Patricia Arocena is a Senior Director and Head of Innovation Labs, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), working within the Innovation and Technology organization. She is responsible for identifying emerging technologies and accelerating their adoption across the bank. Her contributions to technology transformation were recognized with the prestigious 2024 RBC Leo Award.

With over 20 years of experience in technology and innovation, Patricia has held leadership innovation roles at Tier-1 research institutions in Canada, PwC, and other financial institutions. She was recently appointed an RBC Distinguished Engineer in recognition of her exceptional technology achievements and technical community leadership. Today, Patricia helps organizations create next-gen solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, delivering innovation and measurable value across the industry.

She earned her PhD in Computer Science and MEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, with her research published in leading scientific journals. Outside her professional endeavors, Patricia enjoys baking for her family on Sunday afternoons and resides in Toronto.

Mr. Bangash is the Co-Founder and CEO of Obsiido, a Toronto based technology enabled investment platform partnering with Canadian wealth managers to invest across private equity, private credit, and real assets through pooled and bespoke investment structures. Obsiido delivers solutions through two business lines, Obsiido Alternative Investments Inc. and AxsAlts. Obsiido Alternative Investments Inc. specializes in sourcing and managing evergreen, semi-liquid private market investments on behalf of its wealth manager clients. AxsAlts is an AI driven technology platform focused on digitizing and automating key alternative investments workflows that financial advisors, dealers and fund managers undertake to support sourcing, diligence, modelling, subscribing and monitoring alternative investments.

Mr. Bangash has spent 15 years in the Canadian investment management industry. Prior to founding Obsiido, he led the investment products group at a TSX listed, multi-billion dollar asset manager. He holds degrees from Queen's University and Wilfrid Laurier University and is a CAIA Charterholder.

Noreen leads the Corporate Finance Legal Services Team at the BCSC. Her team is responsible for policy development and exemptive relief applications for investment funds and all areas of corporate finance. She was previously general counsel to a Vancouver based investment dealer and mutual fund dealer, and prior to that was in-house legal counsel at one of Canada’s largest investment fund firms. Noreen was seconded to the Canadian Securities Transition Office to develop the proposed Federal Securities Act and related regulatory regime and was a key participant in the provincial regulatory initiative to develop the provincial Capital Markets Act. She also had extensive involvement in developing many of the BC Securities Act amendments that came into force in 2020. Noreen holds a B.Sc. and an LL.B. from the University of Manitoba.

Mr. Bentsen is President and CEO of SIFMA, the leading trade association for broker-dealers, investment banks and asset managers operating in the U.S. and global capital markets. Mr. Bentsen is also Co-Chair of the British American Finance Alliance (BAFA), a coalition of 19 British and American trade associations and industry bodies representing both financial and professional services. Previously, Mr. Bentsen served as President, and earlier as the Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy for SIFMA, responsible for SIFMA’s legal, regulatory, and legislative affairs and advocacy initiatives. Mr. Bentsen is a member of the Board of Directors for SIFMA’s global affiliate, the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA), having also served as CEO. He is President of Engage China. He has also served as Chair of the International Council of Securities Associations (ICSA).

Prior to joining SIFMA, Mr. Bentsen was president of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), where he led the 700-member financial services trade association representing commercial and investment banks, financial services companies and manufacturers in the commercial finance sector. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Bentsen was a Managing Director at Public Strategies, Inc. where he was a strategic and management consultant principally to the firm’s financial services clients.

From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Bentsen served as a Member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas, where he sat on the House Financial Services Committee (and its predecessor House Banking and Financial Services Committee), and separately on the House Budget Committee. Mr. Bentsen was an active participant in the drafting and enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and the Commodities Futures Modernization Act. During his tenure in the Congress, he played an active role in legislation and oversight of regulations affecting bank and thrift charters, federal deposit insurance, securities law, derivatives, and the federal government sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLB system). Mr. Bentsen was also instrumental in the passage of the landmark Balanced Budget Act of 1997, particularly with respect to health care policy.

Prior to his service in Congress, Mr. Bentsen was an investment banker at George K. Baum & Co. and previously Drexel, Burnham Lambert, Inc., where he specialized in municipal and housing finance.

Mr. Bentsen is an Emeritus Trustee of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden of the Smithsonian Institution and Trustee for the Center for Congressional and Political Studies at the American University. He also serves on the boards of the Memorial Foundation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation. Mr. Bentsen has a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and an M.P.A. from American University

Angélique is an experienced economic, financial and strategy consultant with diverse experience in antitrust and competition, valuation and damages, data science, labour and employment, and false advertising. She leads our strategic research initiatives to inform our advocacy and policy development efforts and will be essential to aligning our research with SIMA’s strategic priorities focusing on asset management, wealth management, and capital markets.

Angélique has held various international research positions, including as an economics lecturer position at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Most recently, she was a manager for Analysis Group. She holds a PhD in economics from TMU and is fluent in French.

Len has been a leader and innovator in the Wealth & Asset Management industry, across service offerings and geographies, for nearly 30 years. Len is responsible for Wealth & Asset Management (WAM) Services unit, accountable for the end-to-end delivery across our Back, Middle and Front office solutions, and their supporting shared services. Len is a leader focused on delivering value and innovative solutions to our clients and a collaborative team environment for our members.

As Head of Client Operations, Paul is responsible for overseeing our operating model and driving transformation as we accelerate the development and adoption of automated business tools. Based in Toronto, he is also a member of the RBC Investor Services (RBCIS) Operating Committee.

Paul has more than 30 years of experience in financial service and leading complex and global operational teams across Investment Banking, Investor Services, Wealth Management and Asset Management. Before joining RBC, Paul was the Chief Operating Officer of Six Digital Exchange (part of SIX Group AG), where he oversaw the development and launch of the world’s first fully regulated exchange and central securities depository for digital assets. He has also held senior positions with Fidelity International, Barclays Investment Bank & Private Bank, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

Nick Chan is Treasurer for BMO Capital Markets. His mandate is to drive business optimization and increase productivity in alignment with our strategy, client-centric priorities, and the Bank’s overall risk, capital and funding appetite. Nick has responsibility and oversight for liquidity, balance sheet and capital management for Capital Markets, Global Markets funding strategy, and will partner to ensure prudent application of economic and regulatory risk limits while supporting key growth initiatives for the business.

.Nick has been a driving force in many Canadian industry initiatives including leading the development of the Enhanced CORRA benchmark for the Canadian Alternative Reference Rates Working Group (CARR), co-chair of the Collateral and Infrastructure and Markets Practices Advisory Group (CIMPA) to modernize the repo market, as well as BMO's representative at the Canadian Fixed-Income Forum (CFIF). He is passionate about community and is the current Executive Sponsor for the Asian Coalition of Employees (ACE) Canada Enterprise Resource Group.

Nick earned an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Economics from the University of Toronto and is a CFA Charterholder

Scott Davis is Head of ETF’s at Capital Group, He has 18 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for 17 years. Prior to his current role, Scott led product development across Capital Group. Earlier in his career he held various strategy and finance roles for Capital Group, Hostess Brands and Boeing. He holds an MBA from University of Southern California and a bachelor's degree in management science from University of California San Diego. Scott is based in Los Angeles.

Phil serves as the Vice President of Member Regulation Policy at the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), where he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on developing policies that support CIRO’s public interest mandate. Phil also represents CIRO on the Montreal Exchange's Advisory Committee on Self-Regulation.

Before joining the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada in 2016, Phil worked at the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), where he specialized in securities and derivatives law. During his tenure at AMF, he drafted various legislative and regulatory amendments that contributed to the implementation of the G20 reforms in response to the 2007-08 financial crisis.

Phil holds Civil and Common Law degrees (LLL and JD) from the University of Montreal and the University of Ottawa. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Pablo Fuchs is editor of Globe Advisor at The Globe and Mail, a position he has held since January 2019. He oversees the editorial direction and manages the production of daily content for the Globe’s direct-to-advisor offering. Prior to this position, he spent more than 13 years immersed in the financial services industry and focusing on issues relevant to financial advisors as senior editor, then managing editor, at Investment Executive. In those roles, Pablo was in charge of IE’s annual Report Card series and news coverage. He graduated from Carleton University’s School of Journalism in 2001.

Urban Funered has 35 years of experience from the financial services sector and has during his career held senior positions in law firms, investment banks and asset managers in Stockholm, New York, Vienna, and London. He has also held senior positions in the Swedish Ministry of Finance and Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.

Urban Funered has an academic background in law, economics and business administration, with Master’s and Post-Graduate Degrees in Civil, Banking and Financial law from the University of Lund and Queen Mary & Westfield College of London University, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics Degree from the School of Economics and Management at the University of Lund.

Urban Funered has been the CEO of the Swedish Securities Markets Association, an association founded in 1908 and representing banks, investment banks and brokers active in Swedish securities markets, since February 2019.

Urban Funered is Chairman of Swedsec Licensiering, an organisation responsible for issuing licenses to financial advisors in Sweden, Chairman of the International Council of Securities Associations (ICSA), and Vice Chair of the Stakeholder Group of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Avi Goldfarb is a bestselling author and researcher whose studies focus on artificial intelligence and the opportunities and challenges of the digital economy. He has published academic articles in marketing, statistics, law, management, medicine, political science, refugee studies, physics, computing, and economics. In his speeches, he provides illuminating insights and practical advice on the economics of artificial intelligence, privacy, and digital health with professorial clarity.

Kelsey Gunderson joined TMX Group in October 2024 as Head of TMX Markets Products and Services and President of Equity Trading. He was most recently President and CEO of Laurentian Bank Securities and EVP, Capital Markets of Laurentian Bank of Canada from 2019 to 2024. He held various roles at BMO Capital Markets, including Global Head of Trading Products, where he was responsible for the trading-related businesses. Prior to BMO Capital Markets Kelsey was at Credit Suisse Group in New York and CIBC in Toronto.

He currently sits on the board of the Churches-on-the-Hill Food Bank in Toronto, as well as the board of Startup TNT in Edmonton, Alberta. He also serves on the McMaster University Business School Advisory Council and the Investment Committee of the Chief Cornerstone Foundation. He is a former member of the United Way of Toronto and York Region Major Individual Giving Cabinet.

Kelsey holds an MBA from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Course (ICD).

Mark Hartley brings with him over 25 years of experience within Banking and Financial services. Engaging with some of the largest banks and wealth management firms in Canada and North America. Being a dynamic and influential leader, Mark has a passion for bringing people and strategy together to achieve exceptional results. With a deep portfolio in Business Transformation, Customer Experience, and Continuous Improvement, Mark is a true partner who collaborates with clients in delivering business value on their digital transformation journeys.

Derek Holt is Vice President and Head of Capital Markets Economics at Scotiabank in Toronto. He is responsible for leading the team in the application of economic and financial market forecasts and research to the needs of Scotiabank’s global institutional investor clients and major bank clients. He also regularly advises Scotiabank’s senior management. He joined Scotiabank’s trading floor from a senior role with another Canadian bank and has split his two and a half decade career in both bank and trading floor settings serving a wide variety of capital markets, corporate and retail clients. Derek regularly travels throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, the US and Canada to meet with clients, and is frequently cited in the press for his views. He holds graduate degrees in both Economics and Finance as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Dave is a Partner in EY’s Wealth & Asset Management Consulting practice in Toronto, with over 25 years of industry and advisory experience in the wealth management, asset management and life insurance industriesp>

Dave specializes in operations transformation, as well as portfolio management, financial planning and advice, and has supported North American clients in areas such as platform implementations, operating model design, operational efficiency, compliance, advisor effectiveness and systems and technology road-mapping

Dave has co-authored EY publications on digital advice, automation in wealth, and platform harmonization Prior to joining EY, Dave held positions with a global technology firm, large Canadian life insurer, and one of Canada’s largest asset managers. Dave is a Chartered Investment Manager, and a Certified Financial Planner.

Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where she instructs a course in healthcare innovation in the health MBA program. Zayna is a Growth Advisor at Teladoc Health in Canada.

Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.

Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She currently resides in Toronto with her husband and three children and is proficient in French and Arabic languages (and a bit of Dutch!).

Ivan Kotchoubei is a seasoned and versatile executive with over 20 years of experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives spanning capital markets, investment operations, regulatory compliance, and enterprise business management. As Chief Administrative Officer at SIMA, Ivan oversees core operations and spearheads key IT and transformation initiatives that enhance organizational agility and support the evolving needs of SIMA’s diverse membership.

With a proven track record of driving operational excellence at the intersection of finance, technology, and administration, Ivan brings a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to leadership. His ability to navigate complexity and deliver scalable solutions has been instrumental in advancing SIMA’s strategic priorities and fostering operational excellence. Prior to joining SIMA, Ivan held a range of senior leadership roles at Scotiabank and also gained valuable experience at Mackenzie Investments and State Street. Ivan holds an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University and a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He also holds a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

Andrew J. Kriegler is the inaugural CEO of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) formed on January 1, 2023, through the amalgamation of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA).

In late 2014, Andrew was appointed President and CEO of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), CIRO’s predecessor organization. Before coming to IIROC, Andrew served as Deputy Superintendent of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) where he was responsible for the prudential supervision of Canada's federally regulated financial institutions. He also spent 25 years in the private sector, most recently as Treasurer of CIBC from 2008 to 2012, and earlier as Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer of Moody's Corporation, parent of the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service, where he had been the Canadian Country Managing Director.

Andrew has also worked as a treasury executive, as a securitization and debt capital markets banker, as an analyst and then a trader on a mortgage-backed securities trading desk.

Andrew serves on the Board of Directors of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) where he chairs the Risk Committee. He is an observer on the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) by virtue of chairing the Affiliate Members Consultative Committee (AMCC). He holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University, a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Economics from Trinity College in the University of Toronto and the ICD.D designation.

Daniella Laise is an AVP with TD Wealth Legal. She leads the legal team that supports the TD Wealth distribution lines of business, including Direct Investing, Private Investment Advice, Financial Planning and Private Investment Counsel. Daniella also provides legal support to TD Investment Services, which is the mutual fund dealer registrant that is part of TD's Canadian Personal Banking division. Daniella has also held roles with TD Wealth Compliance, with a focus on managing regulatory change.

Prior to joining TD, Daniella held various roles with the Ontario Securities Commission, including with the Office of the Investor and General Counsel's Office.

Daniella has a keen interest in policy development and is actively engaged in regulatory consultations and changes impacting the Wealth industry.

Kai Lakhdar is a Strategy Consulting Partner at PwC, where he leads the Private Equity & Pensions Consulting Practice, and is the AI leader for the investment management sector. With over 20 years of experience across Canada, the UK, and the Middle East, he advises leading investors globally on strategy, transformation, and AI-driven innovation. Kai has recently pioneered various LLM and agentic enabled solutions for asset managers and led various data and tech modernization initiatives across public and private markets. He is a frequent speaker on megatrends, data strategy, and the future of investing. Kai holds a Bachelors, Masters and PhD in Engineering and Management Science from the University College London in the UK, and certificates in investment management and ESG investing from the CFA.

As Vice President of Specialized Operations and Relationship Management at IGM Financial, Jackie is responsible for leading a multi functional team which includes operations, dealer relations and vendor oversight. She is focused on operational excellence and delivering value to stakeholders.

With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry she has held various roles in both wealth and asset management and has participated in many industry initiatives and committees throughout her career.

As a partner in Humance’s Leadership & Team Development division, Bernard helps organizations drive performance through meaningful culture. Over the course of his nearly 30-year corporate career, he has held executive and senior executive positions in some of Canada’s largest financial institutions. This has given him a unique vantage point from which to observe and understand complex organizational issues, including matters related to talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness.

As Global Head of Strategy and Product for Manulife Investment Management, Bernard was Chief strategy officer for Manulife’s global wealth and asset management business, one of the largest in Canada with assets under management and administration (AUMA) of $1 Trillion and operations around the world. In this role, Bernard had responsibility over the Strategy function – strategic planning as well as strategic initiatives – for all lines of business and across all regions globally. In this role, Bernard was also Chief product officer for Manulife’s global wealth and asset management business. This role entailed responsibility over the firm’s investment product portfolio across all asset classes, globally.

Prior to this, Bernard was Manulife’s Head of Wealth and Asset Management for Canada from 2017 to 2021. In this role, he held Full P&L responsibility over a portfolio of businesses with over CAD $200 billion in AUMA encompassing retail mutual funds, retail segregated funds, advisory services, group retirement services and institutional. As Ultimate Designated Person (UDP) for the main Canadian operating entity, Manulife Investment Management Limited, he was accountable to the regulators for all aspects of the business including but not limited to risk, compliance, solvency and sales practices. Bernard’s vast experience going back decades makes him uniquely suited to facilitate discussions at the most senior level within large and highly complex organizations.

As a trusted adviser to her clients, Lorraine’s practice covers many areas of corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on investment management and securities regulatory matters.

She has advised issuers, distributors and institutional investors with respect to ETFs, hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity funds and managed account arrangements. Lorraine has significant experience providing strategic advice to various categories of dealers, advisers and fund managers, and on their compliance obligations, under Canada’s registration rules.

She also has experience in mergers and acquisitions involving financial services firms, and in investment fund mergers and restructurings.

Lorraine previously completed her articles and was an associate at Osler. Before returning to the firm, Lorraine was Assistant General Counsel at a leading multinational financial institution.

As Senior Vice-President, Market Regulation, Kevin is part of the CIRO executive leadership team and is responsible for all of CIRO’s market-related functions including Market Policy, Surveillance (including equity, debt, cross-asset, and crypto), Trading Review and Analysis, and Trading Conduct Compliance..

Kevin has worked in capital markets for over three decades, gaining valuable insights through senior roles in operations and compliance at a number of large Investment Dealers. During his time with CIRO, Kevin has represented the organization on IOSCO Committee 2, a committee of international securities regulators that focus on global issues relating to global capital markets and financial market infrastructure relating to secondary market trading.

Karen McMeekin is President of the Regulatory Division, responsible for leading the self-regulatory functions of the Montréal Exchange (MX). She is responsible for maintaining fair and equitable markets by promoting innovation, transparency and collaboration with various stakeholders.

Ms. McMeekin brings to this role extensive experience, having held various positions at MX since 2001, including Director, Strategy and Regulatory Outreach; Director of Examinations, Regulatory Division; Business Development Manager, Equity Derivatives, and Head of Market Operations. Prior to joining MX, she began her 30-year career in the listed derivatives market as a futures broker on the Montréal trading floor for TD Securities and Richardson Greenshields. She has also served as Deputy Chair of the Intermarket Surveillance Group since 2022, a global network for the sharing of information and coordination of regulatory efforts among exchanges to address potential intermarket manipulation and trading abuses.

Ms. McMeekin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Concordia University and is a member of VersaFi, formerly Women in Capital Markets, a national not-for-profit organization focused on accelerating equity, diversity and inclusion in the finance industry.

Andy Mitchell joined SIMA in January 2023 as President and CEO. He has worked in the financial services sector for more than 30 years and has broad investment industry and leadership experience. Before joining SIMA, Andy was Managing Director and Head of Asset Management Distribution for SEI Investments Canada. Prior to joining SEI, he was President and COO of Worldsource Financial Management, a leading independent advisor network. As the president of Performa Financial Group, a division of Standard Life Canada, he played a principal role in the development of their advisor distribution network. He has also held senior leadership roles at Guardian Capital Group Limited 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.

Meera Paleja is the Head of Investor Research and Behavioural Insights at the Ontario Securities Commission, the first team of its kind for a securities regulator in Canada. In this role she leads a team of scientists and researchers to generate insights to foster evidence-based policy and regulation. Her team has recently produced behavioural science research reports examining the impact of social media finfluencers, artificial intelligence, and digital engagement practices on retail investor behaviour.

Meera has worked extensively in behavioural insights in various levels of government, including the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat as well as in the private sector. From 2016-2022 she was an Adjunct Professor in behavioural economics for the MBA and Commerce programs at the Rotman School of Management.

Meera holds a postdoctoral fellowship and a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience, grounding her work in a deep understanding of human behavior and decision-making. Her dedication to bridging academic research with real-world impact continues to be a focus as she aims to inspire meaningful change in the regulatory landscape.

Alex Perel is Managing Director and Head of ETF Services at Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets. In this role, Alex leads Scotiabank’s ETF market-making and client facilitation activities in Canada.

Prior to joining Scotiabank in 2017, Alex led the ETF market making desk at another Canadian financial institution where he developed an expertise in Canadian equity market microstructure and regulatory affairs. He brings a comprehensive knowledge of the Canadian ETF landscape from the perspective of investors, fund sponsors and intermediaries.

Alex graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelors of Mathematics degree, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is a past Chair of the Canadian Security Trader Association, and serves on the board of the Canadian ETF Association.

Stephen Poloz is Special Advisor at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. As the former Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen is a widely recognized economist with 40 years experience in financial markets, forecasting and economic policy.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Stephen has made significant contributions to the country throughout his career and continues to do so. In April 2024, he was named as Chair of a new economic working group created by the federal government. The group is being tasked to find more opportunities for Canada’s largest pension funds to drive economic growth here at home.

Stephen joined Osler after seven years at the helm of the central bank. His experience in having guided Canada’s monetary response, particularly during the first half of 2020, demonstrated his ability to translate complex market information into the business context.

Prior to joining the Bank of Canada, Stephen spent 14 years at Export Development Canada as Chief Economist (1999-2008), and Head of Lending (2008-2011) and then as President and CEO of EDC (2011-2013). In 2023, Stephen won the National Business Book Award for The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future, which is also a national bestseller

Paul Riccardi is a seasoned regulatory compliance executive with over 30 years of experience leading compliance and regulatory programs in multi-product financial institutions, self-regulatory organizations and pension funds.

As Vice President, Wealth Managers, Paul leads SIMA’s wealth policy operations in support of the evolving needs of SIMA’s diverse membership.

Paul holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, as well as an LLB and BA from the University of Manitoba.

Sherry Tabesh is Vice President, Proficiency at CIRO, where she supports CIRO’s proficiency mandate towards a new assessment centric proficiency regime and harmonized Continuing Education programs. Sherry has worked at CIRO and its predecessor organization (IIROC) for over 17 years in various roles including Director of Registration, and Senior Policy Counsel. She is a lawyer, member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Benjamin is a member of the CIBC economic team that is responsible for analyzing macro economic developments and their implications for fixed income, equity, foreign exchange and commodities markets. He also acts in an advisory capacity to bank officers on issues related to wealth management, household credit and risk, and corporate credit and risk.

Well-known for his ground-breaking published research on topics such as labour market dynamics, real estate, credit markets, international trade and business economic conditions, Benjamin not only contributes to the conversation but also frequently sets the agenda.

Benjamin has close to 20 years of experience in the private sector advising clients, industry leaders, corporate boards, trade associations and governments on economic and financial issues. He is also a regular commentator in the media.

Benjamin is a member of the Economic Committee of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Committee of the Toronto Board of Trade. He is also a board member for the Governors of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario and Toronto Financial International.

Catherine Thrasher is the Chief Operations Officer for CIBC Mellon. She is responsible for CIBC Mellon’s operations and client service delivery functions, including custody services, fund administration, investor recordkeeping, pension benefit services, institutional and pension accounting, operational excellence, project management and more.

Catherine has more than 20 years of investment industry experience, having been with BNY Global Risk Solutions and its predecessor companies since 1998. In her previous role as Chief Client Solutions Officer at CIBC Mellon, Catherine led transformative business model initiatives and developed multi-product solutions tailored to meet our clients’ intricate data requirements. Her extensive experience includes running performance operations, and implementing large-scale custody, middle office, and fund accounting initiatives.

Catherine earned her Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) designation and the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation, and she holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo.

Greg Valliere joined AGF Investments (AGF) in February 2019 as Chief U.S. Policy Strategist. In this role, he is responsible for providing insight into how U.S. politics are shaping global markets.

He brings a unique perspective to AGF with over three decades of experience analyzing policy and politics providing regular commentary and insight into Washington for financial services and investment management clients globally, including specialized coverage of the Federal Reserve, economic policy and politics.

Greg began partnering with AGF in 2017 advising investment management teams on policy and the impact on global markets, providing daily market commentary for financial advisors and participating in numerous client events and roadshows.

Most recently, Greg was the Chief Global Strategist at North Carolina based Horizon Investments, LLC and has nearly 40 years of experience following Washington issues for institutional and retail investors. He is widely quoted in U.S. media and specializes in coverage of the Federal Reserve, tax and spending issues, and politics. Greg is based in Washington, D.C

Harri Vikstedt joined the Bank of Canada in 2006. Currently the Senior Policy Director, Market Committees and Initiatives in the Financial Markets Department, he is focussed on market related issues. Harri co-chairs the Collateral Infrastructure and Market Practices Advisory Group (CIMPA) which is an industry-wide working group created under the Canadian Fixed-Income Forum (CFIF) to promote the well-functioning of the Canadian securities and financing markets.

Prior to this he co-led the Canadian industry’s efforts to transition the financial market from CDOR to CORRA. He was responsible for the Bank’s domestic and foreign currency trading operations until 2017, and for implementing the Bank’s strategy for acquiring and analyzing financial market intelligence.

Harri worked in global financial markets in Europe and North America across both buy- and sell-side roles for 17 years before joining the Bank. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an MBA in Finance and an engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Bruno Vilone serves as Director, Investment Products Oversight for Québec’s Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). Bruno has joined the AMF in 2016 and has held his current position since January 2023.

Bruno’s team lead a variety of projects related to the regulation of investment solutions, including traditional investment funds and novel investment products. His work involves close collaboration with the other Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), contributing to ongoing initiatives that shape the Canadian regulatory landscape for investment products. His team is also responsible for the AMF’s operational activities related to these products, such as handling applications for regulatory exemptions. He sits on the CSA Investment Funds Steering Committee, the CSA Financial Innovation Hub Steering Committee and contributes to policy discussions at the international level.

Bruno holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance from Concordia University, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and a Juris Doctor in Common Law from the Université de Montréal. He is a member of the Quebec Bar.

Victor Werny is Senior Director, Head of North American Exchange Traded Product (ETP) Listings at Cboe Global Markets, a leading global exchange operator. In his role, Victor is responsible for overseeing strategic issuer relationships across North America, managing Cboe’s U.S. ETP market making programs, and analyzing new business opportunities within the ETP ecosystem. Over Victor’s time at Cboe, he has been apart of 700+ ETF launches across North America from over 100 unique asset managers.

Victor earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with concentrations in Finance and Marketing, from Binghamton University’s School of Management. He is currently pursuing an MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business

As Senior Vice-President, Strategy, Innovation, and Stakeholder Protection, Alexandra (Alex) Williams leads the development of CIRO’s organizational strategy, along with other members of CIRO’s Executive Leadership Team. She is also responsible for CIRO’s Enforcement and Complaints and Inquiries teams and leads Membership Services and Innovation as well as the Office of the Investor.

Alexandra is an active thought leader with deep knowledge of the Canadian regulatory landscape. Before joining CIRO, Alex served as SVP, Head of Operations, Service Centre, and Compliance at Aviso Wealth (following the merger of Credential, Qtrade and NEI). She has significant industry experience at the former Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA), and Investment Funds organizations.

Alex previously served as the former Chair of the Conduct Compliance and Legal Section (CCLS), and the Pacific District Council. She has been an active member on Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), MFDA, IIROC, and trade association committees and working groups. She also served as a former Industry Hearing Panel member for IIROC and board member of the Ombudsman of Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

As a lifelong learner, Alex holds an MBA from Queen’s, the Rotman ICD.D designation and most recently completed the LLM degree, specializing in Securities from Osgoode Hall law school.

Evan Young is Co-Founder and CEO of Spacetime.io, a Toronto based start-up that provides advanced trading analytics and workflow solutions. Their TradeFabric.ai trade intelligence platform provides traders and other stakeholders with actionable insights before, during, and after a trade by combining real time and historical analytics with intuitive visualizations, and meaningful alerts.

Evan has over 25 years experience in trading, technology, and capital markets roles. Prior to starting Spacetime.io, he was Managing Director, Head of Electronic Execution Services at a major Canadian bank-owned dealer. He holds a B.A.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a CFA Charterholder.