Investing in the Future

In 2012, Chris co-founded Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI). The company was built based on a shared vision of creating a wealth management platform centered on supporting Financial Advisors in a way that would allow them to run their businesses independently thus improving investor outcomes. Today, ACPI is one of the fastest-growing, progressive financial dealers in the country and an industry leader on several fronts. Recognizing the value of this, CI Financial Corp. acquired a majority interest in ACPI in 2020. The new partnership forged between ACPI and CI Financial Corp. has provided Chris with the opportunity to contribute on both sides of the business using his extensive experience and insight to help both companies grow and prosper. Earlier this year, Chris was named Executive Vice President & Co-Head of Wealth Canada, of CI Financial Corp.

Chris also recognizes that he has a responsibility in contributing to the growth and evolution of the regulatory landscape in Canada. He has been an active member within the securities industry in various capacities since 1994.

He is the current Chair of IIROC’s National Advisory Council (NAC), a member and past Chair of IIROC’s Ontario District Council (ODC), a past member of the Board of Directors of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC), past Chair of, and current member IFIC’s Dealer Committee.

Kambiz has over 27 years of experience navigating financial technology, securities, brokerage, and large-scale organizations, he is the President & UDP of CI Direct Investing (ex. WealthBar), an industry-leading Fintech company providing Digital Advice (Robo Advisory) services in Canada.

Kambiz led CI Financial in its Digital Transformation journey from 2019 to 2022, during this time CI adopted a series of emerging technology and emerging business practices such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Automation, Agile methodologies…. CI Financial won the 2022 Digital Transformation Award in Canada under his leadership.
Before taking his roles at CI Financial, he was the CEO & President of CI Investment Services Inc. (ex. BBS Securities Inc.) and its highly-ranked Canadian online broker CI Direct Trading (ex. Virtual Brokers). He has worked in a variety of senior management roles with the company since its inception and was one of the main architects of its proprietary Broker Management Systems, Books & Records, and its technologically disruptive practices.

Mr. Vatan-Abadi holds a master’s degree in Automation/Mechanical engineering from the Sharif University of Technology. He is a Certified Lead Auditor for Quality & Management Systems from SGS Switzerland, and Certified EFQM (European Federation for Quality Management) Auditor from Belgium.

Kambiz is also an active member of IIROC (Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) Ontario District Council since 2018.

Richard graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours Mathematics degree majoring in Statistics. He also received a Bachelor of Education from Western.

He started his career as a math/computer teacher and Director of Technology at Lower Canada College in Montreal. After 5 years Richard decided to try something different joining a small start-up company called Lynx-development as a Partner. That firm eventually was rebranded to PureFacts and provided financial technology solutions for many of Canada’s top wealth management and banking organizations. After 14 years a career change was in the cards and Richard became VP of Business Solutions and Technology Strategy for National Bank Independent Network(NBIN). Most recently he was CIO at Burgundy Asset Management one of the largest independent wealth management firms in Canada before taking on his current role as CTO of Canadian Wealth for CI Financial.

When Richard is not thinking about Technology he can often be found in his workshop sharpening his blacksmithing skills.

Vithal is a leader within Deloitte’s Technology Consulting - Systems Engineering practice. He is focused on Financial Services, specifically, Wealth & Investment Management and Wealth Technology. He brings over 20 years of experience leading and delivering large business and technology transformation initiatives for Wealth & Investment Management, Insurance (P&C, Health, Workers Safety) and Banking (Retail, Business) organizations across North America. His experience includes initiatives dealing with digital transformation, operating model design, strategic vendor selection & sourcing, core systems modernization, intelligent automation, and regulatory compliance.

Peyman is the Head of Operations for Deloitte’s Financial Services Practice, managing key strategic engagements for Deloitte’s clients. He serves clients across different financial services organizations, in both Canada and the US, with a keen focus on Wealth Management. Bridging strategy with technology and delivery, he ensures critical business challenges are addressed through insightful and pragmatic approaches. His experience spans large-scale transformation, strategy and design, digital distribution, user research, mergers and acquisition, vendor selection, and back-office optimization.

Dr. Shum Nolan is Professor of Finance at the Schulich School of Business. She teaches MBA Investments and Fintech. She is also the founding Director of the Master of Finance program and had served as the Director of the PhD program at Schulich. Her research spans several areas, including mutual funds, ETFs and art as an investment. Dr. Shum Nolan has won prestigious awards for her work, including the CFA Society Toronto Hillsdale Research Award twice. Dr. Shum Nolan also founded Wealthscope, a fintech that specializes in data-driven portfolio and retirement planning analytics.