Senior Director of Canadian Economics, Desjardins

Randall Bartlett is Senior Director of Canadian Economics with Desjardins Group. Based in Toronto, he leads a team that covers the Canadian and provincial economies & housing markets outside of Quebec, as well as government budgets & fiscal policy. Before coming to Desjardins, Mr. Bartlett was the Director of Economic Research on OMERS' Total Portfolio Management Team, where he was responsible for global economic research and forecasting. Prior to that, he was the Chief Economist at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, where he published Canadian economic, fiscal, and policy analysis. He has also held positions at PSP Investments, TD Economics, the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer and the federal Department of Finance. Mr. Bartlett has an Honours BA in Mathematical Economics from the University of Guelph, a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder.

Managing Director, Wealth Solutions Group Deputy Head and Head of Structuring, Innovation & Private Markets, CIBC

Meric has 20 years of experience in finance, starting in the Equities Division of Goldman Sachs, New York. While at Goldman, Meric developed derivatives research around indices, ETFs, and options, for both pension funds and hedge funds. She later moved to Asia (Japan and Singapore) where she worked as an Equity derivative sales specialist focusing on hedge funds. Meric joined CIBC in 2016 where she is currently the Deputy Head of the Wealth Solutions Group. She specifically leads the Structuring, Innovation & Private Markets teams. Her team is responsible for the generation and pricing of CIBC’s Structured Notes, Market Linked GICs and all new product initiatives including Private Markets. Meric served as the co-chair of CIBC Global Markets Recruiting Committee. She is currently the business liaison for CIBC Continuing Education Program from Capital Markets and a member of the CM Learning Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the CIBC Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council (IDAC). Meric graduated from Hamilton College in New York, USA as a mathematics and economics double major. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Senior Vice President Investment Strategy, Portfolio Advisory, Products & Trading, Raymond James

Chris is Senior Vice President, Investment Strategy, Portfolio Advisory, Products and Trading with Raymond James Canada and leads various teams in providing Advisors and their clients with access to best-in-class products and services. He is a member of the Raymond James Ltd. Operating Committee and Product Review Group, providing input on the firm’s strategy. Chris is an accredited Portfolio Manager, holds an MBA from Athabasca University, a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI) and holder of the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation. He is also a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute (SII), sponsored by SIFMA and The Wharton School.

Managing Director & Co-Head Global Sales, BMO Global Markets

Jerome joined BMO Capital Markets in 2007 and has 21 years of experience. He is currently Co-Head of Global Distribution for the Cross Asset Solutions Group. Prior to this, Jerome was Canadian Head of Sales and equity structurer for the retail operations of the structured products group. Jerome is a member of the Cross Asset Solutions Group management committee, the Fixed Income Commodities & Currencies operations committee and the Quebec Capital Markets management committee.

Managing Director & Global Head, Wealth Solutions Group, CIBC Capital Markets

Elliot Scherer is Managing Director & Global Head of CIBC Capital Markets’ Wealth Solutions Group. His team is responsible for marketing structured notes, fixed income, foreign exchange, private market funds, CDRs, financing and hedging solutions to investment advisors, private bankers and their high-net-worth investors. Elliot holds 20 years of experience with CIBC Capital Markets, and is the former Chair of CIBC’s Miracle Day, currently serving on its Donations Committee.

Chief Commercial Officer, WSD

Frances brings a wealth of experience to WSD, with a successful track record in the finance and technology sectors. Prior to joining WSD, she served as an independent M&A advisor in technology and Wealth Management, representing owners and investors. She also held the position of Managing Director for Econocom North America, UK & IRL. She has led the EMEA Advisory Council to the Board of 100 Women in Finance and the French Chamber of Commerce, showcasing her commitment to driving positive change within the industry.

Managing Director Structured Solutions Group, National Bank

Vincent Marquis, CFA, is Managing Director of the Structured Solutions Group at National Bank of Canada. With over 20 years of experience in Financial Markets, he is responsible for all activities related to the management and distribution of structured products in Canada. Vincent uses his extensive knowledge of the financial industry and structured products to develop investment solutions tailored to the needs of Canadian investors. Since joining the Bank in 2003, Vincent has held various management positions which have allowed him to gain experience in the development, distribution and management of numerous credit and investment products for a clientele made up of institutional investors, portfolio management firms and retail clients.

Executive Director, CIBC Capital Markets

Matt Wallace is an Executive Director at CIBC Capital Markets and head of Canadian structured product distribution. Matt has over 20 years of capital markets sales and trading experience with an emphasis on equity derivatives and structured products. His team covers investment advisors and portfolio managers across Canada, designing custom investment strategies to help their investors reach their goals. Matt supports several charitable causes in the community, and for several years was co-chair of CIBC Capital Markets’ annual One For Change charity auction, one of the largest single-day fundraisers at the bank. He has been based out of both Vancouver and Toronto and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

MBA, CFA – Managing Director & Head, Canada Investor Solutions, Scotiabank GBM

James is responsible for overseeing the design and distribution of Scotiabank’s equity-linked structured notes in Canada. Since joining the Bank in 2011, he has held progressively senior roles within the structured notes team, before taking over leadership of the Canadian sales and structuring teams in 2020. James was one of the founding members of the team that developed and launched Scotiabank’s Principal at Risk and Market Linked GICs programs. Over a diverse career, James has built a reputation as an innovative and client-focused problem solver. He has previous experience at a major US investment dealer in Dublin, Ireland, in addition to prior work in the public and not-for-profit sectors. James holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Prince Edward Island, a Master of Business Administration from Dalhousie University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. An avid traveler, James has worked in four continents and visited over 40 countries.

Senior Portfolio Manager, Wellington-Altus Private Counsel

Martin has over 20 years of investment industry experience including senior-level positions in both institutional equity research and portfolio management. Martin is currently a Senior Portfolio Manager at Wellington-Altus Private Counsel (previously TriVest Wealth), an award winning portfolio management firm (Wealth Professional 5-Star Asset Manager 2022), where he is the co-manager of the firm’s risk-managed balanced fund and helps oversee custom built, HNW and UHNW private client portfolios. Prior to co-founding TriVest and its sale to Wellington-Altus in early 2020, Martin’s career was focused on institutional equity research and capital markets primarily at two top-ranked boutique investment banks. Martin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in finance from the University of Alberta, studied international economics and finance at Örebro University in Sweden, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder. Martin is regularly featured in the media as a market strategist including his weekly column in the Financial Post’s Investment Pro section for the past decade. He is a member of Oilweek Magazine’s class of 2012 Rising Stars, Calgary CFA volunteer of the year (2014), one of Thomson Reuters Canada’s top 40 social influencers in finance, innovation and risk (2017), named as one of Wealth Professional Canada’s Leading Portfolio Managers (2019), an excellence awardee for Canadian Portfolio/Discretionary Manager of the Year (2019) (2020) (2021) (2023), and is a Wealth Professional 5-Star Advisor (2022).

Managing Director Structured Solutions Group, National Bank

Kashif is the Managing Director in National Bank Financial Markets' Structured Solutions Group. He brings with him over 20 years of experience in designing, delivering, and supporting structured investments across various asset classes including currencies, derivatives, equities and fixed income. Since joining National Bank in 2003, Kashif has held numerous strategic positions, and has helped manage and increase the Bank’s franchise outside of our Quebec market. He is very passionate about the industry and values his team's capabilities in helping individuals, families, and institutions manage risks and improve their investments' return potential. Kashif obtained his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from CFA Institute in 2009. Outside of work, Kashif enjoys travelling and spending time with his wife and three young kids.

Senior Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager, National Bank Financial

An-Lap has more than 20 years of experience in the wealth and portfolio management industry. He graduated from HEC Montreal (University of Montreal business school) in finance in 1996 and started his career at the Bank of Montreal. He then joined National Bank Financial in 1998 where he founded the VP Wealth Management Group, which now has in excess of $2 billion under management and is comprised of 16 finance professionals. The VP Group won several awards over the years in the National Bank Financial recognition of excellence program, notably, the prestigious prize of Best team in Canada in 2012 and in 2020, and one that is especially dear to An-Lap, the Social Responsibility award. Incorporating ESG factors in their portfolio management is of utmost importance to the VP Group. An-Lap was instrumental in recruiting an ESG analyst from the “Caisse de depot” to add to the VP Group’s expertise in that field. On top of having his CIM title, it was important for An-Lap to get his Responsible Investment Specialist title and also a certificate from Harvard Business School Online in Sustainable Business Strategy. All these efforts were recognized when the VP Group won the Wealth Professionals NEI Advisor of the Year Responsible Investments award in 2021. Finally, An-Lap was one of the people that helped for the creation of an ESG Committee at the National Bank and he now represents the VP Group on the board. The VP Group also has more than 15 years of expertise in structured products.

Senior Analyst and Team Leader Structured Products, Desjardins Securities

Sébastien Hébert began his career with the Desjardins Group in 2001 and held several positions in the organization until 2008. He subsequently advanced in Compliance at National Bank Financial working with derivatives, private placements, new products and hedge funds. In 2013, he returned to the Desjardins Group and has since held the position of Senior Analyst and Team Leader, Structured Products with the Wealth Management Advisory Services Division. Sébastien is a registered Portfolio Manager and holds the CFA charter as well as a finance degree from the Université du Québec à Montreal. He has over twenty years of experience in financial services, particularly in investments, derivatives, compliance and currency hedging.

Head of Data & Platform, WSD

With an impressive track record of over 15 years in the realm of structured products, derivatives, and investments, Tiago Fernandes stands as a seasoned financial industry luminary dedicated to propelling the sector to new heights. As the Head of Data and Platform at WSD, Tiago is at the helm of client development, laser-focused on advancing structured product technology. As the Co-founder of Structured Products Intelligence (SPi), Tiago has been instrumental in birthing a revolutionary platform that empowers clients to adeptly manage intricate portfolios. Prior to this, he wielded influential leadership roles at Euromoney Institutional Investor and SRP, masterminding business growth while deftly overseeing teams of adept data analysts. His sphere of influence spanned the delivery of research and training services to financial institutions across the global spectrum. Notably, Tiago played a pivotal role in constructing and sustaining the largest structured product issuance within the Portuguese banking sector over four years. Earlier in his illustrious journey, he honed his expertise in a cash account management position at BNP Paribas. An impassioned advocate for structured products, Tiago has personally trained over 500 financial professionals, cementing his legacy as a true industry catalyst.

Head of Americas, WSD

Joe manages business development and client relations for the Americas at WSD. He is an industry expert for structured products with strong ties to the market leaders. Prior to joining WSD, Joe was the Head of Global Sales at Structured Retail Products (SRP). He holds an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a B.S. from The University of Florida.

CEO, Halo

Matt Radgowski is the Chief Executive Officer of Halo Investing, an award-winning platform for protective investments. Since joining Halo, Matt Radgowski has focused on the execution, distribution, and product strategy for Halo’s go-to-market efforts. Matt brings extensive knowledge across the wealth management industry with over 27 years of specializing in developing and delivering innovative investment solutions. Before Halo, Matt served as the Head of Advisor Solutions at Morningstar, focused on go-to-market efforts in Advisor and Wealth Management sectors and acting as the Chief Operating Officer for their Investment Management group.

Director, Equity Derivatives & Structured Products, Desjardins

Mr. Bélanger has over 15 years of experience in the industry and has been with Desjardins structured products team since 2008. He is the manager of the Equity Derivatives and Structured Products group. This group ensures the development of Desjardins Market linked GICs and Structured Notes. It also trades equity derivatives to hedge market exposures related to Desjardins structured products businesses. The group also partners with institutional clients to help them manage their own structured products businesses and hedge their market risk. He led the development of the new Structured Notes program launched in early 2019. He holds a Master's degree in Finance from Sherbrooke University and is a CFA charterholder.

Director, Cross-Asset Solutions, BMO Capital Markets

Asya has a wealth of capital markets experience with a focus on research and education. Having spent the last 12 years with BMO Capital Markets she has built expertise in using data analysis and market-based research to support informed decision making in uncertain market conditions. In her current role with the CrossAsset Solutions team, Asya focuses on market trends and product performance research, new product education, as well as product development and issuance. Prior to this, Asya spent 3 years in BMO Fixed Income Research focusing on Canadian Banks. Asya is a mentor for BMO Alliance for Women, active participant of the BMO recruitment program, as well as coach and mentor for new talent at BMO Capital Markets. Asya graduated from University of Toronto, Bachelor of Commerce, Specializing in Finance and Economics and is a CFA® charterholder.

Founder, The Index Standard®

Laurence Black is the founder of The Index Standard® and an index advisor to Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics and Finance Emeritus at Yale University. Before founding The Index Standard®, Laurence was a Managing Director and Head of Quantitative Indices and Strategies at Barclays where he oversaw the development of the Barclays index family. In addition to designing some of the first smart beta/factor indices, Laurence spearheaded Barclays' index partnerships with Professors Robert Shiller and Nouriel Roubini, as well as Novus Partners. Before Barclays, Laurence was Head of Indices at ABN AMRO in London, where he successfully launched indices with well-known investors such as Jim Rogers and Joel Greenblatt. Before ABN AMRO, Laurence worked at Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank, and Credit Suisse. Laurence holds an MBA from the University of Warwick, UK and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Cape Town. When not thinking about financial matters, he can mostly be found on a tennis court.

Managing Director and Head of Retail Equity Structuring, Cross Asset Solutions, BMO Capital Markets

With 20 years of industry experience, Rob is focused on the creation, manufacturing and distribution of bespoke investment solutions designed to meet the needs of institutional, high net worth and retail clients globally. Working closely with the sales and trading teams in Canada, Rob’s structuring team has primary responsibility for delivering stable funding for the Bank through existing and new retail structured issuance programs and product innovations to better serve retail and corporate clients across the country. Additionally, Rob helps support improved education for structured products and actively participates in a wide variety of regulatory, tax and other matters affecting the industry in Canada. During his time at the Bank, BMO has become a preferred provider of structured and derivative solutions across Canada. Prior to joining the structured products world, Rob had a successful career as a corporate and banking lawyer specializing in all forms of corporate finance & lending transactions within the Toronto office of one of Canada’s largest national law firms.

Director, Structured Products, Desjardins

James Neals is a Director in the equity structured products group, responsible for the structuring and distribution of the white-label derivative products to our corporate partners, while also supporting the growth of the structured products business in the wealth channel, both roles nationally. James comes to Desjardins with 9 years' experience, primarily in institutional trading within global markets, having previously worked at CIBC World Markets, Credit Suisse, Fidelity Investments, and an international fund. James’ experience expands across asset classes having spent time as a trader in global equity derivatives, high yield and investment grade bonds, foreign exchange, and international equities. James holds an Economics and Finance degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Managing Director and Head, Canada and LATAM Investor Solutions Global Equity Derivatives, Scotia Bank

Marta is the Managing Director and Head of Canada and LATAM Investor Solutions, within Global Equity Derivatives. She joined Scotiabank in 2006 and has held progressively senior roles in Global Banking and Markets over the past 17 years, playing an instrumental role in the growth and success of the Bank’s Structured Notes program in Canada and Latin America. Marta was one of the founding members of the team that developed and launched Scotiabank’s Structured Notes and Market Linked GICs programs. In her role at GBM, Marta leads a team of high-performing women and men with diverse representation across various regions. Marta is a well-respected ally and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and is currently the Chair of the Allyship and Sponsorship sub-committee in Global Banking and Markets. Marta holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Escuela de Ingeniería de Antioquia, Colombia, and an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business.

Managing Director - Structured Products & Exotics, National Bank of Canada

Nicolas has over 15 years of experience in financial markets and has joined National Bank of Canada in 2009. His various positions at the bank led him to be involved in tailoring risk management and investment solutions for corporate, institutional and retail clients across various asset classes including credit, currencies, equities, and rates. In 2015, Nicolas joined the Structured Products & Exotics team to primarily focus on structuring, pricing and new product development for National Bank’s Canadian and international franchise. He holds a Master's degree in Financial Engineering from HEC Montreal, is a CFA Charterholder and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.

Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor, Lougheed Wealth Management

Dave is the lead Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor for the Lougheed Wealth Management Team. Combining a unique blend of high-performance experience and in-depth investment and business knowledge, he understands that financial success requires a clearly defined plan that can adapt to changing needs and goals. Dave ensures that his team applies the same disciplined approach to managing your wealth that allowed him to succeed as a member of Canada's National Rugby Team for thirteen years and compete in four Rugby World Cups. Prior to starting Lougheed Wealth Management in 2004, Dave completed his Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Calgary and also holds a Masters of Arts degree from Queen's University. He taught at Upper Canada College from 1993 to 1998, after which he played professional rugby for the Leicester Tigers in the English Premiership during their first two championship seasons.

Dave has a passion for volunteerism and charitable work and is an active member of the community. He currently serves as a Director of the Calgary Stampede and has served on the board of the Calgary Rugby Union, the Canadian Rugby Foundation and Rugby Canada, and was also a member of the Queen's University Council. Active in a variety of sports, Dave also completed the Calgary Marathon in 2004 and the Toronto marathon in 2017. Outside his business and community involvement, Dave is committed to his family and enjoys spending time with his wife Dana and their daughters Taylor and Tatum.

Principal, Bayline, Capital Partners

Aaron Unger is a principal of Bayline Capital Partners, a financial advisory firm that is engaged in providing clients with advisory services relating to fund raising, corporate strategic alternatives and go-public transactions. Additionally, Aaron serves as a consultant to Richardson Wealth where he specializes in assisting advisors with respect to structured products so as to facilitate the distribution of best-in-class product to their network. Between June 2006 and October 2015, Aaron served on the Executive Management team and was the Head of Equity Capital Markets at Dundee Capital Markets. Prior to that, Aaron served in the Equity Capital Markets group and Investment Banking group at TD Securities.