Industry moves this week

Each week, Investment Executive summarizes notable moves across the financial industry. Here are the latest developments.

• Mike Ankers will step away from his role as senior vice president and head of advisor experience and growth with Richardson Wealth, effective Nov. 1. In a statement, Richardson Wealth said it supported Ankers’ decision to relocate to London, Ont., to become an advisor and team lead for a friend’s $2.2-billion practice, and to be closer to family. An internal memo from Kish Kapoor, president and CEO of RF Capital Group, said Ankers’ leadership and knowledge — gained throughout his 25 years in the industry — has helped the firm grow its assets under administration from $27.1 billion to $35.7 billion currently, among other achievements. Ankers’ role will be filled “in due course,” Kapoor said, but the current shift is Neil Bosch and James King being named regional leaders for Western and Eastern Canada, respectively. Both will also retain their branch manager roles.
• Long-time industry leader Greg Pollock has resigned from his post as president and CEO of Advocis, the Financial Advisors Association of Canada. The change is effective immediately. Harris Jones, chairman of Advocis’ finance and audit committee, will be interim CEO until a successor is announced. Chairman of the board Eric Lidemark thanked Pollock for 15 years of service in a release.
• Dan MacInnis has joined Wellington-Altus Private Wealth in a newly created role as vice president of corporate development. He was most recently with Raymond James Ltd. as senior vice president, branch manager for more than a decade, and has 28 years of industry experience that included positions with firms like CG Wealth Management and MD Financial. In his new role, he will focus on growth in Ontario generally and Ottawa specifically.
• Michele Santos also has moved to Wellington-Altus as a senior wealth advisor in Kelowna, B.C. She was previously with CIBC Wood Gundy for nearly 11 years in the same role.
• Franklin Templeton Canada has expanded its ETF team with the additions of Rafael Turcotte, vice president of ETF business development, and Sean Ramlall, institutional ETF associate. Turcotte is coming from Oakville, Ont.-based Harvest Portfolios Group, where he was regional sales manager for Quebec. He’ll focus on supporting advisors in that province. Ramlall, who’s coming from BMO Private Wealth where he’s been a portfolio associate for the past two years, previously worked with Franklin Templeton between 2017 and 2021. These appointments will help the company grow its presence in key markets, said Patrick O’Connor, head of global ETFs for Franklin Templeton, in a release.
• Industry veteran Howard Atkinson is now head of business development for FusionIQ Canada, a new business arm for Mass.-based fintech firm FusionIQ. Alongside the parent company’s CEO Mark Healy, Atkinson will help lead the implementation of the FusionIQ One platform on this side of the border. A Sept. 13 release said the company has been considering the Canadian market “for several years.” Atkinson, who joined the firm in July according to LinkedIn, said the platform offers workflow efficiencies that will benefit “Canadian advisors whose needs have gone unaddressed by other wealthtech firms.” (Also during July, Douglas Anweiler became chief brand officer with FusionIQ, moving from Toronto-based Pascal WealthTech.)
• Melissa Ghislanzoni has joined the investment management group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) in Toronto, in a counsel role. She was previously with the Portfolio Management Association of Canada for seven years, most recently as general counsel.
• Gabi Mandowsky has joined Toronto-based investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners, as managing director of capital markets and treasury, coming from the former Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) which collapsed in March. Mandowsky was managing director of global fund banking (Canada) for that bank, but her industry tenure also includes various positions with BMO Financial Group between 2013 and 2021. Mandowsky’s appointment is one of several moves made recently by former SVB employees. As first reported by The Logic, the technology and innovation banking arm of Scotiabank and Roynat Capital snapped up three former SVB staff members, for example. That trio included Remy Orpen, who’s now associate director, tech and innovation with Scotiabank; Karl Theard, now managing director with Roynat Capital; and, as noted by The Logic, Jake Cully who will support Western Canada.
• Chris Forbes, who was deputy minister of environment and climate change, became the deputy minister of finance effective Sept. 11. Other concurrent changes included Suzy McDonald moving from associate deputy minister of agriculture and agri-food to the role of associate deputy minister of finance.

If you know of other people moves in the financial industry and/or would like us to consider your announcement, email Katie Keir at katie@newcom.ca.