WORLD CONGRESS SPEAKERS

CHRIS POLSON - MBA, CFF, CPA, CMA, CFA, CBV

CHAIR AT CBV INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS & PARTNER AT PWC CANADA

CBV Institute

CBV Institute Session

Chris leads PwC Canada’s Disputes Advisory practice. He has over 25 years of experience acting as an expert witness on complex valuation matters and has testified before courts and tribunals around the world.

In addition to his practice at PwC, Chris is the past Chair of the Canadian CFA Society, the current Chair of CBV Institute (the professional body overseeing valuation in Canada) and advises the Canadian Securities Commissions and Accounting regulators on issues relating to financial accounting and valuation.

He holds Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Hons BComm), Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees, as well as the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Management Accountant (CMA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), Fellow of Ciarb (FCIArb) and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) designations.

Chris hates golf but likes to ski.

DR. CHRISTINE SAWCHUK - EDD, MED, CPA, CA

PRESIDENT AND CEO

CBV Institute

CBV Institute Session

Christine Sawchuk is the President & CEO of CBV Institute. She is responsible for the conduct of the affairs of CBV Institute, including managing the overall resources, operations, and strategic direction of the Institute. Included in her duties is the ideation, planning, and implementation of new and long-term strategic goals; management of the Institute’s financial resources; oversight of the delivery of various programs and services offered by CBV Institute; and the advancement of the interests of the CBV designation and the business valuation profession. In doing so, Christine works closely with the Institute’s staff, board of directors, Members, and external stakeholders such as the media, regulators, government organizations, and other organizations in the valuation profession in Canada and worldwide.

SEAN MULLIN

MANAGER OF STUDENT RECRUITMENT

CPA Ontario

Sean Mullin is a student engagement specialist, skills facilitator and skills coach. Sean coaches students and professionals to learn the human skills that are critical to personal and professional success. He helps people to market themselves, build meaningful relationships and build collaborative teams. Sean recruits business students into the CPA designation, while facilitating a variety of skills workshops, one on one coaching and hosting career exploration events. Sean is also a freelance facilitator working with a variety of professional and academic clients helping them embrace the growth mindset, market themselves and reach their full potential.

BOSKI VERMA

MANAGER OF STUDENT & VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT

HRPA

Boski Verma currently works as the Manager, Student & Volunteer Engagement for the Human Resources Professionals Association. Boski is responsible for establishing and implementing the student & volunteer journey and hosting student programs. She’s had the privilege of meeting students from all over the province over her 10 + years with the HRPA and interacting with inspiring HR professionals.

JOHN SPITMAN - CFA, CFP, FCSI, CIM, BA, CFP

SENIOR INVESTMENT COUNCILOR

RBC

John brings over 30 years of experience in Wealth Management and Capital Markets to his role as a Senior Investment Counsellor with RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, a member company under RBC Wealth Management – PH&N Investment Counsel, in which he serves high-net-worth clients and not-for-profit organizations throughout Ontario and other provinces.

John’s years in the investment industry have finely tuned his ability to listen, understand and translate client dreams into well-executed investment strategies. Working with a select group of clients allows John and his team the opportunity to develop personal relationships with each of his clients. As a result, John achieves an in-depth understanding of his clients’ needs as well as the level of trust necessary to actively manage their portfolios. Regular communication ensures that those strategies are continually refined to reflect changes in client objectives, ever mindful of the need to preserve the balance, unique to each client, between asset growth and asset preservation.

A Chartered Financial Analyst, John is ably supported by talented tax, estate planning and business owner specialists within RBC who work closely with clients’ existing advisors to design and implement strategies to mitigate risk, minimize tax, plan for retirement, and transition wealth to the next generation, along with a team of individually selected investment managers in key markets around the world.

John attended McMaster University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and is a member of the CFA Society Toronto and the CFA Institute and a holder of Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI) and Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) professional designations.

JANE ALBRIGHT - MPA, CHRE

CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

FSRA

Jane Albright is a passionate and strategic HR executive with dynamic experience and expertise creating engaging, inclusive and high performing work environments.

Her career spans the full range of HR services including mergers, labour relations, contract negotiation, compensation, talent management, and policy and program development.

Jane has held senior leadership positions working in both the public and private sectors. Prior to FSRA, her more recent roles include President and Member at large of a number of non-profit and professional organizations including the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association, and United Way Waterloo Region Communities.

Jane holds a Certified Human Resource Executive designation.

MONIKA MANZA - CPA, CFA, CBV

PARTNER

KPMG

KPMG Session

Monika is the Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG Canada’s Advisory practice – which includes a team of over 3000 people spanning across our Management Consulting, Risk Services and Deal Advisory businesses. Prior to this, Monika led KPMG’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Advisory practice. She is a collaborative, results-oriented leader who has been focused on the profitable growth of the Advisory business for the last 6 years, attracting new senior talent and supporting the development and expansion of capabilities at KPMG. She is passionate about empowering her teams and building the next generation of leaders. Monika is a champion for diversity and proactively supports KPMG’s mission of strengthening the business by reflecting the diversity of the clients and communities KPMG serves.

Monika has been with the firm for 25 years and beyond her leadership roles, Monika is also a Partner in KPMG’s Valuations Practice. She has been a client-focused valuations advisor to many public and private companies on various valuation related matters for purposes of merger and acquisition transactions, income tax panning, financial reporting, litigation, securities requirements, etc., with a specific focus on the asset management sector.

Monika has also volunteered her time to various charities and is currently a Board member of Trillium Health Partners Foundation, supporting the growth of Trillium Health Partners, one of Canada’s leading hospitals. She, along with husband Patrick, have three amazing children that keep her busy.

CHRIS CANHAM - CPA

PARTNER

KPMG

KPMG Session

Chris is a Risk Services Partner in KPMG’s Advisory practice based in Toronto. He joined KPMG’s Risk Services practice after graduating from McMaster in 2011 where he obtained his CA (now CPA) designation. Focusing primarily in the pension, investment/asset management and real estate space, Chris works with clients to elevate governance, risk management and controls, develop and evaluate functions, and streamline existing processes and controls. During his career, Chris also spent approximately 1.5 years managing the business process and risk management function at a public real estate company.

Chris is also a people leader within his team at KPMG where he leads the team’s performance development and evaluation activities.

At home, Chris is a husband to Lauren (also a Mac Alumni) and father of 2- one human child and one canine!

MICHAEL PORTO - AVP, CFA, CAIA

AVP, INSIDE SALES & STRATEGY

IG Wealth Management

Michael Porto is responsible for Strategy and Inside Sales at IG Wealth Management. Before his new position at IG Wealth Management Michael Porto was the Vice President at CanFirst Capital where he was responsible for business development. Mr. Porto was also a Vice President of Regional Sales for Franklin Templeton Canada and held senior positions at TD Asset Management and Fidelity Investments Canada. Mr. Porto received a Bachelor of Applied Economics from Queen’s University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations.

JENNIFER MAZZAROLO - CPA, CA CPA

HAMILTON PRESIDENT, AND MAVERICK CONSULTING GROUP PRESIDENT

CPA Hamilton and Maverick Consulting Group

Jennifer is a dynamic leader and passionate advocate for people, with a career that spans finance & accounting, recruitment and consulting. After earning her CA at PwC and gaining experience with Tier 1 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, she took a bold leap into the Pharmaceutical and Biotech sectors, where she honed her skills in finance and business leadership.

Transitioning to recruitment in 2006, Jennifer leveraged her extensive network and strong relationship-building abilities, quickly becoming a top performer. She helped to launch a successful accounting and finance recruitment firm before founding her own company; Maverick Consulting Group, where she continues to drive innovative solutions for clients.

A dedicated volunteer, Jennifer serves as President of the Hamilton CPA Ontario Association and continues to serve on multiple boards of directors. Her unique blend of technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and humor makes her a true maverick in her field and a true industry leader

ALEX POGACEAN - CFP®, CIM®

INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE, AND ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Scotia Wealth Management

Scotia Wealth Management Session

“Personal finances can put a lot of pressure on families, and I am passionate about helping people navigate those anxieties, bringing comfort that there is a plan and way forward.”

Why I do what I do
I believe scarcity has taught me a lot about the value of money. In the year 2000, my family immigrated to Canada from Romania, and my parents worked hard to shelter us from significant financial worry. From an early age, I wanted to understand how hard work can be rewarded. I took high school courses in personal finance and learned about the Canadian taxation system. Later, I worked multiple jobs while studying full-time at McMaster University. As Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard, wrote: “I grew up with the priceless advantage of having to work for what I got.”

How I help clients
I enjoy working with families of all ages to build lasting legacies through inter-generational wealth planning. A client might come to us for help with investments, and we might then establish a family trust for tax efficiency. Clients are delighted to find opportunities to minimize taxes and help their kids. For those who are retired or nearing retirement, or someone recently widowed, I take extra care in understanding their needs. I’m interested in their past experiences and worldview, which may be different from mine. My goal is for them to feel heard and understood.

My Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation enables me to better understand and build customized Total Wealth Plans for each client or family. My Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation helps me construct portfolios designed to give them the best chance of achieving the goals they set out in their plan. Your Total Wealth Plan is a blueprint for dealing with for things you plan for — as well as those you don’t.

CHARLES BARONE - CIM

SENIOR CONSULTANT AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Scotia Wealth Management

Scotia Wealth Management Session

With over twenty-five years of experience in wealth management, Charles works with Advisors and Leadership teams to build the foundation and structure necessary to help them scale their practice. He supported and partnered with advisors in both the IIROC and MFDA distribution channels, providing him with a unique perspective to enable advisors to achieve their strategic objectives, while bringing operational effectiveness to their team and process. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University, is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, a CIM designation holder, and holds his Behavioural Financial Advice designation from Kaplan University. He is currently completing his coach training through the Co-Active Training Institute.

ROD WHITE - CIM

SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR AND PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Scotia Wealth Management

Scotia Wealth Management Session

“We have deep and long-standing relationships with our clients, founded on trust, humility, vulnerability and honesty.”

Why I do what I do
The depth of relationships I build with families goes beyond simply investing their wealth. I care for my clients as if they were my family, often guiding multiple generations in many aspects of their lives. The relationships I have with my clients are incredibly energizing and rewarding. It is a great privilege to do what I do, something I am grateful for every day.

How I help clients
With “Portfolio Manager” in my title, some people think I spend my days picking stocks. However, I’ve found the best way to help people achieve financial security and peace of mind is to design a well-managed, evidence-based portfolio, then focus on planning ahead and solving problems. That might be selling a cottage or a family business, looking at effective drawdown strategies for a retirement portfolio, or finding tax-smart ways to transfer wealth to future generations.

Part of my role is to discuss and illuminate new ideas with my clients. For example, I believe the notion of “retirement” is changing. The new retirement is something different, and better, with various phases and stages. It may include lifelong learning, challenging work on your terms, and leisure on demand. These are critical components of living well as our life expectancies lengthen. After all, what good is having the financial means to retire if you aren’t completely fulfilled and happy in retirement?

NICOLE CHUTKO - J.D.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Agro Zaffiro LLP

Nicole is an associate lawyer in in the civil litigation group at Agro Zaffiro LLP. Her practice consists primarily of insurance defence work, handling a broad range of claims which include personal injury defence, accident benefits, coverage issues, property losses, and occupier’s liability. She regularly advocates on behalf of clients before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, as well as the Small Claims Court.

Nicole was born and raised in Hamilton. She graduated from McMaster University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Nicole then attended law school at the University of Ottawa, where she completed her J.D.

Before becoming an associate, Nicole completed two summers and her articles with Agro Zaffiro LLP, gaining a wide range of experience in the firm’s diverse areas of expertise and particularly insurance defence.

Nicole is a proud Hamiltonian and a member of the Hamilton Law Association and the Ontario Bar Association.

DR. JON MORROW - D.C.

CHIROPRACTOR

Hamilton Bulldogs and Hamilton Tiger Cats

D.C. and MD Session

Doctor Morrow began his studies at the University of Guelph, earning an honours degree in Biology with a minor in Brain and Cognitive sciences. This background started his interest in motor learning and movement lead him to the Chiropractic profession. He attended New York Chiropractic College and earned numerous awards including admission to the Phi Chi Omega Honors Society for his continued academic excellence. He also received the Liberio A .Violini Distinguished Service Award for dedication to service and excellence in patient evaluation and adjustive procedures.

He furthered his Education at the McMaster Contemporary Acupuncture program and a Neurofunctional Sports Performance Acupuncture certificate from McMaster University and is an instructor for the main program. He has continually focused on learning many different systems of rehabilitative exercise. This includes manual therapy, neurology and acupuncture to improve his patient’s results. During his career, he has been fortunate to work with professional and amateur athletes and the general population. His passion is getting patients back from injury and improving their overall performance. Doctor Morrow believes that a strong collaboration with Performance specialists, strength coaches and fitness professionals is essential to achieving his patients’ goals.

Doctor Morrow Is part of the High Performance team for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and worked with the Hamilton Bulldogs through 2 Memorial Cup runs. He is the team Chiropractor for the Burlington Cougars and the Burlington Barracudas. Has worked with NCAA Division 1 track athletes, and professional squash among others.

DR. KI-DONG LIM - MD, FRCPC, MSC

CARDIOLOGIST AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR

Core Cardiology

D.C. and MD Session

Dr. Lim graduated from McMaster University and completed residency in Internal Medicine and Adult Cardiology at the University of Toronto. He was a visiting international fellow at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea and completed a fellowship in advanced echocardiography at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital. To pursue his passion for working with high-performance athletes, he returned to school to complete a Master of Science (with distinction) in Sports Cardiology at St. George's, University of London and a Diploma in Sports Medicine from the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland.

A life-long sports enthusiast, he grew up playing minor league hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and currently plays for The Royal Regiment of Canada, where he serves as an Infantry Officer with Grenadier Company. He is a past recipient of The Gaston Plante Trophy as the top platoon commander and was a member of the regimental hockey team that won the 6th Annual Ranger Cup Championships. He is a past member of the Canadian National Taekwondo Team having represented Canada at the 1997 World Cup Taekwondo Championships in Cairo, Egypt. As a physician, he aspires to nurture the next generation of Canadian Olympians, promoting safety and life-long participation in sports. To this end, he is collaborating with members of Shield Athletics and Young Choung Taekwondo Academy to work with high-performance athletes, parents, coaches, and allied healthcare providers to help young Canadians achieve their dreams.

EMILY NICHOLS - P.ENG.

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

Connect Better Inc.

Where will the P.Eng. designation take you?

Emily Nichols is a professional engineer, professional speaker, and entrepreneur. As the president and founder of Connect Better Inc., Emily works with organizations that want to strengthen the human skills we so desperately need in an increasingly technical world.

In this very candid session, Emily will share 20+ years of adventures in manufacturing, speaking, entrepreneurship, and international disaster relief volunteerism. Plus, she’ll cover key messages that graduating students don’t hear often enough: the importance of human skills for technical people, the value of relationships, and when to leave a job so you can level up your career.

Oh, the places you’ll go [with a P.Eng.]! Bring your imagination, your curiosity, and a friend.

SHAYLEN NAROTAM

MANAGER, CERTIFICANT & STUDENT SERVICES

FP Canada

Since joining FP Canada in 2019, Shaylen Narotam has played a key role in guiding thousands of candidates on the path to CFP® certification and QAFP® certification. As Manager, Certificant & Student Services, he oversees the administration of all current and prospective CFP professionals and QAFP professionals, ensuring a seamless certification journey. In previous roles at FP Canada, he gained experience in exam administration, certification education, and stakeholder engagement, working closely with the FP Canada Standards Council and the FP Canada Institute to uphold certification standards. Shaylen also speaks regularly to industry and post-secondary groups across Canada about the certification process and its value in the financial planning profession.