Contributors – AGF Perspectives

Sound Choices

AGF’s Sound Choices® program provides practical tools and tips on retirement, personal finance, investing and tax efficiency that can be used everyday, all with the help of a financial advisor.

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AGF Fixed Income Team

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Mike Archibald, CFA®, CMT, CAIA

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Mike Archibald joined AGF as an Associate Portfolio Manager in 2015 and focuses on research, analysis and selection of North American equities. Mike’s investment process is a bottom-up stock selection methodology using a blended approach of quantitative, fundamental and technical inputs.

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Abhishek Ashok, M.A., MFE, CFA®

Investment Analyst

Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

Since joining Highstreet in 2015, Abhishek has progressively taken on more responsibility and expanded his role on the investment team. He is involved in developing and interpreting quantitative tools to enhance the investment management process, developing content for presentations and commentary, providing data management and process support across the firm’s mandates, as well as being involved in several of the firm’s investment and research initiatives. Abhishek is a CFA® Charterholder, and has earned a Master of Financial Economics from Western University, MA in Economics from York University, and a B.Sc in Economics and Management from Purdue University.

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Steve Bonnyman, MBA, CFA®

Co-Head of North American Research and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Stephen Bonnyman is Co-Head, North American Equity Research and Portfolio Manager of AGF’s Canadian and global resources portfolios. Working closely with the AGF research teams, Steve focuses on identifying resource companies with solid balance sheets, advantaged cost structures, attractive valuations or unrecognized growth. Steve is a member of the AGF Asset Allocation Committee (AAC), which is comprised of senior portfolio managers who are responsible for various regions and asset classes. The AAC meets regularly to discuss, analyze and assess the macro-economic environment and capital markets in order to determine optimal asset allocation recommendations. He joined AGF in 2013 with more than 20 years of buy- and sell-side experience covering the global materials industry, including five years of institutional money management. Prior to joining AGF, Steve was Managing Director and Mining Analyst at a major financial institution, responsible for global company research coverage and equity market analysis. Prior to that, he was an analyst and portfolio manager at two leading asset management firms. Steve has a B.Sc. in Geology from McMaster University and an MBA from Dalhousie University. He is a CFA charterholder.

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Blake C. Goldring, C.M., M.S.M., CD, LL.D., CFA®

Executive Chairman

AGF Management Limited

Blake C. Goldring is the Executive Chairman of AGF Management Limited. In this role, he is focused on furthering key partner relationships and deepening AGF’s strength within the alternative investments space, while also driving continued shareholder value by representing AGF on the Smith & Williamson Board and serving on AGF’s various entity Boards. He provides guidance and counsel to the CEO in setting the mission, vision and strategic direction for the firm. At the same time, he provides leadership to AGF’s Board of Directors in carrying out their collective responsibilities to supervise the management of the business and affairs of the company.

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Regina Chi, CFA®

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Regina Chi has lead responsibility for AGF’s Emerging Markets strategies. She has an investment philosophy consistent with AGF’s Global Equity Team and looks for quality companies that have long-term sustainable competitive advantages at attractive valuations. Regina brings 23 years of international equity experience to this role. She was most recently a partner at a boutique U.S. investment firm, where she served as portfolio manager for the Emerging Markets and International Value disciplines. Regina is a CFA® charterholder. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from Columbia University.

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John Christofilos

Senior Vice-President, Chief Trading Officer and Investment Management, Operations Strategy

AGF Investments Inc.

John Christofilos leads a team responsible for trading the nearly $38 billion in Assets Under Management across AGF’s Retail, Institutional, High-Net-Worth and ETF portfolios. He is also a member of AGF’s Business Development unit with responsibility for reviewing and leading Capital Markets opportunities and technology advancements. John is a member of The Office of the CIO – a new structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across the Investment Management team and the broader organization. His career has spanned more than 25 years, with experience on both the buy- and sell-side. Before joining AGF in 2014, John served as Managing Director at Canaccord Genuity, leading the firm’s efforts in electronic and program trading. Prior to Canaccord, he worked as Senior Managing Director for E*TRADE Institutional, a full-service financial services firm based in New York City. John is a member of the Canadian and U.S. Securities Traders Associations and sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego, California-based United States International University, where he played Division 1 Hockey.

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Dillon Culhane

Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

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Bill DeRoche, MBA, CFA®

Chief Investment Officer and Head of AGFiQ Alternative Strategies

AGF Investments LLC

Bill DeRoche is Chief Investment Officer, AGF Investments LLC (formerly FFCM LLC)¹, and Head of AGFiQ Alternative Strategies. Bill is co-founder of AGF Investments LLC, a Boston-based investor advisory firm founded in 2009 and subsidiary of AGF Management Limited. He is a leader of AGF’s quantitative investment platform, known as AGFiQ. AGFiQ’s team approach is grounded in the belief that investment outcomes can be improved by assessing and targeting the factors that drive market returns. Bill has long-tenured expertise employing quantitative factor-based strategies and alternative approaches to achieve a spectrum of investment objectives. Previously, Bill was a Vice-President at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), serving as head of the firm’s U.S. Enhanced Equities team. His focus was on managing long-only and 130/30 U.S. strategies, as well as providing research on SSgA’s stock-ranking models and portfolio construction techniques. Prior to joining SSgA in 2003, Bill was a Quantitative Analyst and Portfolio Manager at Putnam Investments. Bill has been working in the investment management field since 1995. Prior to 1995, Bill was a Naval Aviator flying the Grumman A-6 Intruder as a member of Attack Squadron Eighty-Five aboard the USS America (CV-66). Bill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. He is a CFA® charterholder and holds FINRA licenses 7, 63 and 24. ¹An investment professional with AGF Investments LLC (formerly FFCM LLC), a U.S.-registered investment advisor firm and affiliate of AGF Investments Inc.

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Stephen Duench, CFA®

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

Stephen Duench is an integral member of the Canadian equity portfolio management team at Highstreet Asset Management Inc., a subsidiary of AGF Investments Inc. (AGF), and is a key contributor to AGF’s quantitative investment platform, AGFiQ. AGFiQ’s team approach is grounded in the belief that investment outcomes can be improved by assessing and targeting the factors that drive market returns. Stephen is the lead Portfolio Manager of the AGFiQ Dividend Income Fund and AGF Canadian Large Cap Dividend Fund, and is central to the creation and support of Highstreet’s proprietary portfolio management tools, analysis and applications across both Canadian and global mandates. He earned an Honours degree in Financial Mathematics from Wilfred Laurier University and is a CFA® charterholder. *Highstreet Asset Management, an AGF company

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The editor's desk

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Special Feature

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Carol Ferguson

Senior Vice-President, Corporate Human Resources

AGF Investments Inc.

Carol Ferguson works closely with AGF's Executive Management Team and Board to create and deliver practical and sustainable human capital solutions. In addition to her progressive work experience, Carol also holds a Masters in Business Administration and holds both Certified Human Resources Professional and Senior Human Resources Professional designations.

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Judy G. Goldring, LL.B., LL.D., ICD.D

President and Chief Administration Officer

AGF Management Limited

Judy G. Goldring is a renowned leader in the asset management industry and one of Canada’s most influential business women. As President and Chief Administration Officer of AGF Management Limited, she oversees the execution of strategic plans in support of business priorities, counsels the CEO on business planning and provides direction for operational and corporate initiatives. Reporting to the CEO, Judy is responsible for the firm’s Legal & Compliance, Human Resources, Product and Marketing & Communications teams as well as AGF Investments LLC, an ETF business located in Boston, MA, and AGF’s Private Client businesses: Cypress Capital Management Ltd., Doherty & Associates Ltd. and Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

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Tony Genua

Senior Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Tony Genua has been Portfolio Manager of AGF's U.S. growth portfolios since he joined AGF in 2005. Throughout his more than 30-year career in portfolio management, Tony has remained committed to his proven investment strategy that identifies leading growth companies in every cycle. Tony is also Co-Chair of the AGF Asset Allocation Committee.

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Martin Grosskopf, MBA, MES

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Martin Grosskopf manages AGF’s sustainable investing strategies and provides input on sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues across the AGF investment teams. He is a thought leader and a frequent public speaker on ESG issues and is a past member of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA)’s Board of Directors. Martin has more than 20 years of experience in financial and environmental analysis. He previously served as Director, Sustainability Research and Portfolio Manager with Acuity Investment Management Inc., which was acquired by AGF Management Ltd. in 2011. Before joining the financial industry, Martin worked in a diverse range of industries in the areas of environmental management, assessment and mitigation. He was a project manager with CSA International from 1997 to 2000 and, prior to that, served as an environmental scientist with Acres International Limited. Martin obtained a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an MES from York University, and earned an MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

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Grace Huang, MBA, CFA®

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Grace Huang is an Associate Portfolio Manager, responsible for Banks and the Diversified Financials sub-sector.

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Peter Imhof, CIM

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Peter Imhof manages Canadian equity portfolios. His investment process is based on bottom-up stock selection with a focus on identifying well managed, profitable, financially sound companies with growing earnings and modest valuations. Peter works closely with AGF's North American Equity Research team, which consists of experienced sector specialists that provide research and analysis for their respective sectors.

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Andy Kochar, CFA®

Portfolio Manager and Head of Credit

AGF Investments Inc.

Andy Kochar is a principal member of AGF’s Fixed Income Team and serves as the firm’s head of global credit. Using a cross-asset framework, Andy is responsible for the research and allocation of credit risk across all of AGF’s fixed income portfolios. He previously served as Associate Portfolio Manager for AGF’s credit-oriented portfolios from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, for more than five years, Andy served as Investment Analyst, Credit Research at Acuity Investment Management, which was subsequently acquired by AGF in 2011. Andy earned a B.A. in Economics (Cum Laude) from York University. He is a CFA® charterholder and member of CFA Society Toronto.

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Hyewon Kong, M.Sc., CFA®

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Hyewon Kong is an associate portfolio manager and works closely with Martin Grosskopf, providing fundamental research and analysis on environmental thematic opportunities and managing the AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity Fund.

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John Kratochwil

Equity Analyst, Mining and Materials

AGF Investments Inc.

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Auritro Kundu, MBA

Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

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Jonathan Lo, MBA

Vice-President, Portfolio Specialist

AGF Investments Inc.

Jonathan Lo is Vice President and Portfolio Specialist on the North American Equities and Sustainable Investing teams at AGF. In this role, his primary responsibility is communicating thought leadership, investment philosophy, process and positioning for AGF’s North American equity and sustainable investing mandates.

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Sanjay Luthra, MBA, CFA®

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Sanjay Luthra is an Associate Portfolio Manager responsible for the Telecommunications and Information Technology sectors and is a key member of AGF’s Global Equity team.

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Kevin McCreadie, CFA®, MBA

CEO and Chief Investment Officer

AGF Management Limited

In the role of CEO, Kevin McCreadie is responsible for the overall success of AGF, overseeing the firm’s mission, vision and strategic direction. He also leads AGF’s Executive Management Team and serves as its liaison with AGF’s Board of Directors. As CIO, Kevin provides direction and leadership to AGF’s investment management teams and leads the firm’s global institutional business. In carrying out these responsibilities, he leverages The Office of the CIO, a structure put in place in August 2018 that encourages collaboration and active accountability across AGF’s investment management teams and broader organization, capitalizing on the firm’s depth of talent while driving forward the teamwork that is necessary for the long-term success of its investment management.

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Sam Mitter, MBA

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Sam Mitter joined AGF in 2014 and is a member of the AGF North American Equity Research team covering the Information Technology sector. He also supports Portfolio Manager Tony Genua on AGF’s U.S. growth and global select mandates.

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Tom Nakamura, CFA®

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager, Currency Strategy and Co-Head of Fixed Income

AGF Investments Inc.

With more than 15 years of experience managing a wide array of fixed-income portfolios, Tom is a key contributor to the team's analysis of the global macroeconomic landscape, with specific emphasis on currencies. Tom Nakamura is responsible for developing currency strategy and providing counsel on the implications of currency moves on fixed income. Tom also previously served as a Vice-President and Portfolio Manager on AGF's Fixed Income team with lead management responsibility for AGF Emerging Markets Bond Fund. Tom earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of CFA® Society Toronto.

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Florence Narine

Senior Vice-President, Product, and Interim Head of Strategic Accounts Management

AGF Investments Inc.

Florence Narine is responsible for the overall strategic management of AGF products across all business lines including product management and development, strategic market research and planning and leading the launch of several successful and innovative products.

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Harsh Narsinghani, MBA, CFA®

Global Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

Harsh Narsinghani is a global equity analyst, responsible for Consumer Discretionary and Utilities. Prior to joining AGF, he worked for three years as an equity research analyst at the Indian location of Thomas White International. Harsh performed fundamental research and analysis of companies in the Consumers Staples, Luxury Goods and Retail sectors. Harsh earned an MBA from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and a B.Tech. from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India. He is a CFA® charterholder and is fluent in Hindi, Bengali and Sindhi.

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Andres Perez

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Andres Perez is an Associate Portfolio Manager responsible for the Industrials and Consumer Staples sectors and is a key member of AGF’s Global Equity team.

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Maksim Piskunov, MBA, CFA®

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Maksim (Maks) Piskunov is an Associate Portfolio Manager responsible for the Consumer Staples and Heath Care sectors. Prior to joining to AGF, Maks held a number of roles related to public and private equity investing and has become familiar with emerging markets, primarily in Asia.

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Angela Rhoden, CFA®

Global Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

Angela Rhoden is a global equity analyst at AGF and acts as a generalist, providing coverage of multiple sectors. Angela was previously a Director on AGF’s Portfolio Specialist Group, specializing in global equities. Prior to joining AGF, Angela spent five years in Equity Research at Clarus Securities and at Northland Capital Partners where she undertook fundamental research and analysis of companies in a range of sectors including Materials and Industrials. She also worked at Bank of Montreal in the Corporate Finance and Commercial Banking group where she assessed the credit risk of companies and presented credit recommendations to the risk group. Angela has her CFA® designation and holds an MBA in Finance from the Schulich School of Business.

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Rune Sollihaug, CFA®, CIPM

Vice-President and Head of Risk & Portfolio Analysis

AGF Investments Inc.

Rune Sollihaug is responsible for risk management and oversight across AGF’s investment management platform, including analyzing risk, ongoing performance, attribution, ESG and stress test scenarios leveraging distinct analytics platforms. Rune is a member of The Office of the CIO – a new structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across the Investment Management team and the broader organization. He previously served as Vice-President, Investment Analytics at a global financial services company that provides a comprehensive range of services in asset servicing, asset management, corporate trust, investment services, wealth management, treasury services and technology. Rune earned a BBA from Trondheim Business School and a Master of Arts (Economics & Finance) from the University of Leeds. He is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Certificate in Investment Performance Management (CIPM).

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Tristan Sones, CFA®

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager, Co-Head of Fixed Income

AGF Investments Inc.

With more than two decades of experience managing a wide array of fixed income portfolios, Tristan is a leader in AGF's Fixed Income Team's analysis of the global macroeconomic landscape, with specific emphasis on global sovereign debt, including hard and local currency emerging market debt. Tristan’s lead portfolio management responsibilities include management of AGF Global Bond Fund and AGF’s other Global fixed income mandates, AGF Total Return Bond and AGF Emerging Markets Bond. Tristan earned an Honours B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of CFA® Society Toronto.

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Portfolio Specialist Group

AGF Investments Inc.

The Portfolio Specialist Group serves as a liaison between AGF’s investment management team and both advisors and end investors. The team is designed to keep stakeholders informed on evolving themes, fund updates and current economic and market developments.

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Mark Stacey, MBA, CFA®

Senior Vice-President, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Head of AGFiQ Portfolio Management

Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

Mark Stacey is Senior Vice-President and Co-CIO of AGFiQ, AGF's quantitative investment team combining the complementary strengths of investment professionals from Highstreet Asset Management Inc. (a Canadian registered portfolio manager) and FFCM, LLC (a U.S. registered adviser). Mark joined Highstreet Asset Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGF, in 2011 and leads the firm’s investment management functions. He is also responsible for portfolio management of the Highstreet Canadian Small Cap and Canadian Growth Equity mandates. Mark has 13 years of experience applying quantitative and qualitative management techniques to the portfolio management process. He previously served as a Portfolio Manager with a major life insurance company. He is a member of The Office of the CIO – a new structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across the Investment Management team and the broader organization.

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David Stonehouse, MBA, CFA®

Senior Vice-President and North American and Specialty Investments

AGF Investments Inc.

David Stonehouse oversees AGF’s North American and Specialty Investments teams while maintaining direct portfolio management responsibilities for his current mandates. With more than two decades of experience managing both fixed income and balanced mandates, David employs a rigorous and disciplined investment process combining a top-down approach to duration and asset allocation with a bottom-up approach to security selection. David is a member of The Office of the CIO – a new structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across the Investment Management team and the broader organization. David received a B.Sc. in Applied Science from Queen’s University, an MBA in Finance and Accounting from McMaster University and is a CFA charterholder.

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Carmen Tang, MSc., MBA, CFA®

Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

Carmen Tang is a member of the AGF North American Research team and is responsible for fundamental research and analysis of the Health Care sector. Carmen joined AGF in 2013 and has over 11 years of experience in global healthcare research. Carmen earned a Master of Science in Pharmacology from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Queen's University. She is a CFA charterholder.

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Wai Tong, MBA, P.Eng., CFA®

Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

Wai Tong is responsible for investment research focused on the North American Telecommunication Services and Industrials sectors. Since joining AGF in 2006, Wai has been working closely with the North American portfolio management team, contributing both top-down and bottom-up equity analysis. His contribution to the generation of ideas for the portfolios includes financial modeling and meetings with the management of companies considered for the portfolios.

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Greg Valliere

Chief U.S. Policy Strategist

AGF Investments

Greg Valliere joined AGF Investments (AGF) in February 2019 as Chief U.S. Policy Strategist. In this role, he is responsible for providing insight into how U.S. politics are shaping global markets. He brings a unique perspective to AGF with over three decades of experience analyzing policy and politics providing regular commentary and insight into Washington for financial services and investment management clients globally, including specialized coverage of the Federal Reserve, economic policy and politics. Greg began partnering with AGF in 2017 advising investment management teams on policy and the impact on global markets, providing daily market commentary for financial advisors and participating in numerous client events and roadshows. Most recently, Greg was the Chief Global Strategist at North Carolina based Horizon Investments, LLC and has nearly 40 years of experience following Washington issues for institutional and retail investors. He is widely quoted in U.S. media and specializes in coverage of the Federal Reserve, tax and spending issues, and politics. Greg is based in Washington, D.C.

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John Vermeer, MBA, CFA®

Co-Head, North American Research and Equity Analyst

AGF Investments Inc.

John Vermeer is an equity analyst responsible for investment research within the Consumer Discretionary and Consumer Staples sectors. John is also co-head of the North American Equity Research Team.

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Stephen Way, CFA®

Senior Vice-President and Head of Global and Emerging Markets Equities

AGF Investments Inc.

Steve Way leads AGF’s global equity team in Toronto, while maintaining portfolio management responsibilities for global equity and emerging markets mandates. As the architect of the Economic Value Added (EVA)-based investment process used for these industry-leading mandates, he is supported by a team that uses its collective experience to locate opportunities unrecognized by the market. Steve is a member of The Office of the CIO – a new structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across the Investment Management team and the broader organization. He is also a member of the AGF Asset Allocation Committee (AAC), which consists of senior portfolio managers who are responsible for various regions and asset classes. The AAC meets regularly to discuss, analyze and assess the macro-economic environment and capital markets in order to determine optimal asset allocation recommendations. Steve’s industry experience began when he joined AGF in 1987. In 1991, he established AGF’s wholly owned subsidiary AGF International Advisors Company Limited in Dublin, Ireland and ran the operations as Managing Director until 1994. Steve holds a B.A. in Administrative and Commercial Studies from the University of Western Ontario. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of CFA® Society Toronto.

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Mark Weinberg, ASA, ACIA

Vice-President, Portfolio Specialist Group

AGF Investments Inc.

Mark Weinberg is responsible for the overall management of the Portfolio Specialist Group at AGF. Mark is also a member of AGF’s Fixed Income team, in which he serves as a liaison between the team and AGF’s clients and other external parties. He is responsible for articulating the investment philosophy, investment process and other communications for AGF’s Fixed Income mandates.

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Robert Yan, CFA®, Ph.D.

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

Robert Yan joined Highstreet Asset Management Inc. in 2008 and is responsible for managing its non-Canadian equity portfolios, including a specific focus on emerging markets, international and infrastructure strategies. He is an integral member of Highstreet’s broader research and portfolio management team and is instrumental in the development, enhancement and day-to-day management of Highstreet’s quantitative portfolio strategies. Before joining Highstreet, Robert worked in the banking industry for three years. He is a CFA® charterholder and received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Western Ontario.

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