Community Partners

Since 2009, Sarah has managed the entire suite of RBC Portfolio Solutions which totals $180 billion in assets. She is a member of the RBC GAM Investment Strategy Committee, which sets global strategy for the firm, and the RBC GAM Investment Policy Committee, which is responsible for the investment strategy and tactical asset allocation for RBC Funds’ balanced products and portfolio solutions. In addition to her fund management role, she works closely with the firm's Chief Investment Officer, ensuring that all aspects of the investment management function at RBC GAM are running smoothly. She is co-chair of the RBC Wealth Management Diversity Leadership Committee - Canada, as well as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for both the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and the Faculty of Management at Laurentian University. 

Sarah joined RBC Global Asset Management in 2003 and held roles in Investment Strategy and Canadian Equities before assuming her current responsibilities in 2009. Prior to joining RBC GAM, Sarah worked at RBC Capital Markets in both the Quantitative Research and Investment Strategy groups. She began her career in the investment industry in 1996 after graduating from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Finance and International Management. She was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2001.

Jean-Luc has over 30 years of experience in the finance industry. Before retirement, Jean-Luc held the position of Strategic Advisor to the President. In that role he served on CDPQ’s Investment Committee and Executive Committee and actively took part in the organization’s strategic planning. He also helped develop investment strategies and portfolios, with an emphasis on climate change and diversity. Lastly, he served as a mentor to some members of the organization.  

Jean-Luc currently serves on the Board of Directors of Énergir and First Eagle Holdings Inc., an American company as well as serving on an investment committee of a family office in Montréal. Over the course of his career he has also served on the Boards of Directors of the Montréal Exchange, the International Finance Centre of Montréal (IFC-Montreal).  

Jean-Luc is passionate about climate change reform, sustainable development and health and wellness.

Sheralyn has spent the past twelve years at BMO Capital Markets as Director, Foreign Exchange Options, based in Toronto. In her current role, Sheralyn liaises across North America sales and trading to structure option hedging strategies for clients. She has over 25 years of capital markets experience that includes foreign exchange option trading, structuring, and sales roles in both the Toronto and New York markets.

Aziz is a seasoned finance and strategy professional, a diversity and inclusion advocate, a podcaster, speaker and facilitator with over 15 years of experience driving change and delivering improvements to business performance.  

He is currently a Director, Business Architecture at RBC Capital Markets where he leads business unit strategy reviews, capability and operation efficiency assessments initiatives and Target Operating Model design across people, process and technology in Capital Markets Operations.  

He is the co-founder of BlackTies, a global community platform for high-performing Black professionals in all industries. 

He is also the producer and host of the podcast Made to Lead, a show that highlights Black excellence and leadership through thought-provoking success stories of amazing professionals and entrepreneurs of African descent who are leading in various industries. 

In addition to his Bachelor of Commerce, Aziz has also earned an MBA. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He is also a 2019 CPA Ontario Emerging Leaders Award recipient. 

Jean is a seasoned C-suite executive and corporate director with expertise in Risk Management, Change and Transformational Leadership, Innovation, Platforms, Technology, Operations, Finance and Data & Analytics with an emphasis on managing for tomorrow — within large multinational financial institutions, exchanges and market infrastructures. Current and past Board Member for regulated financial companies, industry associations, universities and not-for-profit organizations. 

Jean retired from his corporate role at TMX as President & CEO, Global Solutions, Insights & Analytics Strategies, accountable for the data and analytics, innovation and platform strategies and Trayport businesses of the firm. 

Jasmine serves as Senior Vice President in the Oil & Gas group at Bank of America based in Houston, Texas. Jasmine is responsible for originating and deepening client relationships. Jasmine’s unique background makes her effective in serving clients in creative ways. 

Prior to joining Bank of America, Jasmine was a senior member of the Corporate Structured Derivatives team at BMO Capital Markets. This role included derivative solutions across the balance sheet from equity to fixed income and currency derivatives. Jasmine began her career at BMO in the Energy Investment Banking group.  Jasmine became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder in 2016.  

Tom Valks is the Chief Investment Officer with the University of Ottawa Pension Fund and Investment Management. Earlier in his career he was a senior investment manager and member of the national leadership team with a CMHC, as well as a partner in a large investment management firm. 

He is a CFA charter holder, has a CPA CMA designation and is a graduate from the HEAO-School in The Netherlands. 

With over twenty-five years in the financial services industry, Bernard is particularly focused on those with a more complex financial situation—be it for business succession, innovative borrowing, charitable giving, or investment management. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and holds the designation of Certified Financial Planner and Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. Memberships include the CFA Institute, CFA Society Ottawa and FP Canada (formerly the Financial Planning Standards Council). He is also currently a board member of The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, focused on supporting the advancement of healthcare. 

Stephan May is a distinguished corporate finance leader with a wealth of expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital management, and private equity investments. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Welch Capital Partners, where he offers strategic counsel to clients on complex transactions, including company acquisitions, sales, and capital fundraising. 

Before joining Welch Capital Partners, Stephan occupied high-ranking positions in Corporate Development, where he honed his skills in business strategy and financial structuring and his expertise is further amplified by his contributions as a board member across a diverse range of corporate boards. Furthermore, he received his corporate director’s designation (ICD.D) in 2023.   

In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, Stephan was honored with the prestigious Top 40 Under 40 award in 2015. His multi-faceted experience and proven track record make him a sought-after expert in both corporate and academic finance circles. 

Danielle Michaud, CFA, is a seasoned finance professional with over 25 years of experience in asset management. As Supervisor, Laboratory Support at the University of Ottawa, she combines her extensive industry background with a deep commitment to experiential learning. In her role as Supervisor, she bridges the gap between theory and practice, equipping students with practical skills and knowledge needed to excel in finance, and other data-intensive industries.

Beyond her managerial responsibilities, Danielle serves as ex-officio Board and Investment Committee member.

Fabio Moneta is an Associate Professor and a RBC Financial Group Professor in Finance at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. He is the recipient of a Senior Research Fellowship at the Long-Term Investors think tank at the Collegio Carlo Alberto (Università di Torino). He is also the Coordinator for the Responsible Investing sub-cluster of the Centre for a Responsible Wealth Transition and the Co-Director for the Microprogram Capital Markets (Telfer Capital Market Program) and student managed investment fund (Telfer Capital Fund). Before joining Telfer, he was an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Smith School of Business, Queen’s University. He was also a visiting professor at the Università di Pisa and the Collegio Carlo Alberto (Università di Torino). He received his PhD in Finance from the Carroll School of Management, Boston College. He also holds an MSc in Finance from CORIPE Piemonte (Turin, Italy) and a BA in Economics from the University of Pisa in Italy.

As Manager, Douglas Spencer provides leadership to the Career Centre in the planning, organizational design and implementation of its services, events and programs. He manages all operations effectively and efficiently of the Career Development Program to enhance the MBA and B.Com students’ career management skills and employment.

John is the Manager, Investments for the Nunavut Trust. In this role he focuses on research, manager selection, and portfolio monitoring/implementation. John is a CFA Charterholder, CAIA Charterholder and holds a Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and finance. In his spare time John enjoys backcountry snowboarding, hiking, canoeing, and cycling. 

Sacha Imbert has been managing investments for his clients at RBC Dominion Securities for nearly 20 years. Sacha has always had a passion for investment management and capital markets. Sacha graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Finance. He has also received the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation and is a Past President of the CFA Ottawa Society. 

Sean is the Managing Director, Investments at Nunavut Trust, a $2B closed endowment based in Ottawa. Sean focuses on overall asset allocation, manager selection, risk management, and portfolio monitoring. Sean is involved with the Board of CFA Societies Canada, iCFA Society Ottawa, and the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC). Sean is the Chapter Executive for the Ottawa CAIA Canada Chapter, and the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library and is a CFA Charter holder, a CAIA Charter holder, and he is also a Chartered Accountant. 

Tina is a Senior Special Risks Manager within EDC’s Special Risks and Restructuring Group responsible for managing a distressed loan portfolio. Since joining EDC in 2016, Tina has also worked in their Corporate Asset-Backed Lending team, served as an Underwriter for CIB West (Commercial Markets) and with ITG Strategic Accounts. Previous to that, Tina worked with BMO Capital Markets as an Analyst in their Sales and Trading division.

Tyson is responsible for providing investment management and wealth planning services to high-net worth/ultra-net worth families and institutions at BMO Private Wealth.  

Tyson is a registered Portfolio Manager and a member of the BMO Investment Counsellor Advisory Committee. In addition to being a Telfer Capital Fund Investment Committee member, he is a recipient of the 2022 Young Achievers Award recognized by the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management and a recipient of the 2020 President’s Council Award. 

Tyson has earned his Chartered Investment Manager (CIM©), Personal Financial Planner (PFP©) and a Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) designations. Tyson is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Tyson lives by the pursuit of excellence in his profession, family and health. He enjoys art, movies, coffee, mentorship, and spending time with his wife. 

Daniel founded and grew the Telfer Capital Fund as its initial PM Leader before graduating from Telfer in 2016. Daniel works at BMO Global Asset Management, where he has held various investment roles in quantitative equities, ETFs and asset allocation, and currently works on the responsible investing desk. Prior to joining BMO GAM, Daniel was in a rotational program at BMO Wealth Management, rotating through various teams and trading floors. Daniel spends his time outside of work climbing, surfing and camping.