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COVER STORY: HOT LIST 2016
36
JOHN WILSON
CHARYL GALPIN
Sprott Asset Management
BMO Nesbitt Burns
Sprott Asset Management built its name on gold, but with consistent bear markets right up until this year, having all your eggs in that particular basket wasn’t advisable. John Wilson came into the fold in 2012 to change the firm’s investment strategy and focus on assets apart from precious metals. For Wilson, the move toward alternative investments has been a key development, especially over the past year, as fixed income and securities have failed to offer the returns they once did. As market volatility continues to make things difficult for investors, Wilson’s guidance in shifting the firm toward alternatives looks like a wise move.
Canada’s oldest bank also happens to be one of its most innovative – the Bank of Montreal became the first of the big five to start using robo-advisors in January with its SmartFolio system. Charyl Galpin, CEO of BMO Nesbitt Burns, has been clear on the merits of the shift, part of a concentrated effort to appeal to the tech-savvy but often time-poor millennial generation. Galpin first joined BMO in 1979 and has risen through the ranks within the institution ever since, taking the reins at Nesbitt Burns in 2014. Embracing the evolution of the industry has been key to her success, and leading the bank’s investment arm has meant being one step ahead of those changes.
DAN DAVIAU
TIM RAMZA
Canaccord Genuity Group
Manulife
Things can change quickly in this business. Just ask Dan Daviau, who was celebrating his promotion to CEO of Canaccord Genuity last October. By February, his mood surely had darkened somewhat when it was revealed that the group had a quarterly loss of $346 million – its worst result as a public company. As a result, dividends were cancelled for the quarter, and 125 people lost their jobs. Announcing the results, Daviau set a clear mandate for change: “The performance we’re reporting today is not what we’re accustomed to seeing for our industry or for our business,” he said. “Our result does not reflect the vision we have for our company going forward.” The considerable task before him now is to turn the firm’s fortunes around and re-establish Canaccord Genuity as the leading independent mid-market investment bank and wealth management business.
Innovation is not just a buzzword to be applied whenever a company wants to talk up its plans for the future; rather, it is essential for survival, which is why Manulife made the decision last November to name Tim Ramza as its new chief innovation officer. A member of the group’s executive team, his role will be to ensure that Manulife isn’t left behind as he keeps an eye on disruptive trends in the industry. In his previous role as senior vice president of wealth management strategy and business development at John Hancock, Manulife’s US arm, Ramza developed close ties with many start-up companies. He played a key role in Manulife’s recent acquisition of San Francisco-based software provider Guide Financial, which uses behavioural finance data to assist financial advisors. Such innovation will be crucial for Manulife to maintain its status as a top global player moving forward.
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