The CAASA Mentorship Program

Jessica Clark Barrow

Co-director, CAASA Mentorship Program

EVP, Waratah Capital

Jessica joined Waratah Capital Advisors in 2013 and leads the business development and investor relations activities of the Client Team and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

She has more than 20 years of experience in capital markets and alternative investment strategies, having worked on institutional trading desks at CIBC World Markets, and BMO Nesbitt Burns, as well as her own consulting firm, First Element Capital. Jessica holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Ontario, has completed the Richard Ivey School of Business Investor Relations program, and is registered as a Dealing Representative.

Jessica also sits on the CAASA Member Advisory Panel, is the former Toronto Chair of 100 Women in Finance, and was Co-Chair of the first-ever True Patriot Love Women’s Expedition to Baffin Island which raised over $1 million dollars for Canadian veterans and their families.

Brian D’Costa

Co-director, CAASA Mentorship Program

Founding Partner & President, Algonquin Capital

From Captain in the Airborne Regiment to managing global trading businesses, Brian has achieved tremendous success as a leader, trader, and risk manager. As the former Global Head of Fixed Income and Rates for CIBC, he was responsible for the bank’s entire bond and rate trading business, overseeing 40 traders globally. Before that, Brian spent 11 years with TD Securities, where he was the Global Head of Vanilla Interest Rate Derivatives, managing trading teams in Toronto, London, Tokyo, and Sydney.

As a Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces, he was awarded the Chief of Defense Staff Commendation for exemplary leadership for his peacekeeping services in Iraq. Brian is a member of the Bank of Canada Fixed Income Forum, where he is a Co-Chair of the GoC Market Functioning Group. When not in the office, Brian can usually be found in the gym, at a hockey rink, or undertaking an ambitious gardening project.

Meaghan Kelly

VP – Strategic Communications, Research & Product Innovation, AGF

Meaghan Kelly is Vice President, Strategic Communications, Research & Product Innovation. Meaghan is responsible for the development of AGF’s strategic communications plan in addition to the translation of AGF’s business strategy into the advancement of the firm’s brand, product innovation pipeline, research blueprint and our corporate and investment communications and marketing initiatives.

Meaghan is chair of AGF’s Research & Innovation Committee and a member of AGF’s Sustainability Council. She also sits on the Responsible Investment Association’s Leadership Council.

Prior to joining AGF, Meaghan worked for Natixis Global Associates and John Hancock Financial in Boston, Massachusetts.

Meaghan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Meaghan also won two NCAA Division I Championships in the sport of rowing.

Kathleen Biggs

Head of Business Development, Lawrence Park Asset Management

Kathleen has been involved in Canadian Bond markets for over 35 years, with the majority of her career spent at Merrill Lynch Canada in both a trading and sales capacity, culminating in a position as Director of Fixed Income Sales. Prior to joining Lawrence Park, Kathleen was a Managing Director at CanDeal, the leading electronic marketplace for Canadian dollar fixed income securities and derivatives.

Daniel Conti

Principal, HarbourVest

Daniel Conti joined HarbourVest’s investor relations team in 2018 and focuses on coordinating, monitoring, and enhancing relationships with new and existing Canadian investors and consultants.

Dan joined the Firm from CI Institutional Asset Management, where he was most recently a vice president responsible for institutional business development and client service for consultants, pension plans, foundations, family and multi-family offices as well as banks and insurance company platforms. Prior to this, he was an investment counsellor for CI’s Private Counsel division. His prior experience includes roles for a single family office and a multi-family office in Eastern Canada.

Dan received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Economics from École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montreal. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planning designations. Dan also currently serves as co-director of the CFA Montreal Mentoring Program.

James Burron

President & Co-Founder, 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).

Jillian Tyler

Marketing Manager, Invico Capital Corp.

As the Marketing Manager at Invico Capital Corporation, Jillian Tyler brings over eight years of experience leading strategic multi-channel B2B, B2C, and B2B2C marketing programs to oversee the marketing function and team at Invico. Before joining the firm, Jillian worked at companies in varying stages of growth, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, and started as a Marketing Communications Associate and Digital Marketing Specialist at Field Nation before transitioning to Thomson Reuters, where she served as a Senior Marketer in the legal division. Most recently, Jillian acted as the marketing lead at Strategic Education Inc., where she managed the go-to-market strategy for all degree programs within the Schools of Business, Technology, and Public Service Leadership at Capella University and the scholarship programs at both Capella University and Strayer University.

Beyond her role at Invico, Jillian is a member of the Calgary Corporate Challenge Marketing/External Relations Committee, a non-profit providing community-focused team building events, and advises the Board on stakeholder relations, external communications, marketing, and community relations. She also serves as a mentor with the BMO Haskayne School of Business Mentorship Program at the University of Calgary. Jillian graduated from Capella University with an MBA in Marketing and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and lives in Calgary, AB, with her spouse. She is a two-time Olympian and represented Canada in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympic Games in swimming and was an NCAA champion, 7-time First Team NCAA All-American, 13-time Big Ten Champion, University of Minnesota Alumni “M” Club Hall of Fame inductee, and University of Minnesota Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame inductee.

Brent Merriman

AVP – Market Strategy, Corporate Communications & Marketing, CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company

Brent Merriman leads the team responsible for CIBC Mellon’s corporate external communications, including content marketing, product marketing, media relations, client events, and employer-of-choice communications. He also oversees the company’s market research, industry intelligence and client feedback programs.

Brent has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate storyteller, marketing strategist and educator. Since joining CIBC Mellon in 2008, Brent has held progressively senior communications and marketing roles within the company.

Brent is active in the communities where he lives and works. He sits on the Matching Committee for the Mentorship Program of the Canadian Association for Alternative Strategies and Assets, and volunteers with the Canadian Capital Markets Association’s T+1 Communications and Education Working Group. He is past chair of CIBC Mellon’s corporate social responsibility steering committee, past chair of its governance and ethics CSR subcommittee, and a founding member of the company’s parenting network.

Brent holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University and a Master of Education from York University.