Speakers /
Isabelle Adjahi, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications, WSP Global Inc
Isabelle Adjahi, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications, joined WSP Global Inc. (previously GENIVAR Inc.) as Director, Communications and Investor Relations in 2011. Prior to that, she held a similar position in a pharmaceutical company for 13 years. In this position, Isabelle has developed investor relations and corporate communication programs that have increased WSP’s shareholder base, with a particular focus on increasing institutional ownership across Canada. Isabelle has worked extensively in both the Canadian and American markets with experience across various fields including equity and debt financing, takeover bids, mergers and acquisitions, debt holder relations, product acquisition or in-licensing as well as overall communication with current and potential investors, analysts, media, employees and other stakeholders. Before joining Axcan, Isabelle worked in corporate finance in Montreal for Midland Walwyn Capital Inc. (now Merrill Lynch) and in France, for one of the largest bank. 

She holds a Masters in Foreign Languages and Literature from the University of Lyon (France). Isabelle is past president of CIRI Quebec. She is a 2016 winner of IR Magazine Awards for “Best IRO (mid-cap)” and “Best IR during a corporate transaction”; a 2013 winner for “Best Overall IR” and “Best IR by a CEO (small cap)” and a 2007 winner for “Best IRO (small cap)” and “Best Overall IR”. She has also been a finalist in various other categories over the years, including in 4 categories in 2018. Last, she is the 2017 Recipient of CIRI's “Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in IR” and was recognized as a CIRI Fellow in 2016. 

Rizwan Awan, Managing Director, BMO Capital Markets 
Rizwan Awan heads up Quantitative Execution Services at BMO Capital Markets, providing institutional equity clients program and electronic trading services as well as index and market structure research. Rizwan is an active participant in the Canadian market structure community and represents BMO on a number of advisory groups including MRAC, CSTA TIC and IIAC. He is also immersed in and a past chair of the Canadian Securities Traders Association (CSTA) which represents the broader institutional equity trading community in Canada. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets in 2005, Rizwan worked on algorithmic trading strategies at ITG Canada Corp. He holds a BMath degree in Computer Science from University of Waterloo and is a CFA charterholder. 


Ariel Babcock, Director, FCLT Global 
Ariel Fromer Babcock is an equity investment professional with over a decade of experience in the financial industry. After starting her career as a trader and research analyst at a long-short financial sector focused hedge fund, she moved on to managing value focused mutual funds at both American Independence Financial Services and Calamos Investments. Most recently Ariel worked with clean energy company Tecogen Inc. (NASDAQ: TGEN) as Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. While at Tecogen she was instrumental in establishing a unified corporate communications platform and in developing the company's growth strategy alongside executive management. Ariel holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Tufts University, is a CFA charterholder, and is an active member of CFA Society where she leads the group's Financial Literacy partnership with Invest in Girls. 

Rhylin Bailie, Vice President, Investor Relations, Equinox Gold Corp. 
Rhylin Bailie brings a diverse skill set to her position as VP Investor Relations of Equinox Gold, with 12 years of investor relations experience and more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry. From 2011 to 2016, Rhylin managed all aspects of investor relations for a number of TSX-V listed resource companies. Previously Rhylin was Director of Investor Relations for NovaGold Resources from 2006 to 2011, and prior to that held various positions in the Treasury group at Placer Dome from 1995 to 2006. Rhylin is a graduate of the University of Waterloo with a degree in environmental studies and biology. She is a director on the National Board of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute. 

Camilla Bartosiewicz, Vice President, Investor Relations, Altus Group Ltd
Camilla Bartosiewicz is Vice President, Investor Relations at Altus Group Ltd., (TSX:AIF), a leading provider of independent advisory services, software and data solutions to the global commercial real estate industry. She is a senior investor relations professional with over 10 years of experience in implementing strategic investor relations programs for publicly traded issuers across various sectors. Camilla has established relationships with a number of global financial institutions and serves as corporate spokesperson and first point of contact with shareholders, financial analysts and the investment community. She has a proven track record of executing strategic investor relations programs that result in effective investor outreach, solid stakeholder relationships and, ultimately, improved shareholder value. Prior to joining Altus Group in 2014, she served as Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at North American Palladium, and earlier in her career Camilla worked as a consultant at Kingsdale Communications Inc. and at Barnes McInerney Inc. where she advised clients on strategic investor relations programs and special situation communications. Camilla holds a B.A. Hons in Media Studies from the University of Guelph and a Diploma in Public Relations from Humber College. She currently serves on the board of the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and occasionally presents at industry events and in schools on various investor relations topics.

Erica Belling, Director, Investor & Financial Communications, CIBC 
Erica Belling is head of Investor and Financial Communications at CIBC. She is responsible for managing financial and regulatory communications and reporting, as well as ESG reporting. Prior to this she was Vice President of Investor Relations at CIC Energy Corp., a TSX listed mining company. Prior to her career in the resource sector, she was a Senior Manager, Analysis & Disclosure, External Reporting at RBC Financial Group. Erica has worked in the capital markets on both the buy and sell side. She was a ranked equity research analyst at Newcrest Capital covering the chemicals and fertilizer sectors, as well as a portfolio manager at an institutional money manager. Erica is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Professional Engineer (P.Eng.). She has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a B.Eng. from McGill University. 

Chris Blake, Senior Portfolio Manager, North American Equities, TD Wealth Management 
Chris Blake is the Senior Portfolio Manager of the TD Core Equity Portfolios and leads the North American Equity team in the Portfolio Advice and Investment Research group. Chris joined TD in March 2014 and has been involved in institutional equity management business for 22 years. After starting as a general equity research analyst for Economic Investment Trust/United Corporations and Dominion of Canada Insurance he joined RBC Global Asset Management to cover international technology companies and manage the domestic industrial sector. Later, Chris joined OMERS Capital Markets where he led a team covering industrial equities globally. In addition to the CFA, he has an MBA and a Bachelor of Technology, Mechanical Engineering undergraduate degree. 



Jason Bouvier, Senior Analyst, Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, Scotiabank 

Jason Bouvier is an equity research analyst in Scotiabank GBM’s Calgary office, covering large cap oil and gas companies across North America. In 2014, he took on formal leadership of Scotiabank GBM’s Canadian energy research team in Calgary. Jason has more than 13 years of equity research experience and six years of investment-banking experience, all with three major Canadian bank-owned dealers focused on the Canadian energy space. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary and has completed his CFA designation. 



Meghan Brown, Vice President, Investor Relations, Leagold Mining Corporation
 
Meghan Brown is an investor relations professional with 25 years of experience in communications and investor relations in the resource sector. Meghan started her career with Suncor Energy and has worked for TransCanada, Placer Dome, and Endeavour Silver. She is currently Vice President, Investor Relations at Leagold Mining Corporation in Vancouver. Meghan holds a BA from UBC and an MBA from Queen's University. She is Past Chair of the CIRI BC Executive and past chair of the CIRI National Board of Directors. Meghan is currently a Director of the Canadian Cancer Society BC/Yukon division and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. 


Tamara Brown, Vice President, Corporate Development, Primero Mining & Director   
Tamara Brown is a mining industry professional with over 20 years of experience in the mining and financial sectors. She is currently the Vice President of Corporate Development for Primero Mining Corp. and sits on the Boards of Superior Gold Inc. and Eastmain Resources Inc. Tamara was previously Vice President, Investor Relations for Primero from 2010 to 2015 and Director of Investor Relations for IAMGOLD Corp. from 2009 to 2010. Formerly, she was an investor relations consultant for several junior exploration companies, partner of a boutique investment banking firm and a professional engineer in the mining industry. She graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Curtin University in Australia and has completed the Chartered Business Valuator course at York University. 


Derek Burleton, Vice President & Deputy Chief Economist, TD Bank Group
Derek Burleton is Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist for TD Bank Group. In his role, he leads a team of economists that provides leading analysis on the U.S., Canadian and global economies and financial markets. Each year, he travels extensively across Canada, speaking at more than 75 events on economic and financial developments. As a respected commentator, Derek has been quoted by many media outlets – including the London Financial Times and the Economist. He also is frequently interviewed on the radio and television. Derek maintains a strong interest in public policy issues, and has written substantive reports on health care sustainability, education and immigration reform. He participates in a number of advisory and steering committees both internal and external to TD Bank Group and currently serves on the Queen’s University Council and the Board of the Toronto Association of Business Economists (TABE). Derek received his Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University and an M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and has more than 15 years of experience as an economist in the financial industry.

Paul Butcher, Vice-President, Investor Relations, CN Railway

Paul Butcher joined CN in 1993, initially working as a project officer in Financial Planning before moving to Marketing in 1999, serving in the Revenue Planning, Metals and Minerals, as well as Intermodal groups. He was involved in key growth projects at CN such as the new container port at the Port of Prince Rupert, among others. Prior to his most recent appointment, Paul had been Senior Manager of Investor Relations since November 2009. Before joining CN, Paul worked for two years as an economist in Ottawa at Informetrica Limited. He holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Economics from the University of Montreal. 



Valérie Cecchini, Vice-President, Portfolio Manager, Mackenzie Investments
With over 25 years of professional experience, Valérie Cecchini is a fund manager with Makenzie Investments, overseeing the Investors U.S. Opportunities Fund and the Investors Summa SRI Fund. She has also been given special responsibility alongside the firm's research director for incorporating the environmental, social and governance (ESG) approach within the management and research team. Prior to joining Investors Group, Valerie worked for Standard Life Investments as Vice-President and Portfolio Manager, managing several small and mid-cap North American equity Funds. She has received a number of industry honours, and was nominated to the “Top 25 Financial executive in Quebec” of Finance et Investissement and was the winner of the “Portfolio Manager of the Year Award”. Valerie graduated from the Université de Montréal business school HEC Montréal with a Master of Science in Finance degree and hold the CFA, and CPA, CGA designations. She is among the first cohort to have received the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting designation (FSA), and the first portfolio manager in Canada.

Todd Coupland, Managing Director, Technology & Innovation Strategist, Research, CIBC Capital Markets
Todd Coupland has been in the industry as an investment analyst since 1988 and joined CIBC Capital Markets in April 1994. He serves as CIBC’s Technology & Innovation Strategist. He works on research, thought leadership and publications on technology topics ranging from self-driving technology to e-commerce to artificial intelligence to electrification of the automotive sector to quantum computing, and much more. He frequently collaborates and publishes with other CIBC research analysts to uncover and highlight where technology and innovation play ever-expanding and important roles in their verticals. Additionally, he covers the technology hardware and cloud based software-as-a-service sectors including e-commerce, intellectual property, networking, telecom, supply chain management and wireless. Todd has worked for a number of securities firms and holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Economy and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Andrews University. He also is a Chartered Financial Analyst and ranks in top 5 on a “Bloomberg Absolute Return Rank” basis for 75% of the companies under his coverage. 

Janet Craig, Principal, Endeavour IR
Janet Craig has more than 20 years in the investor relations field. She currently provides investor relations and capital markets counsel as Principal, Endeavour IR.  Previously, Janet served as Vice President, Investor Relations at Fortis Inc., Senior Vice President, Investor Relations for Loblaw Companies and Vice President, Investor Relations for Nexen Inc., a global energy company based in Calgary. She also led investor relations for Nortel Networks. Janet earned a Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology and English) from the University of Toronto. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of IR Magazine and is a frequent speaker on investor relations and shareholder engagement, including IR Think Tanks and executive management programs. She holds numerous awards and recognition for investor relations, including over 25 #1 awards in Canada. In 2012, Janet was named one of the "Top 25 Investor Relations Officers of All Time" in a global ranking of investor relations officers by IR Magazine.

Lara Donaldson, Director, Regulatory and Industry Affairs, Computershare Canada
As Director, Regulatory and Industry Affairs, Lara Donaldson advocates on behalf of Computershare to influence key industry, legislative and regulatory developments that have the potential to impact Computershare clients and business strategy. Lara is the President of the Securities Transfer Association of Canada (STAC), is past Chair of the STAC Legal and Regulatory Working Group, and is also on the board of the Securities Transfer Association (STA) in the United States. She is often called upon to speak at industry events on topics including Notice and Access, Transfer Agent Proxy Processes and Proxy Reform. Lara is a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC), the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI), the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), and the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). She is also an affiliate member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) and successfully completed the ICSA Canada Directors’ Education and Accreditation Program (DEAP) in June, 2017. She began her career in the transfer agency industry more than 22 years ago, and has progressed through various roles, most recently holding the title of General Manager of Client Services, Central Region for Computershare Canada. 

Valérie Douville, Senior Manager, Compliance & Disclosure, Toronto Stock Exchange
Valérie Douville is a senior securities lawyer with in-depth knowledge of the Canadian capital markets and experience in the fields of corporate governance, compliance, securities law, mergers & acquisitions (public companies) and corporate finance, having both practiced securities law in a large Montreal Law firm and worked at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). She is Senior Manager, Compliance and Disclosure at the Toronto Stock Exchange. Her role is to ensure that TSX issuers conduct their business with integrity, whether at the time of original listing or on an ongoing basis. Prior to that, Valérie practiced securities, corporate and commercial law, focused on files involving corporate financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and timely and continuous disclosure. She was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2000 and completed her LL.B., Université de Montréal in 1998.

Mariem Elsayed, Senior Advisor, Investor Relations, Énergir
Mariem Elsayed is Senior Advisor, Investor Relations with Énergir, a leading energy provider and the largest natural gas distribution company in Québec. Mariem has held various positions over the course of her career including roles in investment banking, treasury operations, project management and investor relations. She holds a BBA from HEC Montréal, an MBA from McGill University and is a CFA and CAIA charterholder. She is Vice Chair of the CIRI Québec Chapter and a member of the CFA Montreal Society board of directors.



Stephen Erlichman, Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance 
Steve Erlichman has practised corporate and securities law throughout his career at major law firms in New York and Toronto and since 1999 has been a senior partner at Fasken Martineau, an international law firm with over 700 lawyers in offices across Canada and in the UK and South Africa. In 2011, Steve also became the Executive Director of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), whose members include most of the largest institutional investors in Canada which collectively manage over $3 trillion of assets. As Executive Director of CCGG, Steve develops CCGG’s agenda and strategy, is in charge of board and member relationships and is CCGG’s public spokesperson. He has spoken and written widely and has been interviewed by television, radio and newspaper reporters on numerous topics. The press have called Steve’s writings “insightful” and “prescient” and have referred to Steve as “a leading governance expert” and one of “Canada’s top M&A attorneys”. Global Proxy Watch named Steve one of the “10 people around the world who have had the most impact on corporate governance” in 2016.  Steve is a member of the New York and Ontario bars and has law degrees from University of Toronto and New York University as well as an M.B.A. from Harvard University. 

Jason Fleury, Director, Investor Relations, Painted Pony Energy
Jason Fleury is the Director, Investor Relations at Painted Pony Energy LTD and has over 17 years of investor relations experience in the energy industry having worked for several companies during his career. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Regina and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.




Laurie Gaborit, Vice President, Investor Relations, Detour Gold Corp.
Laurie Gaborit has over 20 years of investor relations and corporate communications in the mining industry. Laurie was appointed Vice President Investor Relations in January 2017. She joined Detour Gold in late 2006 as Director, Investor Relations. Prior to joining Detour Gold, she provided strategic investor relations and corporate communications services for a number of junior mining companies. Prior roles included Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Secretary for High River Gold Mines and Manager, Investor Relations for Rio Narcea Gold Mines. Laurie started her career in the mineral exploration industry for Aur Resources Inc., Cambior Inc., and Romarco Minerals Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Science in geology (Hons.) and is on the National Board of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute. 

Rachelle Girard, Vice President, Investor Relations, Cameco Corp
Rachelle Girard is the Vice President of Investor Relations at Cameco Corporation, one of the world’s largest uranium producers whose head office is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Its stock trades on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Rachelle started with Cameco’s Investor Relations Department in 2006 and has taken on roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Cameco, Rachelle worked at a small bio-tech start-up, following which she spent nine years in the technology transfer department at the University of Saskatchewan, helping researchers commercialize and license discoveries. Rachelle sits on CIRI’s Issues Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant (CPA, CMA).

Lisa Greatrix, Senior Vice-President, Finance & Investor Relations, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited

Lisa Greatrix is a seasoned Finance Executive with extensive experience in managing diverse groups and initiatives in multiple disciplines including finance, customer support and operations. As Senior Vice-President, Finance and Investor Relations at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), Lisa and her team directly support CTC’s Board of Directors, CFO and CEO. In her role, Lisa oversees investor relations strategies and programs and also manages relationships with the investor and analyst communities. Additionally, she supports the Company-wide productivity agenda while managing corporate projects including the enterprise strategic planning cycle. Lisa joined Canadian Tire in 2007 as Vice-President, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to joining Canadian Tire, Lisa held senior positions at MDS, Research in Motion and Xerox Canada. Lisa is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University. She has also completed the Queen’s Executive Program.

Solène Hanquier, Senior Advisor, Responsible Investment, Desjardins Global Asset Management  
Solène Hanquier is responsible for designing and implementing responsible investment strategies at Desjardins Global Asset Management. She has worked in the field of responsible investing and sustainable development since 2010. Solène has a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Université de Sherbrooke and a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montréal.




Carol Hansell, Founding Partner, Hansell LLP

Carol Hansell is the founder and Senior Partner of Hansell LLP. Over her more than 25 years in practice, she has led major transactions for public and private corporations and governments. She now leads an independent firm dedicated to advising boards, management teams, institutional shareholders and regulators in connection with legal and governance challenges. She is regularly engaged in connection with special committee mandates, board investigations, governance design and reviews and shareholder engagements. She works with boards to improve their effectiveness through board evaluations, facilitated discussions, education sessions and coaching. 

Carol has served on boards of organizations across a variety of sectors – public companies, Crown corporations, healthcare, not-for-profit and arts organizations. She currently serves on the boards of Munich Reinsurance Company of Canada, the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services and the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN). She has also served on the boards of the Bank of Canada, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Toronto East General Hospital, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and SickKids Foundation, among others. She was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in 2013 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Investor Relations in 2015. The Province of Ontario recently appointed Carol as Chair of the Business Law Advisory Council.

Mélanie Hennessey, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Mélanie Hennessey is NOVAGOLD's Vice President, Corporate Communications, responsible for all aspects of the Company's internal and external communications functions and investor relations activities. Melanie has extensive experience within the precious metals mining industry particularly in investor relations, corporate communications, crisis management as well as mergers and acquisitions. She is a public speaker advocating for stakeholder engagement, the advancement of individuals aspiring to executive-level positions and women in leadership roles. Prior to joining the Company, she served in a variety of executive and senior roles with such precious metals companies as Goldcorp Inc., New Gold Inc., and Hecla Mining Company. Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Ottawa. 

Patrick Horan, Principal Agilith Capital
Patrick Horan has been in the investment business for 30 years, spending the past 20 years directly managing mutual fund, private wealth and pension fund investments. Just over 10 years ago Patrick, along with his wife Andrea, founded Agilith Capital with the mandate of wealth creation through performance-based portfolio management. Prior to Agilith Capital, Patrick was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Legg Mason Canada responsible for most large cap non-resource companies on the S&P TSX Index, he consistently generated top performance at Legg Mason Canada. Prior to working at Legg Mason Canada, he worked at Goodman & Company from 1999-2002, assisting in the management of the Dynamic Group of mutual funds, including the Dynamic Power Canadian and Dynamic Power Non-North American Fund, which both achieved top quartile performance. He received his MBA from University of Toronto in 1994 and his CFA designation in 1995. He also holds an Honours Degree in Business Administration and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Windsor.

Denis Jasmin, Vice President, Investor Relations, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. 
Denis Jasmin is a Chartered Accountant with 30 years of experience in auditing, finance, and accounting, primarily in management positions. Denis joined SNC-Lavalin in 2000 as Assistant Corporate Controller in the Finance Department. In this position, he was responsible for preparing the company’s annual and quarterly reports, revising financial analyses for acquisitions and investments, and for the financial aspects of strategic planning. Five of the six annual reports written under his direction have garnered awards. In June 2007, he was promoted to Vice-President, Investor Relations. In 2011, under Denis’ leadership, SNC-Lavalin Group received an honourable mention for the Grand Prix for Best Overall Investor Relations Mid-Cap at the annual IR Awards.  Deniswas nominated Best Investor Relations Officer Mid-Cap at the 2011, 2012 and 2018 annual IR Awards. Denis is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute National Board and has served as a Director since 2014. Mr. Jasmin also served as a director of 407 International Inc. since 2016.

Naizam Kanji, Director of the Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, Ontario Securities Commission
Naizam Kanji is Director of the Office of Mergers & Acquisitions at the Ontario Securities Commission. The Office of Mergers & Acquisitions is responsible for compliance and policy-making in the areas of take-over bids, issuer bids, business combinations, shareholder rights and the securities regulatory aspects of proxy voting and proxy contests. Naizam obtained his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, in 1996 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1998. In 2003, he graduated from the LL.M. (Securities Law) program at Osgoode Hall Law School. Prior to joining the Ontario Securities Commission in 2000, he completed his articles as a law clerk to the judges of the Commercial List of the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario) and practised law as an associate with the Insolvency and Restructuring Group of McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto. Naizam has had primary responsibility for the mergers and acquisitions since 2006. 

Katie Keita, Director, Investor Relations, Shopify Inc.
Katie Keita leads Investor Relations at Shopify, Inc., the leading cloud-based commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Prior to joining Shopify in March of 2015, Keita was Director of Investor Relations at EMC Corporation. Prior to joining EMC in May of 2006, Katie spent two years in Senegal supporting small business development and micro finance with the Peace Corps. Prior to serving in West Africa, Katie spent five years as Director of Corporate Relations at CBIZ (NYSE:CBIZ), a provider of business services. Katie’s career in Investor Relations commenced in 1997 at SM Berger & Company, an IR consultancy specializing in small and mid-cap issuers


Karen Keyes, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, Aimia Inc.
Karen Keyes joined Aimia as Senior Vice President, Investor Relations in January 2013. She has spent almost half her career experience working in the UK, where she led investor relations at two FTSE mid-cap technology companies.  Earlier in her career, she worked in business development and government relations at Nortel Networks in the UK and Canada. She has an M.Sc. in Finance (London Business School) and an MA in International Political Economy (Carleton). In addition to over 40 reporting events, 12 AGMs and a handful of investor days, her IR experience has spanned major contract announcements, share buybacks, share and debt placings, acquisitions, disposals, and Board and management changes.  
 

Michelle Khalili, Managing Director, Private Capital Group, Global Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets
Michelle Khalili is a Managing Director at CIBC Capital Markets in the Global Investment Banking division. She leads the natural resource coverage for the Private Capital team, which focuses on private pools of capital. Michelle is Chair of CIBC’s Women’s Network, a member of the Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Committee and a member of CIBC Capital Markets’ Global Deals Committee. Prior to rejoining CIBC in 2016, Michelle spent four years at Goldman Sachs as Head of Equity Capital Markets – Canada and was a member of Goldman Sachs Canada’s Board of Directors. Prior to that, she spent 12 years in the Equity Capital Markets group at CIBC, working on the origination and execution of equity financings in Canada. Michelle is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Brain Institute and Women’s College Hospital.  She served as Vice-Chair and Board member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, as well as a member of its Human Resources and Pension Committee, and is Past Chair of the 100 Women in Finance Committee in Canada. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and qualified for Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst designations.

Bannon Kopko, Managing Director, Global Equity Sales, Scotiabank GBM

Bannon Kopko joined Scotiabank in 2008 on the institutional sales and trading desk after nearly 10 years with a bulge-bracket US brokerage in a similar role. Previous to that, he spent some time on the buy-side with a top-30 investment counsellor. In his current position, Bannon also heads up Scotiabank GBM’s corporate marketing efforts. He is a CFA Charterholder and is a University of Toronto MBA and Wilfrid Laurier University BBA graduate.




Louise Kozier, Partner, Longview Communication & Public Affairs

Louise Kozier is a Partner in Longview Communication & Public Affaris’ Vancouver office. Since joining Longview in 2005, Louise has provided counsel to national and international clients across the firm’s practice areas, including ongoing strategic communications and issues management advice to clients, as well as public, employee and investor relations counsel in the context of special situations including mergers and acquisitions, proxy fights, and corporate litigation. Louise began her career in the London and New York offices of Edelman, the world’s largest independent PR firm. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK and spent a year of her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. In Vancouver, Louise co-founded Young Executives for Success, a networking and fundraising group and has served on the Board of Directors for Dress for Success and the Vancouver Crisis Line.

Mike Kruchten, Vice President, Capital Markets & Corporate Planning, Parex Resources Inc. 

Mike Kruchten is the Vice President, Capital Markets and Corporate Planning, responsible for investor relations, enterprise risk management, financial forecasting and strategic planning. Previously, Mike was Manager, Corporate Planning and Investor Relations of Petro Andina Resources from 2008 to 2009. Prior to joining Petro Andina, he had several financial leadership roles with BP in Calgary, Aberdeen and Dubai and began his career as a gas economist with Union Gas (Enbridge) in 1994. Mike holds a Bachelor of Economics degree (with honours) from Saint Francis Xavier University, a Masters in Economics from the University of Waterloo, a MBA Queen’s University and the Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR) designation from the Ivey Business School (University of Western Ontario).

Bruce Krugel, Institutional Equity Sales, Laurentian Bank Securities 

Bruce Krugel is a seasoned capital markets professional with over two decades of senior positions in the Canadian capital markets.  Bruce’s experience includes over a decade as a technology analyst at such firms as CIBC, Paradigm Capital and Blackmont covering such names at ATI Technologies and RIM, among others. Following Bruce’s tenure as a sell-side analyst, he led institutional equity sales at boutique Canadian dealers, specializing in small cap and underserved names. Additionally, Bruce manages a high conviction, concentrated portfolio that focuses on high growth names.  Bruce began his career in South Africa, and is qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 


Christina Lalli, Director, Investor Relations, Osisko Metals Incorporated
 
Christina Lalli has fifteen years of professional experience as both in-house and external consultant in investor relations, working primarily in the natural resource sector for both mineral exploration and production focused companies. Most recently, Christina was Advisor, Investor Relations at Valener Inc, a public entity of Gaz Métro, a diversified public utility company based in Quebec. Prior to that, she was part of the Corporate Communications and Investor Relations team at Osisko Mining Corporation (2003) as well as Manager of Investor Relations for Bowmore Exploration (now Osisko Metals). She is a long-time member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and holds the Certified Professional in Investor Relations designation, awarded by Ivey School of Business, Western University. 

Jordan Lorch, Director, Global Head of Equity Client Strategy, RBC Capital Markets 
 
Jordan Lorch joined RBC Capital Markets in 2014 to lead their equity client strategy and relationship management effort in Europe. In addition to his client strategy responsibilities, Jordan has managed the research pricing, CSA & MiFID II discussions from a client relationship perspective, helping firms transition and prepare for the MiFID II transition. More recently, he helped launch RBC's RPA administration & aggregation product. Prior to joining RBC Capital Markets, Jordan had a similar role with Sanford C Bernstein. He now leads the client strategy and CSA effort globally out of London.

Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Inc.
Pat Marshall is the Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations of Cineplex Inc. She oversees all Corporate and Employee Communications, Media Relations, and is the company’s Investor Relations Officer. Prior to her current role, she was Vice President Marketing and Communications for Galaxy Entertainment Inc., before the company merged with Cineplex Odeon Corp. Pat has more than 25 years’ experience in the motion picture exhibition industry.   Before joining Galaxy, she was Vice President, IMAX Theatres for IMAX Corporation, where she was responsible for the company’s worldwide corporate theatre operations, marketing and communications. Before this she held management positions at Westin Hotels and Commonwealth Holiday Inns.  

Pat is a member of the Board of Directors of the Movie Theatre Association of Canada and is a founding member of Access2Entertainment. She is also the recipient of IR Magazine’s Best Investor Relations Officer in Canada Award in 2007 and 2008 in addition to numerous other IR Magazine awards in subsequent years.  In 2013, and again in 2016, she was awarded the Canadian Investor Relations Institute’s - Ontario Professional of the Year award.  In 2013, she was honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work with Easter Seals developing programs to assist people with various abilities. In 2017, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from IR Magazine for her significant contributions to the investor relations industry through professional activities within both the IR and investment communities.

Jo-Anne Matear, Manager, Corporate Finance, Ontario Securities Commission
Jo-Anne Matear is a member of the Ontario Securities Commission’s Senior Management Team. She leads a team of lawyers, accountants and geologists in the Corporate Finance Branch that is responsible for the oversight of public companies, including the review of prospectuses, continuous disclosure documents and applications for exemptive relief. In addition, Jo-Anne has led a number of significant policy initiatives. For example, she is currently leading the initiative aiming to reduce regulatory burden for public companies. She also led the initiative that resulted in the introduction of disclosure requirements relating to the representation of women on boards and in executive officer positions of TSX-listed companies, and is currently leading the initiative to assess the effectiveness of those disclosure requirements. Jo-Anne is the Chair of the Commission’s Small and Medium Enterprises Committee. Prior to joining the Commission, Jo-Anne practised corporate and securities law in Toronto, Ontario and London, England. Jo-Anne received her Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen’s University and her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto.

Sharon Mathers, Former Senior Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, CIBC
Sharon Mathers is a highly experienced communications, investor relations and public affairs executive with a track record developing communications strategies that build support of key stakeholders towards long term success.  She has developed and executed communications plans to support the re-positioning of corporate strategy, M&A transactions, CEO transitions, regulatory reviews and issues management in large complex public companies. Having led the development and execution of proactive and reactive strategies for a broad range of stakeholders including the equity markets, shareholders and board members, media, clients, government, regulators and employees; Sharon has a unique perspective on engaging key stakeholders while advancing the corporate strategy. Sharon’s leadership and strategic communications capabilities together with her strong executive presence, has made her a valued strategic counsel to C-suite executives and boards. For the last 20 years Sharon has lead communications, public affairs and investor relations teams for global public companies in financial services, retail and life sciences including CIBC, Canadian Tire Corporation and MDS Inc; most recently as CIBC's Senior Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs. She was recognized with the Canadian Investor Relations Institute Award of Excellence in 2010 and the IR Magazine Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. 

A long-time board volunteer Sharon is the Vice Chair of Frontier College - Canada's oldest national literacy organization; and has served on several NFP boards including Canadian Investor Relations Institute, Canadian Journalism Foundation and West Park Healthcare Centre. She is a graduate of York University (B.Comm); Rotman (MBA) and holds the ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mike McCarthy, Vice President Investor Relations, Mitel Networks Corp. 
Mike McCarthy joined Mitel is Vice President, Investor Relations in September 2013 to formalize and leverage an underutilized IR function. A critical element in his success has been in thoroughly integrating IR into the senior management of the organization. This position follows roles at Ambient Corp & Evergreen Solar, where in addition to IR, he established the Government Affairs functions. Previously he served as chief communications executive at Brooks Automation & Photronics, where he was responsible for leading all communications functions through a series of senior management transitions, deep cyclical down troughs and business model changes. He demonstrated effectiveness in reorienting all communications activities to meet management & Board of Directors mandates. Under his leadership these companies achieved distinction as proactive and effective communicators in and outside the global investor community. 

Kevin McCoy, Director, Market Regulation Policy, IIROC
Kevin McCoy has over 25 years of experience working in the securities industry, holding various senior roles with several Canadian dealers. These roles spanned both operations, compliance and regulatory. Immediately prior to joining IIROC, Kevin spent 8 years heading up the equity trading compliance and supervision area at a large Canadian investment dealer. Kevin joined IIROC in 2010 as a Senior Policy Analyst in its Market Policy Group prior to moving to the role of Director of Market Analytics and Special Projects in 2011. Kevin has since returned to policy and is currently Vice-President, Market Policy and Trading Conduct Compliance. 



Patrick McEntyre, Managing Director, Electronic Trading & Services, National Bank Financial
Patrick McEntyre is Managing Director of NBF’s Electronic Trading & Services, offering DEA and algorithmic trading as well as ETF, equity derivatives, and Portfolio Trading to institutional clients.  He has over 20 years of trading experience. Prior to NBF, he was with ITG Canada as a Director in their electronic brokerage group and headed up their Commission Management Services. He spent his formative years in Montreal at boutique global investment dealer Pavilion Global Markets where, as the Head of North American Equity Trading, he was instrumental in developing their portfolio trading capabilities in both Canada and the U.S. He has been actively involved in shaping the Canadian regulatory environment through regular participation in industry comment letters and contributions to advisory committees like MSAC, MRAC, and the CSTA’s Trading Issues Committee. He is a sitting member of NBF’s Liquidity Review Committee, which is mandated to ensure that NBF duly meets its Best Execution obligations. Patrick is a CFA and went to most of his classes at the University of Western Ontario.


Ross McKee, Partner, Blakes, Cassesls & Graydon LLP
Ross McKee is a Partner in the Toronto office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Ross has over 30 years' experience in all aspects of securities regulation, including capital markets, disclosure, corporate governance, mergers and financing, ranging from venture capital to international structured finance. Ross has been a regular columnist for CIRI's IR leader, and he was a member of the committee that developed CIRI's Standards & Guidance for Disclosure and Model Disclosure Policy for public companies. He was also retained to develop the Toronto Stock Exchange's Filing Guide for TSX-listed companies and has served as a member of the OSC's Continuous Disclosure Advisory Committee. Ross taught the securities regulation course for five years at the Faculty of Law, Queen’s University, and has spoken at numerous seminars on topics in the area of securities regulation and corporate governance.


Ryder McRitchie, Vice President, Capital Markets & Public Relations, Jupiter Resources
Ryder McRitchie possesses over 25 years of experience in the energy industry. In February of 2017, he joined Jupiter Resources, a privately held natural gas producer focused on the Alberta Deep Basin. Before Jupiter, Ryder spent some time in Vancouver with Westport Fuel Systems helping the organization work through a transformative merger and strategic review. Prior to that, Ryder was with Encana Corporation for 18 years where he held a number of roles. His last position was on the executive leadership team where he provided strategic leadership of teams across Investor Relations, Communications, Government Relations, Community Involvement and Corporate Social Responsibility. While at Encana, he was engaged in the spin out and creation of Cenovus Energy and directly supported the design and launch of Canada's largest energy IPO and secondary offering: PrairieSky Royalty. Ryder graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering. He also has an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary with a focus on Finance.

Nathalie Megann, Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, Chorus Aviation Inc.
Nathalie Megann is Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs at Chorus Aviation Inc. Nathalie has worked in the aviation industry for over 20 years, and brings recognized expertise in operations, corporate management, public affairs, and marketing. In 2013, Nathalie received her official designation as a Certified Professional in Investor Relations from the Ivey Business School and the Canadian Institute for Investor Relations. Nathalie is a University of Dalhousie alumnus and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Advanced Major in Political Science and Diploma in Public Administration. In addition to serving on the board of Tourism Nova Scotia, Nathalie shares her skills with the Canadian Investor Relations Institute’s National Board of Directors. 


Estelle Métayer, Principal, Founder, Competia
Estelle Métayer brings vast experience and fresh perspective to the ever-changing world of Competitive and Strategic Intelligence. A noted expert, her intuitive, precise research provides managers, CEOs, and board members with the right tools to effectively build and hone their competitive intelligence and strategic planning - to avoid blind spots, capitalize on strengths and excel.

Estelle works best when companies need to drastically change the way they do business and grow aggressively. Spotter of current trends, she is a popular speaker at international conferences and facilitates strategic workshops around the world. As adjunct professor at McGill University, she teaches with Henry Mintzberg the International and National Advanced Leadership Programs and the International Master for Health Leadership and successfully introduced Competitive Intelligence into the McGill-Rottman School of Business's certification program for Canadian board directors, and into the new HEC-McGill Executive MBA. She is also a guest lecturer at International Masters Program in Practicing Management led by Lancaster University, McGill, the IMB (India) and INSEAD.


Colleen Moorehead, Chief Client Officer, Osler

Colleen Moorhead is Chief Client Officer at Osler. She is responsible for implementing Osler’s client-focused business development strategy. Colleen works closely with the Managing Partner and the firm’s Client Relations Committee to deepen and strengthen existing client relationships and also provides advice and guidance on new markets and business development opportunities. Colleen has had a long successful career in the financial services industry that spans over 20 years. She began her career at Merrill Lynch and CIBC. Colleen was a co-founder and President of E*TRADE Canada and President and CEO of Nexient Learning. Colleen graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo with a BBA, Finance and was recognized by St. Mary’s University, Halifax in 2005 with a Honourary Doctor of Law.

Naomi Nemeth, Vice President, Communications, Coro Mining Corp
Naomi Nemeth is an accomplished corporate communications and investor relations professional with more than 25 years' experience across several industry sectors. Focused on the mining industry for the past twelve years, Naomi has worked with companies such as Banro Corporation, Sandspring Resources, Desert Sun Mining (acquired by Yamana Gold), Wolfden Resources (acquired by Zinifex), African Copper, and Continental Gold. In addition, Naomi has held senior investor relations and communications roles within the pharmaceutical industry (Biovail, MDS, Glaxo) and the financial services sector (Clarica, Manulife) over the course of her career. She began her career as an exploration geologist with Inco working in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Ontario and has an undergraduate degree in geology and biology from Brock University, and a Master's degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario. 

Réjean Nguyen, Senior Advisor, Responsible Investment, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec 

Based in Montreal, Réjean Nguyen joined Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) in 2014 to support the ESG integration across CDPQ’s portfolio. Prior to joining CDPQ, Réjean spent a few years leading a team of financial analysts and contributing to the implementation of a CSR program for Dessau, an engineering consulting firm. Réjean holds a Master of Finance and a B.Sc. in Business Administration from HEC Montreal. As part of his master’s degree program, he led his own research toward the study of the social impact of microfinance, and that interest has led him to work on the integration of ESG issues into investments. Réjean is a CFA Charterholder and a FSA Credential Holder. 


Lori Novickis, Head of Corporate Relations, CBIZ, Inc.
Lori Novickis leads Corporate Relations at CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) a $1-billion market cap professional services and consulting company for small and mid-sized businesses. Prior to the formation of CBIZ in 1997, Inc., Lori served in a government relations capacity for its predecessor company, Alliance Holding Corporation. With more than 20 years of experience in IR, leading this function at CBIZ for the past 15 years, Lori has learned to maximize every dollar of spend to achieve her company's IR goals. Lori also serves as an Executive Board Member of CBIZ Women's Advantage (CWA) Program and currently chairs the public relations committee of CWA. Lori received the Chairman’s Conference recognition as a top-performing employee in 2007 and 2008. 
 

Matt Orsagh, Director, Capital Markets Policy, CFA Institute 
Matt Orsagh, CFA, CIPM, is a director of capital markets policy at CFA Institute, where he focuses on corporate governance issues. He was named one of the 2008 “Rising Stars of Corporate Governance” by the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance at the Yale School of Management. 





John Phillips, CEO, Klister Credit Corp. & Director, Shopify Inc. 
John Phillips has served as a member of Shopify's board of directors since April 30, 2010. John has worked with Klister Credit Corp., an investment and consulting company, and is currently its Chief Executive Officer, a position he has held since 1993. John had a career in the legal profession working in private practice at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP for 20 years and as general counsel at Clearnet Communications Inc. for nearly six years. He currently serves on the board of directors of a number of privately held companies and gained experience serving on the board of directors of Redknee Solutions Inc., a public company. He received a B.A. from Trinity College, University of Toronto and an L.L.B./J.D. from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. 


Jenna Pilgrim, Director Business Development, Blockchain Research Institute 

Jenna Pilgrim is the Director of Business Development at the Blockchain Research Institute, which is conducting the definitive investigation of blockchain strategies, opportunities, and implementation challenges and is funded by companies and governments worldwide. The BRI was founded in March of 2017 by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott, co-authors of Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World.  Jenna holds a BBA in Finance from Trent University is a Certified Bitcoin Professional. Jenna co-founded her first company when she was just 18. 



Anne Plasterer, Investor Relations Consultant, Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund 

Anne Plasterer, CPIR, is an investor relations consultant with over 17 years of experience providing comprehensive investor relations strategies for companies across a wide range of industries. Currently, Anne provides investor relations consulting services to Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund. She was most recently Executive Director, Investor Relations at Newalta Corporation and was formerly with BFI Canada (now Waste Connections) where she oversaw investor and employee relations. Under her direction, BFI Canada was recognized with IR Magazine’s Best Investment Community Meetings Award. Prior to that, Anne provided IR consulting services to multiple clients for a Toronto-based IR consultancy and was an Investor Relations Associate at HSBC Investment Bank in London, UK. Anne holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and has completed the Canadian Securities Course. She also holds the Certified Professional in Investor Relations designation (CPIR). Anne has been a member of CIRI since 2000, served on both the CIRI National and CIRI Alberta boards, and was Chair of the CIRI Alberta Chapter from 2011 to 2013.


Kyle Preston, Director, Investor Relations, Vermilion Energy Corp. 
Kyle Preston has over 20 years of experience, including 13 years as a sell-side equity analyst and seven years in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining Vermilion in 2016, Kyle was a Director, Energy Research Analyst at National Bank Financial covering large to medium sized oil and gas companies, including Vermilion Energy and many of its peers, and held similar roles at Canaccord Genuity, Salman Partners and BNP Paribas. Earlier in his career, he spent five years working in various financial roles at ExxonMobil and Shell.



Smooch Repovich Reynolds, Managing Director, Global Investor Relations and Chief Communications Officer Practice Group, ZRG Partners LLC

Smooch Repovich Reynolds joined ZRG Partners at the end of 2017, bringing with her a career that spans more than 25 years of executive search consulting, specifically focused in the Global Investor Relations Officer and Chief Communications Officer functional areas. Smooch pioneered IR executive search as a direct result of her affinity for the capital markets, and has partnered with CEOs and CFOs to address corporate valuation issues and financial market expectations throughout her career. As the profession and financial markets have evolved dramatically the last two decades, she has served as a key influencer of the direction of the Investor Relations profession through her stewardship with client management teams. In addition, her thought leadership in the Corporate Communications functional niche has been framed by her tenure as a former Chief Communications Officer and her broad participation in the global communications community. She is considered a leading authority on the intangible leadership traits that define talent who are recognized as part of the top 10% of Investor Relations and Chief Communications Officers globally. Her executive search experience has spanned partnerships with management teams and Boards at organizations ranging in size from pre-IPO entities to global, multinational Fortune 500 market leaders, across all industry sectors.

David Ricciardello, Managing Director, Head of Institutional Equity Sales, Macquarie Group
David Ricciardello has more than eleven years of experience selling global equities to institutional clients throughout North America. Prior to joining Macquarie in 2016, David was a Director and Team Lead of Bank of America Merrill Lynch's equity sales organization in Canada and a Principal responsible for IBM Global Services' Complex Integration consulting practice in Canada. David holds a BScH in Software Engineering from the University of Western Ontario, an MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, and is a CFA Charter. 

 


Roberto Sbrugnera, Vice President Treasury, Risk and Investor Relations
Roberto Sbrugnera joined Metro in 1985 as a retail accountant, and subsequently held finance positions of increasing responsibility. In 1994, he became responsible of the Treasury, Risk and Investor Relations departments. He represents Metro among many large Canadian and international institutional investors as well with the Company's financial partners. Roberto holds a Master’s degree in Business administration from HEC-McGill. He is a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (Quebec chapter) and a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society.



Patricia Rosch, President, Investor Communication Solutions, International
Patricia Rosch leads Investor Communication Solutions, International. She joined ADP in 1996 as Director of Sales and Marketing and was named President of Investor Communication Solutions, Canada in 2004. Prior to that, she held strategic planning positions at a major Canadian bank and a number of product development and marketing positions in the brokerage and mutual fund industries.




Greg Secord, Vice President, Investor Relations, Open Text Corporation

Greg Secord is the Vice President, Investor Relations at Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ:OTEX, TSX:OTC). Greg’s primary responsibility is dealing directly with financial analysts and institutional investors. With over 15 years of IR experience in North American capital markets, he has managed IR through over 40 acquisitions in his career. Greg is a frequent presenter at IR Magazine’s annual Silicon Valley Investor Relations Think Tank in Palo Alto. He regularly lectures on global IR planning at many of Canada's top colleges and universities and is the recipient of numerous IR Magazine Awards of excellence. He is a past board member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute’s (CIRI) Ontario chapter, and is the vice-chair for the exclusive Senior Roundtable of the U.S. National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). 

Darren Sissons, Partner, Vice President & Portfolio Manager, Campbell Lee & Ross Investment Management
Darren Sissons brings a diversified background in Investment Management, joining the Campbell Lee & Ross Investment Management team as a Vice President & Portfolio Manager. Darren has spent the past 17 years in the investment industry managing global large-capitalization portfolios for Royal Bank, Scotiabank and two independent investment firms. Darren also spent considerable time in the private capital community first in venture capital then later in private equity. As a member of the Campbell Lee & Ross Investment Management investment team, Darren contributes to our portfolio construction, portfolio management and security analysis processes, while enhancing our international expertise in European, Asian and Emerging Markets. He is a frequent contributor to the Globe & Mail, National Post & Reuters, and is a regular guest on the BNN TV NetworkDarren was born in Wellington, New Zealand, where he graduated with a BA in Political Studies from Victoria University. He also has a Diploma in International Business Studies from Massey University, an MBA from York University and holds a CPA accounting designation. He lived in Taipei, Taiwan, for five years prior to moving to Canada.

Debra Sisti, Head of Canadian Research, ISS
Debra Sisti is the Head of Canadian Governance Research at ISS. She was a co-founder, director and officer of the predecessor Canadian corporate governance firm in 1984. During the course of her 20+ years with the company, she has held many responsibilities from those as a licensed institutional trader and director of a registered investment firm, to management of client accounts, and the introduction and oversight of several corporate governance services including proxy voting for Canadian institutions. Currently, as the head of Canadian Corporate Governance Research, working closely with the ISS global research team, her time is dedicated to policy development and oversight of corporate governance research analysis of roughly 2,500 Canadian public companies for a global client base. Debra is a member of the Ontario Securities Commission Continuous Disclosure Advisory Committee. She is also ISS’ delegate as Associate member of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance.

Greg Smith, President & Director, Equinox Gold
Greg Smith was President of Trek Mining until it merged to form Equinox Gold in December 2017 and was the CEO of JDL Gold until it merged with Luna Gold in March 2017 to form Trek Mining. Prior to his role with JDL Gold, he held the roles of CEO and founder of Anthem United, President and CEO of Esperanza Resources prior to its sale to Alamos Gold, and CFO of Minefinders Corporation prior to its sale to Pan American Silver. Previously Greg has held management positions at both Goldcorp and the mining division of KPMG LLP and he also acted as a director of Premier Royalty prior to its sale to Sandstorm Gold. Currently Greg is a director and the Audit Committee Chair of both Chesapeake Gold and Royalty North Partners. Greg is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and was the recipient of the 2013 CA Early Achievement Award and the 2014 Business in Vancouver Top 40 under 40.

Walter Spracklin, Equity Research Analyst - Transportation & Industrial Products Sectors, RBC Capital Markets 
Walter Spracklin is a Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets and responsible for the firm’s equity coverage of the Transportation and Industrial Products sectors, including the North American railroads, as well as the Canadian airline, aerospace, trucking/logistics and diversified industrial sectors. Walter has over 17 years of experience in equity research and over the course of his career has been consistently cited as his sector’s top-ranked analyst, receiving a #1 rating from both of the two major analyst rating organizations in Canada (Brendan Wood and Greenwich). Brendan Wood in particular has rated Walter #1 in Transportation for the last eight years running and has consistently given him a top ranking for his specific coverage of Bombardier, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, TransForce, Air Canada and WestJet. Walter has also been recognized for his stock picking, having been ranked by Starmine as a top stock picker on seven occasions over his career. In the early part of his career, Walter was also responsible for RBC’s coverage of the Business Trust sector and was top-ranked in that sector as well. Walter holds an International MBA from the Schulich School of Business (York University) and a Bachelor of Social Science (Hons.) degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Ottawa. He attained his CFA designation in 2002.

Catharine Sterritt, Portfolio Manager, CIBC Asset Management
Catharine Sterritt is a portfolio manager with CIBC Asset Management’s Renaissance team. Prior to joining CIBC Asset Management in 2017, Catharine was Managing Director, Global Equity, Absolute Return/Arbitrage at Scotia Capital Inc. She has over 25 years of experience in equities and is a specialist in event-driven investment opportunities, including risk arbitrage, financial or operational stress, recapitalizations and regulatory changes. She is also a recognized authority on mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues and corporate governance. Catharine recently completed a 2-year term on the executive committee of 100 Women in Finance Toronto as co-chair philanthropy. Catharine holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a CPA, CMA, and is also a CFA charterholder.

Jonathan Sylvetre, Head, Business Strategy, Equities Trading, TMX Group 
Jonathan Sylvetre currently holds the position of Head, Business Strategy, Equities Trading at TMX Group. His responsibilities in this role include strategy development and business intelligence for the TMX’s equities trading business. Prior to joining the TMX Group, Jonathan spent almost a decade at the OSC as member of the Market Regulation Branch, where his responsibilities included the oversight of marketplaces and self-regulatory organizations and policy making relating to market structure issues.



Taylor Thoen, CEO, Executive Producer, BTV- Business Television/CEO Clips 
Taylor Thoen is the creator of the longest running investment TV show in Canada, BTV - Business Television. On air for 20 years, BTV is broadcast on BNN, US national, Air Canada, and top financial sites. As a full Digital and Media company, BTV and CEO Clips provide issuers with a platform on both TV and online to garner unprecedented investor attention. Through BTV and CEO Clips, Taylor has interviewed more than 2000 dynamic CEO's giving her a unique business perspective. Taylor completed the EO - Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT and is the recipient of numerous awards including Canada’s Top 25 Female Entrepreneur, Profit 100 Fastest Growing Company Award and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee.

Thang To, Vice President & Director of Investor Relations, Corbin Advisors
Thang To joined Corbin in 2016 as Director of Investor Relations and serves as an advisor to the firm’s clients. For over 15 years, Thang has analyzed companies and consulted clients on various financial matters including valuation, business communication, financial risks and special situations. He enjoys assisting clients with gaining a full understanding of the dynamics affecting their valuation, more effectively telling their story and identifying new and potential investors. Prior to joining Corbin, Thang was a Lead Analyst covering the Financials sector at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (MUFG) since 2013. Prior to MUFG, he served on the sell-side at various firms including Evercore ISI, Banc of America and Bear Stearns. Prior to his days on Wall Street, Thang was an Investor Relations Manager at AT&T, where he provided executive management and investors with clear insights into drivers of business and financial performance. Thang started his career as an accountant and risk consultant at Arthur Andersen, where he consulted numerous Fortune 500 companies on business risks. Thang graduated with a B.A. in Business Economics with a Minor in Accounting from UCLA and obtained an MBA with Specializations in Finance and Financial Instruments and Markets from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.

Tim Trombetta, Senior Advisor, Strategic Capital Intelligence, Nasdaq
Tim Trombetta is a Senior Analyst - Strategic Capital Intelligence within Nasdaq’s Advisory Services division and has over 15 years of experience working in various capacities within the investor relations space. He served as Director of Investor Analytics from 2009 to 2012 and was a key member of Nasdaq’s Investor Relations department from 2006 to 2009 where he assisted in building out a full IR program. Prior to Nasdaq, Tim served as a Stock Surveillance Analyst for Bloom Partners and a Stock Specialist at the Boston Stock Exchange. Tim has a wealth of knowledge about the capital markets and Investor Relations. Tim holds a BA degree in Finance from Bentley. 


John Truzzolino, Managing Director, Corporate Governance Services, Donnelley Financial Solutions

John Truzzolino is the Director, Corporate Governance Services for the Global Capital Markets Division of Donnelley Financial Solutions.John has more than two decades of experience following SEC and global compliance changes, analyzing their impact on financial reporting requirements and developing solutions to meet the changing regulatory environment. As Director of Corporate Governance Services, John is responsible for coordinating quarterly SEC and industry updates and following SEC guidance that is designed around delivering higher quality compliance disclosures. John reports these findings to Donnelley Financial Solutions for development into its production platform and provides client guidance through onsite and web-based events, targeting more than 4,000 legal, finance and corporate professionals annually.

Scott Vali, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager, OMERS Capital Markets

Scott Vali is Managing Director and Portfolio Manager overseeing $20 billion in public equity investments for OMERS Capital Markets. Scott brings 20 years of public market experience in managing assets globally and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation.




Robert Veloso, Vice President, Investor Relations
As Vice President, Investor Relations, Robert is responsible for developing and executing on the global investor relations program, and for managing the Company’s relationship with the investor and analyst community to achieve a fair and sustainable valuation for Manulife shares. Robert first joined Manulife in 2010 as Director, Investor Relations and was quickly promoted to Assistant Vice President following the successful staging of the 2010 Investor Day. In that role, Robert contributed significantly to key improvements to the function, such as streamlining external disclosures and expanding marketing activities. Robert possesses 19 years of experience in various areas of financial services, including equity research, financial marketing and relationship management. Prior to joining Manulife, Robert held several capital markets roles, and acted as an equity research associate at BMO Capital Markets covering Consumer Products and Retailing. 

Katherine Vyse, Retired Partner and Senior Vice President, Brookfield Asset Management
Katherine is a retired senior business executive with over 25 years of diverse experience across functions and industries. Katherine retired from Brookfield Asset Management (June 2013) after a 13-year career at the firm, most recently as Partner and Senior Vice President, Investor Relations. She joined the Brookfield Group of companies in 2000, initially within Brookfield’s commercial real estate affiliate, Brookfield Office Properties, as Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications. Katherine was appointed Senior Vice President of Brookfield Asset Management in February 2002, responsible for launching the company’s investor relations and media-communications programs and initiatives and for providing assistance to its public company affiliates and investee companies. While at Brookfield, Katherine also assumed a newly created position for two years - Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Client Communications to assist in growing the company’s private equity client base and 3rd party assets under management. Katherine’ business career also includes head of investor relations communications at a major North American real estate company and 10 years in the financial services industry in management roles in human resources, internal consulting and internal communications functions. In addition, she taught marketing for eight years in the Continuing Education Faculty at Ryerson University. Katherine recently served (from April 2016 to June 2017) on the Board of Directors of a new real estate company, Mainstreet Health Investments (TSX: HLP.U). She also Chaired Mainstreet’s Compensation, Governance and Nominating Committee. 

Katherine holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a Diploma in Retail Management from Sheridan College. In addition, she is a graduate (June 2014) of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Director Education Program, earning the ICD.D designation. Katherine is a member of the Board of Directors of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and a former member of the Brookfield Partners Foundation and the National and Ontario Boards of CIRI. She was awarded the Canadian Investor Relations Institute’s (CIRI) 2014 Award of Excellence in Investor Relations and honored as one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the program’s inaugural year – 2003. 

Jacqueline Wagenaar, Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, Guyana Goldfields
Jacqueline Wagenaar has over 10 years of experience in investor relations. She currently is the Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications for Guyana Goldfields, a mid-tier gold producer primarily focused on the exploration, development and operation of gold deposits in Guyana, South America. Since joining the Company in 2009, she has been responsible for all marketing, communications, and investor relations initiatives for the Company. Prior to Guyana Goldfields, she led investor relations programs for several other Canadian mining companies with international assets, as well as various sustainable technology and e-commerce technology companies. Jacqueline studied Business at the University of Western Ontario and is a Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR) from the Ivey Business School. She is currently an Ontario Chapter Executive for the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and is an engaged IR advocate within the profession.

Malcolm White, Portfolio Manager, CI Funds

Malcolm White, CFA, is a portfolio manager and technology, media, and telecommunications specialist at Signature Global Asset Management, a division of CI Investments. He has over 21 years of investment experience and started his career as a software developer. Malcolm has consistently been voted as one of Canada’s top 50 money managers in the Brendan Wood survey, and the fund he co-manages won the 2017 Lipper Fund Award as the Best Global Fund in Canada. He recently completed a part-time program in artificial intelligence at a local Toronto university, where, for his capstone project, he created a machine learning application that reads financial transcripts and automatically determines investor sentiment. He holds a BA from Queen’s University.


Eric Zaunscherb Analyst, Canaccord Genuity Corp.

Eric Zaunscherb joined Canaccord Genuity in June 2014. He has over 30 years -- and four cycles -- of experience as a mining analyst, including seven years with his own independent research firm. He has also worked for a number of well-known investment dealers, most recently with Morgan Stanley in London. As a geologist, Eric designed and implemented mineral exploration programs in diverse North American environments. He graduated from McMaster University in 1984, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. In 1990, Eric gained the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is a member of the CFA Institute and various mining industry organizations.