Veteran and newer managers alike will get a great deal from this session featuring a talent specialist and managers that have navigated (and continue to navigate) their way from start-up to emerging to established fund.
You will learn about the roles of an asset manager (hint: it’s more than just PM), required skills, pay/comp packages, hiring/termination, and exactly what you need to do to staff your shop up right.
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2019
Location: CIBC Mellon, 1 York Street, 5th floor, Toronto ON M5J 0B6 (map)
Time:
1:30pm – Registration
2:00pm – Panel and Q&A
3:30pm – Reception
4:30pm – Session Ends
Speakers:
Founding Partner & President, Algonquin Capital

Brian D’Costa is a founding partner of Algonquin Capital; a boutique specializing in alternative fixed income.
Prior to starting Algonquin Capital, Brian was the Global Head of Fixed Income and Rates for CIBC where he was responsible for the bank’s entire bond and rate trading business, overseeing 40 traders globally. Before that, Brian spent 11 years with TD Securities, where he was the Global Head of Vanilla Interest Rate Derivatives, managing trading teams in Toronto, London, Tokyo and Sydney.
Before building a career in trading, Brian spent seven years in the Canadian Armed Forces where he served as a Captain in the Airborne Regiment and participated in a peacekeeping tour in Iraq.
When not in the office, Brian can usually be found in the gym, at a hockey rink or undertaking an ambitious gardening project.
Managing Director, Canada, Robert Walters
Martin is a native Torontonian that spent 10 years recruiting accounting and operations professionals for opportunities across Ireland, the UK and the Middle East for the Robert Walters group before relocating home last year to establish their Toronto office.
In London he led a division solely dedicated to recruiting back/middle office professionals for investment management firms including some of the world’s largest hedge funds, private equity and real estate investment managers, a focus which he has chosen for Robert Walters in the Toronto market.
As Country Manager, Martin is responsible for driving the growth of the business across the vast Canadian market and will look to open offices nationally over time. Martin graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
President, CAASA
James co-founded CAASA in response to industry support for a Canadian alternatives association to serve all aspects including: hedge / alternative strategies; private lending; private real estate; private equity; plus emerging areas where Canada is a leader such as digital assets / blockchain and robo-advisors.
Prior to CAASA, James was the Chief Operating Officer of AIMA Canada where his team of three worked with 12 committees to produce 50-60 events per annum across Canada, organize 100+ committee meetings, and increase member numbers over his 7-year tenure from 66 to 164 corporate entities.
James also has experience in research and writing for the CAIA Association as well as serving on CAIA’s Exam Council and as a grader for the Level II portion of the exam. He also had roles in institutional sales and FoHF structuring in Seoul, South Korea, as a Product Manager at ICICI Wealth Management, and an Investment Advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BBA (Finance).
This is part 3 of our Starting an Alternative Fund series to be held throughout 2019. The topics this series will cover are the following:
Establishment:
- Structure and registration of the Fund Management Company – including roles, tax planning, proficiencies, capital requirements, creating a business plan, and (important!) managing expectations of investors and those starting the company
- Onshore fund structuring and tax planning – types of funds (including liquid alts) and costs
- Offshore fund structuring and tax planning – jurisdictions, why do so, advantages and disadvantages of structures, cost of going offshore; as well as how to engage service providers in various jurisdictions
Mid/back-office:
- Choosing service providers – primes, legal, auditor, fund administrator
- Compliance and Operations facets of establishing and maintaining a fund management company and various funds
- Finding staff/talent and compensation structures
- Getting ready for operations audits – including prescribed ones by securities commissions and those performed by out-sourced due diligence companies and in-house talent of potential investors
- Specific service providers and niche functions – which might include software, performance reporting (solutions), and trading venders; class action services, Fundserv back-office functions, Managed Account Platforms, due diligence services, and listing funds on an exchange
Sales & Marketing:
- Selling into the Retail channel – true retail/liquid alts as well as Accredited Investors/Offering Memorandum product (will include a primer on liquid alts and the market to date)
- Selling to sophisticated investors – including the Retail Accredited Investor channel, multi and single family offices, and institutional investors such as Canadian and foreign sovereign wealth funds, foundations & endowments, and public & private pension plans (both direct and through investment consultants)
- PR and exposure – honing your message and how to use earned adverting (aka free PR) to deliver it to the right audience (includes use of social media)
- Public opinion and industry surveys – using broad and targeted surveys to deliver actionable data for use in product design, pricing, and messaging
Registration:
CAASA Members:
$30
Non-members:
$50
Plus applicable taxes.
Registration is required as capacity is limited.
For more information, please contact Paul at paul@caasa.ca or 647-953-0737
Sponsor:
Venue Sponsor:
