA from SMU (Dallas, TX).
Andrew Garrett
Chief Investment Officer
Ruck Lane Inc.
Scott Morrison
Chief Investment Officer
Wealhouse Capital Management
Scott Morrison is the Chief Investment Officer of Wealhouse Capital Management, a privately-owned investment firm and family office. As the firm’s founder, Scott is responsible for overseeing Wealhouse’s various strategies across asset classes, as well as the firm’s private equity portfolio and real estate holdings.
Outside of Wealhouse, Scott serves on the investment committee of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), where he advises on investment decisions for CIGI’s endowment fund. Scott has over 25 years of asset management experience. Prior to Wealhouse, Scott spearheaded the portfolio management for notable firms such as Mackenzie Investments, CI Funds, and Investors Group. Scott holds a Bachelor of Finance from Concordia University and is a CFA Charterholder.
Praveen K. Varshney
Director
Varshney Capital Corp.
Praveen has been a principal of Varshney Capital Corp., a Vancouver based family office, since 1991. He’s also a Founding Director of Pyfera Growth Capital & a Founding Director of Humanitas Smart Planet Fund, both with a social impact focus. Mr. Varshney obtained his UBC Sauder BComm in 1987 and is a FCPA, FCA. He has been a member of the Vancouver Chapter of EO since 1996 and a founding Director & Charter Member of TiE Vancouver since 2000.
He has been a Co-Founder, Director or Officer of many publicly traded and private companies over the years such as one of Canada’s first producing diamonds mines, Mogo and Little Kitchen Academy. He also serves or hasserved on numerous charity boards over the years including The Vancouver Foundation, The Vancouver Police Foundation and Foundations for Social Change.
Praveen is also a recipient of Business in Vancouver’s 40 Under 40 Awards, the 2020 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Wendy McDonald Diversity Awards Outstanding Mentor and a 2025 prestigious King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for community service. He was also listed as one of the Top 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in BC 2021-2026.
Neil Nisker
Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus and Board Director
Our Family Office
With investment management and wealth advisory experience dating back to 1972, Our Family Office’s Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus and Board Director enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a trusted and respected figure in the Canadian financial services industry. His keen intellect and deep expertise make him particularly well-qualified to revolutionize the multi-family office segment in Canada and grow Our Family Office into the market-leading service provider and partner to the nation’s wealthiest families.
Highlights of Neil’s Career to Date Include:
- Fiera Capital Corporation: Neil was active with Fiera Capital Corporation, one of Canada’s largest investment managers, from 2006 to 2014, serving as the President of Fiera Private Wealth and as the company’s Executive Vice Chairman and a member of the company’s board of directors and governance committee
- YMG Capital Management Inc.: Neil served as President of the YMG Private Wealth Management division from 2000 to 2006. Fiera Capital Corporation purchased YMG Capital Management in 2006.
- Nisker Associates, Strategic Wealth Management: From 1997-2000, Neil was the Chairman of Nisker Associates, Strategic Wealth Management, a Canadian registered investment counselling firm. It was acquired by YMG Capital Management in 2000.
- Best Investments International Inc.: In 1990, Sir John Templeton selected Neil to be one of the three managers of Best Investments International Inc., a global equity mutual fund he owned. Neil held this position until the fund was closed in 2000.
- Brown Baldwin Nisker Ltd.: For more than 25 years, Neil was a driving force behind Brown Baldwin Nisker. Through his diligence, the firm grew into one of the premier institutional brokerages in Canada. It was sold to HSBC Securities in 1988.
In addition, Neil has been the President of Privatech Investments Inc., an investment company headquartered in Toronto, Canada since 1994.
Volunteerism and Philanthropy:
Neil has been extensively involved in philanthropy and a range of activities, including acting as:
- Co-Chair of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Annual Campaign
- Co-Chair of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Campaign
- Vice-Chair of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation and Chair of its Investment Committee
- Chairman of The Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto and Chair of its Investment Committee
- Co-chair of the 2011 JFNA Investment Institute in Palm Beach, Florida
- Frequent speaker at Investment Conferences for family offices and foundations and endowments
Select Publications Featuring Neil:
- “The biblical vengeance of i4i” by Susan Krashinsky, published in the August 14, 2009 issue of The Globe and Mail
- “Case study: How i4i took on Microsoft and won” published by MaRS on February 8, 2011
- “The game of wealth” published in the February 2005 issue of The Bay Street Bull
2026 Agenda
Day 1
- September 29, 2026
- 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
- September 29, 2026
- 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Agenda
12:30 pm
Registration/Lunch
1:30 pm
Inside Jim Balsillie’s Family Office: Building a Partnership
Scott Morrison shares the evolution of Jim Balsillie’s family office, including how the investment platform has been built, how their partnership and respective roles have evolved, and their approach to external managers, seeding investment firms, and deciding where to invest directly versus through partners.
Scott Morrison, Wealhouse
2:00 pm
The Art and Practice of Advising Family Offices
No two Single Family Offices are alike. Their objectives, governance structures, investment capabilities, liquidity needs, and approaches to public and private markets can vary significantly. Some invest directly, while others rely primarily on funds; some maintain sophisticated internal teams, while others depend heavily on external advisors and managers.
Featuring perspectives from professionals who advise family offices, this panel will examine how investment programs are designed and implemented around each family’s unique circumstances. The discussion will explore portfolio construction, manager selection, governance, communication, and the role of external partners, as well as how asset managers can engage family offices thoughtfully and build productive, long-term relationships.
James Winckler, KPMG Family Office
Chris G. Tsoromocos, Prime Quadrant
Priya Garg, Citi
Moderator: Daniel Stow, Zen Capital & Mergers
2:45 pm
Break
3:00 pm
From Introduction to Investment: How Family Offices Evaluate Opportunities
Reaching a family office is only the beginning. Earning its attention, establishing credibility, and advancing an opportunity through its decision-making process are very different challenges.
Featuring leaders from Single Family Offices, this panel will explore how families assess new investment ideas, managers, advisors, and other external partners. The discussion will examine what prompts an initial meeting, which materials and messages resonate, how opportunities are evaluated internally, and why seemingly strong proposals may fail to progress. Panelists will also share their perspectives on relationship-building, follow-up, alignment, transparency, and what distinguishes a valued long-term partner from another name in the inbox.
Praveen K. Varshney, Varshney Capital Corp.
John Wilson, Wilson Family Office
Andrew Garrett, Ruck Lane Inc.
Moderator: Neil Nisker, Our Family Office
3:45 pm
Reception
5:00 pm
End
Members of CAASA
Please contact Manya at Manya@caasa to get on the waitlist.
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Asset Managers and Service Providers
$50.00
Investment Advisors, Single Family & Multi Family Office
Complimentary
Members of CAASA
Event Registration Closed
Non-Members of CAASA
Please contact Manya at Manya@caasa to get on the waitlist.
—————————————————
Asset Managers and Service Providers
$100.00
Investment Advisors, Single Family Office & Multi-family Office employees
Complimentary
Non-Members of CAASA
Event Registration Closed
2026 Title Sponsor
2026 Gold Sponsors
