For any awards, carrying out fair, consistent, and accurate judging is key to ensuring the true winners are recognized. To deliver this, we have assembled a diverse and unbiased judging panel of experts. The judges are assigned categories which reflect their expertise and are asked to recuse themselves from voting in any category in which there is a conflict of interest
All Judges are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement for the purpose of preventing the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. This includes the sharing of the information contained within the submission forms with any third parties and communicating with shortlisted nominees in any way.
Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies & Assets (CAASA)
About James Burron
James co-founded CAASA in response to industry support for a Canadian alternatives association to serve all aspects including: hedge / alternative strategies; liquid alternatives; 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, organized 100+ committee meetings, and increase member numbers over his 7-year tenue from 66 to 164 corporate entities. CAASA currently has more than 350 members.
James currently sits on the Canadian Investment Funds Standards Committee (CIFSC), which categorizes mutual funds and alternative mutual funds (aka liquid alternatives) for the retail space in Canada. He is also called upon by membership and industry groups to speak to risk ratings and portfolio placement of all types of alternative investments.
James also has experience in research and writing for the CAIA Association (holding the designation since 2006) as well as serving on CAIA’s exam council and as a well as other duties. He had roles in institutional sales and FoHF structuring in Seoul, South Korea, as a Product Manager at ICICI Wealth Management, and as an Investment Advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. James graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BBA (Finance).
Executive DirectorFederation of Independent Dealers
About Matthew Latimer
Matthew Latimer serves as Executive Director of the Federation of Independent Dealers, bringing nineteen years of expertise in the financial services sector. In this leadership role, he spearheads initiatives, events, and advocates for member firms. Matthew’s work centers on addressing the evolving needs of securities and mutual fund dealerships and their advisors—navigating the regulatory landscape, coordinating diverse stakeholder interests, and offering solutions to mitigate cost pressures.
With a career encompassing diverse dimensions of the financial services industry, Matthew blends foresight with hands-on expertise to champion the interests of independent dealers. His dedication to continuous professional development ensures he remains at the forefront of an ever-evolving sector.
Matthew serves as a board member of the United for Literacy Foundation, supporting initiatives that empower through education, and actively raises funds for canine rescue and shelter programs.
Dr. Ranjan Bhaduri is the Founder & CEO of Bodhi Research Group, which is an independent firm that conducts advisory and consulting to Family Offices, Pensions, and other allocators. Bodhi Research Group also is active in the education of alternative investments. Bodhi Research Group has served eleven Canadian pensions, and has had clients in five of the seven continents.
Dr. Bhaduri is recognized globally as an authority in alternative investments. He has over twenty years of experience including serving on an investment committee at Morgan Stanley where he conducted investment due diligence and helped construct customized portfolios of alternative investments. Dr. Bhaduri has held an Advisory position at the East-West Center, a leading think tank on the Asia-Pacific Region. He has lectured on derivatives for the Montreal Exchange, and been invited by the CME to be part of a special delegation that met with regulators in Beijing and Taipei to discuss hedge fund issues. Dr. Bhaduri has guest lectured on mathematics and finance at several universities, spoken in industry conferences globally, and published many papers. Dr. Bhaduri has previously served on the AIMA Canada Board of Directors, and is currently a CAIA Canada Executive. Dr. Bhaduri holds both the CFA and CAIA charters.
President & Chief Executive Officer | Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC)
Laura Paglia has decades of specialized experience providing legal representation and advice to a broad range of participants in the financial services and capital markets industries. These include Canadian and foreign banks, insurance companies, underwriters, investment dealers, carrying brokers, exempt market dealers, and various public issuers such as investment fund managers.
Laura has also represented and advised a variety of individual professionals such as Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Executive Officers and Ultimate Designated Persons, research analysts, investment bankers, institutional traders, portfolio managers, investment and mutual fund advisors, and Boards of Directors and/or their Special Committees.
Laura is a frequent speaker and writer on topical and emerging industry issues.
Laura was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1997. She obtained a LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1994 and an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2014.
Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies & Assets (CAASA)
About Paul Koonar
Paul Koonar is a Partner at the Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies & Assets (CAASA), where he oversees day-to-day operations, member engagement, and overall strategy for Canada’s cross-alternative investment community. In his role, Paul works closely with institutional investors, asset managers, family offices, founders, and service providers to design and deliver high-impact programming that advances best practices, fosters connection, and supports market development across hedge and alternative strategies, private markets, digital assets, and emerging segments.
Before joining CAASA, Paul built experience in financial advising and client services, bringing a client-centric perspective to industry engagement. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Victoria and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2019, grounding his work in analytical rigor and investment discipline.
With a passion for strengthening the Canadian alternatives ecosystem, Paul leads initiatives that connect members through curated events, thought leadership forums, and strategic networks, helping to amplify Canada’s role in the global alternatives landscape.
Dr. Daniel Richards is an Associate Professor in Financial Planning at York University, where he teaches courses in personal finance and financial planning. With a research focus on financial advice and behavioural finance, his work explores topics such as gender imbalances in the advice industry, ethics in advisor-client relationships, and the psychological factors that influence financial decision-making. Dr. Richards brings a global perspective to the classroom, having taught personal finance in Canada, the UK, and Australia, and is committed to helping students build strong, practical financial skills grounded in real-world understanding.
Eli Yufest is the Executive Director of the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA), where he leads advocacy, regulatory, and marketing initiatives to enhance the growth and competitiveness of Canada’s ETF market. In this role, he works closely with regulators, policymakers, asset managers, advisors, retail investors, and other industry stakeholders on issues related to investor protection, fair and competitive market outcomes and investor education.
Prior to CETFA, Eli held senior leadership roles in consulting and advisory firms, where he led large-scale research, analytics, and strategy engagements for institutional clients, governments and Fortune 500 companies. His work has informed investment and policy decisions across the financial services, healthcare, and consumer sectors, earning Canadian Marketing Association awards for excellence in impact and insight.
Eli is also a part-time university and college professor, teaching courses in business, marketing, and strategy, with a focus on applied analytics, marketing, and strategy.
As Head of Advocacy and Industry Insights, Glen is responsible for the development and execution of the RIA’s advocacy strategy and thought leadership priorities. He works with key stakeholders and investor networks in support of policy and advocacy initiatives. Additionally, he oversees the RIA’s key research projects with a focus on providing perspectives of the responsible investor.
Glen brings more than 20 years of capital markets experience having occupied roles in trading, equity research, compliance and responsible investing. Prior to joining the RIA, he spent over 18 years at an investment management firm, most recently as Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. In addition to overseeing the firm’s compliance program, Glen was responsible for the firm’s responsible investing initiatives. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a shared passion for the continued development of responsible investment.
Grant Hicks, CIM, is a Practice Management expert, author and is President of Advisor Practice Management a consulting firm for the financial industry. Grant has over 36 years of experience in practice management for financial advisors. He is a judge on the Wealth Professional awards for the last 4 years, and has a unique view of the financial industry. He works with Financial Advisor teams and Portfolio Managers to grow and build equity in their practice. Grant is dedicated to sharing the strategies that drive sustainable growth in the modern financial era.
Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
About Maryam Idroos
Maryam is the Associate Director of Membership and Events for AIMA Canada, where she leads member engagement and event programming across the region. She joined AIMA in January 2020 as an Events and Membership Associate and was later promoted to Manager before taking on her current role.
Maryam holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), where she majored in Law and Business. Prior to AIMA, she worked on the frontlines of Fraud Management at Scotiabank and provided Investor Relations administration services to hedge funds and private equity clients at Citco.
She is deeply passionate about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is a strong advocate for young professional engagement within the alternative investment industry.
Michael Cooke is a highly accomplished investment professional with a proven record of achievement and an extensive knowledge of Exchange Traded Funds, Derivative Solutions and Alternative Investments. Most recently, he created and led the sixth largest ETF provider in Canada with $13 billion in AUM and 47 Canadian-listed ETFs covering traditional index, strategic beta and active investment strategies for institutional and retail investors. Previously, Michael held leadership roles in asset management and capital markets at several global financial institutions including Invesco Canada, HSBC Bank USA and Fidelity Investments.
Michael also serves as Chair of the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA) which represents more than 90% of ETF assets under management in Canada. CETFA's mandate is to support the growth, sustainability and integrity of the Canadian ETF industry via education, advocacy and leadership.
Michael earned an Honours Degree in Political Studies from Queen's University and has received multiple credentials from the Canadian Securities Institute. He was born, raised and lives in Toronto with his family.
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