Industry moves this week

Each week, Advisor’s Edge summarizes notable moves across the financial industry.

• Andrew Mitchell has been named president and CEO of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC), effective Jan. 16, and he also will become president and board chair of IFIC’s wholly owned financial services education arm, the IFSE Institute. An IFIC release noted that Mitchell has more than 30 years of investment industry and leadership experience. He succeeds Paul Bourque, who revealed in June 2022 that he planned to retire when a replacement was found. Mitchell comes from SEI Investments Canada, where he worked for nearly 10 years and was most recently managing director and head of asset management distribution. The IFIC release cited Mitchell’s “compelling vision for the future” as one reason he was chosen.
• Kristen Walters has been appointed as senior managing director and chief risk officer (CRO) for Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), effective Jan. 9. Walters has been in the industry for several decades, most recently serving as CRO with Paris-based Natixis Investment Managers and also having overseen risk throughout her tenure at large U.S. banks and investment firms. A release from CPP Investments said she’ll “add significant value” based on her ability to build and lead global teams.
• Two advisors in Calgary, Alta., have moved from MD Financial Management to Vancouver-based Nicola Wealth Management: Cassandra Cross and Simran Arora. Both advisors have been in the industry for more than 10 years, with Cross starting at Royal Bank of Canada and Arora starting at IG Wealth Management. A release from Nicola Wealth said the two advisors were drawn by the firm’s holistic planning services and investment shelf. The moves follow Nicola Wealth’s November 2022 acquisition of Levine Financial Group, a Toronto-based provider of insurance products and services to doctors in Ontario.
• Danielle LeClair, director of manager research with Morningstar Canada, is now the leader of the Canadian Investment Funds Standards Committee, which maintains industry-recognized fund classification standards. She replaces Ian Tam, director of investment research with Morningstar Canada, though Tam will remain on the committee.

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

Katie Keir

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Katie is special projects editor for Advisor.ca and has worked with the team since 2010. In 2012, she was named Best New Journalist by the Canadian Business Media Awards. Reach her at katie@newcom.ca.