Private Wealth

Ted Ecclestone leads Fiera Capital’s Canadian Private Wealth team. He joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing investment portfolios on behalf of private and institutional clients. Mr. Ecclestone joined CGOV in 2006 and has over 20 years of investment experience.

Mr. Ecclestone began his career in 1995 at CIBC Trust and then joined TAL Private Management Ltd. as a Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining CGOV, he was Vice President with Rockwater Capital Corp. where he was responsible for designing, building and managing the high net worth division.

Mr. Ecclestone earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. He holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation from the CFA Institute and the CIM (Canadian Investment Manager) designation from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Louis Bourassa joined Fiera Capital as Vice President, Private Wealth in November 2005. Currently, he is Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor and is a member of both the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee as well as the Private Wealth Management Committee. Mr. Bourassa has been in the investment industry since 1984. As the founder and subsequently as managing director of CIBC Financial Planning from 1991 to 1999, he joined forces with TAL Global Asset Management to build one of the most respected firms serving high net worth individuals in Canada. Mr. Bourassa also led the Private Wealth division of Montrusco until 2005.

Mr. Bourassa was a member of the Canadian Olympic rowing team that competed in Montréal in 1976 and has always made time for the community, including the CHU St-Justine and Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospitals, as well as Run for the Cure. He graduated from the École des HEC de Montréal with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1982.

John Q Adams re-joined Fiera Capital in February 2017 as Vice President, Private Wealth after a 10-month hiatus where he previously held the role of Vice President, Marketing for two years. Currently, he is responsible for leading the business development initiatives in Calgary.  Prior to joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Adams obtained almost 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. During that time, he gained significant expertise in areas of strategic planning, business development, marketing, sales and wealth management. 

Having started his career at Royal Trust in 1988, he progressively took on more senior positions at Royal Bank, TE Financial, and Scotia Bank. Most recently, Mr. Adams was a senior member of the team that obtained a Canadian Schedule 1 Chartered Bank license for a new start-up, Bridgewater Bank in 2005, where he successfully led the initial marketing and product development team.    

Mr. Adams is a graduate of the University of Calgary (B.A. History 1985) where he also obtained his Marketing Certificate (1998). He is actively involved in the local business community both personally and professionally, most recently joining the board of Valour Canada. He is also involved in the Calgary Chamber and supports several non-profits.

Don Conner joined Fiera Capital in 2006 following its acquisition of YMG Capital, where he worked as a portfolio manager servicing high net worth clients. Currently, he is Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor, and is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. Mr. Conner has worked in the investment industry since 1974. His career has included two years as an analyst at the Bank of Canada and nine years in the Scotiabank investment department, where he gained broad-based career experience in equity, bond and pension fund management issues in increasingly more senior roles. In 1986, he joined the investment consulting firm Hodgson, Roberton, Laing, where he was responsible for equity strategy, private wealth management and institutional client services.

Mr. Conner obtained a Master of Finance degree from York University (1977). He also has his Bachelor of Commerce (1974). Mr. Conner is actively involved in his church, serving on several of its committees.

Paul de la Roche joined Fiera Capital in April 2013 as Vice President, Private Wealth, and is currently a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. Mr. de la Roche began his career in financial services with RBC in 2000 and, has provided wealth management and investment counselling to high net worth private clients of UBS and Sprott.

Mr. de la Roche is a member of the Family Centre Care Advisory Council at the Hospital for Sick Children and is an honorary chair of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre OneWalk To Conquer Cancer. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario, with a degree in Economics (2000). Mr. De la Roche is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) and a registered portfolio manager, and he manages client investment portfolios on a discretionary basis.

Jean-Guy Desjardins is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Capital Corporation, an independent investment management firm that he created in 2003. The firm has since continued its expansion by way of several acquisitions across North America, Europe and Asia.

After working as a financial analyst and portfolio manager for a life insurance company, Mr. Desjardins co-founded TAL Global Asset Management in 1972 and was its principal shareholder until its purchase by a financial institution in 2001.

Mr. Desjardins is a member of the Board of Directors of the Société de Services Financiers Fonds FMOQ, HEC Montréal, DJM Capital Inc. and the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research. 

Mr. Desjardins also supports a variety of community and social programs, in particular as a member of the Council of Governors of Centraide of Greater Montréal. Additionally, he sits on the Investment Committee of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

Mr. Desjardins graduated from Collège Mont-Saint-Louis in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts. In 1969, he earned his L.Sc.Comm. (Finance) from HEC Montréal. Mr. Desjardins is also a CFA Charterholder. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2014 and, in 2015, received the CFA Institute Award for Excellence, the highest and most prestigious distinction bestowed by the CFA Institute.

Sébastien Fournier joined Fiera Capital in April 2014 as Assistant Vice President, Private Wealth. Currently, as Vice President, Investment Counsellor, he is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee.
Mr. Fournier began his career in the investment management industry in January 2008 when he became an equity analyst at AFC Capital, a Montreal-based hedge fund manager.

During his four years at AFC Capital, Mr. Fournier interacted with numerous managers of publicly-traded companies in which the firm invested. In 2010, Mr. Fournier was promoted to Assistant Portfolio Manager. In March 2012 he joined Blue Bridge Wealth Solutions as Investment Manager, where he was in charge of selecting the best equity and private investment managers. Mr. Fournier also established multiple business relationships with various partners around the world.

Mr. Fournier has a Master's (MSc) in Finance from the University of Sherbrooke and is a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM).

Claudio Gagliardi joined Canadian Wealth Management (CWM) in 2011 as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager, prior to its acquisition by Fiera Capital. Currently, as Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor, he is responsible for counselling private clients and is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. Mr. Gagliardi has over 20 years of investment management industry experience, having started his career with Royal Trust as an Investment Advisor in 1995. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Gagliardi spent three years at T.E. Investment Counsel, where he led the Calgary private client office while overseeing approximately $400 million in assets under management.

Mr. Gagliardi previously served as a board member of the Calgary CFA Society, including a term as President (2006-2007). He obtained his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 1998, obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2001, and is a 1995 graduate of the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business (BCom.).

Mr. Gagliardi is dedicated to his community. He has been coaching various youth sports teams for almost 10 years. He also serves as President on the board of a local foundation for children’s education. He is a member of the Calgary Flames Ambassadors, supporting the Calgary Flames Foundation for Life, and is a regular Canadian Blood Services donor.  

Rodrigue Lussier joined Fiera Capital in 2010 as Associate Chief Investment Officer, Private Wealth, where his responsibilities included the establishment and review of clients’ investment policy statements. He now oversees the management of Private Wealth client portfolios and is a member of both the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee and the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Management Committee.

Mr. Lussier’s career in the investment industry spans over 26 years. He started his career as an Asset Consultant and Actuary at Towers Perrin. In 1994, Mr. Lussier joined TAL Global Asset Management as Vice President, Investment Management and moved on to Chief Investment Officer of TAL Private Management Ltd. He also held management positions at a major public institutional investor before joining Fiera Capital.

Mr. Lussier has a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Université Laval, Québec and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) as well as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is a past President of CFA Montreal.

Harvey McKernon joined Canadian Wealth Management (CWM) as Senior Vice President in 2009 prior to its acquisition by Fiera Capital. Currently, as Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor, he is responsible for discretionary investment management and counselling private clients on wealth preservation, estate transfer, and succession, and is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. He also leads the Calgary office. Mr. McKernon has over 20 years of industry experience, having started his career in 1994 as a Financial Advisor in Calgary then moving on to Franklin Templeton as Vice President and Private Wealth Counsellor.

Mr. McKernon stays active in his community and serves on two non-profit boards, Pheasants Forever and the World Professional Chuckwagon Association. Mr. McKernon is a graduate of the University of Calgary (B.A., 1993). He obtained his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation in 2004 from the Wharton School of Business and the Investment Management Consultants Association, and became a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) in 2010.

Brian Swales joined Fiera Capital in September 2015 as Senior Vice President, Private Wealth and is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. He has almost 25 years of experience in the investment management industry serving high net worth clients across numerous roles. Mr. Swales joined Merrill Lynch in 1994 as a research analyst and was promoted to VP at age 26, entrusted to run the firm’s Managed Assets Group serving the firm’s high net worth clients. He then became National Sales Director, overseeing sales, marketing and distribution of Merrill Lynch’s asset management services in Canada.  Mr. Swales also spent 10 years building Brandes Investment Partners in Canada. He then joined TD’s Wealth Management group, running TD’s high net worth integrated platform in the Greater Toronto Area.         

Mr. Swales graduated from the University of Western Ontario in Business Administration (1990), completed his MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business graduating with Honours – Ivey Scholar, is a Certified Investment Manager (CIM) and a Partner, Director & Senior Officer (PDO).

Mr. Swales is actively involved in his community, coaching various youth sports teams for the last 10 years including hockey, soccer, tennis and baseball. He also volunteers with a number of not-for-profit organizations including Pathways to Education, Sick Kids Hospital Foundation and is currently serving as a Director at Devil’s Glen Country Club.

François Veillet joined Fiera Capital in August 2009 as Vice President, Private Wealth; currently, he is Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor, and is a member of the Fiera Capital Private Wealth Investment Committee. He has been in the investment management industry since 1984. Mr. Veillet worked as an institutional representative in fixed income at Geoffrion Leclerc, the National Bank, and Nesbitt Thomson. He joined CIBC World Markets in 1993 as Managing Director and was responsible for money market and fixed income operations. In 2003, he was appointed Head of Debt Capital Markets for the Quebec region, coordinating operations involving currencies, derivatives, money market and fixed income, and the issuance of corporate and government debt.

Mr. Veillet is dedicated to his community. He has served as a member of the Montréal Heart Institute Foundation Board and Executive Committee since 1994. He is also co-founder of the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation, which, since 1996, has organized wilderness therapy expeditions for teenagers with cancer. Mr. Veillet graduated from HEC Montreal with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982.

Chip Pitfield joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing and developing new private client relationships. Currently, he is Vice President, Private Wealth. Mr. Pitfield joined CGOV in 2013 and has 36 years of financial industry experience, primarily as an investment banker and equity capital markets professional.

Mr. Pitfield is a graduate of Huron College, University of Western Ontario. He is Chair, ALUS Canada (www.alus.ca); Vice-Chair of Delta Waterfowl Foundation (www.deltawaterfowl.org); Director at Skylark Child, Youth and Family Services; and Past-Chair of Oolagen Community Services, which has since merged with Skylark.

Don Cranston joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management. Currently, he is Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor. Mr. Cranston was one of the founders of CGOV and chaired the CGOV Asset Management Board; he was also responsible for managing investment portfolios on behalf of private and institutional clients. Mr. Cranston has over 25 years of investment industry experience.

Mr. Cranston earned his undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from Queen's University. Following his education at Queen's, Mr. Cranston worked at Andersen Consulting as a Management Consultant. He also worked at Burns Fry Limited and Coleford Investment Management Ltd.

Mr. Cranston is the Past-Chairman of the Portfolio Management Association of Canada. He is currently on the Boards of The CGOV Foundation and The Friends of Fort York. He is a member of the Investment Committee of the Anglican Foundation of Canada, and is Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment).

Iain Green joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing portfolios for private and institutional clients. Currently, he is Vice President, Investment Counsellor. Mr. Green joined CGOV in 2014 and has 20 years of experience in the investment industry, which included 13 years at RBC Dominion Securities.

Mr. Green earned his undergraduate degree from Queen’s University and holds the CIM (Chartered Investment Manager) and FCSI (Fellow of the CSI) designations from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Mr. Green’s volunteer work includes coaching youth hockey and also assisting health related organizations with their fundraising and management.

Jason Fenn joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing and developing new private client relationships. Currently, he is Vice President, Investment Counsellor.

Prior to joining CGOV in 2011, Mr. Fenn worked in several capacities; most recently, he was a lawyer with the law firm Rohmer & Fenn, a boutique firm specializing in corporate law and civil litigation.

Mr. Fenn earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario. He then completed his law degree at the University of Toronto and went on to obtain his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. He is also a holder of the CIM (Chartered Investment Manager) designation from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Sheila Norman joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where she was responsible for managing portfolios for private and institutional clients. Currently, she is Senior Vice President, Investment Counsellor.

Ms. Norman joined CGOV in 2006 and has over 20 years of experience in the investment industry, which includes previous employment at McLean Budden Ltd and Sun Life Securities. She earned her undergraduate degree from Queen's University in 1991 and holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation from the CFA Institute. She has completed the National Aboriginal Trustee Training Program through Lethbridge College and the Not-for-Profit Governance Essentials Program with the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Ms. Norman serves as President and board Member for The CGOV Foundation.

Jim Green joined Fiera Capital in 2018 following its acquisition of CGOV Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing portfolios for private and institutional clients.  Currently, he is an Investment Counsellor for Private Wealth.

Mr. Green has more than 40 years of experience in the investment services industry; prior to joining CGOV in 2002, he was a Partner and Vice President at TAL Private Management Ltd.

Mr. Green graduated from York University and holds the CIM (Canadian Investment Manager) and PFP (Professional Financial Planner) designations from the Canadian Securities Institute. He has been a member of the CFA Institute and the Toronto CFA Society since 1993.

Mr. Green served a 6-year term as a Director and then Treasurer, Vice-Chair of Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC). He was also a member of the campaign cabinet for Neuromuscular Research, a joint project of ALS and MDC. He served as a Director and member of the Finance Committee of the Family Service Association of Toronto as well he served a 4-year term as a board member for The CGOV Foundation.