Event Speakers

CAIA Canada West Event - The 2nd Annual Calgary Alternative Investment Forum

  • Date: September 9, 2025
  • Location: Centennial Place, East Tower

Speakers

Hussein Allidina
Organization: TD Asset Management


Mr. Allidina leads commodity and inflation strategies within the Asset Allocation Team at TDAM. He serves as the subject matter expert for matters pertaining to commodity markets. Mr. Allidina has extensive experience in commodities, having previously served as Director responsible for commodity value-add and inflation-sensitive commodity mandates at a major Canadian pension plan, and as the Global Head of Commodity Research at a major global investment bank. He has a B.A in Economics from University of Western Ontario and is a CFA Charterholder. Mr. Allidina is a Co-Founder and Board Member at Refugee Action Fund, and an Advisory Board Member at Islamic Relief Canada.


Nicole Bacsalmasi
Organization: BLG


Nicole advises clients on corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions, private equity,
family-owned enterprises, securities and investments. She provides a solid foundation for understanding her client’s business and financial needs, recognizing inherent risks and strategically developing holistic and effective solutions. Nicole is a trusted advisor who is relationship driven and cares about her client’s business needs and goals.

She has experience with M&A transactions for public and private companies, general corporate legal advisory, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance advice. She is well versed in matters related to private company investments, initial public offerings, capital market offerings, TSX Venture Exchange transactions, takeover bids and contested proxy battles. Nicole has worked with companies in the oil & gas and energy industry as well as early-stage companies in all industries. Additionally, Nicole is knowledgeable in investment fund and REIT structuring, formation, and transactional work as well as family enterprise governance, assessments and succession planning.

A seasoned legal professional, Nicole has been practicing law since 2008 and is currently a recognized leader in corporate securities and finance. With a JD from the University of Alberta (2007) and a BA in Communications from the University of Calgary (2003), Nicole brings deep expertise and insight to complex legal and financial matters. She previously worked with one of Canada’s largest insurance agencies, advising ultra-high-net-worth families and implementing sophisticated tax and insurance strategies. A frequent contributor to thought leadership in the legal and financial sectors, Nicole has authored several notable articles, including pieces on Canadian energy policy, private REITs, family offices, and regulatory preparedness. Nicole has been recognized and repeatedly recommended in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory since 2021, listed


Scott Brandt
Organization: City of Calgary


Scott is the Manager of the Treasury for the City of Calgary, the third largest municipality in Canada. As Manager of the Treasury, Scott is accountable for the strategic direction and operational management of the division, while overseeing the city’s investment program, banking relationships, and the execution of the municipality’s capital advisory, capital financing, bond issuance and cash management programs, and payment modernization. Scott holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Victoria, a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation.


Julian Klymochko
Organization: Accelerate Financial Technologies Inc.


Julian Klymochko is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Accelerate. He has specialized in running hedge funds and alternative investment solutions since 2009. Currently, he is a Director of the CFA Society Calgary. Julian is recognized as one of Canada’s leading experts in alternative investments and frequently speaks at industry events. He has been featured in some of the world’s top financial and business media including Bloomberg, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, BNN, Business Insider, and The Globe and Mail. He is the author of the book Reminiscences of a Hedge Fund Operator and host of the Absolute Return Podcast.


Tim Pickering
Organization: Auspice Capital


Tim Pickering is Founder/CIO of Auspice and leads strategic decision making and vision for Auspice’s diverse suite of rules-based quantitative investment strategies. Prior to forming Auspice, Tim was VP Trading at Shell and began his career at TD Securities in their elite trading development program ultimately holding the Senior PM position for the Energy Derivatives portfolio. Outside of Auspice, Tim has been involved in grain farming, is the Chairman of the Finance Advisory Council at the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business, and President of Pheasants Forever, a globally respected habitat organization. Tim can be found as a featured speaker on globally respected podcasts including The Meb Faber Show and Top Traders Unplugged and was named as one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture.


Brent Smith
Organization: Kinsted Wealth


Mr. Smith joined Kinsted in 2019, bringing over 25 years of investment industry experience at the time to support the firm’s growth into one of Canada’s leading wealth management providers. His deep industry knowledge and extensive network have been instrumental in building a comprehensive investment platform tailored to individual investors in Canada.
Before joining Kinsted, Mr. Smith spent much of his career at Franklin Templeton. In his final decade there, he served as lead portfolio manager and Chief Investment Officer for the Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Strategies Group, helping to establish and expand the group’s global presence from 2007 until his departure in the mid-2010s.
A key milestone in his tenure was leading the development of a series of multi-asset strategies in Canada from 2002 to 2008, during which assets under administration grew from $25,000 to approximately $8 billion. Building on this success, he transitioned to a global leadership role, overseeing multi-asset strategy launches across Europe, Asia, and North America while helping establish international offices in cities like London, Milan, and New York. In 2008, Franklin Templeton became one of only three global managers selected to manage assets for domestic Chinese investors, with Mr. Smith serving as the lead portfolio manager for this mandate.
 


Scott Smith
Organization: Viewpoint Investment Partners


Scott is responsible for leading the development and implementation of Viewpoint’s quantitative research into executable investment strategies. Scott’s passionate about macroeconomics, financial markets and how quantitative approaches can be used to combat behavioural biases. With deep expertise in global financial markets, Scott is a contributor to news and media outlets such as Reuters, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and BNN. Scott is a CFA Charterholder and a registered portfolio manager. Born and raised in Victoria, Scott now calls Calgary home and enjoys the close proximity of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and Hank the Labradoodle.


Ryan Wright
Organization: University of Calgary


Ryan is Director, Treasury & Investments at the University of Calgary where he is responsible for the management of the University’s $3 billion investment portfolio. The portfolio is almost equally split between endowed and non-endowed funds. Asset classes include Public Equities & Fixed Income, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Infrastructure, Private Credit, Real Estate, and Commercial Mortgages.

Ryan was previously City Treasurer for the City of Medicine Hat where he managed the $800 million investment portfolio and oversaw the banking, insurance, and risk management functions for the organization. Prior to that he was a Portfolio Manager for the City of Calgary where he managed a $4.2 billion portfolio of public and private market investments. Ryan has an MBA from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.