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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Mike Archibald, CFA, CMT, CAIA

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Mike 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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Alpha Ba, BA, M.SC, CFA

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Alpha Ba is Vice-President and Co-Portfolio Manager of AGF's emerging market strategies. His knowledge of global markets is complemented by his hands-on experience of these markets.

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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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Jean Charbonneau, MBA

Senior Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Jean Charbonneau is responsible for the overall management of the AGF Fixed Income team and is committed to a strong, collaborative team culture driving all aspects of portfolio management. Jean and his team employ a global approach that derives value from multiple factors, including category allocation, country allocation, security selection, credit, currency and duration management. A veteran fixed-income portfolio manager with more than three decades of experience managing a wide array of fixed-income mandates for retail and institutional clients, Jean is a leader across all facets of the team’s analysis. Jean is also the co-chair 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. Jean graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degree from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from the University of Sherbrooke.

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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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Stephen Duench, CFA

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

Highstreet Asset Management Inc.

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The editor's desk

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Judy G. Goldring, LL.B, 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’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 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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Andy Kochar, CFA

Portfolio Manager and Head of Credit, Fixed Income Analysts

AGF Investments Inc.

Andy Kochar is a principal member of AGF’s Fixed Income team, managing fixed income portfolios with a focus on Global Credit strategies. Andy is responsible for conducting top-down and bottom-up global credit research and providing quantitative and economic research to assist with the asset allocation process. He previously served as Investment Analyst, Credit Research at Acuity Investment Management, which was acquired by AGF. Andy earned a B.A. degree in Economics (Cum Laude) from York University. He is a CFA charterholder and member of CFA society Toronto.

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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 Group

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 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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Ani Markova, MBA, LIFA, CIM, CFA

Vice-President and Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Ani is a member of the AGF Resources team and a lead portfolio manager of AGF’s precious metals portfolios. She combines a top-down approach to asset and sector allocation with a bottom-up approach to individual stock selection. She joined AGF in 2003 as an Analyst, covering the Industrials sector and later the Materials sector for the North American equity research 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 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, Currency Strategy and Management, Fixed Income, North American and Specialty Equities

AGF Investments Inc.

Tom Nakamura is responsible for developing currency strategy and providing counsel to AGF's Investment Management team on the implications of currency moves on fixed income as well as North American and specialty equities. Tom previously served as a Vice-President and Portfolio Manager on AGF's Fixed Income team. With more than 15 years of experience managing a wide array of fixed-income portfolios, he was a key contributor to the team's analysis of the global macroeconomic landscape, with specific emphasis on corporate credit and currencies. 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 & Interim Head of Strategic Accounts Management

AGF Investments Inc.

Florence 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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Andres Perez

Associate Portfolio Manager

AGF Investments Inc.

Andres 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.

Maks is an Associate Portfolio Manager responsible for the Materials 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

AGF Investments Inc.

Tristan Sones is a principal member of the AGF Fixed Income team, managing fixed income portfolios with a focus on Total Return and Emerging Markets strategies. With more than two decades of portfolio management experience, Tristan is a key contributor to the team’s analysis of the global macroeconomic landscape, with specific emphasis on global investment grade and non-investment grade debt, including hard and local currency emerging market debt. 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, Head of Portfolio Management & Co-Chief Investment Officer

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 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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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 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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