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CFA
As the President and CEO of UBC Investment Management Inc. (UBCIM), Dawn Jia is responsible for the overall investment activities and monitoring of the portfolios under UBCIM’s oversight. She also oversees UBCIM’s operations and provides strategic and operating objectives to the organization.
Prior to joining UBCIM, Dawn was a Senior Portfolio Manager at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). At CPPIB, Dawn and her team were responsible for ensuring that the total portfolio delivered on its overall mandate by rebalancing it to the desired systematic exposures. Before Dawn joined CPPIB in 2013, she was Vice President and Head of Active Equity for North America at State Street Global Advisors. She was also an equity portfolio manager at Barclays Global Investors and a quantitative strategist at CIBC World Markets.
Dawn is a Board Member of Vancouver Foundation and the Chair of its Investment Committee. She also serves on the Board of Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG). Previously, she served on the Investment Committee of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). Dawn is a founding member of the Advisory Board of Western University’s Master of Financial Economics Program.
Dawn received her MBA from the Ivey Business School and an MS in Engineering from Tianjin University in China. She is also a CFA charterholder.
About UBC Investment Management
UBC Investment Management is a professional investment management company established in 2003 to provide comprehensive portfolio management and advisory services to The University of British Columbia (UBC). We are a wholly owned subsidiary UBC and in addition to other smaller funds within the UBC community, the primary funds we manage are: The UBC Endowment Fund, The UBC Staff Pension Plan and The UBC Working Capital Fund.
CMA, CAIA
Iftikhar is Partner within Private Equity Group at Aon and leads global infrastructure research and consulting practice. He has over 17 years of combined experience in the investment industry with a focus on private equity and infrastructure. He is responsible for research and due diligence on funds, secondaries, and co-investments and provide strategic and portfolio advice to public and corporate pensions, endowment and foundations, SWFs and insurance companies on their programs. Prior to joining Aon in 2016, Iftikhar held senior investment positions at large investment holding companies where he was responsible for managing direct and fund investments in private equity and infrastructure. He holds Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law, and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations as well.
CFA, M.Sc., M. Fin
Nelson Arruda is a Senior Vice President and Head of Mackenzie’s Multi-Asset Strategies Team.
Prior to joining Mackenzie Investments, Nelson held various roles over several years at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) –including 3 years as Lead PM of the Commodities Strategy in the Global Tactical Asset Allocation Group. Nelson was involved in multi-asset research, portfolio management, tactical asset allocation, active commodities, and active currencies. Prior to joining the CPPIB, Nelson was a Financial Engineer working on liability modelling at State Street based in Toronto for pension plan clients in the EU and across North America.
Nelson earned two Masters Degrees at the University of Toronto and the RotmanBusiness School over the period 2005 to 2009 –a Masters of Science Degree in Computer Science (M.Sc.) in Cryptography & Computational Complexity and a Masters Degree in Finance (M. Fin) degree. He is also a CFA charterholder.
CPA
Scott Alanen is the VP, Investments for the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC).
Scott brings experience, expertise and leadership capabilities around structuring, financing, and negotiating Indigenous partnerships in Alberta, including several deals directly involving AIOC. Scott’s previous experience positioned him as a principal architect of AIOC’s first investment, Cascade Power.
Scott has directly supported a large number of Indigenous Communities across Western Canada in the equity ownership of major assets including renewable and non-renewable power generation, energy storage, hydrogen and critical minerals, oil and gas infrastructure, carbon capture utilization and storage and agriculture, in addition to key land acquisitions directly for Alberta Indigenous Communities. Scott’s previous experience spans Alberta economic sectors including energy, oilfield services, real estate, manufacturing, and international trade.
Scott holds a CPA designation and is accredited as a Chartered Business Valuator and Chartered Financial Modeller. He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors education program.
Current Board Positions
2008 – Present Chairman, Saskatchewan Pension Plan
At SPP we manage over $800 million in pension assets for 30,000 plan members
2007 – Present Board of Directors, WorkJack Media Inc.
A successful internet marketing company based in Collingwood, ON
2005 – Present Board of Directors, Kineticor Resources Inc Calgary, Alberta
Kineticor is currently building a $1.5 billion power plant in Alberta that will produce 900 megawatts of power per year. The plant is scheduled to be fully operational in May 2024.
2022
Received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for work enhancing the financial lives of residents of Saskatchewan.
Past
Board Positions and Business Experience
Chair and Director of the Federation of Independent Mutual Fund Dealers of Canada
Director of Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
1986 -2003 Founder and CEO of TWC Financial
Corp. a Saskatchewan based investment funds dealer, at time of sale in 2003 had grown to manage over $4 billion in assets with 400 independent financial advisors across Canada.
MBA, CFA
Arup has been a professional quantitative investor for more than three decades, managing portfolios across virtually every capitalization and region of the world.
Between 1992 and 2012 he was a Quantitative Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Director of US and Director of Portfolio Management with Man Numeric. In 2012, he founded Agriya Investors, which later became the global/international arm of AJO. He joined Mackenzie in September 2017 to head the Global Quantitative Equity Team.
Arup has a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India, and earned an MBA with distinction from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. He is a CFA charterholder.
CFP®, CIM®, FCSI, RIAC
With over 30 years of experience in the investment industry, Patti Dolan began focusing on Responsible Investing (RI) in 1995. This extensive experience has made her one of Canada’s top experts in RI.
Patti specializes in evaluating companies based on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. This involves assessing companies’ performance in areas such as sustainability, social impact, and corporate governance practices.
As a shareholder advocate, Patti actively votes client shares in a manner that supports sustainable best practices and strong governance within companies.
Patti is deeply committed to educating investors, institutional stewards, and the general public about RI. She engages in various activities such as keynote speaking, moderating panels, presenting at MBA programs, and participating in task forces. She has also taught Social Finance at Ambrose University.
Community engagement is a fundamental aspect of Patti’s life. She has participated in a study tour to Rwanda, attended sessions at the United Nations in New York, and contributed to the review of companies for the UN Global Compact. Patti has held executive positions with organizations like the Alpine Club of Calgary and served on the Calgary Area Outdoor Council and the University of Calgary’s Sustainable Investment Committee.
Patti has held significant leadership roles in various organizations. She served as the past Secretary for the Responsible Investment Association of Canada and as the past Chair of Vibrant Communities Calgary. Additionally, she was a member of the Conference Board of Canada Leadership Faculty at the Corporate Sustainability Institute.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Patti enjoys spending time with her family, including her two successful sons. She has a passion for outdoor activities such as mountain adventures and biking. She is a member of the Foothills Masters Swim Club and cherishes spending time with her partner, Ken.
CFA, MBA
CFA
Adam Farstrup is Head of Multi-Asset, Americas at Schroders, which involves managing a team which is responsible for assets across a range of investor outcomes utilizing a risk premia based approach. Adam leads our Multi-Asset effort in the Americas, both in delivering solutions to clients and participating in our investment discussions. He joined Schroders in 2007 and is based in New York. Adam was a Product Manager for the Global and International Equity team at Schroders from 2007 to 2013, which involved communicating investment strategy and outlook for the team’s products to clients and consultants.
He was Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Manager Solutions at Rogerscasey from 2003 to 2007, which involved overseeing investment programs and strategy for the firm’s discretionary clients. He was Director of International Equity Manager Research at Rogerscasey from 1997 to 2003, which involved overseeing Rogerscasey’s Global, International and Emerging Markets Equity manager research effort, which was accountable for rating and recommending international equity managers and portfolio structures for the firm.
Adam is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society New York.
Qualifications: CFA Charterholder; BA in Economics from Muhlenberg College.
BA, MA
Tom is a senior Investment Director and is Head of Real Asset Equity Specialists, with a core remit to commercialise and grow the Real Assets business as an integral part of Aviva Investors strategy in active outcome-oriented solutions. Tom’s primary focus is to scale our co-mingled fund offering and develop strategic partnerships with global investors for transactions of scale across Real Estate and Infrastructure Equity.
Tom has nineteen years’ experience in Real Assets fund management and capital raising, with experience gained as both a principal and advisor in the UK and European markets. Prior to joining Aviva Investors, Tom was an Investment Director in the Product Strategy & Solutions team at Aberdeen Standard Investments focused on developing the Real Estate product strategy as a fundamental part of the firm’s Private Markets offer. Tom has also held roles at LaSalle and Lazard.
Tom has a BA and MA in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).
CFA, MBA
CFA
Hubert is a Principal with George & Bell Consulting, specializing in delivering research, analysis, and advice on investment-related matters to institutional clients.
Along with his role as a consultant, Hubert leads George & Bell’s investment strategy and manager research initiatives. His expertise extends to investment due diligence, asset mix analysis, plan governance, and portfolio monitoring. Additionally, Hubert contributes to the firm’s commitment to community engagement as a member of the Indigenous Relationships Committee.
Prior to joining George & Bell, Hubert worked at a global consulting firm where he conducted research and due diligence on investment matters for institutional clients. His career also includes experience as an accountant with a specialty lending subsidiary of a Canadian bank.
Hubert works with a wide array of institutional investors, including pension plans, benefit plans, endowments, foundations, and Indigenous communities.
Hubert is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and International Business. He currently sits on the Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees of the Banff Canmore Community Foundation and YWCA Calgary.
CFA
Jim Hwang is a Co-Founder and the Chief Operating Officer of Firinne Capital, a digital assets investment management company. He also independently consults on various topics including digital asset investing, multi-asset factor modeling, total portfolio allocations, equity factor investing, and organizational design. He previously worked at CPP Investments (CPPIB) as a Managing Director in Capital Markets & Factor Investing, responsible for public markets strategy allocation, and in Total Portfolio Management, heading portfolio design research. Prior to CPPIB, Jim had worked globally, managing portfolio management and research teams at major global institutions including Bosera Asset Management in HK and China, and Barclays Global Investors and UBS Brinson in the US.
Jim holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley and a BS in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from MIT. He is also a CFA charter holder.
Jérémy Le Jan joined Tikehau Capital in Paris in 2007 and currently serves as Head of Canada. He first joined the firm as an Account Manager before becoming Deputy Chief Financial Officer and then Finance Department Manager in 2014. From 2016 to 2019 he was the Chief Financial Officer of Tikehau Capital before joining the teams in New York to develop the Group’s activities in North America. Previously, Jeremy was as an Accountant and then Head of Mission for various accounting firms such as Deloitte, In Extenso and the BDO network.
CFA
Ian was born in Ottawa and grew up in Ottawa and Belleville, Ontario (with a brief year in Winnipeg). He is a graduate of Queen’s University, and after university, he spent over a decade teaching at a college in Kobe, Japan. Ian is a highly experienced risk manager with extensive theoretical and hands-on experience trading proprietary strategies designed to mitigate the impact of market volatility and generate additional portfolio yield. He came back to Canada in 2007, and helped launch a Vancouver-based hedge fund. The Fund went on to be one of three finalists for Morningstar’s Best Opportunistic Hedge Fund in 2012, and he managed investments for some of Canada’s top institutional investors, including Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Manitoba Teachers’ Society and the Jim Pattison Foundation. Ian and his family moved to Victoria in 2017, where he worked as Chief Risk Officer for a top-ranked investment advisory team. He joined the Victoria Foundation’s Investment Committee in 2020, and came on board as the Foundation’s Director of Investments in 2022. He has been a CFA charterholder since 2015, and has a deep commitment to professional development and education. He currently teaches multiple investment courses for the University of Victoria Continuing Studies program, and has been a guest lecturer for the 4th year Strategic Investing course at the Richard Ivey School of Business. When he’s not working or playing with his two young kids, you’ll usually find Ian on one of the local tennis courts.
MBA
Dave Kirzinger co-founded RISE Properties in 2012 and is now Chairman, based in Victoria, British Columbia. Under Dave’s leadership, RISE has been guided by a clear set of corporate values. Fundamental to these values is transparency and maintaining alignment with investor interests. Today, RISE has ownership interests in 37 properties, 6,580 rental apartments with an estimated value of $2.8 billion CAD. Dave has enjoyed a 35-year distinguished career in multi-family real estate acquisitions, development, and management. Importantly, this has been through a variety of market cycles. Dave began his career with Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) in 1989; TCR was founded in 1948 and is one of the oldest and largest real estate developers and investors in the USA. From 1992 to 1997, Dave was at Intrawest in Vancouver, and then the Belkorp Family Office, heading up Belkorp’s US apartment business that included assets in Seattle & Portland. In 1997, Dave was recruited by AvalonBay, a large, publicly traded REIT that invests in US apartments in multiple markets, to open their Seattle office. Eventually, Dave oversaw operations in both Seattle and Southern California. In 2004 Dave became the Seattle-based operating partner with Mosaic homes (headquartered in Vancouver, BC). In 2012, Dave founded RISE with the help of his Mosaic partners. In September of 2017, Barrett Sigmund was hired as President of RISE and In January 2022, Barrett was promoted to the CEO of RISE as part of an established succession plan. Dave remains active in his chairman’s role, with a focus on governance and strategy. Dave holds a B.A. from the University of British Columbia (1980) and an MBA from Stanford University (1989). Dave played in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders & the Toronto Argonauts over the years 1978 to 1986.
As Director of Global Equity for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, June Kim is responsible for the pension fund’s $135 billion public equity portfolio. June is a member of the fund’s Risk Allocation Committee, which makes tactical asset allocation decisions for the total fund, and she chairs CalSTRS Investment’s Diversity Steering Committee. Prior to joining CalSTRS, June was head of public equity for the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association. Her earlier experience includes index and quantitative portfolio management at Barclays Global Investors, Northern Trust, and Wilshire Asset Management, and institutional foreign exchange sales at Citibank. She currently serves on the advisory council for Women in Institutional Investments Network (WIIIN), a non-profit focused on advancing and empowering women in the institutional investment community. June received her B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and is a 2019 Finance Leaders Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Neil Lloyd is a Partner of Mercer and an investment consultant and actuary in Mercer’s Vancouver office. Neil joined Mercer in 2006 and spent nine years using his actuarial, investments and international expertise working with defined benefit, defined contribution pension plan and endowment and foundation clients across Western Canada. In 2015, he became the leader of our US DC and Financial Wellness Research Group. In December 2020, Neil returned to Western Canada to take up the role of Western Canada Wealth Leader where he again works closely with asset owners.
Neil has been selected for several industry-wide roles such as the Vice Chair of the Employee Benefits Research Institute, Chair of the Plan Sponsor Council of America’s Thought Leadership Council and Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association’s Executive Committee. Neil is a regular speaker at international, national and regional industry forums, and has worked with a wide range of asset owners both within North America and across the Globe.
Neil obtained a degree in business science from the University of Cape Town in 1987, before qualifying as a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries in 1990. Neil is also a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries and qualified as a Certified Financial Planner in South Africa in 1994.
Dylan Oelofse is AIMCo’s Risk Director covering Public Equity and Tactical portfolios, providing risk advice to the respective investment teams. He has a background as a fixed income and multi-asset portfolio manager, including several years as an interest rate derivative market maker. His interests are analyzing decisions taken in an uncertain environment, macroeconomics, music and fly fishing.
Aaron is an Institutional asset management executive with a history of applying a multidisciplinary approach to help global asset management firms realize optimal partnership potential with Institutional clients.
Aaron brings extensive leadership experience with a focus on Institutional knowledge, acumen, and strategic and tactical initiatives which are applied to solidify an investment management company’s reputation as a high quality, globally competitive entity.
At Equiton, Aaron oversees capital raise and servicing as it relates to the distribution of the firm’s investment strategies to Institutions.
MBA, CFA
CFA
CFA
Alex joined Cortland in 2016 and is currently a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager covering Cortland’s private debt fund strategies. Alex manages Cortland’s underwriting and portfolio management team which is responsible for comprehensive credit and risk analysis through its due diligence on pipeline investment opportunities. He contributes to setting strategic direction of the firm and refining Cortland’s investment policies to adapt to evolving market dynamics. Alex serves as a member of Cortland’s Credit Committee, convening regularly to review prospective transactions and existing holdings to ensure their alignment with the company’s investment policy and processes.
CFA
Relevant Experience/Specialization
Christopher Pinto is a Director in the Investment line of business of WTW.
Christopher has over 20 years of investment industry experience across both institutional and retail/high net worth markets, covering traditional and alternative investment strategies. He has worked within the pension plan, investment consulting and asset management industries, primarily focusing on asset allocation, investment strategy, portfolio construction and manager oversight.
Most recently, Christopher was a Portfolio Manager overseeing the public market investments at a Toronto-based pension plan and prior to that, was Head of Canadian Portfolio Management for the delegated offering at an investment consulting firm. Christopher is based out of our Vancouver office.
Education and Credentials
Christopher graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Marketing). He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Shannon has over 20 years of experience in responsible investment, cooperative development and sustainability with experience working in Canada, South Africa and Latin America. Shannon has helped build SHARE’s investor network to include foundations, Indigenous trusts, universities, pension funds and faith-based investors with over $90 billion in assets under management.
Shannon advises asset owner boards in their implementation of responsible investment policies and practices and oversees strategic projects for SHARE. She is a voluntary board member and treasurer of the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation.
She has a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University.
Chris Sicotte is a proud Cree/Métis and member of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (formerly known as Nelson House First Nation), Treaty 5 territory, with family connections to the historic communities of Cumberland House and the Red River Métis Settlement. Chris is the Executive Director of the National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association (“NATOA”), a position he started in October 2022. Prior to this role Chris worked for 30 years in the financial services (banking & insurance) industry. Over the course of his career, he has worked in locations across Canada, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Norway House Cree Nation, Cree Nation of Chisasibi (James Bay Cree of northern Quebec) and Saskatoon. Since 2002 he has been focused on working directly with First Nations governments, Tribal Councils, Economic and Business Development Corporations, Métis governments and Entrepreneurs in providing financial services and advice.
Chris has and continues to serve on numerous Boards and committees. He is the current Board Chair of Sparrow Hawk Developments (the economic development arm of Peepeekisis Cree Nation). In June 2022, through an Order in Council, Chris was appointed a Director of the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (“CMHC”) for a 4-year term. He is also the former Board Chair of Kahkewistahaw Economic Management Corporation, former Chair of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, former Chair of the City of Saskatoon’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, and former Board Chair of AFOA Canada.
In May 2023 Chris participated in the AFOA Canada/Harvard University Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities course at Harvard Business School. As one of 83 participants from across Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand he had the opportunity to live on campus for a one-week intensive course designed to empower and inspire Indigenous leaders. This was a unique learning experience and allowed him to network with Indigenous leaders from around the world.
Chris is a speaker and presenter on Indigenous Economic Development, Indigenous Finance, and Urban Reserve development. He remains active as a community builder between the Indigenous and newcomer Canadian communities and the inter-faith community of Saskatoon. In recognition of his volunteer activities Chris was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Saskatchewan) in March 2023.
Chris currently resides in Saskatoon (Treaty 6 territory) with his wife Darlene OkemaysimSicotte and is stepfather to 4 adult children. He is the proud grandfather of 4 grandsons: Albert (“AJ”), Dayshawn, Joseph, and Samuel and one granddaughter Desta. He also holds black belts in 2 martial arts (Traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and the Filipino martial art of Kali) and is an advanced brown belt in the Filipino art of Sikaran.
CIPM
Cynthia Shaw-Pereira is Head of Asset Owner Solutions at CIBC Mellon.
Cynthia is responsible for establishing strategic priorities for CIBC Mellon’s asset owner segment and services for institutional investors active in the Canadian market. In addition, Cynthia works closely with sophisticated clients to understand, identify, and develop new solutions, helping shape CIBC Mellon’s delivery of solutions today and build for the future based on clients’ needs.
She has nearly 20 years of experience in asset servicing. Cynthia’s previous roles across the BNY Mellon global enterprise include client solutioning of performance and risk analytics products and services, and advising on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) space in the Canadian market.
Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, and certificates in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) and ESG Investing from the CFA Institute. She is a member of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA) Toronto Working Group.
CFA
CFA, MBA
Jacky Shen is the Director of Treasury at Simon Fraser University, where he provides the treasury, investment and responsible investing leadership by supporting the university’s investment governance
duties, implementing investment decisions and responsible investing initiatives, as well as managing debt and operating cash flows.
Jacky has managed SFU’s endowment portfolio to consistently outperformed its benchmarks for all annualized period on a rolling 10-year basis, and to consistently ranked in the top decile for the ten-year
annualized return within the balanced manager universe, as well to consistently ranked among the top performing Canadian universities in the Canadian University Investment Survey. He also successfully
implemented the university’s investment decarbonization plan and guided the investment portfolios toward the university’s 2025 divestment commitment.
Jacky is a trustee of both SFU Academic Staff Pension Plan and SFU Administrative/Union Staff Pension Plan. He is also a Treasury and Investment Committee member of Canadian Association of University
Business Officers (CAUBO).
Jacky has accumulated more than 30 years of experience of investment management, corporate finance, credit analysis, marketing and product development for various organizations including
managerial roles in leading global firms such as HSBC and AIG. Jacky joined Simon Fraser University in 2007.
Jacky earned an MBA degree from University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Global Assets and Wealth Management from Simon Fraser University, and he is a CFA Charter holder.
William Secnik is a senior member of the Fiera Real Estate (“FRE”) management team and the Fund Manager of the Fiera Real Estate CORE Fund (“Fund”), an opened-ended, pooled, Canadian real estate fund. William focuses on the overall strategy and performance of the Fund by maintaining a well-diversified portfolio that achieves higher-than-average returns.
William has been in the industry since 1996 and has deep experience in all facets of real estate including investments, asset management, valuations, financing, and value enhancement initiatives. Previously, he was a fund manager of a $1.9 billion real estate fund. In that capacity, William led the fund’s strategy, interfaced with institutional clients, and executed over $620 million of transactions. William was also a key investment team member at two TSX-listed firms where he focused on growing a mixed-use real estate portfolio.
In his spare time, William enjoys the outdoors with his family and participates in charitable and community activities.
CFA, ICD.D
Terri Troy, CFA, ICD.D is Co-Founder of Placemore Capital Inc., an advisory firm that works closely with investment managers/GPs and accredited investors to match the right solutions with the right partners. In 2018 Terri retired as CEO of the Halifax Regional Municipality Pension Plan. She has more than 25 years of experience in investment management, pensions, corporate strategy, and mergers and acquisitions. As CEO of the Halifax Regional Municipality Pension Plan, she transformed the governance structure, investment strategy, and customer service function. Innovative investment strategies implemented included factor investing, portable alpha, and a significant emphasis on private investments including co-investments, syndications/club deals with other large institutional investors, and direct investments, etc.
While CEO, Terri was a Board member of a UK based energy company and a Board member of a Canadian financial services corporation. She was a member of Investor Advisory Committees for various global private investments including UK, European and US private equity; UK, Australian and Canadian infrastructure; European, UK, Asian, US and Canadian real estate; and European, UK, and US private debt.
Prior to the CEO role, Terri was responsible for the investment strategy for RBC’s 33 global pension plans between 2000-2006. Prior to RBC, Terri held various roles at CIBC including corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, and wealth management.
Terri has held various leadership roles in the pension industry including being a Board Member of the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC), Chair of PIAC, Chair of PIAC’s Investment Practices Committee and Chair of PIAC’s Government Relations Committee.
Terri was a member of the International Limited Partnership’s Association’s Education Committee 2016-2018 and is currently on ILPA’s Teaching Faculty.
Over the course of her career, Terri has received many awards including the Leading Pension Plan Sponsor Award and the Top 25 Most Influential Plan Sponsors.
Terri has an MBA from York University and an HBBA from Wilfrid Laurier. She also holds the CFA charter and completed the ICD Rotman, Directors Education Program
Samir Ben Tekaya joined British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) in June 2016. As the Head of Investment Risk at BCI, Samir was instrumental in building the investment risk function from the ground up. He oversees the development of multiple frameworks to measure and manage BCI’s investment risks and to enable multiple investment initiatives.
Samir has more than 21 years of experience in investment risk management in both the banking and pension management industries. Prior to joining BCI, Samir was Director, Portfolio Valuations; and before that, Director, Fixed Income and Asset Allocation Risk Management at Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ). He also serves as a Director on the Board of Mount St. Mary Hospital in Victoria.
Samir holds a master’s degree in Financial Engineering, and a master’s degree in Applied Economics from HEC Montréal, as well as an engineering degree in Statistics from INSEA Morocco.
MBA
Mr. Wang is a Managing Director of Crescent Capital focusing on private credit. Prior to joining the team in 2011, Mr. Wang was a member of the investment team at Oaktree Capital Management focusing on distressed debt, distressed-for-control, and special situation private equity. Prior thereto, Mr. Wang was a member of the Investment Banking Department at Lehman Brothers. Mr. Wang is a current and former member or observer of the Board of numerous private companies. Mr. Wang received his MBA and AB from Harvard University.
CFA
Jia Wang is the Deputy Director and served as the Interim Director (Jan 2021 – Aug 2023) of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, where she manages research, programs, and government and media relations since 2011. She also represents a major Japanese enterprise in North America, focusing on renewable energy. A senior fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives at the University of Victoria, Jia is also a member of the Canada-US Commission on China.
Jia has over 17 years of direct management experience focusing on the economic and political dimensions of contemporary China and Canada-China relations in various capacities. At the China Institute, in addition to overseeing the operations, she leads policy research initiatives examining Canada’s diplomatic, trade, investment and energy linkages with China. Jia also provides strategic and policy advice on China to University senior leaders as well as executives at public and private sector organizations. She is a frequent media commentator, speaker and moderator at international, national and community events.
Before joining the China Institute, Jia worked as a television news reporter, anchor and producer covering major political, business and cultural affairs for OMNI TV network from 2008 to early 2011. She also served as a business consultant for Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and as a conference interpreter for various business, government and higher education institutions at executive-level meetings and major conferences.
Jia holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) from Peking University and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. She has written columns for the largest Chinese newspaper and taught business communication and cultural etiquette in Canada.
Born and raised in Beijing and lived for two decades in Canada, Jia is fully bilingual (Chinese and English) and bicultural. She serves on the Board of Directors for Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Winspear Centre for Music and is an Advisory Board Member for the Canada China Forum. An avid animal and nature lover, she supports animal rescue and nature conservation efforts around the world and enjoys hiking in the Canadian Rockies every summer.
MBA, CFA
Ryan is City Treasurer for the City of Medicine Hat. He manages the $750 million investment portfolio of Canadian and Global Fixed Income & Equities, Infrastructure, Real Estate, Private Credit, Commercial Mortgages, and Currency. Ryan manages a team responsible for cash management, banking & borrowing, loans & loan guarantees, insurance & claims, grants, and reserves. Before joining the City of Medicine Hat, Ryan was a Portfolio Manager for the City of Calgary. In that role he managed a $4.2 billion portfolio of Canadian & Global Fixed Income, Infrastructure, Private Credit, Commercial Mortgages, and Currency. Ryan has an MBA from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.
CFA
Ying is the Director, Risk Management at Vestcor, where she leads the Risk Team and oversees all activities related to the assessment and management of investment risk and enterprise risk across the organization. She also serves as Chief Compliance Officer at Vestcor. Prior to leading the Risk Team, Ying held positions in Quant/Applied Research where she focused on investment research, investment risk management, asset allocation and asset & liability management.
Ying has over 15 years of experience working in risk management. She holds an M.A. degree in Economics and is a CFA charter-holder. Ying is a Board Member of Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC). She is also the Vice President of the CFA Society Atlantic Canada Board.