Our Team

From 1989 to 1997, David was a director in the Investment Banking Mining Group of ScotiaMcLeod Inc. in Toronto. During that time, David was responsible for managing relationships and transaction execution. From 1997 to 1999, David was Managing Director and senior member of the Investment Banking Group of CIBC Wood Gundy, responsible for public and private equity and debt financings, provision of valuations and fairness opinions, and M&A advice.

From 1999 to 2002, David was a Managing Director in the M&A Group of Scotia Capital Inc., with responsibility for generating advisory mandates and ensuring effective execution of transactions.

Prior to entering investment banking, David spent seven years in management positions with a small manufacturing company and the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Toronto and an engineering degree from The Royal Military College. David currently sits on the board of the Esprit Orchestra.

Peter brings to the Blair Franklin Asset Management Group 19 years of trading experience in fixed income, high yield and investment grade credit trading as well as global equities. Peter began his career at Scotia Capital Markets in Toronto as a trainee in the fixed income group. He subsequently became Co-Head of the Corporate Bond Group, a Director of the High Yield Bond Trading Group in New York City and ultimately Head of Canadian High Yield and Credit Proprietary Trading for Scotia Capital.

In 1998, Peter moved to Altamira Management Limited (later Natcan Investment Management) where he co-managed the Global Telecommunications Fund and the High Yield Bond Fund. He also participated in the management of Altamira's Global Diversified Fund. Later, Peter acted as Lead Manager of the Health Sciences and Biotechnology Funds.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Peter has held his CFA charter since 2001.

Dennis brings to Blair Franklin 22 years of experience in interest rate products. Dennis began his career at Nesbitt Thompson in Toronto as a member of the retail bank desk and later joined the money market desk. He subsequently joined Scotia Capital as Managing Director of the Government trading desk.

In 1999, Dennis joined RBC Capital Markets as Managing Director and Head of Rates Trading. At RBC, he was responsible for managing government, provincial, maple and Canada Housing Trust bonds, money market instruments, Bankers' Acceptances, swaps and strips.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Dennis has completed the Canadian Securities Institute's Derivatives Fundamentals Course and is licensed to trade exchange-traded options and futures.

Alan most recently held the position of Head, Strategy & Development at RBC Financial Group.  In this role, he was responsible for corporate strategy as well as merger, acquisition and development activities for the corporation.  He was also Chief Executive Officer, RBC Capital Partners, the private equity investment arm of RBC Financial Group.  Alan has held several positions with RBC Capital Markets in the past, including responsibility for senior client M&A coverage in the financial services and telecommunications sectors.  He was previously a member of the Executive Committee of RBC Capital Markets.

Previously, Alan has had a wide-ranging career in financial services, with specific experience in merger & acquisition advisory services, trust company management, leveraged finance and Eurobond sales and trading.

Alan has been a director of a number of Canadian public and private companies both in financial services and as part of his responsibility for private equity and venture capital investments.  He is the Chair of the Board of Governors of Havergal College, and a number of North American public and private companies.

Alan received his B.Com. degree from University of Toronto.  He is qualified as a Canadian Chartered Accountant and also holds the CFA designation.  He is an Institute Certified Director (ICD.D) of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Joel began his career in 1979 with Continental Illinois Bank (now Bank of America), first in Toronto and then in Chicago. As Senior Director in the Capital Markets Group from 1984 to 1986, Joel was responsible for the Bank's capital markets activities in Canada, including private placements, structured transactions and mergers and acquisitions. In 1986, Joel joined Lancaster Financial, a newly-formed employee-owned independent merchant bank, and in 1990, he was appointed a Director of the firm. As a key member of Lancaster's financial advisory team, Joel acted as advisor to boards, special committees, management teams, shareholders and stakeholder groups on a broad range of transactions, including divestitures, acquisitions, valuations, fairness opinions and financial restructurings, helping to build Lancaster into one of Canada's most successful financial advisory boutiques.

In 1995, Lancaster was acquired by TD Securities, the investment banking arm of TD Bank Financial Group, and Joel continued in M&A, becoming a Managing Director in TD Securities, Investment Banking Department. The following year, he was appointed Head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, a position he held until 2001. As the head of the M&A Group, Joel was responsible for all financial advisory services at TD Securities, including public takeovers, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, takeover defense assignments, valuations and fairness opinions. During this time, TD Securities acted on well over $100 billion of M&A transactions, including some of the largest Canadian public takeovers and mergers, and established itself as a top-tier player in the financial advisory business in Canada.

After leaving TD Securities at the end 2001, Joel pursued a new alternative asset management venture, Riverstone Capital Partners, directed at event driven strategies in the Canadian market. In 2003, Joel returned to his independent merchant banking roots by joining the Partners of Blair Franklin.

Scot joined Blair Franklin in 2006 bringing with him over 23 years experience in investment banking. He began his career in 1983 with Walwyn Stodgell Cochran Murray before moving to McLeod Young Weir in 1986. At McLeod (later ScotiaMcLeod, then Scotia Capital Markets) Scot rose from Associate to Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, a position he held from 1994 to 1999.

Following the integration of Scotia's corporate and investment banking businesses in 1999, Scot served as Deputy Chairman and Co-Head of Canadian Relationship Management at Scotia Capital where the group's capital markets and advisory focus was broadened to include lending and other bank products.

In 2001, Scot moved to National Bank Financial, where he served as Vice-Chairman. By the time of his departure from National in March of 2006, Scot was responsible for overseeing well over half of the Bank's corporate client base in Canada. Scot's personal experience covers a broad range of assignments including both public and private debt, equity and financial advisory transactions carried out both domestically and cross border.

Scot has a BS and an MBA from Cornell University and is a Director of Discovery Capital Corporation.

Fred joined Blair Franklin in 2007. Throughout his investment banking career, he has been responsible for numerous advisory, financing, privatization and restructuring assignments and has extensive experience in the areas of diversified industries, mining and metals, government and public sector entities, and financial services.

From 1989 to 2006, Fred was with BMO Capital Markets, most recently as Vice Chairman and Head of Global Investment and Corporate Banking. In that role, he was responsible for all of the firm's origination business in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia, including the firm's expansion into China. From 2001 to 2004, he was Deputy Head and Chief Operating Officer; from 1997 to 2001, he ran the firm's global mining and metals business; from 1992 to 1997 he was responsible for the firm's government and privatization practice; and from 1989 to 1992, he was a member of the Capital Markets Group. Prior to joining BMO, Fred spent six years with Citicorp Investment Bank and McLeod Young Weir Limited in investment banking and international capital markets.

Fred is also active in several Board and community organizations. He is currently a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Altius Minerals Corporation (ALS:T) and Chair of Trinity Capital Management Inc., a private holding and operating company.

Fred holds a B.Comm. (Honours) degree from Queen's University, an M.B.A. degree from The University of Chicago and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.  He has also been an Executive in Residence at INSEAD in France and Singapore.

Christopher brings to Blair Franklin 22 years of experience in fixed income sales and trading. He began his career with McLeod Young Weir (later Scotia Capital Markets) and worked with Peter Zaltz for 3 years in corporate bond trading before moving into fixed income sales. After nearly 10 years at Scotia Capital Markets, he left to help build a fixed income operation for Salomon Brothers in Toronto. Five years later, when Salomon moved their Canadian bond desk to New York, he joined BMO Capital Markets as a Managing Director in fixed income sales. Christopher has been noted several times as a "Top Gun" in the Brendan Wood Survey as a top fixed income salesperson in Canada. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph.

Adam joined Blair Franklin's advisory practice in 2010 after spending nearly five years in investment banking at CIBC where he was an M&A Associate and most recently a Director in CIBC Capital Partners, the principal investing arm of the bank. He has nearly seven years of combined investment banking and capital markets experience.

Adam has executed a variety of buy-side and sell-side transactions across sectors, including acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, divestitures and dual-track processes, in addition to conducting strategic reviews and drafting fairness opinions. He has also invested in a range of junior capital, comprising common equity, structured equity and mezzanine debt.

Adam holds a BA with distinction from the University of Western Ontario, an MS from Northwestern University in Chicago and an MBA from the Ivey Business School where he graduated on the Dean's List.

Shelagh joins the Blair Franklin Asset Management Group with close to 10 years of investment management experience. From 2000 until 2006, she worked for MFC Global Investment Management, a Manulife Financial Company. Shelagh was a Portfolio Manager on the Canadian Total Rate of Return desk managing approx. C$10 billion in Canadian fixed income assets. Prior to that, Shelagh was a Senior Credit Analyst covering various North American and European industries and credits for MFC Global.

From 1997 until 2000, Shelagh was a member of a Bank of Montreal team managing US$6 billion in investment grade and high yield credit assets. As well, she developed models and strategies to manage the bank's corporate lending portfolio.

Shelagh holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from Glendon College, York University in Economics and Political Science and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Queen's University. She was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2001 and past Chair of the Fixed Income Committee for the Toronto CFA Society.

John has 9 years of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions. During that time, he has been actively involved in a wide range of corporate advisory assignments, including divestiture, valuation, restructuring and unsolicited bid mandates for clients across a wide spectrum of industry sectors. Prior to joining Blair Franklin in 2003, John was an analyst in the RBC Capital Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Group.

John holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University (2001) and has achieved his charter as a Chartered Financial Analyst (2004). He was previously a Board Member of AMICI Camping Charity.

Maurizio joined Blair Franklin in 2007, bringing over 7 years of combined experience in mergers and acquistions, investment banking, corporate restructuring and corporate development.  Prior to joining Blair Franklin, Maurizio was an Associate at National Bank Financial in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Prior to that, he worked in the Investment Banking Group at Blackmont Capital and as a consultant with Prowis, a Toronto-based corporate restructuring boutique.  Maurizio started his career working in The Netherlands in the Corporate Development Department of the Nederlandsche Credietverzekering Maatschappij (a Swiss Re Group subsidiary now called Atradius), a group focused on international expansion opportunities through mergers and acquisitions.  Maurizio holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Catholic University of Milan.

Stephen has over 20 years of business experience primarily in the financial services sector.  Stephen has worked in a number of different functional areas including operations, technology, finance, controlling, audit, and examinations.  Prior to joining Blair Franklin, Stephen was Chief Financial Officer of a Canadian based asset manager.  Stephen has also worked for a number of other organizations including domestic and foreign owned banks and securities dealers, a fund administration company, a public accounting firm, and the Canadian federal regulator of banks, insurers and registered private pension plans.

Stephen is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst.  Stephen also holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, and has successfully completed the Partners, Directors, and Officers Exam.

Lindsay moved to the Blair Franklin Asset Management Group from Advisory Services in 2008, bringing five years of capital markets experience.

Prior to joining Blair Franklin in 2005, Lindsay spent two years as an analyst in the RBC Capital Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Group. During that time, she was actively involved in a broad range of corporate advisory assignments, including divestiture, valuation, restructuring and unsolicited bid mandates for clients across a wide spectrum of industry sectors.

Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degree from the University of British Columbia where she won the Dorothy Anne Dilworth Memorial Shield for the Top Female Graduate in the faculty of Commerce. She is also a CFA charterholder and a member of the Toronto CFA Society.

Avi joined Blair Franklin in 2006 from the University of Western Ontario, where he earned a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Finance. Avi developed an understanding of entrepreneurship and small business management as the President and Founder of Avisys Incorporated, a provider of affordable technology solutions. Through internships at Citigroup he gained experience in budgeting, research and financial analysis. Avi completed his Canadian Securities Course in 2004.

Sandy joined Blair Franklin's Advisory Services group in 2007. Sandy holds a Masters of Financial Economics degree (MFE degree) from the University of Toronto and an Honours BA in Applied Economics from Queen's University.

Benjamin joined the advisory services team at Blair Franklin in 2009. Ben's previous work experience includes 4 years in the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs in New York and Toronto, as well as 2 years working in strategy consulting at Monitor Group in their London, UK office.

Ben has a MBA from Harvard Business School and BA degree in Economics from Queen's University. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Ian joined Blair Franklin in 2008 after completing his Masters of Financial Economics (MFE degree) at the University of Toronto. The MFE program is a joint offering of the Department of Economics and the Rotman School of Management. Ian also completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto where he earned his B.A. Specialist in Economics.

Prior to joining Blair Franklin, Ian gained experience through an internship at the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board where he was involved with the portfolio design and private equity groups. Ian is currently a CFA Level III Candidate.

Manya Aggarwal joined Blair Franklin in 2010 as an Analyst in the Advisory Services group after completing a Masters of Financial Economics degree (MFE) from the University of Toronto. She also earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto graduating with High Distinction.

Prior to joining Blair Franklin, Manya gained experience through internships at Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in Toronto.

Sun-Jeng joined Blair Franklin in 2008 as an Analyst in the Advisory Services group. Sun-Jeng is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree with specialization in Finance, and was distinguished as a Trinity College Provost Scholar. Sun-Jeng completed an internship with Deloitte and Touche LLP in Toronto during the summer of 2007.

Hugh has over 35 years in the Investment business. In 1974 Hugh joined McLeod, Young Weir & Co. Ltd. and in 1983 became the Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Executive Committee. In this capacity he was responsible for the Finance, Operations, Information Systems, Human Resources, Secretarial Services and General Services. After McLeod was acquired by the Bank of Nova Scotia, Hugh assisted with the integration of the support departments of Scotia McLeod Inc. and those of The Bank. Hugh retired from The Bank on October 31st, 1998.

Since retirement, he has worked as a consultant to a number of financial services firms.

Hugh has served as an Executive Committee Member of the Investment Dealers' Association of Canada and is a Past Chairman of the Financial Administrators' Section of the I.D.A. He also chaired the Working Committee for the new Industry Capital Formula and won consensus between the various SRO's and the IDA members resulting in a new capital formula. Hugh also contributed on many other industry regulatory committees.

He currently serves as a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada Hearing Panel and is on the board of directors of The Canadian Investor Protection Fund of Canada.

Gordon was one of the Founding Partners of Blair Franklin Capital Partners and was the firm's first Managing Partner. Gordon's vision and leadership were instrumental in the creation and success of Blair Franklin.

Gordon enjoyed a successful career on Bay Street with roles including Chairman and CEO of Scotia Capital Markets and President and CEO of Altamira Investment Services. Gordon gave unstintingly of his time to charitable and non-profit organizations including as Chair of the Board at North York General Hospital, Chair of the Board at Upper Canada College, a member of Dean's Advisory Board at University of Toronto, and a member of the Board for the Toronto Community Foundation.

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