The Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC) has announced the judges for the 2017 IIAC Top Under 40 Award.

The award recognizes investment professionals younger than 40 years of age “whose drive, dedication, qualities and accomplishments have brought distinction to the investment and financial industry,” the IIAC says in a statement.

This year’s panel of judges include:

> Milton McClaren, an emeritus professor in the faculty of education at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and an associate member of the Faculty at Royal Roads University. He is a former dean of continuing studies and director of the professional development program in education at SFU. McClaren has served as chairman of the IIAC Top Under 40 Award judges’ panel since the award’s inception.

> Joe Oliver, chairman of Toronto-based Echelon Wealth Partners and Canada’s former minister of finance. He was also president and CEO of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada, founding president and CEO of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association and served as executive director of the Ontario Securities Commission. Prior to that, he held senior investment banking positions at Merrill Lynch Royal Securities, Nesbitt Thomson, BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and First Marathon Securities.

> Margot Ritchie, member of the executive committee and investment strategy committee at Montreal-based Jarislowsky, Fraser Ltd. She is currently a board member of the YMCA of Greater Toronto as well as board member and chairwoman of the finance committee of the Bata Shoe Museum. Ritchie replaces Christiane Bergevin, who served on the panel in 2016.

“We are very fortunate to have such a distinguished group of judges whose experience, accomplishments and high reputation reflect the qualities the IIAC Top Under 40 Award represents,” says Ian Russell, IIAC president and CEO, in a statement.

The nominees for the 2017 award will be revealed in the September editions of Investment Executive and Finance et Investissement. The winner will be announced at the IIAC Top Under 40 Award judges’ luncheon on Oct. 26 in Toronto.

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