Teams

John Valentini is Executive Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Private Markets. In his role, he oversees Fiera Capital’s private markets platform, which includes real estate core and value-add, real estate financing, infrastructure, agriculture, private equity and private credit. 

John has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in managing both public and private organizations, including in the area of investment management. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, he held the positions of Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at PSP Investment Inc., Chief Financial Officer at BCE Emergis and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cognicase Inc., as well as senior positions in Corporate Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Caisse de depot and placement du Quebec and Ernst & Young. 

John holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Corporate Finance and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy from McGill University. He is an Advanced Management Program Graduate of Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. John holds the following professional designations: Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) and Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA). He is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors. 

Rehan Talib is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fiera Private Markets.  

Prior to assuming his present role, Rehan served as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Clearwater Capital. He previously worked at Delphi Corporation, where he held several posts of increasing responsibilities, including Regional Treasurer, Manager of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets, Manager of Capital Planning, and Manager of Financial Risk Management. 

Rehan graduated from the Institute of Business Administration in Pakistan with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He later obtained a second Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. 

François Cloutier oversees the human resources strategy at Fiera Private Markets, while also heading the department’s operations. In addition to establishing the strategic direction, he is responsible for talent management and a number of other areas related to workplace culture and human capital.

François joined Fiera Private Alternative Investments in April 2020. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of human resources. Since the beginning of his career, he has held positions of increasing responsibility in human resources strategy and management. François has worked in a variety of industries, such as video gaming, aerospace, media and telecommunications. In his previous roles, he created talent management strategies, designed leadership and talent development programs. He also introduced a number of innovative human resources practices and contributed to strategic acquisition initiatives by leading the integration activities of acquired entities.

François holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) from the Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Université Paris-Dauphine (Paris IX).

Marc-André Desjardins is Chief Investment Officer, Fiera Private Markets. He is responsible for working closely with the Private Markets platform leaders and teams to monitor the division’s investment performance, as well as support innovation and strategic planning. Marc-André is a member/observer of several Private Markets Investment Committees. 

Marc-André began working in the financial industry across various roles in 2001. He has been involved in the private alternative sector since 2008, spending seven years at Fiera Private Debt, where he was part of all the platform activities, from investment initiatives to operations. As a member of the management team, he helped improve operations, achieve targeted yields for investors and build a successful investment platform. In 2015, Marc-André took that experience to New York and, with his team, started to research the US market and analyzed private lenders across North America with the objective of supporting the growth of the Fiera Diversified Lending strategy and the launch of the Fiera Global Diversified Lending strategy. In 2019, Marc-André became Deputy CIO, Fiera Private Alternative Investments, and in 2020 he moved back to Montreal to take the role of Chief Investment Officer, Fiera Private Markets. 

Marc-André holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from HEC Montréal, majoring in Finance/International Management, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) from Université du Québec à Montréal, majoring in Biology, along with an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.   

Michael Quigley is Global Head of Distribution. In this role, he leads Fiera Capital’s Global Institutional Distribution activities across all investment platforms.  

Michael has a deep understanding of the institutional business environment and an extensive knowledge of both traditional and alternative asset classes. He brings more than 30 years of investment management industry experience having achieved great success with asset management firms of varying sizes in Canada, the United States and Europe, and has developed and established a very strong network with pension plans, foundations, endowments and investment consultants. Under his leadership our teams of professionals focus on advancing the evolution of distribution practices while continuing to enhance the depth, value and sophistication of investor interactions. 

Michael graduated from the University of Sherbrooke with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations. 

Sebastian Blandizzi is Global Chief Technology and Operations Officer at Fiera Capital and a member of the Global Executive Management Committee. In this role, Sebastian is responsible for overseeing the global operations and technology functions of the firm, including Investment Analytics, Cybersecurity, Data Management, and Client Experience. He leads our Strategic Transformation program, driving regional back office integration and the digital transformation ambitions of the firm.  

Sebastian has more than 20 years of experience in strategic roles related to IT and operations. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Blandizzi founded a consulting firm specializing in technological change and organizational transformation strategies with a focus on increasing business efficiency and profitability. Previously, Mr. Blandizzi was CIO, SVP & Head of Global Solutions Delivery for the Investments and Corporate Group Divisions at Manulife Financial, having direct accountability for all global systems and services supporting Manulife’s operations across North America, UK and Asia. One of his noteworthy achievements during his time at Manulife was the creation of LoFT (Lab of Forward Thinking), a globally branded network of development labs focused on driving innovation and accelerated solution delivery. Sebastian also directed Manulife Financial’s enterprise data and analytics strategy and was responsible for aligning the company’s divisions to a common framework and technological infrastructure.

Mr. Blandizzi started his career at State Street, spending over 13 years in various roles and was Vice President and Head of Global Technology Services prior to joining Manulife in 2010.

Paul Budovitch is responsible for the development and oversight of the legal function for the Fiera Private Markets business worldwide.  He provides leadership and legal advice, guidance and services for different investment platforms and activities in infrastructure, real estate, private credit, agriculture, private equity and other private investment strategies and activities worldwide.  As part of the FPAI executive team, Paul is also involved in strategic planning and material business decisions impacting the division.

Paul has more than 15 years of legal and operational experience, with a focus on private equity/credit, venture capital, M&A and restructurings.  Prior to joining Fiera, Paul most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Crown Capital Partners, and as a lawyer in the private equity group at Torys LLP.  Paul holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, Joseph L. Rotman School of Business, a JD from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.

John Valentini is Executive Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Private Markets. In his role, he oversees Fiera Capital’s private markets platform, which includes real estate core and value-add, real estate financing, infrastructure, agriculture, private equity and private credit. 

John has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in managing both public and private organizations, including in the area of investment management. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, he held the positions of Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at PSP Investment Inc., Chief Financial Officer at BCE Emergis and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cognicase Inc., as well as senior positions in Corporate Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Caisse de depot and placement du Quebec and Ernst & Young. 

John holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Corporate Finance and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy from McGill University. He is an Advanced Management Program Graduate of Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. John holds the following professional designations: Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) and Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA). He is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors. 

Alina Osorio is responsible for leading Fiera Infrastructure and overseeing the firm’s investment, asset management and finance teams.

Alina is a seasoned professional in the utility and infrastructure investment and financing sector. She has worked as an infrastructure investment professional and has been a key player in the sector for more than two decades.

Her many years of experience stem from her roles as an equity research analyst covering Canadian utility companies, an investment banker in the infrastructure sector , a principal investor, and finally, as a portfolio strategist for a major Canadian pension fund. She has extensive experience and a solid track record in her field.

Before joining Fiera Infrastructure, she was CEO of Aquila Infrastructure, where she oversaw the creation of the firm and its growth to more than $225 million in assets under management. Prior to that, she was CEO of the Macquarie Essential Assets Partnership (“MEAP”), North America’s first unlisted infrastructure fund, which invested in Canada and the United States. Under her leadership, MEAP pursued and assessed numerous opportunities, completed five acquisitions and one divestment. Alina went on to lead the infrastructure program at OPTrust, with a capital allocation of $2.5 billion. In this role, she was responsible for setting strategic direction, overseeing investment strategies and acquisitions, and managing an infrastructure portfolio in excess of $1 billion.

Alina holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

Jean-Guy Desjardins is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Capital, which he founded in 2003.

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 SPACQ Foundation.

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.

As President of since 2011, Jean Gamache has dedicated himself to developing the lending platform while meeting client needs and exceeding investor expectations in terms of returns.

From the moment he took over the position, Mr. Gamache has played a key role in developing and growing the company’s business. He implemented a strategy to diversify the company’s activities in 2013. In 2019, he was actively involved in Fiera Capital’s acquisition of one of Canada’s leading alternative asset management firms, expanding the range of strategies offered with a significant private debt contribution.

Mr. Gamache is an experienced business leader with more than 30 years of experience in real estate and commercial financing. Before joining , he worked for a Canadian bank where he had $1.7 billion in assets under management in real estate and $1 billion in commercial loans. For the same bank, he was co-responsible for the risk model parameterization committees to bring the institution into compliance with the Basel II agreement for the real estate and commercial sectors.

Mr. Gamache has a Bachelor of Finance and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in financial services.

Antoine Bisson McLernon is Partner and Chief Executive Officer at Fiera Comox.

He chairs the firm’s Investment Committee and oversees its three strategies: Agriculture, Private Equity and Private Credit. Prior to establishing Fiera Comox in 2016, Antoine spent seven years with PSP Investments, where he last was Managing Director and head of Private Equity for the Americas and Asia. He ran both direct and fund investments, oversaw a $11.0 billion portfolio and a team of 25 people. In 2011, he started PSP Investments’ global Natural Resources group and led the group for five years, building a $3.0 billion portfolio of direct investments. Under his leadership, the group acquired over 2 million acres of timberland and farmland. During this period, Natural Resources was the top performing asset class at PSP. Antoine was a member of PSP Investments’ firm‑wide Investment Committee from 2011 until he left PSP Investments in July 2016.

Before joining PSP Investments in 2009, Antoine worked in private equity at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and in investment banking at National Bank of Canada. He currently sits on the boards of directors of Auvil Fruit Company (US), Golden Pear Funding (US), Rangitata Dairies (New Zealand), and Lassen Land Company (US). He has previously sat on the boards of directors of Telesat (Canada), AmWins Group Inc. (US), Haymarket Financial LLP (UK), TimberWest Forest Corp.(Canada), Kaingaroa Timberlands (New Zealand), YBY Agro (Brazil) and X2 Resources (UK). Antoine received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce (Great Distinction) from McGill University and is a CFA charterholder.

Rob co-leads the Asian Division of Fiera Capital as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Fiera Capital (Asia). He is a member of the Asian Division’s Investment and Management Committees.

Prior to joining Fiera Capital through its acquisition of Clearwater Capital Partners, Rob was a co-founder and managing partner of Clearwater. Since founding Clearwater in 2001, Rob and his partner Amit Gupta have invested profitably across cycles, sectors and geographies, building an Asia-focused business that is one of the largest credit investing firms in the region today. Over his career, Rob has focused on Asia-dedicated credit investments, with broad expertise in direct lending, secondary credit and special situations strategies.

Rob’s principal responsibilities at Fiera Capital (Asia) encompass portfolio management, origination and overall management of the Asian Division. Prior to founding Clearwater, Rob worked as a capital committer in Asian credit for fifteen years at Lehman Brothers and Peregrine Fixed income, before moving to the investment side of the business working for Marc Lasry at Amroc Investments for three years.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brown University and is based in Hong Kong. Rob sits on the Board of two Clearwater portfolio companies and also serves on the Board for non-profit organization EngenderHealth.

Amit Gupta is Co-Founder of Clearwater Capital Partners and Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Fiera Capital (Asia), where he serves as a voting member of the Investment and Management Committees.

Throughout his career, Amit has helped pioneer investing in public and private credit markets in Asia. He co-founded Clearwater in 2001 and successfully built it into one of Asia’s pre-eminent credit investing platforms, which was then acquired by Fiera Capital in 2018. Amit was, and continues to be, responsible for the firm’s investment strategies, portfolio construction and overall management. In particular, he leads the firm’s investment teams and capital deployment across direct lending, secondary credit, and special situation opportunities in Asia. Prior to founding Clearwater, Amit worked for 9 years in the Asian credit markets doing research, analysis, making investments and writing loans at Goldman Sachs (Asia) LLC, Peregrine Fixed Income Ltd. and ICICI Ltd.

Amit holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications with Honors from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. Amit is fluent in English and Hindi. He currently sits on the Board of two Clearwater portfolio companies. Outside the office, Amit dedicates time as a member of the Investment Committee at the Winsor School in Boston.