Chris is the CEO and Founder of Castle Hall Diligence, a Montreal-headquartered firm that leads a global team supporting more than 200 allocators and 2,000+ asset managers/GPs worldwide. He is also the CEO and founder of Akintic, which combines cutting edge AI technologies and data science with the knowledge base of experienced diligence practitioners to deliver decision ready business intelligence on any corporate subject worldwide.

Chris began his career in the alternative asset industry in 1994 and is recognized as one of the industry’s first due diligence practitioners. After gaining audit experience with Deloitte and PwC, he launched his formal due diligence career in 1997 with Atlantic Philanthropies, a multi-billion-dollar foundation and early hedge fund investor. He subsequently joined UBP in 2001 and co-founded Amber Partners in 2004, before establishing Castle Hall in 2006.

A recognized industry advocate and thought leader, Chris served for six years on the CFA Institute Capital Markets Policy Council, including three years as Chair. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a CFA Charter holder.

Alain Bergeron is President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of iA Global Asset Management, which manages more than $140 billion in assets. He also serves as Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer of iA Financial Group, where he is responsible for the company’s insurance general funds and the investment portfolios offered to clients.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining iA, he was Senior Vice-President and Head of Multi-Asset Strategies at Mackenzie Investments. Earlier, he spent 11 years at CPP Investments, joining in 2003 as one of its first 25 employees and helping build several of its investment teams from the ground up. He served as Head of Global Tactical Asset Allocation and held senior portfolio management roles across External Portfolio Management and Active Equities. He began his career trading derivatives at TD Securities.

His work on asset allocation and portfolio construction has been published in The Journal of Portfolio Management, The Journal of Alternative Investments and the MIT Sloan Research Paper Series. He chaired Wealthsimple’s Investment Advisory Committee from 2015 to 2019 and currently sits on the Investment Committee of the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM).

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Quantitative Methods and a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering from HEC Montréal, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Jeremie Canoni-Meynet, is a Portfolio Manager and Senior Quant Researcher at DCM Systematic, a Geneva-based quantitative investment management firm currently managing $640 million in AUM. Jeremie is responsible for the research and development of systematic signals and execution techniques for the flagship Diversified Alpha and the short-term Saber strategies.  Jeremie previously worked as a quantitative researcher at JP Morgan in London. Jeremie earned a M.Sc. in Financial Engineering and a B.S.c in Physics from EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne).

Ken Pu is an Associate Professor in Computer Science at Ontario Tech University.  His research focuses on database systems, applied artificial intelligence, and intelligent workflows. His research group examines how data management, formal methods, and software systems can support reliable AI-enabled applications. He has contributed to research on multimodal information processing, data pipelines, and the use of large language models with external tools and constraint solvers. His current interests include the design, verification, and control of agentic AI systems. He is also committed to research training and the development of practical systems that connect theoretical ideas with real-world applications.

Gilbert Haddad is head of investment decision science in the Quantitative Research and Investments division at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to institutions, financial intermediaries, and individuals. In this role, Mr. Haddad is a senior leader of the Quantitative Research and Investments team, responsible for harnessing Fidelity’s proprietary data, deep fundamental expertise, and strong quantitative capabilities to continue to drive growth for the firm across our equity, fixed income, and multi-asset class strategies.

Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Haddad was leading the fundamental research at Point72’s central book, where he was responsible for systematizing the fundamental investing process. Additionally, as head of big data and analytics, he built the internal Big Data and Analytics team at Balyasny Asset Management. Before that, he worked at Schlumberger, where he launched the data science organization and held multiple leadership roles. He also served as a data scientist and was responsible for machine learning research at Schlumberger and GE Software.

Mr. Haddad earned his bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering from the American University of Beirut, his master of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his PhD in engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Claude Perron is the President and Founder of FIAM, an initiative he conceived in January 2020 to position Montréal and Québec within the global network of innovation as a centre of excellence in AI-enabled finance. With more than forty years of experience across asset management, capital markets, corporate leadership, and academia, he is dedicated to fostering an ecosystem where innovation, collaboration, and talent development converge to shape the next era of asset management.

The creation of FIAM reflects Claude’s enduring commitment to mobilizing the financial community around ideas and innovations that will shape the future. For more than fifteen years, he has played a unifying role across the major professional associations in finance (AIMA, CAASA, CAIA, CFA, EMB), helping transform its flagship Méchoui event into one of the country’s most widely recognized and anticipated industry gatherings. FIAM carries this spirit forward—bringing together institutional, academic, technological, and entrepreneurial leaders around a shared ambition: to harness artificial intelligence as a strategic lever for global competitiveness and the next evolution of asset management.

FIAM now focuses on advancing this collective mission by cultivating a New Generation of professionals equipped to navigate the intersection of finance, data science, and AI. The McGill-FIAM Asset Management Hackathon embodies this ambition, serving as a global laboratory for skill development and innovation.

Rooted in Montréal but inspired globally, this mission advances through the insights and perspectives of a worldwide community.

Widely recognized within the Canadian investment community, Claude champions the conviction that the future of asset management belongs to institutions that embrace AI with purpose, responsibility, and vision.

His multidimensional career provides the foundation for this vision:

• Academic leadership — Head of the Administration Department at UQAM and co-founder of CIREM-HEC, now part of HEC Montréal Executive Education.
• Corporate leadership — CEO of CN Express and Senior Vice-President, Development at Dominion Textile.
• Capital markets & investment management — Institutional Sales Co-Head at Marleau Lemire (Dundee), senior investment banking roles at Midland/Merrill Lynch, and 26 years in leadership at Gestion Cristallin.

Russ Goyenko is an Associate Professor of Finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, where his research and teaching focus on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to asset management. He has previously held academic appointments at the University of Toronto and the University of Notre Dame, and was most recently a Visiting Scholar at the Yale School of Management.

Russ is the incoming Director of the McGill Center of Business and Technology Convergence (CBTC), which advances applied research and education at the intersection of emerging technologies and all areas of business, including finance, accounting, marketing, operations, and strategy. With over 20 years of quantitative research experience, he has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed finance journals on topics spanning market microstructure, liquidity, and asset pricing.

Russ complements his academic work with deep industry engagement. He is a co-founder of Finaix corp., a registered Portfolio Manager with Canadian securities regulators that operates as an agentic AI portfolio manager for systematic asset management. He has also served as a consultant to institutional risk management groups, private asset management firms, and equity options market-making companies.

Dr. Ranjan Bhaduri is the Founder and CEO of Bodhi Research Group, a firm dedicated to research and education in the field of alternative investments. With over twenty years of experience, he is recognized for his expertise in manager research, portfolio construction, and comprehensive due diligence—spanning financial, operational, and structural aspects.

Before founding Bodhi, he held strategic roles at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, at a Canadian fund of hedge funds, and at a major capital management firm, where he contributed to the development of complex alternative investment strategies. He has also worked closely with several pension funds and sovereign wealth funds on portfolio management matters.

Dr. Bhaduri holds both the CFA and CAIA designations and has taught finance and mathematics at several renowned institutions. He is frequently invited to speak at international conferences on hedge funds, risk management, and advanced portfolio strategies. Deeply involved in the industry, he has served on various research committees, including those of AIMA and the East-West Center.

John Polis is an entrepreneurial information management and business operations leader with a 25+ year track record of creating and enhancing technology enabled businesses and building platforms that allow for significant scale.

Prior to joining Star Mountain, Mr. Polis was COO and CTO for Guidepoint Global, a primary research firm and expert network serving the world’s leading Institutional Investors, Private Equity Firms, Consulting Organizations, and Corporations. Brought on in 2011 with a direct turnaround mandate, Mr. Polis changed the operating culture leading positive change in process and people management along with directing significant improvements to their information technology platform guiding the company back to profitability and significant double-digit growth.

Before Guidepoint, Mr. Polis served as COO and CTO for Coleman Research Group (CRG), also a primary research firm and expert network where he was recruited immediately after the company secured financing. Without delay Mr. Polis led the product management and development effort on their custom built, Web based CRM, Recruiting, and Payment Processing platform – Knowledge Broker™ – while also being responsible for overseeing all operational areas of the company including research, relationship management, compliance, human resources, and data management. CRG also had a broker dealer arm, Coleman Brokerage Group, for which Mr. Polis served as compliance officer for. During his tenure Coleman Research scaled from 5 to 140 employees worldwide and in 2009 was voted one of Crain’s New York “Best Places to Work in New York City”.

Earlier in Mr. Polis’ career he served as a Co-founder and Executive Vice President Operations and CTO for Dotcom Distribution and Chief Information Officer for the GT Media family of companies.

Mr. Polis holds a BA in Economics from New York University, an MBA in Management from Wagner College and is FINRA Series 63, 7 and 24 licensed. He is also an adjunct at NYU where he teaches graduate level courses in Integrated Marketing Database Modeling and Management. Prior to NYU Mr. Polis was an adjunct at Touro College Graduate School of Technology where taught courses in Database Design and Modeling for Business.

Dr. Katia Walsh leads value creation with Artificial Intelligence within Apollo Portfolio Performance Solutions. 

Katia is one of the first Chief AI officers in the world, with a track record of delivering business results with emerging tech. She was the first Chief Global Strategy and AI Officer at Levi Strauss & Co., the first Chief Global Data and AI Officer at Vodafone Group, and the first Chief Digital Officer at Harvard Business School. She also co-founded the Chief Customer Office at Prudential Financial and held leadership roles at Fidelity Investments and Forrester Research, Inc.

Katia has received numerous international awards for AI and data leadership and mentorship. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia with specializations in new communication technology and quantitative methodology.

She is the author of the 2026 Amazon best-selling book “Winning With AI: The 90-Day Blueprint For Success.”

David Ouellet is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology, Data and Operations Officer at PSP Investments.

David leads the organization’s efforts to harness technology and data as strategic enablers of long-term growth and value creation. David is focused on sustaining operational excellence by implementing tools that not only address current needs but also anticipate and surpass future technological trends. His mandate includes overseeing digital innovation, data and analytics, cloud and artificial intelligence solutions. David also leads the Investment Operations and Corporate Services teams. As a member of PSP Investments’ Executive Committee, David plays a key role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction. He is also actively involved in the broader financial innovation ecosystem as a board member of Finance Montréal and as an advisory council member of VersaFi.

Since joining PSP in 2012, David has also held various leadership positions related to strategy, business planning, information security and internal audits. As Vice President and Head of Strategy and Business Planning (2016-2019), David led the development of PSP’s five-year strategic plan, including the monitoring of strategic initiatives and key performance indicators and metrics. He also participated in the development of annual strategic review processes for Senior Management and the Board of Directors.

Before joining PSP Investments in 2012, David spent over a decade in management, technology and risk consulting with KPMG Canada and overseas with KPMG China.

David holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Gerald Garvey, PhD, Managing Director, is an equities researcher within BlackRock’s Systematic investment team.

Dr. Garvey’s service with the firm dates back to 2004, including his years with Barclays Global Investors (BGI), which merged with BlackRock in 2009. Dr. Garvey is currently head of sustainability research for BlackRock Systematic. His research is based on applied microeconomics and has spanned from short-term trading to company strategy at corporation, industry, and country levels. Prior to joining BGI, Dr. Garvey was an academic for 15 years including at the University of British Columbia, Sydney University, Australian National University and the Australian Graduate School of Management in the University of New South Wales. 

Dr. Garvey’s research on executive compensation, labor economics, and corporate finance has been published in academic and practitioner journals. Dr. Garvey earned an BA degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983 and a PhD in economics from University of California at Los Angeles in 1987.

Dr. Anne-Sophie van Royen serves as Head of Index and Quantitative Strategies, overseeing the strategic direction, commercial development, and execution of Northern Trust Asset Management’s index and quantitative investment capabilities across equity, fixed income, and multi-asset solutions. As of March 31, 2026, Northern Trust Asset Management has $923 billion in index strategies and $47 billion in quantitative strategies under management. Between 2022 and 2024, Anne-Sophie van Royen was AMO USA’s Chief Investment Officer, Quantitative Strategies. She was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm’s quantitative investment programs, including the research process, portfolio management, and trade execution. Prior to joining AMO, Ms. van Royen worked at La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) in Montreal, first as Head of Global Tactical Asset Allocation and then as Head of Quantitative Equity. Prior to CDPQ, Ms. van Royen served for four years as an advisor in the Managing Director’s Office at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, covering all matters pertaining to Tactical Asset Allocation. She was previously Head of Global Tactical Asset Allocation at Credit Suisse Asset Management in New York between 2004 and 2011. She began her career in mergers and acquisitions with Goldman Sachs in London.

Ms. van Royen holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Mathematical Economics from the University of Paris–Sorbonne. She also holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Business from HEC Paris. She has published articles in a variety of professional investment journals, including the Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Portfolio Management, Journal of Derivatives, and Journal of Forecasting. She is a Past President of the Society of Quantitative Analysts in New York and served as an advisor in the Department of Mathematics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

On October 25, 2023, Bruno Roy was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the CN Investment Division (the Division), which manages one of the largest corporate pension funds in Canada. He is accountable for all aspects of investment management and organizational oversight to ensure long-term, sustainable performance for CN’s pension plans.

Bruno has over 30 years of experience in investments, capital markets, pensions, derivatives, and risk management. He joined the Division in 2002 and held various positions as an investment manager for 20 years, primarily involved in the investment strategy, private market investments, and fixed income.

His expertise in managing diverse portfolios, navigating complex financial regulations, and implementing innovating investment solutions has earned him a well-deserved reputation in the investment industry. 

Bruno is a member of the Comité de placements des régimes de retraite de l’Université Laval and a member of the Nunavut Trust Investment Advisory Committee. He holds a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College, a Bachelor’s in Business from Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, QC and is a CFA® charterholder.

Experienced leader, Frédérick Castonguay supports teams responsible for alternative investments, public markets, and the financial management of the overall portfolio within the Desjardins Group Pension Plan (DGPP) division. Frédérick Castonguay serves as Chief Investment Officer of the DGPP) where he is responsible for setting the investment direction and overseeing the implementation and monitoring of investment strategies for a portfolio exceeding $24 billion, diversified across multiple asset classes. The DGPP is the 6th largest private pension plan in Canada, with nearly 90,000 plan members. With nearly 30 years of experience in institutional finance and leadership, Frédérick  Castonguay joined the DGPP from Ardian, where he previously served as Managing Director, Investor Relations, and was also responsible for leading the firm’s Montréal office. Throughout his career, he has held several senior strategic roles within leading organizations, including  Chief Investment Officer at Blue Bridge, Senior Investment Manager, Pension Funds at Rio  Tinto, and Director, Pension Fund Investments at Abitibi-Consolidated. His diverse professional background, deep knowledge of institutional financial markets, and strategic vision are significant assets for the DGPP, particularly in a context where rigorous  asset management and long-term value creation are central to the plan’s mission. Frédérick Castonguay holds a degree from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Jane is the Chief Executive Officer of Martlet Asset Management and serves as Chairwoman of the SBAI, a global alliance of alternative investment managers and institutional investors dedicated to enhancing the alternative investment industry. Prior to founding Martlet in 2018, she co-founded and led PAAMCO, an institutional fund of hedge funds. Under Jane’s

leadership, the firm merged with Prisma to form PAAMCO Prisma Holdings. When Jane retired from the firm in 2018, it had over $32 billion in AUM.

Jane began her career at J.P. Morgan Investment Management in the Capital Markets Group, where she was trained in quantitative fixed income portfolio management. She previously served as a member of the Management Committee for the FDP Institute, a

nonprofit organization focused on digital transformation in the asset management industry. She has also served as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Jane served as Chairwoman of the Board for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Master of Financial Engineering Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management.

In 2020 and 2021, Barron’s named Jane one of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance, and she was inducted into the InvestHedge Hall of Fame in 2015. Jane holds both a PhD and an MA in Business Economics (Finance) from Harvard University and earned a BA in Economics from Yale University.

François Rivard is President and Chief Executive Officer of Innocap Investment Management Inc., a global platform specializing in managed accounts and alternative investment solutions for institutional investors.

Before joining Innocap, François Rivard served as Director within the Financial Group of National Bank of Canada, one of Innocap’s parent companies. In that role, he oversaw the engineering, structuring, and distribution of derivative products. Under his leadership, the group was repeatedly recognized by the industry for its innovation, product quality, and contributions to the development of the derivatives sector.

With over 16 years of experience in the financial industry, he has held various leadership positions in Toronto, Montreal, and London, spanning both capital markets and wealth management. This diverse international background gives him a deep understanding of global institutional investment dynamics.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bishop’s University and an MBA from Ashridge Business School (City University of London). His career reflects a strong blend of technical expertise, strategic leadership, and a commitment to innovation in asset management.

William (Bill) J. Kelly, CAIA is the Founder and Managing Member of Educational Alpha, LLC where he writes, podcasts, and speaks on a variety of investment-related topics. 

Bill is also the Chairman and lead independent director for the Boston Partners Trust Company and serves as an independent director for the Artisan Partners Funds, where he is Chair of Audit Committee and a designated Audit Committee Financial Expert. 

He holds similar roles as an independent director for other fund offerings, and is also currently a Senior Advisor for Star Mountain Capital and an Advisory Board member for the Certified Investment Fund Director Institute within the IOB (Dublin). 

Previously Bill was CEO of CAIA Association from 2014 until his retirement in 2024. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Boston Partners Asset Management and began his career as an accountant with PwC where he earned his CPA (inactive).