Geoffrey Ritchie

Executive Director

Geoffrey is a securities lawyer called to the bar in Ontario and England and Wales and is the National Director of Compliance and Risk Management with BMO Harris Private Banking. Prior to joining BMO he practiced corporate securities law in Toronto with WeirFoulds LLP, structured finance law at the London (England) office of Clifford Chance LLP, one of the world's largest international law firms and at the Ontario Securities Commission in the Capital Markets Branch and the Compliance and Registrant Regulation Branch. Geoffrey co-teaches Advanced Securities Law at Queen's University Law School and completed his Masters of Law (specializing in Securities Law) at Osgoode Hall Law School. Geoffrey has served as political staff at the Ontario Legislature and remains active in managing political campaigns and candidates at the federal and provincial level. Geoffrey joined the EMDA as Executive Director in 2009.

Email: gritchie@emdacanada.com

Telephone: 1-877-363-3632 

Direct:  416-900-3836

Geoff Bird

Director – BC

Geoff Bird is a corporate-commercial lawyer with 38 years experience, presently concentrated in the areas of securities, public and private financings, business transactions, reorganizing corporations, mergers and acquisitions, company law issues, commercial leases and mining. Mr. Bird obtained his first degree in geology from the University of British Columbia and practiced in the mining industry for several years before obtaining a law degree. Mr. Bird has served as a director of a number of public and private companies and charitable societies. He has authored publications on corporate governance matters and has lectured on that subject for the B.C. Continuing Legal Education Society.

Email: gbird@aydinco.com

Website: http://www.aydinco.com/node/18

David Brown

Past President

David is a partner at the Toronto law firm of WeirFoulds LLP and a senior member of the Corporate Commercial Team. He practises in the areas of private company representation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and debt and equity financing with an emphasis on venture capital financing. David acts for various owner-managed private companies and for institutional lenders and financiers.

He has been involved in the following:

• sale of major internet service provider
• various venture capital investments for a large institutional venture capital company
• acquisition and "going public" transaction involving major North American consumer products company
• disposition of various companies on behalf of a large merchant banking group
• acquisition of a national transportation line from a public transportation authority
• sale of a controlling interest in a major professional sports team
• financing the acquisition of a major North American food processor
• proposed acquisition of an international plane manufacturer by a European consortium

David is the co-author of "Canada at a Crossroad", submitted to the Beaudoin/Dobbie Commission in response to the Government of Canada's constitutional proposals. He authored and presented a paper entitled "Unpaid Supplier Rights and Crown Priorities Under Bill C-22", regarding new bankruptcy legislation.

Email: dbrown@weirfoulds.com

Website: http://www.weirfoulds.com/showfullbio.aspx?Show=125

Vipool Desai

Director

Vipool Desai is President of ARA Compliance Support, a boutique firm that provides compliance support to Exempt Market Dealers and Portfolio Managers. ARA offers a full suite of services including, consulting, compliance outsourcing and registration services. Prior to establishing ARA, Vipool held senior compliance positions at several Investment Dealers and managed the compliance function of a major Schedule 2 Bank and it’s Investment Dealer affiliate.

Email: vpool@aracompliance.com

Telephone: 416-629-4155

Website: http://www.aracompliance.com/our_team.htm

Pat DiCapo

Director

Mr. DiCapo is a founder of PowerOne Capital Markets Limited. As the Managing Director of PowerOne, Mr. DiCapo is responsible for managing the Firm and structuring corporate finance transactions. Mr. DiCapo has been involved in over 170 transactions for both emerging private and public companies involving over $850,000,000 in financings. His previous experience includes working with the law firm of Smith Lyons LLP (now Gowlings LLP) in Toronto and with Goodwin, Procter LLP in Boston, MA. Mr. DiCapo is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and a member of the Ontario Bar Association.

Mr. DiCapo is also:

• On the Board of Directors of Petrolifera Petroleum Limited
• Chairman, Governance Committee at Petrolifera Petroleum Limited
• A Member of the TSX-V Ontario Advisory Committee
• A Member of the Schulich School of Business Advisory Board - Masters Certificate in Security, Safety and Continuity Leadership

Email: pdicapo@poweronecapital.com

Phone: (416) 362-4157

Website: www.poweronecapital.com

 

Marsha Gerhart

Director

Marsha Gerhart is Counsel to the national law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Marsha is part of the securities and capital markets group and her practice is focused primarily on securities compliance, registration and regulatory matters.

Marsha joined BLG after 9 years as a senior regulator, primarily in the area of registrant regulation, with the Ontario Securities Commission. During her time as a regulator, Marsha was involved in interpreting and applying securities laws as well as participating in significant policy development at a provincial, national and international level. Marsha lead the national registration reform project undertaken by the Canadian Securities Administrators which was a project to modernize, harmonize and streamline the registration requirements across Canada.

Prior to working at the OSC, Marsha was in private practice for many years acting on corporate finance matters, including private placements, asset securitization transactions and other types of financings.

Marsha graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1987 and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1989. She also obtained a bachelor of commerce (hons) degree from Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. in 1983.

Email: mgerhart@blgcanada.com

Website: www.blgcanada.com/en/home/our-professionals/Pages/Gerhart-Marsha.aspx

David M. Gilkes

Director

David is the Vice President of Sutton Boyce Gilkes Regulatory Consulting Group Inc. David has over 25 years of experience in regulating and investigating regulated firms and markets. Prior to SBG, he spent seven years as Manager, Registrant Regulation, with the Ontario Securities Commission where he oversaw the registration and conduct of more than 60,000 individuals and firms in Canada’s largest capital market.

He started his career in 1983 with the Government of Canada’s Competition Bureau conducting, and then leading, investigations under the Competition Act and rose to the position of Acting Director, Compliance Branch. In 1998, he joined Deloitte & Touche’s Investigative and Forensic Services group as Senior Manager, building their litigation support services practice.

David earned his B.A., honours, in Economics from McMaster University and his M.A. in Economics from Carleton University.

Email: dgilkes@sbgregulatory.com

Telephone: 416-644-6590

Website: www.sbgregulatory.com

Wes Hall

Director

President & CEO

Wes has over 15 years experience in Corporate Governance and Shareholder Communications. He founded Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc. in 2003, Kingsdale Communications Inc. in 2009 and has been sought out to lead some of the highest profile deals in North America including Petro Canada’s $19 billion merger with Suncor Energy. Wes acts as director on the board of Metallic Ventures Gold Inc. and Limited Market Dealers Association of Canada (LMDA). Wes is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 award recipient in Ontario.

Email: whall@kingsdaleshareholder.com

Website: http://www.kingsdaleshareholder.com/contact/bio.php#WesBio

Christopher M. Henley, ICD.D

Director

Mr. Henley is the founder and President of Henley Capital Corporation, an exempt market dealer specializing in mergers and acquisitions, financing and advisory investment banking services to both public and private companies. He has spent over 25 years in industry and investment banking financing and advising public and private companies covering the full range of industry sectors and market capitalizations and was formerly an officer at three of Canada’s largest investment banking firms. Mr. Henley currently sits on a number of other boards of directors including Transition Therapeutics Inc., West Park Healthcare Centre, the Future Focus Foundation, the Smiling Land Foundation and the McMichael Canadian Art Foundation. Mr. Henley has also served as Chair of the Judging Panel of the Canadian Software and IT Services Industry Awards, was a founding Co-Chair of the Premier’s Technology Dinner in Ontario and was a founding member of the Ministers Technology Advisory Group for the Province of Ontario. He is a founding 100 member of the National Angel Organization in Canada and is formerly a board member and Chair of the Toronto Port Authority, a board member of Ontario Transport Capital Corporation - - the developer of Highway 407, the first all-electronic highway in the world; and a member of the Advisory Board, Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Mr. Henley holds a B.A. from Memorial University, an MBA from Dalhousie University and the internationally recognized professional designation, ICD.D.

Email: chenley@henleycapitalcorp.com

Telephone: (416) 368-0110

Website: www.henleycapitalcorp.com/about_us_people.html

Sean Kehoe

Director – AB

Mr. Kehoe is the Chairman and founder of the Discovery Group of Companies; a Calgary based oil and gas exploration management organization engaged in the structuring and operation of institutional and private equity exploration syndicates. In addition, Mr. Kehoe presently holds a position as President and CEO of Beringer Capital Partners Ltd. a private investment-banking firm.

Mr. Kehoe has spent the majority of his career involved in the raising of private equity through the Limited Market Dealer designation in Ontario and across Canada, through the various other jurisdictional categories.

Over a 23 year career in the investment banking industry with Beringer and related companies, Mr. Kehoe has been involved in the creation, financing, and management of numerous businesses, both public and private, within the natural resource industry.

Email: skehoe@drillingfunds.com

Website:  http://www.drillingfunds.com/management.html

Brian Koscak

Director

Brian is a partner at the Toronto law firm of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.

Brian practises in the areas of corporate and securities law with an emphasis on investment funds, securities registration for dealers and advisors, public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions and Islamic finance.

Brian’s practice also involves corporate and regulatory insurance law involving agents and brokers. Brian is a Chartered Insurance Professional with the Insurance Institute of Canada and prior to becoming a lawyer he was a licensed life insurance agent, accident & sickness insurance agent and registered insurance broker at a large Toronto brokerage firm. Brian was part of senior management and involved in both property and casualty and out-of-country travel medical insurance.

Brian has written and published numerous articles involving corporate, securities and insurance matters and spoken at various conferences and seminars including the new rules involving Registration Reform under National Instrument 31-103.

Brian has obtained his Masters of Law in Securities from Osgoode Hall Law School, a LL.B. from the University of Windsor School of Law, a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a Masters of Arts for Judicial Administration and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Public Administration from Brock University.

Email: bkoscak@casselsbrock.com

Telephone: 416-860-2955

Website: www.casselsbrock.com/People/Brian_P__Koscak

Jacoline Loewen

Director

Jacoline Loewen is a Partner of Loewen & Partners, a private equity investment banking firm that helps provide private companies access to all types of private capital, including equity, debt, and mezzanine from Canadian, U.S. and European fund managers. Ms. Loewen is responsible for new investment opportunities, developing strategy and marketing for both Private Equity funds and business owners. Her experience includes strategy, human resources and marketing optimization. Loewen & Partners is an Exempt Market Dealer registered with the Ontario Securities Commission.

Prior to Loewen & Partners, Jacoline was with Deloitte, Touche & Tohmatsu where she worked in a variety of practice areas, including strategy and operational roll-outs for private, government and not-for-profit clients.

Jacoline holds a B.A. in Industrial Relations from McGill University and a MBA from the University of Witwatersrand School of Business, where she was an Entrepreneurial award winner and was invited to present her MBA thesis by Cambridge University, UK, at the European Strategy & Operations Conference which was then published by Cambridge’s Engineering faculty. She is the author of three books, the most recent, Money Magnet (Wiley), was selected by the Richard Ivey School of Business as a MBA text book.

Email:  jbloewen@loewenpartners.com

Website: www.loewenpartners.com

Mark MacDonald

Director

Mark MacDonald is a Toronto businessman and lawyer who presently acts as Vice-President and Corporate Counsel for the BMG Group of Companies which markets the precious metals gold, silver and platinum in bullion form. The BMG BullionFund is an open end mutual fund trust that has a fixed investment policy of investing in equal parts of gold, silver and platinum bullion. The BMG Gold BullionFund is an open end mutual fund trust that has a fixed investment policy of investing only in gold bullion. The BMG BullionBars program is for direct ownership of gold, silver and platinum bullion. Various domestic and international offerings are targeted at retail investors, institutions, wealth managers and global accredited investors. All offerings are FINTRAC compliant.

Email: m.macdonald@bmsinc.ca

Telephone: 905-474-1001 Ext. 20

Website: www.bmgbullion.com
 

David Mitchell

Director

David Mitchell has been employed in various positions within the financial services industry for over 22 years. In 1986, he started as an arbitrage trader on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange with Davidson Partners and Canarim Corporation (now Canaccord). From 1990 to 2000, Mr. Mitchell acted as a registered representative with TSX firms such as Levesque Securities and Research Capital Corporation. In July 2000, he was appointed as branch manager for the retail division of Octagon Capital Corporation and eventually became a Vice-President and Director of the firm.

In addition to his retail experience, Mr. Mitchell also participated in corporate finance activities with an emphasis on small businesses including seed capital financings, CPC transactions, flow-through offerings and reverse takeover transactions.

In June 2004, Mr. Mitchell established Stillbridge Ventures Inc., a private company providing corporate consultancy services to emerging and small businesses. In November 2005, Mr. Mitchell founded Kingsmill Capital Partners Inc., a limited market dealer and financial advisory firm based in Toronto specializing in advising early stage growth companies, both public and private.

Email:

Website:

Miklos Nagy

Director

Mr. Nagy is Director, President, Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager of Quadrexx Asset Management Inc. He is also Chairman and co-founder of CHW, a Toronto based publishing and educational firm focusing on the Canadian hedge fund industry. Mr. Nagy is a leading authority on alternative investments and hedge funds in Canada. He is the co-author of Canada’s first hedge fund book; "Hedge Funds for Canadians", published by John Wiley and Sons in May 2003 (second edition published in July, 2005). Mr. Nagy has been featured repeatedly on national television and newspapers about hedge funds. He has also been invited as a speaker to numerous financial seminars and conferences for several organizations. He also co-authored the Chartered Alternative Investment Planner Program (CHAIP), a certification course offered by the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners.

Mr. Nagy has over 22 years of financial industry experience in Canada including as Senior Partner at a leading financial planning firm and Credit Analyst at Credit Suisse Canada in Toronto. He studied Math and Computer Science in Hungary, graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree from the University of Toronto in Economics and Statistics and holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) professional designations. Mr. Nagy is Chair of CIFPs (Canadian Institute of Financial Planners Association), a member of the CFA Institute, the Toronto CFA Society, and a founding member of the CFA Society of Hungary, Budapest.

Email: nagy@quadrexx.com

Website: http://www.quadrexx.com/index.php?categoryid=3

Pierre L. Soulard

Director – QC

Pierre Soulard is a partner in the Toronto office of Ogilvy Renault LLP. Mr. Soulard's practice focuses on corporate finance and public and private mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity transactions and corporate governance. Mr. Soulard has been actively involved at a senior level in numerous corporate finance transactions acting on behalf public and private companies as well as underwriters in a variety of industry sectors including, Cleantech, Life Sciences, Mining and Resources and Consumer and Industrial products. He also has significant experience advising both bidders and targets in merger and acquisition transactions in similar fields. Mr. Soulard has guest lectured on numerous occasions on matters of corporate finance and securities laws. He is also a past member of the Ontario Securities Commission Small Business Advisory Committee. Mr. Soulard received a LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2009, a B.C.L. and an LL.B. from McGill University in 1994 and a B.A. from Université Laval in 1990. He is a member of the Barreau du Québec, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association and the Inter-Pacific Bar Association.

Email: psoulard@ogilvyrenault.com

Telephone: (416) 216-4806

Website: http://www.ogilvyrenault.com/en/people_PierreSoulard.htm

Sam Wakim

Director

Sam Wakim QC is a consultant to the law firm WeirFoulds LLP. Sam has extensive experience in negotiations in the private and public sectors. Sam acts as counsel on both business and government related issues. His advice is enhanced by his background in public service and the business community. He served as Member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of Don Valley East in 1979-1980. His experience includes monitoring and analyzing political and public policy developments, assessing the impact of emerging government policy and providing strategic advice on advocacy efforts. Sam has received Certificates of Achievement in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Faculty of Law of the University of Windsor. He has extensive experience in negotiations in the private and public sector.

Email: swakin@weirfoulds.com

Website: http://www.weirfoulds.com/showbio.aspx?Show=121

Stephen Warden

Director

Stephen Warden has 29 years experience in the accounting profession specializing in serving exempt market and investment dealers, portfolio advisers and investment funds and fund managers. parker simone LLP defines itself as a firm of professional excellence providing high quality audit, tax and business advisory needs of dealers, managers, advisers and related investment funds; small cap public companies in Canada and the US in financial services, energy, mining, technology and biotech, many of whom have global reach; and, entrepreneurs and their families. ps: personal service. Always. Prior to 2009, Steve was an audit partner with KPMG Canada where he was National Director of KPMG’s Investment Dealer Practice for seven years and a past Chair and member of IIROC’s Canadian Broker Auditor Committee. He has been a member of the Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association Legal & Compliance Division since 1996.

LinkedIn: Stephen Warden CA CMC

Twitter: StephenWarden

Email: Stephen@parker-simone.com

Telephone: 905-271-7977

William White

Director

Mr. White has over thirty-five years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to founding IBK Capital, Mr. White was a Senior Vice-President and Director of Corporate and Government Finance at Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. Under Mr. White's leadership, Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. rose to the top tier of the Canadian investment dealers specializing in the natural resources industry.

Mr. White's professional experience also includes the following:

• Director of Institutional Equity Trading, Burns Fry Limited
• Director in Corporate Finance, Burns Fry Limited
• Founder and Former Director of Vanguard Trust of Canada Ltd.
• Former Vice-Chairman and Member of The Toronto Stock Exchange Market Functions Committee
• Former Member of The Toronto Stock Exchange Stock List and Market Access Committees
• Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of The Peoples Church, Toronto (1995 – 2002)

Mr. White graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1969. He is currently the Chairman of the Greater Europe Mission Canada Counsel, a Governor of The Sunnybrook Foundation; a Director of Barry Moore Ministries Inc. and a Cabinet Member of the Campaign for the Heart & Circulation Program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

Email: wfwhite@ibkcapital.com

Website: http://www.ibkcapital.com/team.html