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Michael is a Portfolio Manager at Nicola Wealth Management where he oversees fixed income strategies including the Nicola Wealth Private Debt Fund and Nicola Wealth High Yield Bond Fund. He has a diverse professional background, beginning his investment career in 1997 as an equity arbitrage and derivatives trader at CIBC World Markets in Toronto. In 2003, he left the financial industry and spent several years working abroad in economic development with several NGOs, including with the Aga Khan Foundation in Afghanistan. In Vancouver, he also founded the local foods eatery Harvest Community Foods. He returned to the investment industry in 2013, working as a high yield investment analyst at Fulcra Asset Management in Vancouver, and joined Nicola Wealth Management in 2016. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and an MA degree in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

Steve Ponte is co-owner of PHL Capital Corp. and is responsible for providing the strategic direction of the company in addition to managing the portfolio of mortgage assets under management. PHL is currently in its 13th year of business and is committed to being a leader in the private debt industry in Canada. He has over 17 years of combined real estate financing and private debt management experience. Mr. Ponte is also the current President of the BC MIC Managers Association (BCMMA). The BCMMA is currently comprised of 40 member B.C.-based MICs with an aggregate of assets under management greater than $2 billion. The membership is a diverse group of residential, commercial and land development MICs with many years of industry experience. Prior to joining PHL Capital Corp. he progressed through various senior roles with TD Commercial Bank, focusing on their large commercial business segment. Mr. Ponte holds a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) from Simon Fraser University with a focus on Finance and Marketing.

Jeff is a founding partner of MidStar Capital. MidStar Capital is the private debt arm of Connor, Clark and Lunn the largest independent wealth manager in Canada with $75 billion of assets under management. MidStar is focused on investing in senior debt, unitranche and second lien loans to mid-market companies with enterprise value in excess of $25 million. MidStar invests its capital for opportunities between $5 to 75 million. MidStar directly originates, underwrites, and manage its investments. MidStar was founded by a team of individuals who were previously with the Canadian arm of GE Capital Corporate Lending and has partners located in Vancouver and Toronto. Prior to founding MidStar Jeff was with GE Capital for 18 years in leadership, risk and origination roles. Jeff has lead transactions in every Western province across a diverse group of industries. He has deep industry expertise in forest products, specialty paper, waste management, transportation, ports, oil and gas infrastructure and services, telecommunication infrastructure, food and beverage, and real estate. Jeff has executed a wide range of transactions including revolvers, term loans, unitranche loans, debtor in possession (DIP) financings, equipment financing and leasing, 2nd lien offerings, and equity warrants. He has funded transactions in Canada, USA, Europe, Mexico and Australia. Jeff holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University, and is a CFA Charter holder.

Rob Stitt, V.P., Head of Institutional Sales, Fundamental Research Corp. Rob has over twenty years of experience in capital markets. This includes eight years in sales and trading at a global brokerage firm and seven years as a portfolio manager at independent firms. In his role as portfolio manager, Rob was responsible for selecting and allocating to private investments. As part of the firms’ executive team, he was responsible for managing and overseeing all aspects of the regulated business. He has been VP, Head of Institutional Sales at Fundamental Research since 2016, where he oversees a team responsible for connecting the firm’s best research ideas with institutional investors. Rob is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA). He holds an Honours degree in Commerce from the University of Manitoba. He holds over a dozen FINRA and IIROC licensing certificates including the Partners, Directors and Senior Officers Course and the Chief Compliance Officer Course.