Our Team

John graduated from the Royal Military College with a Bachelor of Arts (Commerce) and served as an Air Force navigator. He then earned an MBA degree from Queen’s University (Dean’s List, Award in Finance) in 1985. John completed the Chartered Financial Analyst program and was awarded a CFA charter in 1988. He began his investment career at Mutual Life of Canada in 1985 where he was an Investment Analyst in the Private Placement and Corporate Debt area. He then moved to TAL Investment Counsel Ltd. in 1988 where he was Vice President, Fixed Income, responsible for credit analysis and specialty fixed income products. In 1992, John then moved to Foyston, Gordon & Payne, where he was the Partner responsible for fixed income and preferred shares. He founded Canso Investment Counsel Ltd. in 1997.

Heather attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1983. She graduated from the McMaster MBA program with a specialization in Finance in 1985 and in 2005 was awarded the CFA charter. Heather began her investment career working as a representative for Investors Group for two years before joining The Bank of Nova Scotia in 1988. She held many positions in Corporate and Commercial Banking as well as Risk Management in her 15-year career with the bank. Heather joined Canso in February 2003 in credit research and portfolio management and until mid-2019, was responsible for client service and marketing and also held the title of Chief Compliance Officer. In 2019, Heather became the Chief Strategy and Operating Officer and in March 2023, was appointed to President. In this role, Heather continues to be involved in portfolio management and credit analysis and is also responsible for all non-investment related activities for Canso.

Patrick attended Queen’s University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Political Studies) in 2007. In 2009, he earned a Master of Philosophy from the University of Dublin, Trinity College specializing in International Politics. Patrick joined Canso in 2010 and was awarded his CFA charter in 2015. Patrick has held many roles at Canso within the investment team and was promoted to Portfolio Manager in 2015 and later appointed the head of client service and marketing in 2019. In September 2023, Patrick became the Chief Strategy and Operating Officer. In this role, Patrick continues to lead client service and marketing and is also responsible for the oversight of all non-investment related activities for Canso. In addition, Patrick continues to contribute to the investment team as a Portfolio Manager.

Jeff graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a BA Economics in 1997 and joined Merrill Lynch in Toronto that year. Jeff spent over 17 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a variety of trading roles within their Fixed Income division in Toronto and New York, most recently as the Canadian Head of Credit and Mortgage Trading. In addition to his trading roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Jeff was also responsible for the bank’s Canadian Commercial Real Estate securitization functions including warehouse hedging and securitization pricing. Jeff received his CFA charter in 2003 and joined Canso as a member of the Investment Team in 2015, focusing on investment research and strategy. In May 2019, Jeff was promoted to Chief Compliance Officer and served in this role until September 2024. Jeff is currently a Portfolio Manager, Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Chief Risk Officer.

Vivek attended the University of New Delhi, graduating with a Masters in Economics in 1994. In 1997 he completed the MBA program at University of Manchester. Vivek then worked as a Senior Analyst, Credit Rating at ICRA, Moody’s Indian affiliate for three years. He then moved to HCL Technologies as Manager of Investor Relations for two years. He joined Canso in 2002 as a Research Analyst. Vivek was awarded his CFA charter in 2004 and is now a Portfolio Manager and Deputy Chief Investment Officer.

Jeff graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 and completed a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in 2002. He then worked as a Financial Service Representative with CIBC, a Mutual Fund Representative with CIBC Securities, and an Investment Accountant with State Street. Jeff joined Canso in 2008 as an Investment Assistant and was awarded his CFA charter in 2009. Jeff has held various positions at Canso within the investment team and compliance. In February 2015, Jeff became a Compliance Manager and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Chief Compliance Officer in July 2021, where he spent several years working alongside our former Chief Compliance Officer. In September 2024, Jeff was promoted to Chief Compliance Officer and continues to contribute to the investment team as a Portfolio Manager.

Faisal attended Wilfrid Laurier University graduating with Honours in Geomatics in 2009. He then joined Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. where he held various positions working on different phases of heavy civil construction projects. Additionally, prior to joining Canso, Faisal was a business analyst for MedAvail Technologies, Inc. providing quantitative analysis and financial modeling, prior to and throughout the company’s restructuring. Faisal joined Canso in January 2013. Since joining Canso, he has worked as Client Service Associate, Portfolio Analyst and Associate Portfolio Manager. Faisal earned his Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation in August 2022, and subsequently was promoted to Portfolio Manager in December 2022.

Jason graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts (Finance) in 2011. Prior to joining Canso, he worked as a Business Development Associate with Macquarie Private Wealth. Jason joined Canso in April 2011 as a Trading Assistant and earned his CFA charter in May 2015. Jason is currently the Vice President Trading & Investment Operations and contributes to the investment team as a Portfolio Manager.

Neda attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology in 1998 and later from the University of Windsor with an LLB in 2003. Neda was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2004. Neda began her career as a Senior Intelligence Analyst with the Forensic and Corporate Intelligence team at KPMG Canada. Following that, she gained 10 years of securities and corporate/commercial law experience as a member of the Investment Management Group of Borden Ladner Gervais, a national Bay Street law firm. While at BLG, Neda’s practice focused in the area of investment management, securities regulatory and compliance laws and regulations. Neda joined Canso in 2015 as a Compliance Officer and Legal Counsel. In 2019, she assumed the role of General Counsel, responsible for providing securities legal, regulatory and compliance advice in connection with Canso and its registrant affiliates.

Natalie graduated from Ivey Business School at Western University in 2014 with an Honours Business Administration (HBA). Natalie joined Canso in 2014 as a Research Associate and was awarded her Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation in March 2021 and her CFA Charter in February 2022. Natalie has held various roles within the investment team and is currently a Portfolio Manager.

Jason graduated from the University of Toronto in 2011 with a Bachelor of Commerce, Finance Specialist. Prior to joining Canso, he worked as a Sales Assistant at CIBC Wood Gundy. Jason joined Canso in November 2012 and was awarded his CFA charter in 2015. Since joining Canso, Jason has worked as a Research Analyst, Portfolio Analyst and Associate Portfolio Manager. He was promoted to Portfolio Manager in November 2019, and since July 2024 he now leads the Client Service & Marketing team.

Nicolas graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario with a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours Physics and Space Science) in 2002, and later with a Master of Science degree (Physics) in 2006. Nicolas served as an Aerospace Engineer with 14 Air Maintenance Squadron in Greenwood, Nova Scotia and as an Operations Engineer/Robotics Instructor at the Canadian Space Agency – Canadian Forces Detachment. Nicolas then attended Université de Sherbrooke graduating in 2010 with a Master of Science degree in Finance and was awarded a CFA charter in 2015. Nicolas joined Canso in 2011 as a Portfolio and Risk Analyst and is now a Portfolio Manager.

Steffan graduated from McMaster University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours). Steffan joined Canso in June 2013 as a Research Associate and was awarded his CFA charter in 2017. Since joining Canso, Steffan has worked as a Portfolio Analyst as well as a Trader. He was promoted to Portfolio Manager in November 2019.

Mike earned a Master of Science in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, England. He holds several industry certifications, including Certified Information Systems Auditor earned in 2006, Certified Information Systems Security Professional earned in 2009, Certified Information Security Manager earned in 2014, and Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect earned in 2020. Mike has over 20 years of information security and technology experience in the public and private sectors. He previously held leadership roles with Mandiant, the City of New York and McCarthy Tétrault. Most recently while at Google, Mike led secure digital transformation programs for Federal, Provincial, and Municipal government customers as their Public Sector Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Canada. Mike joined Canso in 2022 and leads the cybersecurity program at Canso and its affiliate firms.

John graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Administration and Commercial Studies (Finance and Economics) in 2004. Prior to joining Canso, John spent four years in a variety of roles at TD Bank Financial Group where he completed the Canadian Securities Course and the Derivatives Fundamentals and Option Licensing courses. John completed Level 3 of the Chartered Financial Analyst program in June 2009 and was awarded his CFA charter in 2012.  John joined Canso in March 2009 as a Portfolio Assistant and is currently a Portfolio Manager at Canso.

Faye graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2004 (Chancellor’s Gold Medalist in Commerce, Trinity College). She worked at Deloitte & Touche LLP as a Transfer Pricing Analyst before joining Standard & Poor’s in 2007 where she worked as a Credit Analyst, covering Canadian utility and power companies. She joined Canso as a Research Analyst in 2012 and was awarded her CFA charter in 2014. Faye is currently the Vice President, Investment Research where in this role, she is responsible for coordinating all Canso investment research activities.

Josh earned his Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick in 2008. He brings close to two decades of experience leading transformative strategies, building and scaling businesses, and driving innovation by bridging business acumen with technology entrepreneurship. Josh previously held senior executive roles at Post Media, Ampifii and Lymbix. Throughout his career, he has been an active advisor to many start-ups and growth-stage companies. Josh joined Canso in October 2023, as Chief Technology Officer.

Jenny graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Jenny joined Canso in 2013 as a Securities Administration Associate and was awarded her CFA Charter in April 2019. Since joining Canso, Jenny has held many roles within the Trading and Operations, Research, and Investment team and is currently a Portfolio Manager.

Jenipher attended Queen’s University, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in 2016. She joined Canso following graduation and has held various roles in the client service and marketing team as well as the investment team. She earned her Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation in April 2022 and her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter in January 2023. Jenipher is currently a Portfolio Manager at Canso.

Mia attended the University of Auckland, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2012. Following graduation, Mia joined ANZ Bank in New Zealand in 2013 and was awarded her CFA charter in 2017. Mia held many positions within the investment team over her 10 years with ANZ Bank, most recently Fund Manager Fixed Interest. Mia joined Canso in 2023 as Portfolio Manager with responsibilities across client service and marketing, as well as research, portfolio management and ESG.

Liz worked in the banking and securities industry for many years, specializing in system analysis and operations. She then joined FRI, a financial systems company, as a Client Support Specialist. Subsequently, she joined Foyston, Gordon & Payne, an investment counseling firm, as a Systems Analyst and Portfolio Administrator. She then moved to JR Senecal, another investment counselor, in investment administration. Later, Liz worked for Goodman and Company, where she was a Performance Measurement Specialist, and assisted in the trading operation. Liz joined Canso in 2000 as an Investment Analyst eventually assuming responsibility for the Securities Operations area. In 2009, Liz completed the Partners, Directors and Senior Officers Course.  She was most recently Vice President, Securities Operations until late 2019 when she became a Director.  Liz now provides oversight of Securities Operations and also contributes to various initiatives for the Canso group of companies.

Shirley graduated from Concordia University with a BA in Sociology and in 1997 received her Chartered Accountancy designation. She spent approximately three years in a national public accounting firm and then moved to a local public accounting firm in 1995 where she was Partner until 2015. Her focus there was mainly working alongside and advising private businesses in various industries under both IFRS and ASPE. Shirley joined Canso in July 2015 and is currently the Chief Financial Officer.

Jacqueline graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She has extensive experience in capital markets in Asia and North America. Jacqueline worked at TD Securities for 20 years and was Vice President Director in Debt Capital Markets, Institutional Fixed Income Sales. She also served as a board member and former president of Women in Capital Markets, chaired its Benchmarking study and Managing Motherhood. Since 2012 Jacqueline served on the Board of Governors of Branksome Hall. Jacqueline joined Canso Investment Counsel in 2013 and is currently Vice President Investment Programs. She earned her Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) designation in 2014. Jacqueline serves as a Director at the Canadian Bond Investors Association (CBIA).

Annabella attended Carleton University, graduating with a Bachelor of International Business in 2000. She then earned an International Masters of Business Administration (IMBA) from the University of Ottawa in 2003 and became an Adler Coach and certified Change Management Practitioner in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Annabella has over 20 years of experience working in human resources, primarily in the financial services industry, including AVP, Executive & Leadership Development at TD Bank and Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Tangerine Bank. She is a strategic and collaborative business partner and has proven experience building talent strategies that help her team achieve results. Annabella joined Canso in January 2023 and is currently Vice President, Human and Corporate Capital.

Richard attended Queen’s University, graduating with a BA in Sociology. He joined Nesbitt Thomson in 1991 as an Investment Advisor. Richard earned his Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) designation and later became a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI). Richard joined Trimark Investment Management in 1993 where he was a manager in the pensions area. Richard then joined Russell Investments in 1996 where he worked on product development and was a member of Russell’s Canadian Executive Team. Richard joined Canso in 2009 as a member of Canso’s Investment Team where he is a Portfolio Manager and is responsible for credit analysis. He is also responsible for client servicing and marketing.

Harold graduated from York University with a BA Economics in 2000. He then joined CIBC Mellon in Toronto, in their Client Advisor Services Group, as a Cash Specialist and then as a Team Leader. In 2002 Harold joined KBSH Capital Management Inc., where he held positions as an Institutional Portfolio Administrator and Performance Measurement Analyst. Harold joined Canso in 2010, and is currently responsible for Securities Operations.