Managing Director, Structured Products, Desjardins

Mr. Bélanger has over 15 years of experience in the industry and has been with Desjardins structured products team since 2008.

He is the manager of the Equity Derivatives and Structured Products group. This group ensures the development of Desjardins Market linked GICs and Structured Notes. It also trades equity derivatives to hedge market exposures related to Desjardins structured products businesses.

The group also partners with institutional clients to help them manage their own structured products businesses and hedge their market risk. He led the development of the new Structured Notes program launched in early 2019.

He holds a Master's degree in Finance from Sherbrooke University and is a CFA charterholder.

Head of Structured Product Solutions – Canada, RBC Capital Markets

Grant leads a team of experienced sales and solutions professionals who originate, enhance and distribute RBC’s investment and derivatives products in Canada. The team serves clients ranging from wealth management investment advisors to institutional asset managers seeking structured note products, derivatives strategies and cross-asset investment solutions.

Grant has over 20 years’ experience within financial markets. He joined RBC Capital Markets in 2011 as an equity derivatives trader, covering structured notes, index, single stock and delta one markets before moving into his current sales and sales management role. Grant is a CFA charterholder and holds both Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario.

Head of Americas, WSD

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

Senior Vice President Head of Private Client Solutions, Raymond James Ltd.

As Senior Vice President, Head of Private Client Solutions, Chris leads various teams in providing advisors and their clients with access to best-in-class products and services. In addition to being on the Senior Leadership Team and Executive Committee, Chris is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee, Wealth Management Operating Committee, Product Review Group and provides input on the firm’s strategy and policy decisions. Chris is an accredited portfolio manager, holds an MBA from Athabasca University and is also a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI) and holder of the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.

He is also a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute (SII), Executive Development Program, sponsored by SIFMA and The Wharton School.

Head of Sales, Investor Solutions Canada Scotiabank, Global Banking and Markets

Todd brings 29 years of experience in the financial industry, with the last 19 years focused on structured notes. As the Head of Sales for Investor Solutions Canada at Scotiabank, Todd is dedicated to supporting and educating investment professionals on structured notes, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to serve their clients effectively.

Outside of work, Todd enjoys spending time with his family at their cottage, barbecuing, golfing and mountain biking.

Director, Head of Western Canada Sales and Distribution, TD Securities

Jiena Chen brings over 20 years of industry experience, across wealth management and capital markets. Over the past 16 years, Jiena has been responsible for strategically building and leading Western Canada Sales and Distribution for the Investment Solutions Group within TD Securities, earning her the recognition and respect for her leadership, deep product knowledge and client service excellence.   

Beyond her professional achievements, Jiena served as Co-Chair of TD Securities Women in Leadership Canada 2020- 2023 and recipient of the 2023 WCM Transformational Leadership Award for her crucial role in inspiring and developing women in capital markets, shaping the landscape of TD Securities and the financial industry for years to come.

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

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

Head, Independent Agent Business, Wellington-Altus Private Wealth

Dominic D'Aoust is a seasoned financial expert with nearly two decades of experience in structured products and portfolio management. As the Head of Independent Agent Business at Wellington-Altus, he leads a team acting as partners for advisors and drives innovation in wealth management.
Previously, he spent over nine years at Laurentian Bank Securities as Managing Director of Structured Products and Head Portfolio Manager, where he managed structured notes and discretionary portfolios. Dominic began his career at Desjardins Securities, holding roles in structured products, ETFs, mutual funds and portfolio management. He holds both a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Economics and Finance from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), graduating with honors. His deep expertise and leadership make him a prominent figure in the Canadian financial industry.

Head of Data & Platform, WSD

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

Senior Analyst and Team Leader Structured Products, Desjardins Securities

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

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

Meric has 20 years of experience in finance, starting in the Equities Division of Goldman Sachs, New York. While at Goldman, Meric developed derivatives research around indices, ETFs, and options, for both pension funds and hedge funds. She later moved to Asia (Japan and Singapore) where she worked as an Equity derivative sales specialist focusing on hedge funds.

Meric joined CIBC in 2016 where she is currently the Deputy Head of the Wealth Solutions Group. She specifically leads the Structuring, Innovation & Private Markets teams. Her team is responsible for the generation and pricing of CIBC’s Structured Notes, Market Linked GICs and all new product initiatives including Private Markets. Meric served as the co-chair of CIBC Global Markets Recruiting Committee.

She is currently the business liaison for CIBC Continuing Education Program from Capital Markets and a member of the CM Learning Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the CIBC Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council (IDAC).

Meric graduated from Hamilton College in New York, USA as a mathematics and economics double major. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society

Managing Director, Structured Solutions Group, National Bank of Canada

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

Managing Director & Head, Canada Investor Solutions, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets

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

Senior Wealth Advisor, Raymond James

Wayne McNeill has been an investment advisor for over 35 years. Having originally been under the McLeod Young Weir umbrella Wayne has seen the consolidation of many firms over the years. His career took him away from Scotia McLeod after the bank’s takeover of McLeod Young Weir to another independent firm, Midland Walwyn only to be absorbed by Merrill Lynch, who was in turn brought back under the bank umbrella through CIBC Wood Gundy. Wayne returned to the independent advisors role through Raymond James, where he and his team now manage over $1 billion in investments for his high-net-worth clients.

Wayne and his team take a value orientated approach to investing by focusing on high cash flow investments to generate more predictable returns in turbulent markets.

Director, Structured Products, Desjardins

James Neals is a Director in the equity structured products group, responsible for the structuring and distribution of the white-label derivative products to our corporate partners, while also supporting the growth of the structured products business in the wealth channel, both roles nationally.

James comes to Desjardins with 9 years' experience, primarily in institutional trading within global markets, having previously worked at CIBC World Markets, Credit Suisse, Fidelity Investments, and an international fund.

James’ experience expands across asset classes having spent time as a trader in global equity derivatives, high yield and investment grade bonds, foreign exchange, and international equities.

James holds an Economics and Finance degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Senior Portfolio Manager, Wellington-Altus Private Counsel

Martin has over 20 years of investment industry experience including senior-level positions in both institutional equity research and portfolio management. Martin is currently a Senior Portfolio Manager at Wellington-Altus Private Counsel (previously TriVest Wealth), an award winning portfolio management firm (Wealth Professional 5-Star Asset Manager 2022), where he is the co-manager of the firm’s risk-managed balanced fund and helps oversee custom built, HNW and UHNW private client portfolios. Prior to co-founding TriVest and its sale to Wellington-Altus in early 2020, Martin’s career was focused on institutional equity research and capital markets primarily at two top-ranked boutique investment banks.

Martin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in finance from the University of Alberta, studied international economics and finance at Örebro University in Sweden, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder. Martin is regularly featured in the media as a market strategist including his weekly column in the Financial Post’s Investment Pro section for the past decade.

He is a member of Oilweek Magazine’s class of 2012 Rising Stars, Calgary CFA volunteer of the year (2014), one of Thomson Reuters Canada’s top 40 social influencers in finance, innovation and risk (2017), named as one of Wealth Professional Canada’s Leading Portfolio Managers (2019), an excellence awardee for Canadian Portfolio/Discretionary Manager of the Year (2019) (2020) (2021) (2023), and is a Wealth Professional 5-Star Advisor (2022).

CFP®, FEA, Senior Portfolio Manager, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management Canada

Scott Starratt is a Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Investment Manager. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in 1993 majoring in Finance, Game Theory and Chemistry and draws on more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Scott’s role is to lead the team and perform astute due diligence, manage portfolios and select top-tier alternative and hedged investments for our clients’ downside protection. Scott gets to know company management teams on an up-close-and-personal basis to be able to assess funds based on more than figures on a balance sheet: he also considers each managers’ ethics, track records and integrity under pressure.

Chief Executive Officer, WSD

Mathias has practiced law for more than 20 years and has worked in the legal tech world for over ten years. He has broad legal experience and is a recognized expert in derivatives law and automation, having founded WallStreetDocs, RegXchange, PRIIP Cloud and Scissero. Mathias holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, and a Mag.Jur and Dr.Jur in law from the University of Vienna.

Director, Structured Solutions Group, National Bank of Canada

Since joining the team in 2012, Matthew has steadily advanced, significantly contributing to the company's expansion across Canada and elevating the Bank's profile beyond Quebec. He excels in building strong relationships and educating advisors and investors about the strategic benefits and limitations of structured notes.

With over 15 years of experience in the financial sector, Matthew leverages his deep expertise in finance and structured products to develop and offer bespoke investment solutions. His responsibilities stretch from Newfoundland to Alberta, actively supporting investment advisors and specialists in crafting effective investment strategies. Matthew takes a particular interest in finding efficient and creative ways to market structured products, focusing on leveraging technology to quickly deliver relevant information to the right clients.

Matthew holds an HBA from the University of Toronto and an MBA from INSEEC-IUM. He was an active member of the Varsity hockey and lacrosse teams during his university years.

In his personal life, Matthew treasures time with his wife and their eight-year-old twin daughters. He is passionate about road cycling, dedicating two weeks each year to riding in Europe's mountains.

Senior Portfolio Manager, Raymond James

Bob Thompson is regarded as one of Canada’s leading authorities on customized investments. With almost 30 years in the business, and 15 of those as an Alternative Investment Strategist, he is now a Senior Portfolio Manager and has been recognized as one of Canada’s top advisors.

Bob is the author of Stock Market Superstars: Secrets of Canada’s Top Stock Pickers, with in-depth interviews and analysis from 12 of the best money managers in the country. His perspective and insights on the market have been featured in the Globe and Mail and the Financial Post, and he is a popular guest on Bloomberg Canada, Business News Network and CBC News. He has written articles and research reports on strategy and alternative investments for Canadian Business, Investor’s Digest, Canadian Hedgewatch, Benefits Canada, among others.

Bob is also actively involved with the community. In particular, he is a member of Canada Company: an organization committed to developing and supporting initiatives that help our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, and the work that they do at home and abroad. He has also been a licensed pilot since the age of 16, and notes flying as one of his passions in life.

Managing Director, Cross Asset Solutions, BMO Capital Markets

Maria Tihotchi is a Managing Director with Cross Asset Solutions (“CAS”) within the Global Equities group at BMO Capital Markets. CAS is dedicated to providing innovative investment solutions along with sales and after-sales support to the retail and wholesale investment community within Canada, the US and abroad. In her role as Managing Director, Maria is responsible for structuring Principal at Risk Notes investment products within Canada and works closely with both of CAS’s trading and sales teams to create tailored investment solutions designed to meet the various risk appetites and return needs of Canadian investors. Maria has a Bachelor’s of Finance degree from University of Toronto and is a CFA® Charterholder.

Advisor to Richardson Wealth

Aaron Unger is a principal of Bayline Capital Partners, a financial advisory firm that is engaged in providing clients with advisory services relating to fund raising, corporate strategic alternatives and go-public transactions.

Additionally, Aaron serves as a consultant to Richardson Wealth where he specializes in assisting advisors with respect to structured products so as to facilitate the distribution of best-in-class product to their network.
Between June 2006 and October 2015, Aaron served on the Executive Management team and was the Head of Equity Capital Markets at Dundee Capital Markets.

Prior to that, Aaron served in the Equity Capital Markets group and Investment Banking group at TD Securities.

Executive Director & Head of Canadian Structured Product Distribution, CIBC Capital Markets

Matt Wallace is an Executive Director at CIBC Capital Markets and head of Canadian structured product distribution. Matt has over 20 years of capital markets sales and trading experience with an emphasis on equity derivatives and structured products. His team covers investment advisors and portfolio managers across Canada, designing custom investment strategies to help their investors reach their goals.

Matt supports several charitable causes in the community, and for several years was co-chair of CIBC Capital Markets’ annual One For Change charity auction, one of the largest single-day fundraisers at the bank. He has been based out of both Vancouver and Toronto and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Chief Revenue Officer, WSD

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