Ranjan Bhaduri

PhD, CFA, CAIA

Founder & CEO – Bodhi Research Group

Dr. Ranjan Bhaduri (he/him) is the Founder & CEO of Bodhi Research Group, an advisory and consulting firm dedicated to research and education in the investments industry. Under Dr. Bhaduri’s leadership, Bodhi Research Group has served clients on five continents and worked with over a dozen pension funds.

Dr. Bhaduri is a leading voice and recognized authority in shaping best practices of the alternative investments industry. Dr. Bhaduri has 25 years of experience in manager research, portfolio construction, due diligence, structuring, and implementing managed account solutions. At Morgan Stanley, Dr. Bhaduri performed due diligence and played a crucial role in developing customized portfolios of alternative investments. He also served in an advisory capacity at the East-West Center, an American think tank focused on U.S.-Asia-Pacific relations.

Dr. Bhaduri has been a featured speaker at both industry conferences and prestigious educational institutions, educating both entrants and seasoned professionals in the field. He has addressed diverse topics ranging from entrepreneurship strategies to advanced portfolio and risk management techniques. Dr. Bhaduri’s academic contributions extend to publishing papers on a variety of topics including liquidity, portfolio construction, managed account platforms, hedge fund strategies, and risk management in esteemed publications.

Dr. Bhaduri holds both the CFA and CAIA charters. Previously, he served on the All About Alpha Editorial Board and held roles such as Executive of the CAIA Chicago Chapter and currently serves as Executive of the CAIA Toronto Chapter. He has also contributed to AIMA Canada as a Board Member, co-chair of the Managed Futures Committee, and member of the Global Research Committee.

Dr. Bhaduri has demonstrated a strong track record of leadership and mentorship. Several of his former analysts and interns have achieved notable success, securing positions at renowned organizations.

David Ross

CFA

Senior Managing Director, Total Portfolio Management – OPTrust

David Ross, Senior Managing Director of the Total Portfolio Management (TPM) group at OPTrust, is responsible for overseeing OPTrust’s public market investments, executed both internally and externally. TPM pursues a total portfolio approach, deploying across strategies in equities, credit, rates, commodities, FX, and hedge funds. David’s responsibilities also include oversight of the Plan’s trading, funding and liquidity management, internal systematic strategy development, public markets data science analytics and incubation investments in novel and transformative technologies.

Before joining OPTrust in October 2016, David spent 10 years at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in Toronto. He served 8 of those years as a Portfolio Manager, pursuing discretionary global macro value-added strategies on the Global Opportunities desk before serving as co-head of the Emerging Markets Fixed Income & FX desk within the FICC group. Prior to OTPP, David focused on developing emerging markets investment strategies in roles based in London, New York and Toronto.  David has a B.A., Economics from the University of Western Ontario and an M.A., Economics from the University of Toronto. David has been a CFA charterholder since 2006.

With net assets of $27 billion, OPTrust invests and manages one of Canada’s largest defined benefit plans with over 114,000 members and retirees

Shankar Kamath

Director, Partnership Portfolio – BCI

Shankar Kamath joined BCI in 2016. He is a member of the Partnership Portfolio, an investment team that bridges other BCI asset classes and invests in instruments that are expected to generate positive returns through market environments.

With $250.4 billion in gross assets under management as of March 31, 2024, BCI is one of the largest institutional investors in Canada.

Prior to joining BCI, Shankar was a litigator for 7 years in public and private practice in Canada. Prior to law, Shankar was an electrical engineer in the tech industry for 3 years.

Pierre‐Philippe Ste‐Marie

Managing Director Investment Research – Bodhi Research Group

Pierre‐Philippe Ste‐Marie has 25 years of experience in the financial industry working with fixed income and cross asset absolute returns teams. He has initiated and unwound absolute returns and indexed portfolios and managed Canadian, US and European cross asset exposure levered and unlevered as a team leader (CEO, CIO) as well as a portfolio manager. Pierre-Philippe joined the Bodhi Research Group in 2022.

James Burron

CAIA

Founding Partner – CAASA

James co-founded CAASA in response to industry support for a Canadian alternatives association to serve all aspects including: hedge / alternative strategies; private lending; private real estate; private equity; plus emerging areas where Canada is a leader such as digital assets / blockchain and robo-advisors.

Prior to CAASA, James was the Chief Operating Officer of AIMA Canada where his team of three worked with 12 committees to produce 50-60 events per annum across Canada, organize 100+ committee meetings, and increase member numbers over his 7-year tenure from 66 to 164 corporate entities.

James also has experience in research and writing for the CAIA Association as well as serving on CAIA’s Exam Council and as a grader for the Level II portion of the exam. He also had roles in institutional sales and FoHF structuring in Seoul, South Korea, as a Product Manager at ICICI Wealth Management, and an Investment Advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BBA (Finance).

Cordell W. Thomas II

Director of Operations – New York State Nurses Association Pension Plan and Benefits Fund

Cordell is the Director of Operations at the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Pension Plan and Benefits Fund.  He is responsible for leading operational due diligence reviews and broader investment operations functions within NYSNA.

Prior to NYSNA, Cordell served within General Motors Asset Management’s (GMAM) Enterprise Risk Management team; and was responsible for leading operational due diligence reviews on both alternative and traditional asset managers within GM’s Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plans across the US, Canada, Belgium, and the UK.

Prior to GMAM, Cordell worked at Mercer Sentinel Group, Mercer Investments LLC’s operational due diligence consulting group.  While at Mercer Sentinel Group, Cordell performed operational due diligence on alternative and traditional asset managers for both external and internal clients.

During his over 20 years’ experience in the asset management industry, Cordell has served in various roles within reputable firms including Citco Fund Services, Société Générale and BNY Mellon Wealth Management.  He has worked with both alternative and traditional asset managers of various sizes and geographic locations including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Armeen Bhesania

Senior Manager, Due Diligence & Advisory – Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Senior Due Diligence Consultant and advisor to institutional investors about systematic macro, real assets, renewable energy infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, and private equity strategies. Specializes in the Americas & Asia Pacific regions, within developed, emerging, and frontier markets. Prior to her current role, she was at CNID and prior to that worked at Albourne Partners (seven years in Toronto and four years in Hong Kong); she has published several articles and led initiatives related to fiduciary oversight, market abuse, and discerning conflicts of interest. Ms. Bhesania is a Chartered Accountant (Ontario, Canada) and CPA (Maine, USA).

Andrea Kilibarda

Co-Founder, Head of Client Delivery and Impact – Climate Finance Advisors

Andrea Kilibarda is the co-founder of Climate Finance Advisors, where she leads the client delivery and impact function, supporting institutional asset owners in managing systemic risks from climate change across their portfolios. Her work focuses on aligning investment decision-making processes with long-term, shared value creation and the broader goal of building prosperous, resilient societies.

In addition to her work with asset owners, Andrea advises governments, banks, and development finance institutions on sustainable finance strategy and implementation, bridging policy and finance to accelerate the deployment of climate-aligned capital at scale.

Prior to co-founding Climate Finance Advisors, Andrea was a core member of the sustainable finance team at one of Canada’s big six banks. There, she helped shape the bank’s sustainable finance capabilities, advising corporate and public sector clients on structuring innovative transactions. Notably, her work includes leading the development of Canada’s first syndicated Social Loan, targeting health equity and access in Northern communities, and the country’s first Blue Loan, designed to address water scarcity. Her approach is designed to tap into growing pools of sustainability-focused capital, while setting new market precedents. Andrea has also participated in IPO and M&A advisory where she played a key role in embedding sustainability into capital-raising narratives and strategic direction. Her advisory experience spans transition finance and carbon and nature-based solutions. She has provided insights into business strategy, governance oversight, commitment setting, and product development.

Andrea is currently pursuing an MSc in Global Environment and Sustainability at the University of London (Birkbeck), further strengthening her interdisciplinary understanding of global environmental risk and opportunity in capital markets.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from Concordia University and is a graduate of the Van Berkom Investment Management Program. She was selected as class valedictorian where her address emphasized the systemic nature of value creation, urging future leaders to redefine success through the lens of shared prosperity and environmental stewardship.

Mohamed Farid

Head of Absolute Return Strategies – World Bank Pension Fund

Mohamed Farid is a Head of Absolute Return Strategies at the World Bank Pension Fund, managing over $4 billion of Absolute Return Strategies portfolio. Mohamed has over 24years of experience investing directly in hedge funds and is an active member ofInvestment Committee at the Pension Plan portfolio. Mohamed has opportunistically co-invested with some hedge fund managers and implemented internal hedging strategies.

Prior to joining the World Bank Pension Plan, Mohamed worked for Deloitte & Touche and KPMG financial consulting groups in Toronto, Canada, Washington D.C, Egypt and Thailand where he led acquisitions and bankruptcy engagements for leading clients in North America and Asia. Mohamed started his career in commercial banking. He holds a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University in International Economics and Political Science as well as a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from Finafrica Foundation in Milan, Italy.

Nirupa Muthurajah

Director, Equity Strategies Lead, Active Public Markets – University Pension Plan

As Director, Equity Strategies Lead at University Pension Plan, Nirupa oversees the design and management of active equity strategies. She is responsible for manager research and due diligence across long-only and hedge fund strategies, as well as the long-term strategic direction of the Active Public Equity portfolio.

Nirupa’s career spans Canada’s top pension plans, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and CPP Investments, as well as a prominent family office. Her experience encompasses diverse roles across private and public markets, building global systematic strategies, structuring hedge fund portfolios, supporting direct lending in Asia-Pacific, and has experience investing in early to late-stage private equity as well as public investment strategies.

Nirupa holds an Honours BA in Financial Mathematics with Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a member of the Investment Committee for the boards of the United Church of Canada and the Ontario Hospital Association. Outside of her professional pursuits, Nirupa enjoys spending time with her young family, and is a proud ambassador for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, an organization dear to her heart.

Kristaps Līcis

Director of Exams – CAIA Association

Kristaps Līcis has served as the Director of Exams at the CAIA Association since 2022 and as the Senior Associate Director of Exams from 2008 until 2022. He works in all areas of the examination process, including, but not limited to, managing CAIA’s exam team, item development, exam design, item analysis, and exam delivery. Prior to joining the CAIA Association, Kristaps worked at Alternative Investment Analytics as a senior analyst.

Yan Kvitko

CFA

Managing Director, External Portfolio Management – CPP Investments

Yan Kvitko is a Managing Director with CPP Investments’ External Portfolio Management (EPM) team. Yan is responsible for the Emerging Manager program globally which pursues investments in early stage hedge fund managers. Prior to joining CPP in 2019, he worked at New Holland Capital where he was a Senior Portfolio Manager responsible for investment research and portfolio management with a focus on quantitative strategies. Yan began his career at Ziff Brothers Investments.

Yan holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University and an MA in piano performance from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Kevin Blank

Senior Analyst – State of Wisconsin Investment Board

Kevin is a Senior Analyst for the Private Markets and Funds Alpha Division at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), which oversees approximately $156 billion in assets. Kevin’s responsibilities include manager due diligence, portfolio construction, and oversight of hedge funds and long-only external manager relationships. Kevin received a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and is currently pursuing his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Wassim Sakka

CAIA

Senior Vice President – Wilshire

Wassim Sakka is a Senior Vice President focused on hedge fund research on Wilshire’s alternative managed accounts team. He joined the firm in December 2023 as part of the Lyxor U.S. acquisition.

Prior to joining Wilshire, Mr. Sakka was a member of the hedge fund research team at Lyxor U.S. where he was Head of Global Macro, CTAs and Risk Premia Research since 2017. Prior to that, he held a similar role at Lyxor Asset Management in Paris.

Previously, he was a member of Lyxor’s managed account platform serving in a product specialist role focused on quant and macro liquid alternatives. Before joining Lyxor in Paris, he worked within Société Générale’s ETF structuring department and at Sophis as a trading and risk software analyst.

Mr. Sakka earned an engineering degree in computer science and applied mathematics from ENSEEIHT with an exchange program in Polytechnique Montreal. He also holds a master’s in asset management from Dauphine University and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) designation.

Greg Frank

PhD

Director, Model Validation – Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Greg Frank is a seasoned finance professional with over 25 years of experience specializing in quantitative modeling and executive-level communication. His career spans Canadian and U.S. banks, where he designed and implemented models for valuation, market risk, and credit risk. For the past decade, Greg has led model validation at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), evolving the function to encompass broader model risk and governance. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Western University, with a research focus on modeling and understanding emergent behavior in complex systems.

Marjorie Skolnik

CFA

Managing Director – CI Coriel Capital Inc.

Marjorie Skolnik is a Managing Director at CI Coriel Capital Inc., an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer supporting ultra high-net-worth Canadian families and foundations with their investment programs since 2006.

She previously held various positions in the institutional capital markets, including as Director, Global Equity Derivatives at National Bank of Canada. She began her career at Scotiabank, where she transacted interest rate derivatives with central banks, treasuries and hedge funds.

Marjorie is involved in several philanthropic projects. She currently serves as:

• Member of the Investment Committee of the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, and
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a Major in Finance, from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, and is a CFA charter holder.

Wagner Dada

CFA, PhD

Managing Director, Systematic Strategies Group, Capital Markets & Factor Investing – CPP Investments

Wagner oversees a global portfolio of systematic absolute return strategies in the macro space focusing on interest rates, currencies, and commodities at CPP Investments. Before his current role, he was previously focused on portfolio construction efforts in the global tactical and asset allocation group.

Prior to joining CPP Investments, Wagner was a Quantitative Portfolio Manager responsible for the development, research and management of a global macro multi-asset systematic strategy at Tudor Investment Corporation. 

Wagner holds a PhD degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge. He is a CMT and CFA charterholder.

Adam Smalley

MBA

Managing Director – FCC Capital

Adam Smalley is Managing Director at FCC Capital, a division of Farm Credit Canada, andfocuses on innovative investment strategies that support the growth of Canada’s agriculture and food sectors. He joined in 2025 after more than 20 years investing in public and private markets.

Previously, Adam spent eight years at PSP Investments in private markets, holding leadership roles in private debt and an alternatives portfolio focused on venture capital and non-correlated strategies. Earlier in his career, he held progressively senior roles at various asset managers, gaining significant experience in investment analysis, trading, and portfolio management. Hebegan his career in investment banking at Lehman Brothers in New York.

Adam holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Accounting from Bucknell University. He has substantial governance experience having served on several boards, including a public company, and other advisory bodies.

Adam lives in Montreal with his wife and son.

Bill Bobey

Ph.D.

Managing Director, Portfolio Construction and Risk, Capital Markets and Factor Investing – CPP Investments

Bill is responsible for CMF’s portfolio strategy, design, and risk management, overseeing an absolute return global public market portfolio that integrates external funds with internal systematic investment programs. Prior to joining CPP Investments in 2011, he was an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Sobey School of Business and a Senior Quant at Capula Investment Management. He holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Financial Mathematics from the University of Warwick.

Marie Gruttadauria

Senior Advisor, Geopolitical Analysis – La Caisse | Conseillère principale, Analyse géopolitique – La Caisse

Angela Lin-Reeve

CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager, External Managers Program – Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

Angela Lin-Reeve joined the Investment Management Team at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) in 2023 as Senior Portfolio Manager, External Manager Program.  In this role, Angela oversees a portfolio of absolute return strategies that intends to complement HOOPP’s internal trading capabilities and provides exposure to a wide range of strategies and asset classes.

Prior to joining HOOPP, Angela held the position of Director, Pension Investments at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) where she managed external manager portfolios in public and private equities, infrastructure, and hedge funds.

Angela began her career at Russell Investments, taking on increasingly senior roles as Portfolio Analyst, Associate PM and Director, Product Development and Strategy.

Angela holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Safiya Bannister

CFA

formerly Mastercard Foundation and HOOPP

Safiya Bannister is a seasoned investment-finance executive with deep expertise in middle office, treasury, and investment operations. Most recently, she served as Director of Middle Office & Treasury at Mastercard Foundation Asset Management (MFAM), where she was responsible for liquidity management, investment performance reporting, and operational due diligence for a globally diversified portfolio.

Prior to MFAM, Safiya spent over two decades with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), one of Canada’s largest defined benefit plans. At HOOPP, she led progressive investment operations teams and spearheaded major transformation initiatives, including system implementations, valuation automation, and the operationalization of complex alternative and total-fund strategies. Her work enhanced scalability, governance, and efficiency across both public and private markets.

Safiya is recognized for her ability to bridge investment strategy with operational execution, ensuring that institutions can deploy alternative strategies with confidence and rigour. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Finance from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.

Tishawna Clyburn

Investment Vice President, Head of Operational Due Diligence – Prudential Select Strategies

Tishawna Clyburn joined Prudential Select Strategies (f/k/a Prudential’s Alternative Assets Group) in August 2013 as an Investment Analyst on the Real Assets Investment Team. She has more than 12 years of investment and operational due diligence experience across all alternative asset classes. In 2014, she moved from the Real Assets Investment Team to the Hedge Fund Investment Team, where she assumed increasing amounts of responsibility for manager sourcing and due diligence, and was eventually promoted to Senior Associate. As a Senior Associate, she was responsible for manager research and due diligence of equity and credit-oriented hedge fund investments. In June 2022, she was promoted to Vice President, Head of Operational Due Diligence. In this role, she was tasked with launching and building out an independent operational due diligence function to support all private equity, hedge fund, real assets and manager of managers fund investments and SMA mandates. Prior to joining Prudential, Tishawna was a corporate and investment banking analyst for KeyBanc Capital Markets.

In 2017, Tishawna was recognized among CIO magazine’s 40-under-forty Rising Stars.

Tishawna graduated summa cum laude from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Finance in 2011.

Louis L’Ahelec

Junior Analyst – Bodhi Research Group

Pierre Gilbert

CFA

Vice President, Head of Public Markets – Bimcor

As Vice President – Head of Public Markets at Bimcor, Pierre leads the team overseeing investments across fixed income, public equities, absolute return and credit for the Bell Canada pension plans. He also supports the chief investment officer on a broad range of investment and portfolio management related issues, including liability-driven investing, asset allocation and portfolio construction.

Prior to joining Bimcor in 2005, Pierre worked at the Department of Finance Canada, most recently as senior project leader in the Financial Markets Division where he assumed responsibilities for the development of federal debt management strategy.

Pierre earned his Masters of Arts in Economics from Laval University, holds the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation and is a CFA charterholder.

Vincent Jacob-Goudreau

Managing Director, Strategic Asset Allocation – PSP Investments

Vincent is a Managing Director, Strategic Asset Allocation, in the CIO group at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). In this capacity, Vincent leads his team’s efforts in advising PSP’s senior management and Board of Directors on strategic asset allocation, including leverage, benchmarks, strategic FX hedging and asset class mandates. He also leads discussions with PSP Investments’ stakeholders regarding pension funding risk and risk appetite based on thorough asset-liability modelling.

Before joining PSP Investments in 2010, Vincent started his career at Aon in 2003, where he successively held positions in actuarial consulting and investment consulting functions before helping kickstart the Financial Risk Consulting group, a group dedicated to investment consulting based on quantitative modelling accounting for risks from both assets and liabilities.

Vincent is a seasoned investment and financial services professional with more than 20 years of institutional investment experience in portfolio construction, strategic asset allocation, and pension management.

Vincent is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries and holds a BSc in Actuarial Sciences from Université Laval. He also holds the Financial Risk Manager designation from the Global Association of Risk Professionals

Fangyi Liu

CFA, CAIA, FRM

Director, Manager Selection – UBC Investment Management

Justin Young

CAIA

Director of Investments – MEMCO: Multilateral Endowment Management Company

Justin Young is the Director of Investments at MEMCO where he is responsible for portfolio construction and manager selection across client portfolios. He has a special focus on uncorrelated strategies to help meet client needs in a wide range of market scenarios. Prior to joining MEMCO, Justin spent 11 years at the $40bn South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission where he rose from Analyst to Director of Portable Alpha, eventually managing the $5bn hedge fund program which was named 2022 Public Plan of the year by Institutional Investor. In addition to hedge funds, he also spent time covering Fixed Income, GTAA, Equity Options and Commodity allocations at RSIC. Justin began his career as a Research Analyst at Bridgewater associates where he worked with their global equities team. He graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College where he majored in finance and economics. Justin is also a CAIA Charterholder.

Richard Iwuc

CFA

Portfolio Manager – University of Alberta

Richard is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in economics, finance, and investments over his career. His journey began as a Research Analyst for the City of Winnipeg, where he honed his expertise in economics and taxation policy. His career trajectory took a turn towards finance when he assumed the role of an analyst and manager at the Winnipeg Stock Exchange.

Richard’s foray into investments led him to establish and oversee the Manitoba Public Insurance Investment Department. In 2009, he brought his varied experience to the University of Alberta, serving as the Portfolio Manager for the endowment. The focus of his work is presently on external investment managers in private markets and real estate. He is also responsible for risk and strategy research and analysis (including asset allocation). Richard’s academic credentials include a BSc and MBA from the University of Manitoba, and he is a proud holder of the CFA charter. He is also a doctoral candidate at Athabasca University conducting research on Canadian university endowments.

Scott Radke

MBA

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer – New Holland Capital (NHC)

Scott Radke is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer at New Holland Capital (NHC). As CEO, Scott is responsible for leading, implementing, and growing NHC’s business activities. As Co-CIO, Scott is responsible for portfolio management, investment research, and portfolio risk alongside Bill Young. Scott is a member of the firm’s Financial Risk Management Committee and a member of the Investment Committee, which opines on investment and portfolio decisions across NHC’s business lines. Prior to the launch of NHC in 2006, Scott was a member of the Hedge Fund Group within a Dutch pension. Before that, Scott was a Vice President at Citigroup Global Markets and previously an Associate within the Insurance-related Structured Transactions Group at Goldman Sachs. Scott graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BSE in Mechanical Engineering and received an MBA in Finance with distinction from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Patrice Boucher

CFA

Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation

Patrice Boucher has served as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation since 2022. He oversees the management of the Foundation’s investment portfolio as well as that of the family office. He initially joined the organization in 2007 as an analyst.

Throughout his career, he has developed an in-depth understanding of major traditional and alternative asset classes, along with expertise in portfolio management encompassing performance analysis and financial modeling, risk management, manager selection, responsible investing, asset allocation, and the development of investment policies.

In addition, Patrice is actively involved in the financial community as a volunteer member of CFA Montréal’s Sustainable Finance Committee and Programming Committee. He also serves on the Impact Investment Subcommittee of the Foundation of Greater Montréal.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree (B.B.A.) and a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Business Administration from HEC Montréal. He is also a CFA charterholder and holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.
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Patrice Boucher est vice-président et chef des placements à la Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon depuis 2022. Il y supervise la gestion du portefeuille d’investissements de la Fondation, ainsi que celle du bureau familial. Il s’est initialement joint à l’organisation en 2007 à titre d’analyste.

Au fil de sa carrière, il a acquis une connaissance approfondie des principales classes d’actifs traditionnelles et alternatives, ainsi qu’une expertise en gestion de portefeuille couvrant l’analyse de performance et la modélisation financière, la gestion des risques, la sélection de gestionnaires, l’investissement responsable, l’allocation d’actifs et l’élaboration de politiques de placement.

En parallèle, Patrice contribue activement au milieu financier en tant que membre bénévole du comité sur la finance durable et de celui sur la programmation de CFA Montréal. Il siège également au sous-comité d’investissement d’impact de la Fondation du Grand Montréal.

Il est titulaire d’un baccalauréat (B.A.A.) et d’une maîtrise (M.Sc.) en administration des affaires de HEC Montréal. Il détient par ailleurs le titre de CFA, ainsi qu’une certification en investissement ESG (CFA).

Richard Macklem

CFA

Portfolio Manager – CPP Investments

Richard Macklem is a Portfolio Manager with CPP Investments’ External Portfolio Management team, which is responsible for managing a portfolio of investments in commingled hedge funds and separately managed accounts across public market strategies.

He has over 9 years of investment experience spanning portfolio construction and allocation roles across different strategies in the hedge fund space. He invests in hedge fund managers globally, with a current focus on emerging managers. Mr. Macklem joined CPP Investments in 2016.

Mr. Macklem holds a BA in Economics from the Queen’s University and a Master of Financial Economics from the University of Toronto. He is a CFA charterholder.

Ranjan Bhaduri

PhD, CFA, CAIA

Founder & CEO – Bodhi Research Group

Dr. Ranjan Bhaduri (he/him) is the Founder & CEO of Bodhi Research Group, an advisory and consulting firm dedicated to research and education in the investments industry. Under Dr. Bhaduri’s leadership, Bodhi Research Group has served clients on five continents and worked with over a dozen pension funds.

Dr. Bhaduri is a leading voice and recognized authority in shaping best practices of the alternative investments industry. Dr. Bhaduri has 25 years of experience in manager research, portfolio construction, due diligence, structuring, and implementing managed account solutions. At Morgan Stanley, Dr. Bhaduri performed due diligence and played a crucial role in developing customized portfolios of alternative investments. He also served in an advisory capacity at the East-West Center, an American think tank focused on U.S.-Asia-Pacific relations.

Dr. Bhaduri has been a featured speaker at both industry conferences and prestigious educational institutions, educating both entrants and seasoned professionals in the field. He has addressed diverse topics ranging from entrepreneurship strategies to advanced portfolio and risk management techniques. Dr. Bhaduri’s academic contributions extend to publishing papers on a variety of topics including liquidity, portfolio construction, managed account platforms, hedge fund strategies, and risk management in esteemed publications.

Dr. Bhaduri holds both the CFA and CAIA charters. Previously, he served on the All About Alpha Editorial Board and held roles such as Executive of the CAIA Chicago Chapter and currently serves as Executive of the CAIA Toronto Chapter. He has also contributed to AIMA Canada as a Board Member, co-chair of the Managed Futures Committee, and member of the Global Research Committee.

Dr. Bhaduri has demonstrated a strong track record of leadership and mentorship. Several of his former analysts and interns have achieved notable success, securing positions at renowned organizations.

Sandy Poiré

CFA, MBA

Senior Investment Officer – CN Investment Division

Sandy Poiré is a Senior Investment Officer for the absolute return team at the CN Investment Division. In her current role she is responsible for the allocation to external managers for the hedge fund portfolio. Sandy joined the Division in 2011 and was initially responsible for the industrials sector for the Divisions’ European, Asia-Pacific and Emerging Markets equity portfolios.

Sandy graduated from the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and was the Valedictorian of her graduating class. She also received the Calvin Potter Fellowship from Concordia’s Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program. Sandy is a CFA charterholder since 2014 and completed a Master’s in Business Administration at Queen’s University in 2017.

Sandy is Vice President and chair of the governance committee of the board of CFA Montreal and is also an ambassador for Fillactive, an organization aiming to promote physical activities to young Canadian women.

Vincent Zhou

CFA, FRM

Portfolio Manager, External Manager Selection – Redjay Asset Management

Vincent is a portfolio manager at Redjay Asset Management, a spin-out asset management firm from a Toronto based single family office. As a PM, he’s responsible for portfolio construction and manager selection for Redjay’s external funds program. Prior to joining Redjay in 2021, Vincent was a director at Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund where he was responsible for manager selection for the $2B absolute return program.

Vincent has a Mathematics degree from University of Waterloo. He’s also a CFA Charter holder.

Jim Geoghegan

CFA

Deputy Head of Investments – Prime Quadrant

Jim is the Deputy Head of Investments of Prime Quadrant.

Jim has a wealth of experience gained from his 15-year tenure at CPP Investments as well as from his position as a Visiting Researcher at Bodhi Research Group. While at CPP Investments in Toronto and Hong Kong, Jim gained broad and diverse experience across several areas including investment research and due diligence, asset allocation, portfolio construction, financial modeling, relationship management and business planning. A notable highlight of Jim’s CPP Investments tenure was his experience building and managing a variety of global investment portfolios, and he was a key contributor to the growth of the firm’s emerging market portfolio. Jim’s investment experience spans both public and private markets.

Jim received a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration from the Ivey Business School and holds the CFA charter.

Outside of work, Jim can be found paddleboarding, cycling with his family, or attending Paw Patrol concerts with his young daughters. He has also enjoyed supporting efforts to expand life-saving stem cell donations.

Kevin Craney

Relationship Manager – Milburn Services, LLC – Family Office

Kevin Craney is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience managing alternative investments, client relationship management, business development, and portfolio management. Currently serving as a Relationship Manager with a single-family office in Charlotte, NC, he is responsible for overseeing investment portfolios for family office clients, conducting ongoing due diligence on investment managers, regularly participating in investment committee meetings, and serving as secretary. Kevin brings a wealth of experience in hedge funds and other alternative investment strategies.

Kevin’s career has also involved leadership roles at OASIS Investment Strategies, LLC, where he was an integral part of a team that launched a hedge fund-managed account platform.  At OASIS, Kevin was responsible for business development, raising capital from institutions, family offices, and HNW investors. Kevin actively participated in hedge fund due diligence. Kevin has also worked as an investment and derivative consultant, where he led portfolio management, execution of futures trading strategies, risk management initiatives, macro market analysis, client onboarding, and relationship management.

Nirupa Muthurajah

Associate Director, Public Equity – University Pension Plan

As Associate Director, Public Equity at University Pension Plan, Nirupa leads the construction and oversight of the Active Public Equity portfolio for UPP. In her role, she is responsible for research and due diligence of long-only equity managers as well as the long-term strategic direction of the Active Public Equity Portfolio.

Nirupa’s career spans Canada’s top pension plans, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and CPP Investments, as well as a prominent Canadian Family Office. Her experience encompasses diverse roles across private and public markets, covering various asset classes. She has helped build and maintain global systematic investment strategies, structure hedge fund and fixed income external manager portfolios, spent time in Hong Kong supporting direct lending activities to companies in the Asia-Pac region and has experience investing in early to late-stage private equity as well as public investment strategies.

Nirupa holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Financial Mathematics with Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Outside of her professional pursuits, Nirupa enjoys spending time with her family, including her two young daughters, and is a proud ambassador for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, an organization dear to her heart.

Harry Pagel

Senior Vice President – HedgeFacts

Harry Pagel serves as the Senior Vice President at HedgeFacts, bringing with him an extensive career spanning nearly three decades in the financial industry. His journey commenced on the iconic Wall Street, where he gained invaluable experience at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., specializing in Middle Market Institutional Equity Sales.

Harry’s professional trajectory includes over a decade spent at SCT Capital Management, a trailblazing machine learning hedge fund, where he held the esteemed position of Managing Director in Sales & Trading. In this capacity, he not only spearheaded business development efforts but also assumed responsibility for overseeing the firm’s execution trading operations, showcasing his multifaceted expertise.

Throughout his illustrious career, Harry has made notable contributions to various financial organizations, including Typhon Capital Management and Oppenheimer & Co. He also embarked on an entrepreneurial journey that lasted for four years, co-founding a boutique asset management firm and demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach to the industry. Harry Pagel’s wealth of experience, coupled with his proven track record in sales, trading, and business development, positions him as a seasoned leader in the financial sector. His enduring commitment to the field and diverse professional background make him a valuable asset to HedgeFacts and a respected figure in the financial community.

Lauretta Chame

CFA

Senior Associate, IMCO

Lauretta CHAME, CFA is a francophone financial professional with a unique global perspective, having lived, studied, and worked across four countries—Cameroon, France, the USA, and most recently Canada—spanning three continents over the past 18 years. Her interest in foreign languages, including English, German, and Spanish, reflects her dedication in connecting the world through her global insights and cultural fluency.

Lauretta began her career 8 years ago at BNP Paribas in Paris, where she held various roles in both public and private investments markets, including a leadership position. A year ago, she relocated to Toronto, where she currently serves as a Senior Associate in the infrastructure department at IMCO, primarily supporting the deal team and preparing performance reports for clients.

She is a CFA Charterholder and holds a master’s degree in Finance. Additionally, she is an active member of the CFA Society Toronto’s Institutional Asset Management Committee.

Pierre‐Philippe Ste‐Marie

Visiting Researcher – Bodhi Research Group

Kristaps Licis

Director of Exams – CAIA Association

Kristaps Licis has served as the Director of Exams at the CAIA Association since 2022 and as the Senior Associate Director of Exams from 2008 until 2022. He works in all areas of the examination process, including, but not limited to, managing CAIA’s exam team, item development, exam design, item analysis, and exam delivery. Prior to joining the CAIA Association, Kristaps worked at Alternative Investment Analytics as a senior analyst.

Cordell W. Thomas II

Director of Operations – New York State Nurses Association Pension Plan and Benefits Fund

Cordell is the Director of Operations at the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Pension Plan and Benefits Fund.  He is responsible for leading operational due diligence reviews and broader operations functions within NYSNA.

Prior to NYSNA, Cordell served within General Motors Asset Management’s (GMAM) Enterprise Risk Management team; and was responsible for leading operational due diligence reviews on both alternative and traditional asset managers within GM’s Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plans across the US, Canada, Belgium, and the UK.

Prior to GMAM, Cordell worked at Mercer Sentinel, Mercer Investments’ operational due diligence consulting group.  While at Mercer Sentinel, Cordell performed operational due diligence on alternative and traditional asset managers for both external and internal clients.

During his over 20 years’ experience in the asset management industry, Cordell has served in various roles within reputable firms including Citco Fund Services, Société Générale and BNY Mellon Wealth Management.  He has worked with both alternative and traditional asset managers of various sizes and geographic locations including North America, Europe, and Asia.

Derek Lublin

MBA

Senior Director, Global Alpha, External Managers – PSP Investments

Derek Lublin is Senior Director in the Global Alpha group at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). Based in New York, Mr. Lublin’s responsibilities are focused on external manager investments, including fund and special investment opportunities. Mr. Lublin identifies and evaluates managers, strategies, and co-investment opportunities globally across asset classes, and designs portfolios to meet the organization’s return, risk, and liquidity objectives.

Prior to joining PSP Investments, Mr. Lublin was a Portfolio Manager in the Absolute Return Strategies group at General Motors Asset Management. His primary responsibilities included asset allocation and manager research, selection, and oversight for various General Motors entities.

Mr. Lublin has previous experience with Tribeca Global Management and Citigroup Alternative Investments, a multi strategy hedge fund where he was responsible for manager evaluation, risk management and portfolio construction. Prior to Citigroup, Mr. Lublin founded the investment advisory firm DML Capital Management.

Mr. Lublin received his undergraduate degree from University of Michigan and earned his MBA from Columbia Business School.

Angela Lin-Reeve

CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager, External Managers Program – HOOPP

Angela Lin-Reeve joined the Investment Management Team at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) in 2023 as Senior Portfolio Manager, External Manager Program.  In this role, Angela oversees a portfolio of absolute return strategies that intends to complement HOOPP’s internal trading capabilities and provides exposure to a wide range of strategies and asset classes.

Prior to joining HOOPP, Angela held the position of Director, Pension Investments at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) where she managed external manager portfolios in public and private equities, infrastructure, and hedge funds.

Angela began her career at Russell Investments, taking on increasingly senior roles as Portfolio Analyst, Associate PM and Director, Product Development and Strategy.

Angela holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Philippe Trahan

FCIA, ICD.D

ILS Institutional Investor

Philippe Trahan is one of the longest-tenured ILS institutional investors, having developed and overseen ILS portfolio  for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) between 2007 and February 2024.  During that time, he built and oversaw one of the largest and most diverse ILS portfolios, with US$3.5B assets invested across Natural Catastrophe, Specialty, Runoff and Life strategies.  He backed numerous innovations aimed at developing the ILS marketplace, notably being the first London Bridge investor, the first ILS investor active in cyber, casualty, runoff and nuclear risks.  Prior to OTPP, Philippe spent five years at Aon Re Canada in actuarial and broking roles.  Philippe is involved in a number of cross-industry initiatives, including the Sustainable Financial Action Council, the United Nation’s Climate Insurance-Linked Resilient Infrastructure Financing and the SBAI’s ILS Working Group.  Philippe is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Kirk Sims

CFA

Managing Director of Emerging Managers Program – TRS Investment Management Division

Kirk Sims heads TRS’ Emerging Manager Program. Since being established in 2005, TRS has committed $5.9 billion to one of the largest programs of its kind. An additional $4.6 billion has been invested directly with EM Program graduates. Each graduate was selected as a result of consistent outperformance among a group of more than 218 EM managers.

Sims joined the Teacher Retirement System of Texas on March 1, 2019. Before joining Texas Teachers, he was a Senior Investment Officer for the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois. Sims had oversight and management responsibility of TRS’s Emerging Manager Program, a $750 million evergreen pool of capital designed to identify and invest in emerging investment managers across all asset classes.

Prior, Sims worked at Prudential Retirement where he was responsible for a manager of manager’s retirement platform as well as an open architecture investment platform.  He also has a background in asset management and has held various positions with both large and small asset managers.

Sims is a CFA charter holder and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.  He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Maria Clara Rendon

Senior Director, Responsible Investing – University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP)

Maria Clara Rendon is a noted responsible investing specialist, with more than 12 years of experience in the assessment and management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in a wide variety of industries. Her work focuses on the implementation of responsible investing practices by asset owners and managers in both North America and Latin America.

As Senior Director, Responsible Investing at University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP), Maria Clara supports the development and execution of UPP’s Responsible Investing (RI) strategy. She works closely with internal and external partners to ensure a seamless integration of ESG factors into UPP’s investment process and implementation of stewardship practices on behalf of over 37,000 UPP members.

Maria Clara holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering from the National University of Colombia and earned a Master of Science, Sustainability Management from Columbia University in New York, NY.

Wagner Dada

CFA, PhD

Managing Director, Systematic Strategies Group, Capital Markets & Factor Investing – CPP Investments

Wagner oversees a global portfolio of systematic absolute return strategies in the macro space focusing on interest rates, currencies, and commodities at CPP Investments. Before his current role, he was previously focused on portfolio construction efforts in the global tactical and asset allocation group.

Prior to joining CPP Investments, Wagner was a Quantitative Portfolio Manager responsible for the development, research and management of a global macro multi-asset systematic strategy at Tudor Investment Corporation. 

Wagner holds a PhD degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge. He is a CMT and CFA charterholder.

Shael Soberano

CFA

Chief Investment Officer – Sharno Group Inc.

Shael Soberano, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer of Sharno Group, a privately owned independent principal investment group and family office focused on identifying strategic, value-add investment opportunities across a wide range of traditional and alternative asset classes and strategies.

Shael is also the President & CEO, Portfolio Manager & Chief Compliance Officer of Sharno Capital Corporation, a registered Exempt Market Dealer and Portfolio Manager with the Ontario Securities Commission, and distributes securities in Ontario to eligible Accredited Investors.

Prior to Sharno Group, Shael Soberano was Vice President, Senior Analyst at Vision Capital Corporation, a leading Toronto-based Hedge Fund manager focused on publicly traded real estate related securities. Shael first joined Vision Capital as an Analyst in 2009, shortly after its inception. He was promoted to Vice President, Senior Analyst in 2014, and was registered as an Advising Representative with the Ontario Securities Commission in 2017. With a wide range of roles spanning both business development and investment management initiatives, Shael’s contributions were integral in growing Vision Capital’s assets under management and contributed to its award-winning risk-adjusted performance over that period.

Shael is a CFA Charterholder and completed the Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies Honours Degree with a Specialization in Finance at the University of Western Ontario. Shael completed the Partners, Directors, and Senior Officers (PDO) Course in 2019 and the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) in 2010, provided by the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI).

Jamy Kallikaden

Managing Director, Portfolio Design & Construction – CPP Investments

Jamy is the head of the Sustainable Design team within the Total Fund Management Department. She is responsible for incorporating climate change into CPP Investment’s Strategic Asset Allocation and provides guidance on both public and private investments as a member of CPP Investment’s Sustainable Investing Committee. She has more than a decade of experience in energy markets and sustainable finance, having worked in capital markets, trading energy commodities, and value-based investing. Jamy joined CPPIB in 2015, after working on the physical oil and natural gas desk for Macquarie’s Energy Markets Division in Houston, Texas. Jamy holds a BA in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Niall Whelan

PhD

Risk Executive – Bodhi Research Group

Niall Whelan is a risk executive with over twenty years experience implementing new and emerging industry practices and regulations. He is a trusted change agent, experienced at leading complex cross-functional initiatives. Areas of specialisation include climate scenario modelling, enterprise risk, enterprise stress testing, credit modelling for IFRS 9 and CECL, and models for market and counterparty credit risk. Niall is a thought leader who has presented in industry forums, has led training sessions, has published peer-reviewed papers, and teaches the next generation of risk leaders.

He has been a trusted mentor and coach for numerous individuals throughout his career, many of whom are now in senior roles across the industry. Niall coordinates the risk course at the Master’s of Mathematical Finance at the University of Toronto as well as serving on the academic advisory board of the Masters of Quantitative Finance at the University of Waterloo.

Prior to joining forces with Bodhi Research Group, Niall spent over 20 years at the Bank of Nova Scotia leading teams involved in various aspects of risk. Previously he was an academic researcher, investigating the boundary between classical and quantum physics. He is the author of dozens of research papers which have garnered thousands of citations. His research took him to leading research institutes in Copenhagen and Paris.

He holds a PhD in theoretical physics from Yale University.

Yves Caron

CFA, MBA

Senior Director, Funds Private MarketS – CDPQ Funds Management

Yves Caron is a Senior Director, Funds Private Markets, at CDPQ Funds Management. Currently focused on private credit, he has experience across liquid and illiquid markets, emerging managers and GP stakes. Prior to CDPQ, he was a portfolio manager at a multi-family office and at a FOHF.

Yves’ experience in finance is complemented by knowledge of information technology. He worked as a consultant in IT strategy at Deloitte and founded a digital archiving service. He has a MBA from HEC Montreal and a bachelor of science (honors biochemistry) from McGill University.

Jeremy Heer

CFA, CAIA

Managing Director, Investment Research and Engagement – University of Illinois Foundation

Marc Gauthier

CPA, CMA

University Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer – Concordia University

Mr. Gauthier is responsible for the corporate finances oversight and management of Concordia University, including, for its investments portfolio, the Pension Plan and Intergenerational Fund but as well the University’s capital investments, financing and corporate risk portfolios. He has been employed by Concordia University for 34 years and has obtained his CMA and graduated from Finance and Accounting at Concordia University as well as from Queen’s Executive Program.

Jason Taylor

CFA, CAIA, MBA

Founder & CEO – Climate Finance Advisors

Jason Taylor is a capital markets professional with over 20 years of experience and founder of Climate Finance Advisors a boutique sustainable investing and environmental finance firm. In recent years he led the development of the sustainable finance strategy for two Canadian banks working in close collaboration with groups across the bank and capital markets. A frequent conference panelist and public speaker covering topics ranging from transition finance, taxonomies, sustainable finance regulation, Jason has also participated in a number industry standard setting workstreams to accelerate the mainstreaming of sustainable finance in Canada.

He is an advocate for using the power of capital to influence systemic change and contribute to building just, faire, and resilient communities. Experienced in ESG integration, thematic investing, and sustainable investing, his work focuses on crowding-in capital to shrink the funding gap in a financially efficient manner. He completed an MBA focused in sustainability, strategy, and innovation management at McGill/HEC Montreal, where he was named to the Poets & Quants 2019 100 best & Brightest list. He has completed certificate programs on topics ranging from ESG reporting, ESG integration, climate finance, GHG accounting, and energy innovation. He is a CFA and CAIA charterholder. His recent volunteering experience relates to mentoring student-athletes in the Parcours Leadership Carabins program at the University of Montreal founded by Robert Dutton, through the McConnel Foundation’s Solutions Finance Accelerator in 2020, and as a board and investment committee member of the Foundation of Greater Montreal.

Hugues Bessette

CFA

Chief Investment Officer – Innocap

Hugues Bessette serves as the Chief Investment Officer at Innocap since 2017. In this role, he leads a global investment team dedicated to empowering asset managers with strategic allocation insights. Hugues is committed to providing allocators with unparalleled access to and oversight of absolute return strategies.

Prior to joining Innocap, Hugues was the Managing Director and Head of Internal Absolute Return at PSP Investments in Montreal from 2004 to 2016. During his tenure, he played a key role in PSP’s Public Markets Investment Committee and managed the Public Markets overlay portfolio.

Prior to PSP, he gained valuable experience as a Strategist at Bear Stearns International in London, covering central banks and hedges funds, as a fixed-income portfolio manager at CN Investment, and in the Treasury department of the National Bank of Canada.

Hugues hold a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Sciences and a Master’s in Finance (M.Sc) from Laval University as well as a CFA designation.

Hazlitt Gill

Managing Director, Partnership Portfolios – BCI

Hazlitt Gill joined BCI’s Partnership Portfolio team in 2022 and leads the group’s absolute return fund program. Prior to joining BCI, Hazlitt spent over 13 years at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, most recently as Senior Vice President and Head of Alternatives Manager Research. Hazlitt also worked as CIO of RLJ Select Investments and Vice President of Alternative Investments at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Hazlitt has more than 25 years of capital markets experience primarily in alternative investments.

Jean-François Bérubé

PhD

Vice President, Quantitative Strategies and Data Science – CDPQ

Jean-François has over 15 years of professional experience in digital technology and quantitative investment. He held various leadership roles at Hexavest and Desjardins International Asset Management before joining CDPQ in January 2022.

As Vice-President, Quantitative Strategies and Data Science, Jean-François is responsible for developing and managing systematic and quantitative investment strategies. He is also responsible for pre- and post-investment analytics on liquid and illiquid CDPQ’s portfolios. Lastly, he has the mandate to accelerate and expand the integration of data science into the organization’s investment processes.

Jean-François holds a PhD and Master’s degree in computer science from University of Montreal (2008 and 2004), as well as a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Economics from University of Montreal (2000 and 1999). In addition to his experience at Hexavest and Desjardins International Asset Management, Jean-François served as Quantitative Analyst at CDPQ from 2007 to 2009 and was a Research Professional at CIRANO from 2000 to 2003.

Zarqaa Shaikh

CFA, MBA

Managing Director, Completion Portfolio Strategies, Total Portfolio Management – OPTrust

Zarqaa Shaikh is Managing Director of Completion Portfolio Strategies in the Total Portfolio Management (TPM) group at OPTrust. With net assets of $25 billion, OPTrust invests and manages the OPSEU Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan with over 110,000 active members and retirees.

In her role, Zarqaa is responsible for co-leading the public markets portfolio to complete the Total Fund’s risk factor exposure and enhance the Fund’s risk and return profile. In addition, Zarqaa provides strategic direction on the Plan’s externally managed public-market investments. Zarqaa also manages several venture capital relationships within TPM’s technology incubation portfolio.

Before joining OPTrust in September 2017, Zarqaa spent close to four years working in private equity at Starling Group, a family office in Dubai, and allocating capital across North America, Europe and Asia.

 Zarqaa holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Steve Mahoney

CFA, CAIA, FSA, PRM

Chief Investment Officer – NS Pension

Guillaume Lavoie

Director, Strategic Asset Allocation – PSP Investments

Guillaume has been serving for over a decade at PSP Investments in various roles in to Total Fund management and asset allocation. Currently, he is responsible for creating mandates and benchmarks for all asset classes and is directly involved in establishing PSP’s long-term strategic asset allocation, including the integration of climate considerations. In his functions, he plays a key role in researching and developing of all new asset classes and strategies with the various investment teams.

John Simitzis

Senior Director, Pension Fund Investments – Kruger Inc.

John Simitzis is Senior Director of Pension fund investments at Kruger Inc. In this capacity he manages the investment team and reports to the different stakeholders such as Management, the Investment Committee, the Public Board of Directors as well as representatives of the 16 underlying defined benefit pension plans. In his 12 years at the firm, he previously oversaw the Hedge Fund allocation and built up the non-IG credit and lending portfolio (fixed income alternative).

He also ran an equity long short portfolio and helped develop a large-scale Bitcoin mining operation for Kruger Inc.

John holds an M.Sc. in Financial Economics from HEC Montreal.
He taught a Bachelor’s degree derivatives class at HEC Montreal as a lecturer in 2016.

Louis-Philippe Roy

Director of Investments – Joddes

Louis-Philippe Roy joined Joddes in August 2021 as Director of Investments. He has spent over 15 years in various roles that span private markets due diligence, portfolio management, risk management and sell-side trading at various Canadian institutions. In his current role, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of the investment portfolio, including asset allocation as well as manager sourcing in both public and private markets.

Prior to joining Joddes, Louis-Philippe worked at TD Asset Management Inc. (TDAM). As part of the Quantitative Equity team, he co-managed TDAM’s quantitative equity portfolios, with a focus on the systematic alpha mandates.

Before joining TDAM, Louis-Philippe worked as an Associate Director of Proprietary Risk & Investments for a large Canadian financial institution, where he was responsible for trading, hedging, and risk management.

Louis-Philippe holds a Master of Financial Economics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. He also holds the Chartered Investment Manager designation.

Kabil Jaa

Director of Transversal Risk – PSP Investments

Loïc Julé

Head of Public Markets, Hedge Funds and Direct Investments Transactions – Richter Family Office

Mr. Loïc Julé has more than 25 years of experience in financial markets, he spent most of his career working for large Canadian pension plans. Mr Julé currently serves as the head of public markets, absolute return and direct investment transactions at Richter Family Office overseeing all investments made through external managers as well as direct and co-investments. Prior to Richter, Mr Julé spent 14 years at PSP Investment where he served as the Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets Alternatives in his last role, overseeing a portfolio composed of an externally managed portfolio of absolute return strategies as well as an internally managed Opportunistic / Special Situations portfolio. Prior to joining PSP Investments, Mr. Julé spent four years at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) as an Analyst in the Absolute Return group.

Prior to CDPQ, Mr. Julé was a derivatives sales trader at BNP Paribas Equities, France, in Paris. He began his career at the Compagnie Parisienne de Réescompte (CPR) in Paris, working in its brokerage unit.

Mr. Julé earned a Master degree specialized in Financial Engineering from the Institut Supérieur D’Études Financières et d’Ingénierie – Groupe École Supérieure de Commerce de Marseille – France in 1998.

James Burron

CAIA

Founding Partner

James co-founded CAASA in response to industry support for a Canadian alternatives association to serve all aspects including: hedge / alternative strategies; private lending; private real estate; private equity; plus emerging areas where Canada is a leader such as digital assets / blockchain and robo-advisors.

Prior to CAASA, James was the Chief Operating Officer of AIMA Canada where his team of three worked with 12 committees to produce 50-60 events per annum across Canada, organize 100+ committee meetings, and increase member numbers over his 7-year tenure from 66 to 164 corporate entities.

James also has experience in research and writing for the CAIA Association as well as serving on CAIA’s Exam Council and as a grader for the Level II portion of the exam. He also had roles in institutional sales and FoHF structuring in Seoul, South Korea, as a Product Manager at ICICI Wealth Management, and an Investment Advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BBA (Finance).