Board of Directors
Senior leaders representing the full spectrum of the investment funds industry volunteer their time and expertise to serve on IFIC’s board of directors. The quality and commitment of IFIC’s board members are two of our most significant assets. The board develops annual priorities and objectives that guide the association’s day-to-day activities.
IFIC board members, along with hundreds of committee volunteers, enable IFIC to provide thoughtful, well informed, fact-based commentary on all issues impacting the industry and its investors.
The members of our 2024-2025 Board of Directors are:
AGF Investments
Joined Board 2004-2010; Re-joined 2015
Judy is president and head of global distribution at AGF Investments. As a member of the board of directors for AGF Management Limited and AGF Mutual Funds, she provides strategic leadership and vision that promotes AGF’s long-term growth. Before joining AGF, Judy specialized in regulatory and administrative law. She received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University.
President, 1832 Asset Management L.P.
Joined Board in 2019
Neal leads the Scotia Global Asset Management businesses in Canada, including Dynamic Funds and ScotiaFunds. He is a former executive vice-president with CI Financial. Since 2012, Neal had corporate management responsibilities for CI’s portfolio management teams, its Institutional Asset Management business and CI’s Australian funds management business. He has an honours BA in economics from Western University.
Capital International Asset Management (Canada)
Joined Board in 2019
Rick is president of Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc. With more than 20 years of industry experience, he was most recently the president of Sun Life Global Investments Canada Inc. where he was responsible for growing the distribution of investment funds through financial advisors and institutional retirement plans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and law from the University of Saskatchewan and holds the certified financial planner designation. He is a member of the Ontario Bar.
PFSL Investments Canada
Joined Board in 2005
John has been the CEO of Primerica Life Canada since 2003 and before that he served as Primerica’s CFO and VP of finance. John began his career in 1980 with PKMG LLP. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1982 and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Trinity College at the University of Toronto (1980). John is the past chair of IFIC’s board, chair of the Governance Committee, and a member of IFIC’s Dealer Committee and Executive Committee. He is on the board of the Federation of Mutual Fund Dealers.
GP Wealth Management Corporation
Joined Board in 2003
George is president and CEO of GP Wealth Management Corp. He began his career in the financial services industry in 1985. In 1988, he became the owner/operator of Money Concepts and then founded GP Wealth Management Corp. In 2001, George was elected chair of the Federation of Mutual Fund Dealers. In 2002, he was elected to the board of the MFDA and the Executive, Governance and Regulatory Issues Committee.
Head of Vanguard Americas and Managing Director
Vanguard Canada
Head of Vanguard Americas and Managing Director, Vanguard Canada
Joined Board in 2019
Kathy oversees Vanguard’s Americas business, including Canada, Mexico and South America. She has over 30 years of global financial services experience. She has an accounting degree from Temple University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s advanced management program. She serves on the board of directors for Vanguard Canada, Vanguard UK and Vanguard Mexico, as well as the Canadian ETF Association. She is a past co-chair of the Investment Company Institute’s Audit Directors’ Committee.
Mackenzie Investments
Joined Board in 2020
Chris is head of global institutional, dealer engagement and partnerships at Mackenzie Investment. He is a member of their operating committee and leads their $120 billion global institutional business. He has extensive experience in corporate banking, retail fund distribution, and institutional asset management in Canada, United States, Europe, and Asia. Chris holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick and is a past chair of George Brown College.
(Chair – CFIQ)
National Bank of Canada
Joined Board in 2022
Marie Brault is vice-president, governance, investments and NBI legal affairs at National Bank of Canada. She manages the legal and regulatory affairs team responsible for the bank’s managed investment solutions. She has a law degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and an LL.M. in business law from the Université de Montréal. Prior to joining National Bank in 2005, Marie had a corporate, commercial and securities law practice with two national law firms: Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.
Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Joined Board in 2008
Sian Burgess is senior vice-president, fund oversight for Fidelity Investments Canada ULC. She is responsible for Fidelity’s fund treasury, risk, legal, compliance and procurement functions and oversees Fidelity’s various boards of directors. She is a member of Fidelity’s executive committee. Sian is chair of IFIC’s Policy & Operations Steering Committee and a member of the Executive and Governance Committees.
Global Maxfin Investments
Joined Board in 2020
Bill Charles is the CEO of Global Maxfin Investments Inc. and Global Insurance Solutions Inc. He spent 27 years with Investors Group, most recently as senior vice-president, overseeing all aspects of distribution, sales, asset growth and 2000 advisors in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Bill served on the MFDA board of directors from 2011 to 2013. He is on the board of Coast to Coast against Cancer and a former member of the board of the Brampton Rotary Club. He holds a BA from the University of Western Ontario and is a certified financial planner.
Sterling Mutuals
Joined Board in 2018
Nelson is the CEO of Sterling Mutuals. He entered the mutual fund industry in 1987 and founded Sterling Mutuals in 1996. He has been actively involved in a variety of industry-related working groups and committees and currently serves as a member of the board for Federation of Mutual Fund Dealers. Nelson has a BA in psychology from the University of Windsor and pursued post-graduate studies in psychology at Wayne State University.
Manulife Investments, Canada
Joined Board in 2024
Jordy joined Manulife as Head of Retail Intermediary Distribution, Canada in 2023 and is a leader on the Manulife investment management (Canada) and global retail leadership teams. He leads all aspects of intermediary distribution of investment products in Canada. Jordy holds the certified financial planner designation and has completed the senior executive program at the Fuqua School of Business of Duke University.
Canada Life Investment Management
Joined Board in 2023
Steve Fiorelli is president and CEO of Canada Life Investment Management, and also senior vice-president, wealth solutions. Prior to joining Canada Life, Steve was vice-president of client relations at CIBC and held senior leadership roles in CIBC Private Wealth Management and CIBC Asset Management. Steve also held roles at Franklin Templeton, Fidelity Investments and Invesco Trimark. He has an honours Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University.
Merici Services Financiers
Merici Services Financiers
Joined Board in 2024
BlackRock
Joined Board in 2024
As head of iShares Canada, Helen deepens client relationships and strengthens iShares’ leadership position in Canada through the strategic alliance with RBC. She has spent most of her 25+ year career in capital markets. During her time at CIBC, she spent five years in the UK leading the equities team with responsibility for the distribution team in Hong Kong. She holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School, a Bachelor of Education, and an honours Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University.
BMO Asset Management Canada
Joined Board in 2010
Ross is accountable for the development and implementation of a multi-year distribution strategy for BMO Global Asset Management’s suite of Canadian retail and institutional investment products. He has over 25 years of investment industry experience. In previous roles, he was co-president, BMO Investments Inc. and president, Guardian Group of Funds Ltd. Ross is a chartered financial analyst and holds a bachelor of arts, economics, from the University of Western Ontario.
Designed Wealth Management
Joined Board in 2022
Michael is a director and chief financial officer of Designed Wealth Management. He is the founder of the IIAC small and independent dealer committee, served on the IIROC Ontario District Council, and is former vice-chair of the IIROC Financial and Operations Advisor Section committee. He has a master’s degree in finance, a PhD in management, and has Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Investment Manager designations.
Bridgehouse Asset Managers
Joined Board in 2012
Carol is president and CEO at Bridgehouse Asset Managers. She is responsible for the oversight and building of the asset management business and has direct responsibility for all functions within the Bridgehouse operation. Prior to joining the firm, she served as SVP of client relations and operations at one of Canada’s largest investment fund managers. A chartered professional accountant, Carol holds a bachelor of business administration. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Invesco Canada
Joined Board in 2020
Jason is head of wealth management at Invesco Canada where he leads the retail sales initiatives. He began his career in 1991 as a financial advisor and later as an investment marketing manager with a leading insurance company. He joined Invesco in 2005 and has held several roles within the organization, including head of national accounts, regional sales manager and, most recently, head of the global investment strategies team. Mr. MacKay has a BA in politics and economics from Trent University.
TD Asset Management
Joined Board in 2024
Jason McIntyre is VP, wealth, and head of retail distribution, overseeing distribution strategy, relationship management and client services for TD Asset Management. He gained extensive experience in distribution, having previously worked at two major Canadian financial institutions as head of distribution and senior vice-president of distribution. He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Calgary. is a CFA charter holder, and a member of the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts.
RBC Global Asset Management
Joined Board in 2021
Karen is managing director, head of investment solutions at RBC Global Asset Management. She leads the product strategy team for the individual investor business. She spent eight years as vice-president and head of advisor channel sales. Karen began her career as an investment advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy in Calgary. A native of Alberta, Karen has a bachelor of commerce degree. She has a strong passion for leadership, investor education and mentorship.
The Investment Funds Institute of Canada
Joined Board in 2023
Andy is the president and CEO of IFIC. He has worked in the financial services sector for more than 30 years and has broad investment industry and leadership experience. Before joining IFIC, Andy was managing director and head of asset management distribution for SEI Investments Canada. He held senior leadership roles at Worldsource Wealth Management, Standard Life Canada, and Bank of America Canada. Andy has an MBA from Dalhousie University, is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and holds his responsible investment specialist designation.
Aviso Wealth
Joined Board in 2018
Bill is president & CEO at Aviso Wealth Inc. He is the former CEO of Qtrade Financial Group and executive managing director, wealth management and life and health insurance, Desjardins Group. He was president, CEO, chair and/or director of Rockwater Capital, Merrill Lynch Canada, Midland Walwyn Capital, Blackmont Capital and Financial Concept Group. Bill was a director at The Canadian Securities Institute, Canadian Investment Protection Fund, The Investment Industry Association of Canada, and Investment Dealers Association of Canada (now CIRO). A chartered accountant, he has a math degree from the University of Waterloo.
PEAK Investment Services Inc.
Joined Board in 2022
Robert is vice-president, business development at PEAK Financial Group and is responsible for PEAK’s advisor recruitment. He has worked in the financial industry for almost 30 years and has experience in senior business development positions at some of Canada’s largest asset management firms. Robert is a graduate of Concordia University, where he majored in commerce and economics, and he has the chartered financial analyst designation.
National Bank Investments
Joined Board in 2020
Éric-Olivier has been president and CEO of National Bank Investments (NBI) since 2020. Prior to this, he was vice president, Wealth Management Solutions at National Bank Financial Wealth Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from the UQAM École des Sciences de la Gestion. In 2016, Éric-Olivier was named in the Top 25 of the Quebec financial industry as winner of the “Under 40” category by the economic magazine Finance et Investissement.
Senior Vice-President, Investment Solutions, Sun Life Canada
Joined Board in 2022
Oricia is president of SLGI Asset Management Inc. and senior vice-president of Investment Solutions for Sun Life Canada. Oricia joined Sun Life in 2016 as head of the International Investment Centre (IIC) and moved into SLC management in 2017. Prior to joining Sun Life, she spent over 17 years at Invesco and started her career in the investment banking division at TD Securities. She has an HBA and MBA from the Ivey School of Business and is a Rotman alumni as a The Judy Project graduate.
Franklin Templeton Investments
Joined Board in 2023
Dennis is head of National Sales Head at Franklin Templeton Canada. Prior to this, he was head of sales compliance and business operations for all distribution activities in North America, and previously served as head of corporate development and planning for Canada. He was senior vice-president and chief financial officer for Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. for more than a decade. He has an honours BA in chartered accounting from the University of Waterloo and is a Canadian chartered professional accountant (CPA), chartered accountant (CA), certified financial planner.
PIMCO Canada
Joined Board in 2024
Mr. Tsagogeorgas is an executive vice president, co-head of PIMCO Canada, and head of the Canadian global wealth management team. Based in Toronto, he is responsible for setting strategic direction for Canada and leading a team of PIMCO professionals to deliver innovative investment solutions and best-in-class service to Canadian investors. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2010, he was assistant vice president of strategic account management at Franklin Templeton Investments, where he led a team of national managers responsible for business development in the Canadian marketplace. Previously, he was head of operations within the transfer agency at Franklin Templeton Investments. He has 26 years of investment experience and holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Toronto along with the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.
