Calgary Connects - A CFA Society Calgary Podcast

Today, we are joined by Brian Belski of Humilis Investment Strategies, to give us his take on the markets in 2025, and what's to come in 2026. Humilis is led by Brian G. Belski, one of North America's most respected market strategists and a trusted advisor to global investors. Brian previously served as Chief Investment Strategist and leader of the Investment Strategy Group at BMO Capital Markets, where he guided portfolio strategy for some of the world's largest institutional investors and private wealth clients. In his more than 35-year investment career, Brian has held senior strategy and research positions at BMO, Oppenheimer & Company, Merrill Lynch, and Piper Jaffray, where his consistency in messaging, coupled with process-driven conclusions, helped shape stock market and investment views for decades. Renowned for his ability to blend deep fundamental analysis with a clear, long-term perspective, Brian is recognized as one of the most accurate and influential strategists in the industry. He is a frequent contributor to CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business News, and BNN, where his market calls are closely followed by investors. Brian's leadership at Humilis anchors the firm's mission: to deliver disciplined investment strategies, differentiated insights, and research that empowers investment decisions defined by conviction and humility.

Today we're speaking with Jeff Davison.  Jeff is the CEO of the Prostate Cancer Centre in Calgary and has helped to lead how we deliver men's health in Alberta. Jeff has more than two decades of experience in a variety of industries, from energy to film to tech to health care. He also served as the Ward 6 councillor on City Council from 2017-2021. Jeff has proven leadership, experience and vision and believes this is vital for the next leader of our city. In this vein he is running to be the next Mayor of Calgary with a focus on Calgary becoming a major entrepreneurial hub as well as an affordable city of opportunity for everyone.  Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Aviso, for making conversations like these possible. The views expressed by the speaker(s) do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CFA Society Calgary, its Board of Directors, its members, Richmond Equity, or Aviso. CFA Society Calgary, Richmond Equity, and Aviso do not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented, nor does it make any representation concerning the same.

Today we speak with President, Founder, and CEO of Mainstreet Corp., Bob Dhillon. We discuss his journey as an immigrant and finding success in Canada, his perspective on the Canadian housing market, and the opportunities for all Canadians to become entreprenuers.  

In this episode, we sit down with Margaret Franklin, CFA, President & CEO of the CFA Institute, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving landscape of the investment profession. Margaret shares how the CFA Program has adapted in the wake of COVID-19, the responsibility of Charterholders to their clients and communities, DEI, remote work, and more. Tune in for an insightful discussion with one of the most influential voices in global finance.

Today, we're speaking with Chris Ritchie, President of SilverCrest Metals. Chris Ritchie is a financial markets professional with 15 years of experience in resource-based capital markets, including investment banking, marketing, corporate strategy, network and risk management.  Mr. Ritchie earned a B.A from Miami University (Ohio) in 1997 and an MBA in finance from Dalhousie University in 2000.  Mr. Ritchie spent just under three years in risk management at Marsh & McLennan and Liberty International before he moved into trading and institutional equity sales at UBS, Canaccord Financial and National Bank Financial.  During the past eight years, Mr. Ritchie (through National Bank Financial and Canaccord Genuity) has been a key financial advisor and partner to the previous and current SilverCrest teams through the development of Santa Elena, the sale of the SilverCrest Mines to First Majestic Silver Corp. and the three financings for SilverCrest Metals.  Chris is an avid sportsman, holding national titles in tennis and was a member of the Canadian National Australian Rules Football team. 

Join Calgary Connects for a special episode featuring Lew Lukens in a follow-up discussion on the Trump administration. Host Matthew Andrade presents a recording of a live webinar from February 25, 2025, where Lukens offers expert insights on the post-inauguration landscape of Trump's second term. This episode builds upon their previous podcast episode, released in November of 2025.  

What does it take to become a successful leader in today's evolving business landscape? Alycia Calvert, Chair & CEO of EY Canada, joins us to share her journey - and how saying "yes" led her to becoming the first female CEO of a major professional services firm in Canada.

Today's episode we talk with Ian De Verteuil, Managing Director and Head, Portfolio Strategy for CIBC Markets, to recap 2024 and discuss what could be next for 2025 in a time of political shifts and turmoil for both the U.S and Canada. Ian de Verteuil has a long career in the investment business. He started as a fundamental analyst with a Canadian broker dealer in 1987 and for much of the next 30+ years was a top-ranked analyst as measured by various external rating services, including Brendan Wood (BW), Greenwich and Starmine. Over that period, he was a top-ranked analyst in multiple sectors, including banking, insurance, consumer products and special situations. In the most recent BW survey, he was ranked as the best Equity Strategist in Canada. His career has included a period at the CPP Investment Board as Head of Fundamental Research where he was responsible for developing its fundamental research capability and integration with quantitative approaches. Further, he spent two years as Global Head of Research at a Canadian competitor, managing 70+ fundamental and quantitative analysts and its Economics department, with professionals located in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. Mr. de Verteuil joined CIBC Capital Markets in 2014. In addition to his involvement with various stock selection, pension and asset management committees, Mr. de Verteuil is focused on thematic research. Hs is responsible for research into a variety of topics, including Macro Fundamental, Quantitative, ESG and ETFs. Mr. de Verteuil has a B.Sc. in Chemistry from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. He is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to Canada in 1987.    

Today we speak with Clint Davis, CEO of Cedar Leaf financial, the first majority Indigenous-owned investment dealer in Canada. He discusses his Inuit background, the creation of Cedar Leaf, and how Scotiabank is partnering with indigenous communities.   Clint has more than 20 years of experience with financial institutions and Indigenous organizations in Canada, driving a strategic vision that advances Indigenous development corporations and businesses, and advising Indigenous communities and development corporations on economic development and capacity building opportunities.  Prior to joining Scotiabank, Clint was Chief Executive Officer of Nunasi corporation, a 100 percent Inuit-owned business development company that seeks to create business ventures that will benefit quality of life for Nunavut Inuit. Prior to joining Nunasi, he was founder and Chief Executive Officer of North35 Capital Partners, and from 2008 to 2012, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and established the CCAB as the preeminent organization that builds bridges between Indigenous businesses and communities across Canada.  Clint proudly served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, the development corporation for his own community in Labrador. 

Today we're speaking with Ambassador (ret.) Lew Lukens who is a San Francisco-based senior partner with Signum Global Advisors, an independent advisory firm at the intersection of policy and markets. He shares his view on what Canada can expect from Trump's second term.

Welcome back to Calgary Connects!  In today's episode we're speaking with Amy Freedman of Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners about activist investing. Amy joins Matthew to shares about her experiences and what she's learned about shareholder activism.  Amy is a corporate governance and public capital markets expert with over 25 years of experience. She is currently an advisor to Ewing Morris and Co. Investment Partners and Longacre Square Partners. Prior to serving as an advisor to Ewing Morris, Amy was a Partner and Head of Engagement Fund Investing at Ewing Morris. Previously, she was CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, a leading shareholder services and advisory firm, and she spent over 15 years in capital markets as an investment banker with multiple global firms.  Ms. Freedman is currently a director on the boards of Mandalay Resources Corporation, Irish Residential Properties REIT, and American Hotel Income Properties REIT. She is also currently a director of Canaccord Genuity with her tenure ending this month. 

Today we have a special 'student takeover' episode! Mount Royal University student, Melina Illodo, asks Jeff Fetterly what a career is equity research is like, the opportunities, the struggles, and what advice he would give to a student considering a career in this field.  Jeff is a seasoned finance and investment professional with 20+ years of experience. He spent over 15 years in capital markets as an equity research analyst, providing analysis and investment recommendations across the energy services, transition fuels, and industrial services sectors. He joined Enerflex in 2023 and currently leads corporate development and investor relations for the company. Prior to Enerflex, he was involved in the development of a private single family office. Mr. Fetterly holds a Bilingual Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and is a CFA Charterholder.  Melina is a fourth year BBA student double majoring in Finance and Human Resources, and is a CFA Level I Candidate set to take the exam in November 2024. Melina plans to specialize in equity research. Her finance journey began in high school with an investment principles class that ignited her passion for financial markets. Currently, she is completing a co-op term at Richmond Equity Management, gaining hands-on experience in the field. 

Welcome back to Calgary Connects!  This month, in honour of International Women's Day (celebrated on March 8th), Matthew connects with Geeta Kapadia, CFA, to learn from her experience as a woman in finance as well as her experience being a mixed race, first generation Indian American. Additionally, Geeta has lived and worked in the United States, England, Scotland, and India. Join us to hear Geeta's story - her enthusiasm and energy is sure to leave you feeling inspired! Geeta Kapadia is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Fordham University, where she manages the endowment of $1 billion in assets and oversees all aspects of the portfolio management process. Prior to joining Fordham in August 2022, she was the Associate Treasurer of Investments at Yale New Haven Heath System, where she led the team responsible for managing over $5 billion in system assets. She is a CFA Charterholder and serves as Board President of Chester Country Family Academy.   

Today's episode features a special face-to-face conversation between Matthew and Genevieve Roch-Decter, CFA. Genevieve is the CEO of GRIT, a financial media company democratizing access to institutional insights for the masses. She founded GRIT after realizing that only the top 1% were receiving the best insights.  Genevieve joined us in Calgary at the 47th Annual Forecast Dinner. While in Calgary, her and Matthew sat down to discuss the inception of GRIT, why democratizing access to financial insights has become such a passion for her, and more. Join us to learn all about Genevieve's career journey! Genevieve is a CFA Charterholder with a Level 1 Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation. She and her content have been featured on FOX, Bloombert, VICE, CNN, The Globe & Mail, The National Post, and BNN. Outside of her professional pursuits, Genevieve is an avid skier, tennis player, golfer, and wake surfer. 

Today's episode brings back Hugo Ste-Marie from Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets (GBM) to recap 2023 and dive into what's in store for 2024. What most surprised Hugo about the markets in 2023 and what surprised him the least? What can we expect in 2024? Hugo leads the Scotiabank GBM portfolio strategy team, which uses macroeconomic trends, equity market fundamentals, and quantitative models to determine optimal asset-mix, global-equity, and sector-allocation strategies, complementing the top-down perspectives offered by Scotiabank Economics, as well as the bottom-up research of sector-specific analysts.

This special episode features a discussion with Jan Stuart regarding the current situation in the Middle East as it relates to the war in Israel and the implications it holds for both geopolitics as well as the commodities market.  Johannes (Jan) Stuart serves as Global Energy Strategist at Piper Sandler. A self-described oil-geek, Jan and his team take a micro-fundamentals approach to energy analysis and forecasting – which frequently lands them away from consensus. Previously, Jan spent 11 years in sell-side research, building leading energy-macro franchises at Credit Suisse, Macquarie and UBS. He was a journalist for much of the nineties and started his career at the International Energy Agency in Paris.  (Recorded on October 27, 2023)

This episode features a discussion of current trends, hiring practices, and what to watch for in the labour market with Adam Pekarsky.  Adam Pekarsky is the Founding Partner of Pekarsky & Co. and has been recruiting executives, advising Boards, and offering thought leadership in Western Canada for over 20 years. A frequent writer, teacher, and speaker on topics of interest to the legal and business communities, Adam has achieved success as a member of the management team of a national law firm, a Partner in a global executive search firm and, once upon a time, a practicing lawyer. An active member in good standing of the Law Society of Alberta, Adam has also earned a reputation for honesty, integrity, and discretion in all that he does.

This episode features a discussion on the wide-ranging world of infrastructure investing with Jared Waldron.  Jared leads Northleaf's infrastructure investing activities in North America, with a primary focus on transaction origination, market research, due diligence, execution and asset management. Jared acts as the Asset Manager for a number of Northleaf's infrastructure investments and serves as a director on several asset-level boards. Prior to joining Northleaf in 2012, Jared was at ONCAP, the middle-market private equity platform of Onex Corporation, where he was involved in sourcing and evaluating principal investment opportunities and managing existing portfolio companies. Previously, he worked with the Macquarie Group as part of the Public-Private Partnerships and Industrials teams where he was primarily involved in principal acquisitions and M&A advisory assignments.

This episode features a discussion on investing in India with Sunil Singhania, CFA, Founder of Abakkus Asset Manager LLP. Abakkus is an independent, Mumbai-based equities specialist founded in 2018. Today, Abakkus manages equity AUM of $1.6 billion USD broadly under two diversified strategies by following a fundamental, research-driven, bottom-up investment process. Sunil was previously CIO Equities of Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management overseeing $11 billion USD in equity assets and consistently rated among the top fund managers in India.   Sunil joins Matthew to highlight the investment opportunities in the fast-growing market of India. Sunil shares how democracy, demographics, the digital dividend, and the domestic market make India a unique market on the global stage.

Welcome back to Calgary Connects! Today's episode features Dov Baron, founder and CEO of Dov Baron International. Dov is a preeminent expert in helping leaders create life-and-work meaning. His models and strategies of the Emotional Source Code and the Anatomy of Meaning are used by leaders in business and government worldwide. Dov has been named a Top 30 Global Leadership Guru five times and an Inc. Magazine Top Leadership Speaker twice.He has written for or been interviewed by many media outlets, including CEO World, CNN, Elle Italia, Entrepreneur, and FOX. Dov is an author, podcaster, speaker, and international consultant.  In this episode, Dov joins Matthew to discuss everything involved in "Full Monty Leadership" from dignity and humanity to reciprocal vulnerability and our post-pandemic workplace realities. Dov provides valuable insights on how meaningful and authentic leadership relates to the creation of a highly effective company culture.