Andrew is the Head of Canadian and Global Rates Strategy at TD Securities, managing a team of strategists covering rates markets in Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and is a frequent contributor to the financial press. Prior to joining TD Securities in 2011, Andrew spent four years working at the Bank of Canada as an economist and market analyst. Andrew holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Queen's University and a M.Sc. in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics.

Charles Lesaux is Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income Repo in Canada within the Central Funding group at RBC Capital Markets.

Charles joined the Global Rotational Program at RBC Capital Markets in 2005 after completing his MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Upon completion of the Global Rotational Program in the fall of 2006, Charles moved to Sydney, Australia to trade AUD and NZD FX forwards in the Treasury Management group at RBC.

In 2007, he returned to Toronto to help manage the CAD FX forward book and expand STIR trading capabilities in Treasury Management.

In 2010, Charles joined the Fixed Income repo desk in the Central Funding group.

Charles is a member of the Toronto CFA Society and an active alumnus of the Rotman School of Management.

He is a proud champion of diversity, serving as Executive Sponsor for the Global Markets Pathways Diversity Award Program at RBC Capital Markets.

Charles actively supports his community as both a volunteer at and supporter of Outside Looking In, The Children’s Book Bank and United Way Greater Toronto.

Charles is a member of United Way’s MIG Cabinet and serves as co-chair of the annual Employee Giving Campaign at RBC Capital Markets.

In 2023, Charles was asked to co-chair a BA-related working group that was set up by the Bank of Canada under CFIF as part of CDOR cessation.

Douglas Porter has over 30 years of experience analyzing global economies and financial markets. As Chief Economist at BMO Financial Group and author of the popular Talking Points, he oversees the macroeconomic and financial market forecasts and co-writes the firm’s weekly flagship publication, Focus. Mr. Porter manages the team that has won numerous forecasting awards. Most recently, Douglas led the team to a #1 ranking for Top U.S. Forecaster among 60 global firms in the 2023 Focus Economics Survey, and #1 for Top Canadian Inflation Forecaster among 28 firms. Also, his team took the #1 spot in the StarMine Awards for Most Accurate Forecasters for Canada in 2022.

As a respected commentator on economic and financial trends, he is regularly quoted in the national press and often interviewed on radio and television.

Douglas’ career began at the Bank of Canada; then, before joining BMO, he held the positions of Economist and Country Risk Analyst with other Canadian financial institutions.

He has been a member of C.D. Howe’s Monetary Policy Council since 2008 and serves on the Investment Management Committees of the Bank of Montreal’s Canada Pension Plan and Western’s Endowment Fund.

Douglas Porter, CFA, earned a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Eric Girard was appointed Minister of Finance on October 18, 2018.

A native of Sept-Îles who was raised in Québec city and studied in Montréal, Mr. Girard has more than 25 years of experience in the investment and financial markets sectors. Prior to becoming minister, he had been Treasurer of the National Bank since November 2011.

He is keenly interested in economics, education, sports, and public policies, and is a board member of the Fondation CHU Sainte‐Justine. He has also been a board member of CIRANO and a member of the governing board of the Académie Saint‐Clément, in addition to being involved in the community as a hockey and baseball coach.

Mr. Girard holds a B.A. Joint Honours in Economics and Finance degree from McGill University and a master’s degree in economics from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

George Kormas is President of CDCC and has over 20 years of experience in the post-trade business with a proven track record of balancing commercial, risk management and regulatory needs. Prior to his current role, he was Vice-President, Chief Risk Officer for CDCC and Chief Risk Officer for CDS with responsibility for the overall risk profile and risk management operations for the two clearinghouses.

Mr. Kormas holds a Master of Science in Finance (MSc) from Concordia University, Montreal.

Harri Vikstedt joined the Bank of Canada in 2006. He is currently a Senior Policy Director in the Financial Markets Department focussed on financial market related issues including the global and domestic benchmark reform efforts.

Harri is a member of the FSB’s Official Sector Steering Group and the co-chair of the Canadian Alternative Reference Rate working group (CARR) which is responsible for helping to transition the Canadian financial system from the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (CDOR) to the Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (CORRA).

Prior to this he was responsible for the Bank’s domestic and foreign currency trading operations, as well as for implementing the Bank’s strategy for acquiring and analyzing financial market intelligence. Harri worked in global financial markets in both Europe and North America for 17 years before joining the Bank.

He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an MBA in Finance and an engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Ian Pollick joined CIBC Capital Markets in 2017. Mr. Pollick has spent the last decade covering the North American economy and rates markets, focusing on how the broader macroeconomic environment influences the yield curve. In addition, Mr. Pollick has generated leading-edge analytics aimed at finding RV opportunities as well as larger macro trades for a variety of end-investors. He is a regular contributor to the financial press and spends a considerable amount of time traveling and talking with clients including: asset managers, governments, hedge funds, and pension funds. Mr. Pollick was ranked #1 for Canadian fixed income research in 2018, 2019 and 2020 by Greenwich Associates.

Prior to joining CIBC Capital Markets, Mr. Pollick was a Portfolio Manager and Head of Interest Rates at a hedge fund. In that capacity, he co-managed a long-only duration fund in addition to a tactical global macro sub-fund. Before his move to the buy-side, Mr. Pollick spent a decade at two other major financial institutions in a similar capacity, helping to generate best-in-class fixed income research for the domestic market. He began his career as an equity options trader in Chicago.

Mr. Pollick has an Honors Degree in Applied Economics from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Arts in Economics (Finance specialty) from York University.

Jason joined RBC in 2021 as Head of North America Rates Strategy and has 25 years of experience in various asset classes. Prior to joining RBC, he served as the Global Head of Emerging Markets Strategy (FX, Rates, Sovereign credit) and Asia Research at Société Generale. Before re-joining the sell side, Jason spent five years as the CIO of Royal Oak Capital Management and as Chief Economist at Exelion, a Singapore-based Asian macro hedge fund. Previous roles include at Merrill Lynch as a G10 FX Strategist, at Goldman Sachs as a G10 FX Strategist/Canadian economist, and at the Bank of Canada focused on foreign exchange.

Josh Galper is the lead for Finadium’s research and consulting practice, with expertise in the securities finance, collateral and derivatives markets. He has carried out numerous consulting assignments for banks, asset holders, CCPs and technology companies, and is the author of over 80 industry reports for the Finadium research subscription. Josh also writes for Finadium’s website. He has been quoted in most of the industry publications covering hedge funds, securities finance, collateral management and financial markets. Josh holds an MBA in Financial Engineering from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

Luc Bertrand is Chairman of the Board of TMX Group, a position he assumed in May 2023. He is also Chairman of the Board of 5N Plus since 2016.

In past years, he has served as Chairman of the Montreal Canadiens/CH Group, of the BOX Options Exchange and of the Montreal Climate Exchange.

Mr. Bertrand has also held various management positions in the financial services industry. From 2000 to 2009, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Exchange Inc. and held the position of Vice-President and Managing Director of the Institutional Equity Sales at National Bank Financial from 1998 to 2000.

From 2011 to 2023, he was Vice-Chairman of National Bank of Canada and served concurrently in 2011 and 2012 as Chief Executive Officer of the Maple Acquisition Corporation.

Along with professional duties, Mr Bertrand served, as a director on financial industry Boards, namely, the Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation, the Natural Gas Exchange, the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, the Canadian Securities Institute, the Market Regulation Services, the Montreal International Financial Center and the Institut de finance mathématique de Montreal.

He was a member of the Federal Minister of Finance Advisory Committee on Canada’s economic action plan in 2009.

He serves as a trustee of the Jean-Louis Levesque Foundation.

Rizwan Awan leads the trading businesses of Canada’s premier equity exchanges, Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, and TSX Alpha Exchange. He also oversees Products and Services across TMX Markets, responsible for innovating, designing, and building market solutions across all asset classes and charting the path for Canadian markets.

Rizwan joined TMX in 2020, following nearly two decades in client facing capital markets roles at leading financial institutions. Prior to TMX, he served as Managing Director of Quantitative Execution Services at BMO Capital Markets, heading up Program and Electronic trading as well as Index and Market Structure research.

As an active contributor to market structure and policy issues in Canada, Rizwan represents TMX on OSC's Market Structure Advisory Committee and IIROC’s Market Rules Advisory Committee. Mr. Awan is also the former Chair of the Canadian Securities Traders Association and Board of Governors of the US Securities Traders Association. He holds a BMath degree in Computer Science from University of Waterloo and is a CFA charterholder.

Robert Catani joined TMX Group in 2018 and currently serves as its Head of Institutional Fixed Income and Derivatives Sales and Trading. Robert has more than 30 years of experience in Canadian financial markets. Before he joined TMX, he was a Managing Director at National Bank of Canada and TD Securities, where he traded Canadian and US dollar fixed income products out of both Toronto and New York, and led business development for fixed income and derivative sales to institutional accounts. Robert earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

Robert Tasca, Managing Director, Derivatives Products and Services with TMX Group, at the Montréal Exchange, is responsible for managing the derivatives portfolio, specifically fixed income and equity derivatives. Robert's team focuses on enhancing the current derivatives product portfolio and developing new products, in addition to strategic initiatives and partnerships to help drive value to its clients.

Robert joined the Montréal Exchange in 1998, where he began his career in the open outcry pits or "floor" in Montréal, transitioning to the electronic platform in October 2000. With over 20 years of derivatives experience, Robert brings a full-service perspective to Montréal Exchange’s customers.

Thierry Daniel is the Head of Trading, Securities & Financial Solutions for SFS (Securities Financing Service) in the Americas. With over 21 years of experience at Societe Generale in Europe and America, Thierry has successfully worked on expanding Societe Generale’s global financial solutions to clients through various wrappers, such as Dynamic Portfolio Swaps (DPS), Stock Lending, Total Return Swaps, Options, and Futures.

In addition, Thierry has worked on many solutions to automate and optimize Societe Generale’s inventory and scarce resources.

Luc Fortin is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montréal Exchange (MX) and Global Head of Trading, TMX Group. His key responsibilities include leading growth in TMX’s equities, derivatives, and fixed income trading businesses, and delivering a world-class experience to our global client base. In 2021, his mandate expanded to include oversight and strategic direction of CDCC and CDS, TMX’s post trade businesses and crucial components of Canada’s capital markets infrastructure.

Mr. Fortin joined MX as Managing Director, Derivatives Trading in June 2016, following a 25-year career in Canada’s capital markets industry, leading client-facing teams in fixed income and derivatives. Prior to joining MX, he served as Managing Director, Canadian Head of the Institutional Client Group at HSBC Bank Canada. In this role, Mr. Fortin led HSBC’s institutional client-facing businesses in rates and credit, derivatives, foreign exchange and money markets across Canada. Prior to HSBC, he held senior leadership positions at TD Bank and TD Securities.

Mr. Fortin serves on the boards of CDCC, Canada’s derivatives clearing house, and CDS, Canada’s equity and fixed income clearing house. He also serves on the board of BOX Holdings Group LLC and BOX Market LLC (BOX), a U.S. equity options market, and the boards of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and Finance Montréal.

Mr. Fortin is a graduate of the TD Securities Leadership program at Ivey Business School and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Ottawa.

Toni Gravelle became Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada in October 2019. In this role, he oversees the Bank's financial system activities and shares responsibility for setting monetary policy.

Mr. Gravelle first joined the Bank as an analyst in 1996 and went on to hold various positions within the Financial Markets Department, becoming Managing Director in 2015. In addition to his extensive research experience at the Bank, Mr. Gravelle served as General Director of the Financial Sector Policy Branch at the Canadian Department of Finance from 2013 to 2015 and was an economist at the International Monetary Fund from 2002 to 2005.

Mr. Gravelle is a native of Corbeil, Ontario, and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Western University.

Eric Girard a été nommé ministre des Finances du Québec le 18 octobre 2018.

Natif de Sept-Îles, ayant grandi à Québec et étudié à Montréal, M. Girard possède plus de 25 années d'expérience dans le domaine de l'investissement et des marchés financiers. Avant de devenir ministre, il était le trésorier de la Banque Nationale depuis novembre 2011.

Passionné d'économie, d'éducation, de sports et de politiques publiques, il s'est impliqué au sein de la communauté en siégeant au conseil d'administration de la Fondation du CHU Sainte‐Justine. Il a également siégé au conseil d'administration du CIRANO et au conseil d'établissement de l'Académie Saint‐Clément, en plus de s'engager dans la collectivité comme entraîneur de hockey et de baseball.

M. Girard détient un B.A. Joint Honours in Economics and Finance de l'Université McGill ainsi qu'une maîtrise en économie de l'Université du Québec à Montréal.

Luc Bertrand est président du conseil d'administration du Groupe TMX, poste qu'il occupe depuis mai 2023. Il est également président du conseil d'administration de 5N Plus depuis 2016.

Au cours des dernières années, il a été président du conseil d'administration des Canadiens de Montréal/Groupe CH inc., de BOX Options Exchange et du Marché climatique de Montréal.

Aussi, il a occupé différents postes de direction dans le secteur des services financiers. De 2000 à 2009, il a été président et chef de la direction de la Bourse de Montréal inc. et a occupé le poste de vice-président et directeur général, Ventes d’actions institutionnelles au sein de Financière Banque Nationale de 1998 à 2000.

De 2011 à 2023, il a été vice-président du conseil d'administration de la Banque Nationale du Canada et a occupé simultanément en 2011 et 2012 le poste de chef de la direction de Maple Group Acquisition Corporation.

Parallèlement à ses fonctions professionnelles, M. Bertrand a siégé à titre d'administrateur au sein de plusieurs conseils d'administration de l'industrie financière, notamment la Corporation canadienne de compensation de produits dérivés, le Natural Gas Exchange, le Fonds canadien de protection des investisseurs, l'Institut canadien des valeurs mobilières, les Services de réglementation des marchés, le Centre financier international de Montréal et l'Institut de finance mathématique de Montréal.

Il a été membre du Comité consultatif du ministre fédéral des finances sur le plan de relance économique du Canada en 2009.

Il est fiduciaire de la Fondation Jean-Louis Lévesque.

Luc Fortin est président et chef de la direction de la Bourse de Montréal (MX) et chef, Activités globales de négociation du Groupe TMX. M. Fortin dirige la croissance des marchés des actions, des dérivés et des titres à revenu fixe, et veille à la prestation de services assurant une expérience client de premier plan à l’échelle mondiale. En 2021, son mandat a été élargi pour inclure la surveillance et la direction stratégique de la CDCC et de la CDS, qui constituent les activités de postnégociation de TMX et des composantes essentielles de l’infrastructure des marchés des capitaux canadiens.

M. Fortin est entré au service de la Bourse de Montréal en juin 2016 à titre de directeur général, Négociation des produits dérivés. Il comptait alors 25 années d’expérience au sein des marchés financiers du Canada, où il a dirigé des équipes en contact avec les clients dans le secteur des titres à revenu fixe et des dérivés. Avant de se joindre à la Bourse de Montréal, il occupait le poste de directeur général et chef canadien du groupe des clients institutionnels à la Banque HSBC Canada. Dans le cadre de ses fonctions, M. Fortin dirigeait les activités de relations directes avec les clients institutionnels de la HSBC partout au Canada sur les marchés des taux et du crédit, des dérivés et des changes, ainsi que sur les marchés monétaires. Il avait auparavant occupé des postes de haute direction à la Banque TD et à Valeurs Mobilières TD.

M. Fortin siège aux conseils d’administration de la CDCC, la chambre de compensation des produits dérivés au Canada, et de la CDS, la chambre de compensation des titres de participation et des titres à revenu fixe au Canada. Il siège également au conseil d’administration de BOX Holdings Group LLC et de BOX Market LLC (BOX), marché d’options sur actions américain, ainsi qu’aux conseils de l’Organisme canadien de réglementation des investissements (OCRI) et de Finance Montréal.

M. Fortin est diplômé du programme TD Securities Leadership de la Ivey Business School et il possède un baccalauréat en sciences commerciales de l’Université d’Ottawa.

Toni Gravelle est sous-gouverneur à la Banque du Canada depuis octobre 2019. À ce titre, il supervise les activités de l'institution relatives au système financier et participe à la formulation de la politique monétaire.

M. Gravelle a été embauché comme analyste en 1996. Il a par la suite occupé divers postes au département des Marchés financiers, dont il est devenu directeur général en 2015. Au fil de son parcours à la Banque, M. Gravelle a acquis une vaste expérience en recherche. Il a également travaillé comme directeur général de la Direction de la politique du secteur financier au ministère des Finances Canada, de 2013 à 2015, et comme économiste au Fonds monétaire international, de 2002 à 2005.

Natif de Corbeil, en Ontario, M. Gravelle possède un doctorat en économie de l'Université Western.

Sean Truett serves as the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Box Options Market LLC, a prominent US equity options exchange. In this role, Sean is responsible for spearheading the company's growth strategies and fostering strategic alliances to bolster its standing within the industry. His duties extend to navigating the complexities of US market structure and optimizing the exchange fee framework.

Prior to assuming his current role, Sean served as the Vice President/Head of DPM (Designated Primary Market Maker) operations at Citigroup Derivatives Markets Incorporated (CDMI), operating within the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).

Chris Miller is Managing Director and Head of Interest Rate and Credit Trading at National Bank Financial Markets (“NBFM”).

Chris joined NBFM in 2007, working briefly in Debt Capital Markets before moving to the Funding and Short Term Interest Rate Trading team in Toronto. In 2011, Chris moved to London, UK, where he served as a market maker for an array of Canadian fixed income products and expanded NBFM’s footprint opportunistically into foreign markets. Chris was eventually given oversight of both the London and Hong Kong offices, where he led a significant expansion of NBFM’s international distribution capabilities. In 2018, Chris relocated back to Canada to assume his current position. Under Chris’s leadership, NBFM has expanded significantly in exchange-traded fixed income and institutional derivatives.

Chris has a Masters of Financial Economics degree from the University of Toronto.

Alex is the Head of U.S. & Canadian Equity Swaps and Delta One Derivatives Trading at Bank of America.

His team's mandate includes index, single name and custom basket swaps trading, listed derivatives, market making, and inventory optimization. He joined Bank of America in 2015 and has over 20 years of industry experience. Alex holds a B.A. degree from Yale University.

Alex Mirarchi is a Principal Capital Markets Industry Specialist at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Alex’s core focus is helping global exchanges and market infrastructure firms transform their businesses with AWS. He leads AWS’s strategy for trading and connectivity in the cloud and also supports asset managers, investment banks, broker dealers, and fintechs in developing their cloud strategies. Alex joined AWS from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), where he was responsible for strategy and for structuring programs and strategic partnerships with independent software vendors (ISVs). Prior to Oracle, Alex worked in the capital markets, selling Asian equities to hedge funds in London with HSBC and in New York with Macquarie Group. Alex also held front office roles in fixed income and foreign exchange, and started his career in HSBC Global Asset Management’s Alternatives Division in London. Alex holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and is based in New York.

Candice is a member of the Global Asset Allocation Committee, focusing on central banks and fundamental macro analysis, and she actively participates in the development and communication of the firm’s asset allocation strategy. Ms. Bangsund also serves as the global spokesperson for Fiera Capital on all economic and investment matters, and is Lead Portfolio Manager on Fiera’s Diversified Lending, Diversified Real Estate, and Diversified Real Asset Strategies. Her career in the investment industry spans over 20 years, including several years as an investment research analyst for Franklin Templeton Investments. Ms. Bangsund joined Fiera Capital in 2012 upon its acquisition of Calgary-based Canadian Wealth Management Group Inc., where she managed North American equity portfolios as well as asset allocation decisions for private wealth clients. She joined the Fiera Capital Global Asset Allocation team in 2014. Ms. Bangsund obtained her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2009 and holds a degree in Finance from the University of Regina.

Etienne Charlebois is Chief Technology Officer, Business Applications, responsible for leading the business application technology functions supporting all TMX business units, with the exception of Trayport. His mandate also includes modernization, simplification and growth, as well as cost management, while continuing to operate with the highest standards of resiliency and information risk management.

Prior to holding this position, Mr. Charlebois was Head of Delivery for TMX Markets and GTS Application Service Delivery, TMX, where he was responsible for designing and delivering IT trading solutions, including solutions for the SOLA® derivatives trading and TMX Quantum XA® trading platforms.

Mr. Charlebois joined Montréal Exchange’s IT Development team as a business analyst in 2007. He occupied multiple roles within the architecture team, and subsequently held the position of Director of Architecture in 2014.

Since starting at TMX, Mr. Charlebois has led or contributed to several major technology initiatives and gained exposure to international exchange partners and global industry vendors.

Prior to joining the Exchange, Mr. Charlebois worked in the automated payment processing and mutual fund industries. He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from Université Laval.

Etienne Ménard is Head of Product, Equity Derivatives at TMX Group where he leads initiatives in market structure innovation and new product development. He began his career 25 years ago in Europe and Asia as an equity option trader / portfolio manager. Once back home in Montreal, he became an equity derivatives institutional broker, meeting the global needs of domestic and international clients, including sales trading of listed and OTC derivative products as well as transition management.

Etienne holds a Master of Science in Finance (MSc) from HEC Montréal.

Karl Wildi joined CIBC in 2010 as Head of Capital Markets (Europe) based in London where he managed the firm’s European trading desks, including Foreign Exchange, Rates / Fixed Income, Equity Derivatives, Commodities, Cash Equities and Funding / Repo. In 2013, Mr. Wildi moved back to Toronto to assume responsibility for CIBC Capital Markets’ Rates and Fixed Income franchise, which included government, credit, and derivative trading in our main trading hubs of Toronto, New York, London and Hong Kong.

Mr. Wildi moved to his current role in 2016 as Vice-Chair in CIBC’s Capital Markets division providing coverage of key clients across the Asset Management, Insurance, Bank, and Pension Fund sectors. He is also focused on product innovation and new business development. In 2018, Mr. Wildi was appointed the Co-Chair of the CARR (Canadian Alternative Reference Rate) Working Group responsible for developing new risk-free rates that will serve as key financial benchmarks in the Canadian financial markets.

Prior to joining CIBC Capital Markets, Mr. Wildi spent over 25 years in a variety of global markets positions and most recently was Canadian Head of Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities for a large U.S. bank based in Toronto.

Mr. Wildi has a BA (Economics) from the University of Western Ontario, a MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Adrian Walton is a Principal Economist in the Financial Markets Department at the Bank of Canada. His work is focused on fundamental research on Canadian fixed-income markets, and he has produced articles published in peer-reviewed journals, publications for the Bank of Canada's website, and support for internal analysis and policy initiatives.

Ciaran Dayal is Director and Head of CAD Repo Trading at Scotiabank. He has over 14 years of experience in securities financing, split between Equity Finance and Fixed Income Repo Trading. Ciaran joined Scotiabank in 2014, on the SBL desk in Scotiabank’s Prime Services division, and shortly thereafter he transitioned to the Repo desk under their Collateral Management and Funding business. Currently he is Head of CAD Repo Trading for Scotiabank’s Toronto entities. Ciaran’s previous roles include SBL Trading at RBC Investor and Treasury Services.

Ciaran is a Chartered Financial Analyst, with an HBBA (Honours Bachelor of Business Administration) from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Masters in Finance from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Todd Hargarten is Head of Client Relationship Management for TMX Markets. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the TMX client portfolio, building and broadening long-term relationships with domestic and international clients.

Mr. Hargarten joined TMX Group in March 2021 following a lengthy career in capital markets, where he gained broad experience across all major product lines. Prior to joining TMX Group, he was with TD Securities and served in several senior leadership roles, including Executive Managing Director and Global Head of Securities Finance & Funding, Global Head of Sales & Origination for Equity Derivatives, and Head of Prime Brokerage and Securities Lending, where he managed the expansion of those business lines into the U.S. market.

Mr. Hargarten is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst. He holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario.

He has been an active member of the CFA Toronto Society, serving on its Board of Directors, as chair of their Advocacy Committee and Equity Committee and involved with their Derivatives Committee. Mr. Hargarten is also a member of the Board of Governors at Upper Canada College and has ongoing involvement with charitable organizations in the community.

As Senior Director, Barbara Boucher manages CDPQ’s positioning on derivative products and transactional activities in Capital Markets. Ms. Boucher has over 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Before joining CDPQ, she was responsible for derivative product operations at National Bank of Canada and its subsidiaries. Previously, she worked as a labour relations lawyer and risk management advisor. She holds an MBA in Finance and Information Technology from HEC Montréal and a Bachelor of Laws from Université de Montréal. In addition, she holds the Chartered Administrator designation (Adm.A.) from the Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec and is certified in civil, commercial and labour mediation. She is a member of the Barreau du Québec. Ms. Boucher represents CDPQ on the Canadian Market Infrastructure Committee (CMIC). She sits on the Derivatives Advisory Committee of the Autorité des marchés financiers and the Board of Directors of the Club de recherche d’emploi Montréal Centre-Nord.

Earl Davis has over 25 years of experience in Fixed Income and FX. He is Head of Fixed Income and Money Markets at BMO Global Asset Management where he has responsibility for actively managed fixed income mandates. Prior to joining BMO GAM, Earl led Developed Markets Fixed Income and FX at a leading pension organization where he had oversight over the nominal, inflation and global bond market portfolios.

Earl Davis is a past member of the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) Foreign Exchange Committee. He currently sits on the Accounting Standards Oversight Council and is a member of FSRA’s Pension Sector Technical Advisory Committee. He is a CFA charter holder and has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.

Jean is a Senior Equity Derivatives Trader at Mako Trading, covering European single stocks and sector indices. Jean joined Mako in 2007 and co-founded the single stocks desk in 2008. Over the years, he successfully developed the business from a German equity market-making strategy into a pan-European, multi-strategy business that operates on both screens and phones across most European exchanges.

Jean holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Dublin City University and a Specialised Masters of Finance degree from ESCP Europe.

Mike Lin, who has worked at TD Securities for 24 years, is focused on trading and managing short-term interest rate businesses. Most recently, Mike was Managing Director and Global Head of Short-Term Wholesale Funding, with teams in Toronto, New York, London and Singapore. He was also a member of the Canadian Alternative Reference Rate (CARR) Working Group and the BA Transition Virtual Network, working with industry peers on the transition from CDOR to CORRA. Currently, Mike is writing a book of stories and recollections from the Canadian rates markets, including the Montréal Exchange.

Colm has extensive experience as a derivatives capital markets expert with a career that spans 25 years. He began working on the original trading floor of the Montréal Exchange as a Floor Trading Specialist and Futures Market Pit Official in the late 1990s.

Colm has worked in Information Technology as both a Business Analyst and in quality assurance in various firms, including the Montréal Exchange, Sungard, and UBS.

Colm has worked on the strategic delivery and rollout of the TMX SOLA technology platform to multiple exchanges worldwide, including the Montréal Exchange, the BOX Options Exchange, the Borsa Italiana IDEM, the Oslo Bors derivatives market and the LSE’s EDX London derivatives market.

Eshank Shah leads TSX DRK, Canada's leading dark pool, and ETF trading, where he oversees market structure initiatives. Eshank joined TMX in August 2022. Prior to his time at TMX, he spent over seven years at the National Stock Exchange of India, driving new business initiatives for NSE and NSE IX (NSE International Exchange). There he was responsible for spearheading projects across asset classes (equities, FX, commodities).

Eshank holds an MBA in Finance.

As Head Trader, Francis acts as the trading desk team lead for TCC’s public markets investment strategies. He stays in close contact with the portfolio managers on the fixed income and absolute return teams in order to process trades as efficiently as possible, share market insights and complement portfolio construction decisions. With nearly 25 years of experience, Francis’s main area of expertise is derivatives, including managing complex strategies. Prior to joining TCC, he held the position of Salesperson/Trader at global financial services organizations. Francis holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a major in Finance, from Concordia University.

Karen McMeekin is President of the Regulatory Division, responsible for leading the self-regulatory functions of the Montréal Exchange (MX). She is responsible for maintaining fair and equitable markets by promoting innovation, transparency and collaboration with various stakeholders.

Ms. McMeekin brings to this role extensive experience, having held various positions at MX since 2001, including Director, Strategy and Regulatory Outreach; Director of Examinations, Regulatory Division; Business Development Manager, Equity Derivatives, and Head of Market Operations. Prior to joining MX, she began her 25-year career in the listed derivatives market as a futures broker on the Montréal trading floor for TD Securities and Richardson Greenshields.

Ms. McMeekin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Concordia University and is a member of Women in Capital Markets, a national not-for-profit organization focused on accelerating equity, diversity and inclusion in the finance industry.

Kevin Abarbanel is a well-known figure in the derivatives business, with a career spanning over three decades. Born with a keen eye for market dynamics and a passion for finance, Kevin embarked on his journey in 1993, stepping into the fast-paced world of trading at the Bourse de Montréal as a Short-Term Interest Rate (STIR) futures trader.

After honing his skills and gaining invaluable experience over a period of four years spent at leading Canadian banks, Kevin made a bold move in 1997 by founding Ebb & Flow Trading. This marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial venture into trading exchange products, where he demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate and thrive in the ever-changing landscape of financial markets.

Since its inception, Ebb & Flow Trading has been at the forefront of Canadian and U.S. interest rates markets, with Kevin at the helm, actively engaged in trading activities every day. His strategic insights, astute decision-making, and unwavering dedication have not only ensured the success of his trading endeavours but have also earned him respect and recognition in the industry.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Kevin is deeply committed to making a positive impact in the community. As Chairman of the Board of Direction Chretienne, an organization dedicated to urban social development, he plays a pivotal role in creating and overseeing various community programs in the Montreal area. Through his leadership and philanthropic efforts, Kevin strives to empower individuals and foster inclusive growth, leaving a lasting legacy of social responsibility and compassion.

Kevin Abarbanel's journey exemplifies resilience, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to excellence in both the realm of finance and community service. His remarkable expertise in short-term interest rate markets, coupled with his dedication to social impact, embodies the ethos of success driven by integrity, passion, and a desire to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Marlène Charron-Geadah is Director of Business Development at CDCC, responsible for identifying revenue growth opportunities and developing new clearing services for the OTC market.

Prior to holding this position, Ms. Charron-Geadah was responsible for regulatory compliance at Natixis Canada Branch and served as Post-Trade Counsel for CDCC, where she was instrumental in developing the cleared repo for pension funds.

Ms. Charron-Geadah teaches Financial Law at the University of Ottawa. She holds a Master’s degree in Financial Law from SOAS, University of London (LL.M) and a Bachelor’s degree in both Civil Law and Common Law from McGill University (B.C.L./LL.B).

Russell Levens joined ION in April 2021 as the U.S. Head of Customer Engagement for Cleared Derivatives. His role is to engage, collaborate, and partner with customers, prospects, and industry stakeholders to build and strengthen ION’s cleared derivatives relationships and promote ION’s industry-leading derivatives solutions.

Before joining ION, Russell was the Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Operations for GH Financials, LLC, a U.S. Futures Commission Merchant. Russell built out and led GHF’s U.S. clearing business for over eight years, charged with business development and operations as well as oversight of compliance, finance, technology, and controls.

Russell previously held senior management and leadership positions with Fortis Clearing (now ABN AMRO Clearing), Newedge, and Kas Bank, both in Chicago and London.

As part of the business development team at Wolverine Execution Services, Kam Khan focuses on supporting institutional clients that trade multiple asset classes across the globe. Prior to joining WEX, Kam held senior roles at major investment banks, broker dealers, and proprietary trading firms where he was a key member of business solutions teams providing essential guidance for multi-asset class trading. He has also been responsible for helping traders by consolidating systems and enhancing quality of execution. Kam has extensive experience with Canada’s market structure, which he uses to help institutional traders navigate the complexities of global markets. He has series 7 & 63 licenses.