Our people
Intellectual honesty and rigor are at the foundation of all we do
Our strategy is reinforced by our distinctive culture. This requires a collective focus, guided by our values.
We are inspired by excellence
We seek excellence in everything we do, through attention to detail, innovation, and continuous improvement.
We embrace teamwork
We collaborate and cooperate in a shared commitment to successful results.
We are caring and inclusive
We strive for a respectful, open, and diverse work environment.
We act with integrity
We conduct ourselves with the highest standards of behavior and ethics, focused on always doing what is right.
Andrew Sheiner
Andrew Sheiner
Andrew founded Altas Partners in 2012. Andrew established the firm following a 17-year career with Onex Corporation where, as a Managing Director, he co-led the establishment of the firm’s large cap private equity platform in 2001 and oversaw its other investing platforms, including ONCAP.
Prior to joining Onex in 1995, Andrew worked at McKinsey & Company and a private family business. Andrew is or has served as a Board member or Trustee of The Hospital for Sick Children, Hot Docs, the York School, Urban Squash Toronto, and Harvard Business School’s Canadian Advisory Board.
Education
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics from McGill University (First in Class) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Scott Werry
Scott Werry
Scott was a founding partner of Altas. Prior to joining Altas, Scott worked at Providence Equity Partners in New York where he was focused on sourcing, evaluating, and executing private equity investment opportunities across a variety of sectors.
Prior to Providence, Scott worked at McColl Partners, an investment banking firm founded by Hugh McColl, where he advised corporations and large family-owned businesses in merger, acquisition, and financing transactions. Scott serves on the Global Leadership Council at the University of North Carolina.
Education
Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Christopher McElhone
Christopher McElhone
Chris was a founding partner of Altas. Prior to joining Altas, Chris was Director, Business Transformation at Husky Injection Molding Systems, the world’s leading supplier of plastic injection molding equipment and services for beverage packaging, overseeing global growth and cost improvement initiatives. Chris joined Husky from Onex Corporation, where he led the operational improvement due diligence associated with the acquisition of Husky in 2007.
Prior to joining Onex, Chris worked in the merchant banking group within CIBC World Markets (joined in 2001)where he focused on equity co-investments, mezzanine debt loans, bridge loans, and other transactions spanning a diverse range of industries.
Education
Chris completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard University and the Honours Bachelor of Business Administration program with a minor in Mathematics at Wilfrid Laurier University (with High Distinction).
Kathleen Taylor
Kathleen Taylor
Kathleen Taylor is an experienced international business leader and corporate director in the public and private sectors. Based in Toronto, Canada, she is well recognized for her leadership and governance skills, and for her multifaceted business expertise across various industries and geographies.
Ms. Taylor is Chair of Altas Partners, a private equity investment firm with approximately $10 billion under management, owner of numerous market-leading companies across North America. She is also the Vice-Chair of The Adecco Group (Zurich), a world leading talent solutions and advisory company, and serves as a director of Air Canada (Montreal), Canada’s largest air carrier. She is also on the board of Mattamy Asset Management (Toronto), North America’s largest private housing developer and is the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Cabot Collection, a developer and operator of golf resorts and residential properties.
Ms. Taylor recently served as the Chair of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada (a director from 2001 and Chair from 2014 to 2023) helping to oversee a period of significant growth and international expansion for the bank. Prior to this role, Ms. Taylor was the President and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where she was instrumental in building Four Seasons’ global portfolio and international brand over almost 24 years with the company.
A champion of women and children, Ms. Taylor is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children and the Immediate Past Chair and a member of the Board of Directors of the SickKids Foundation. She is also a Founding Visionary and Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee of The Prosperity Project, a national not-for-profit devoted to the advancement of women in leadership and the economy.
Ms. Taylor is a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s National Council, Co-Chair of their Human Capital Policy Council, and a member of the Task Force on the Digital Economy. She is also the Chancellor of York University and serves on the Dean’s Global Advisory Council of the Schulich School of Business.
Among Ms. Taylor’s many accolades for business achievement are: Member of the Order of Canada; inductee into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends; member of WXN’s Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame; recipient of the Schulich School of Business Award for Outstanding Executive Leadership; recipient of the inaugural Medal for Career Achievement from the Hennick Centre for Business and Law; and recipient of the Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award.
Education
Ms. Taylor holds an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Toronto, McGill University, York University and Trent University; an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University; and an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Huron University College.
Paul Nicoletti
Paul Nicoletti
Prior to joining Altas, Paul was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Celestica Inc., a NYSE/TSX-listed company with approximately $6 billion in revenues and 30,000employees across North America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Paul was one of Celestica’s founding executives. He worked closely on the corporate carve-out of Celestica in 1996 when it was a subsidiary of IBM, and its subsequent development into a global leader in outsourced electronics manufacturing and supply chain management. During his career at Celestica, Paul held numerous executive leadership positions. As Chief Financial Officer for six years, Paul also led the company’s strategy and M&A functions.
Paul has completed the Leadership Best Practices program at Harvard University and the G100 Next Generation Leadership Program. Paul is or has served as a Board member of Outward Bound Canada (Chair of the Finance Committee), co-led an annual fundraising initiative for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society, and served on the Audit, Finance, and Risk Committee of Habitat for Humanity Toronto.
Education
Paul holds a Bachelor of Administrative and Commercial Studies from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business (with Honours). Paul has completed the Leadership Best Practices program at Harvard University and theG100 Next Generation Leadership Program.
David Brent
David Brent
Prior to joining Altas, David worked at Apollo Global Management in London and New York, where he focused on sourcing, evaluating, and executing private equity investment opportunities across a variety of industries. David began his career in the Leveraged Finance group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Education
David holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (with Distinction).
Damon Conway
Damon Conway
Prior to joining Altas, Damon worked at Mill Road Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he focused on private equity and public equity investments, and at Onex Corporation in Toronto, where he was actively involved with the acquisition and subsequent ownership of Husky Injection Molding Systems. Damon began his career in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at CIBC World Markets.
Education
Damon holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (with distinction).
Lisa Dymond
Lisa Dymond
Prior to joining Altas, Lisa spent 14 years with the Boston Consulting Group. Most recently, Lisa led the end-to-end talent strategy and operations for the firm’s Canadian practice, and she previously served in a variety of roles leading projects across a range of industries, counselling clients globally, and developing thought leadership on issues related to talent and organization. Lisa began her career in public opinion and market research at Pollara Strategic Insights.
Education
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Carleton University (Dean’s List) and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business (Dean’s List, Valedictorian).
Paul Emery
Paul Emery
Prior to joining Altas, Paul worked at Hellman & Friedman in New York, identifying, evaluating, and executing investment opportunities across a variety of industries, with a focus on healthcare and financial services. Paul began his career in the Global Power and Utilities Group at Morgan Stanley.
Education
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia (with Distinction) and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Arjay Miller Scholar).
Aryella Frommer
Aryella Frommer
Prior to joining Altas, Aryella spent 9 years with Trian Partners where she served in various investor relations and business development roles since 2012. Aryella was named Head of Investor Relations in 2015 and became a Partner of the Firm in 2018. Aryella led Trian’s investor relations, business development and client service efforts, globally. Aryella was also a member of Trian’s ESG Working Group and its Risk and Compliance Oversight Committee. Prior to joining Trian, Aryella served as a sales and relationship management associate at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and was a Sales Strategy and Business Development Analyst at Neuberger Berman. Aryella began her career as an analyst with Lehman Brothers Holdings in their Investment Management Division.
Education
Aryella holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Barnard College of Columbia University (with Distinction, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa).
Michael Korzinstone
Michael Korzinstone
Prior to joining Altas, Michael worked at Cinven in New York where he was a founding member of the North American investment team and led sector origination in technology and tech-enabled business services. Previously he was with Silver Lake for ten years in New York and London, identifying, evaluating, and executing investment opportunities across the technology, technology-enabled, and information services sectors.
Education
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with dual concentrations in Finance and Accounting.
Alisha Adam
Alisha Adam
Prior to joining Altas, Alisha worked at Uber, where she focused on strategy and operations for the company’s rideshare and food delivery businesses across Canada, and at McKinsey & Company, where she was involved in digital transformation and advanced analytics projects across a range of industries.
Education
Alisha holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (with Distinction, Sterling Award) and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University.
Aza
Aza
Prior to joining Altas, Aza worked in the Investment Banking Division at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto, where she was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions for clients in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.
Education
Aza holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University (with Distinction).
Julie Barac
Julie Barac
Prior to joining Altas, Julie was a Manager in EY's People Advisory Practice. She advised clients across both private and public sectors on their HR function, including operating model strategy, service delivery design, process improvement initiatives, and digital transformation.
Education
Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University (Dean’s List). Julie also holds a Certified Human Resources Professional designation, a Project Management Professional certification, and a certificate in Human Resources Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Brendan Beauregard
Brendan Beauregard
Prior to joining Altas, Brendan was a Senior Accountant in KPMG’s Financial Institutions and Real Estate Practice, focusing on audits of private equity, hedge funds, pension plans, and asset management clients.
Education
Brendan holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Ottawa (with Honours).
Nick Benseler
Nick Benseler
Prior to joining Altas, Nick worked in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in Toronto, where he was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions across a wide variety of industries.
Education
Nick holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from McGill University (Dean’s Honour List).
Michael Casson
Michael Casson
Prior to joining Altas, Michael worked at Bain Capital in Sydney, Australia. While at Bain Capital he focused on private equity investment opportunities across a variety of sectors and worked closely with portfolio company management teams. Previously, he worked at Bain & Company in Toronto where he worked on both commercial due diligence and corporate strategy projects.
Education
Michael holds an A.B. in Physics from Harvard College (cum laude) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (High Distinction).
Vidur Chandra
Vidur Chandra
Prior to joining Altas, Vidur worked at Shell in Canada and India, where he worked on the Operations Analytics team focusing on optimizing operations and benchmarking performance by integrating data across business functions.
Education
Vidur holds a Bachelor of Engineering specializing in Oil and Gas from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies and a Masters in Business Analytics from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.
Chevonne Cloutier
Chevonne Cloutier
Prior to joining Altas, Chevonne was a Financial Analyst at Bosch Canada where she worked directly with the division’s controller to support all financial reporting needs.
Education
Chevonne holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University (with Honours) and a Chartered Professional Accountant Designation.
Stefana Cosofret
Stefana Cosofret
Prior to joining Altas, Stefana worked at Whitehorse Liquidity Partners, where she evaluated investment opportunities in the secondaries space. Stefana began her career in the Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto.
Education
Stefana holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours).
Keira Crook
Keira Crook
Prior to joining Altas, Keira worked at Girlboss, a modern media company, where she focused on building the company’s finance and operational processes. Keira began her career in the Investment Banking Division at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto, where she was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions for clients in various consumer and industrial sectors.
Education
Keira holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours).
Hannah Currie
Hannah Currie
Prior to joining Altas, Hannah held senior human resources leadership roles at Shopify and Canada Post, where she focused on talent strategy, deployment, and advisory support.
Education
Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (with Honours) and a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University.
Adrienne Danson
Adrienne Danson
Prior to joining Altas, Adrienne worked at Advent International where she focused on private equity investments in the technology sector. Previously, Adrienne was an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs.
Education
Adrienne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Business Administration from University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business (with Distinction).
Jessica Delfino
Jessica Delfino
Prior to joining Altas, Jessica worked at Arsenal Capital Partners in New York. At Arsenal, Jessica focused on investment opportunities in the specialty industrials sector and served on the board of directors of multiple portfolio companies. Jessica began her career in the Chemicals Investment Banking group at Deutsche Bank in Toronto and New York.
Education
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University (Great Distinction) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (George F Baker Scholar).
Josiah Derksen
Josiah Derksen
Prior to joining Altas, Josiah worked in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley in Toronto, where he was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions across a wide variety of industries.
Education
Josiah holds a Bachelor of Commerce in the Honours Investment Management program with a Concentration in Accounting from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University (First Degree Honour).
Judy Dong
Judy Dong
Prior to joining Altas, Judy worked in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in New York, where she was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions for clients in the healthcare sector.
Education
Judy holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance from the University of Waterloo (Dean’s Honour List).
Daniel Farewell
Daniel Farewell
Daniel joined Altas following graduation from law school. Previously, Daniel worked at Bain & Company in both Toronto and London, where he was involved in private equity diligences and corporate strategy projects across various sectors.
Education
Daniel holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queens University (First Class Honours) and a J.D. from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude, Sears Prize).
Isaac Fisher-Jhirad
Isaac Fisher-Jhirad
Prior to joining Altas, Isaac worked in the Investment Banking Division at Barclays in Toronto, where he was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions across a variety of sectors.
Education
Isaac holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University (with High Distinction, Gold Medalist).
Jeremy Gooden
Jeremy Gooden
Prior to joining Altas on secondment, Jeremy worked at Boston Consulting Group, where he focused on strategy and sustainability in consumer and industrial goods sectors and was involved in growth and cost optimization projects across a range of industries.
Education
Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University (First Class Honours).
Emilie Granger
Emilie Granger
Prior to joining Altas, Emilie worked in the Restructuring Group at Houlihan Lokey in Los Angeles, where she was involved in executing liability management, in-court and out-of-court restructuring transactions across a variety of sectors.
Education
Emilie holds a Bachelor of Commerce in the Honours Investment Management program from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University (First Degree Honour, Dean’s Honour List).
Jack Hansen
Jack Hansen
Prior to joining Altas, Jack worked at Berkshire Partners. At Berkshire, Jack evaluated investment opportunities across a wide range of sectors and had various portfolio company responsibilities. Before joining Berkshire, Jack worked at Bain & Company in Toronto, where he was involved in a number of private equity diligences and corporate strategy projects.
Education
Jack holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business (Ivey Scholar, Concurrent Gold Medalist) and a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario (with Distinction).
Angelo Ibrahim
Angelo Ibrahim
Prior to joining Altas, Angelo worked at Oliver Wyman in Toronto, where he was involved in a number of private equity diligences and value creation projects.
Education
Angelo holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (with Distinction).
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar
Prior to joining Altas, Akshay worked at Blackstone in New York and at TPG in San Francisco, focusing on investment opportunities across a wide variety of industries. Akshay began his career in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in New York.
Education
Akshay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business (Ivey Scholar, Gold Medalist) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Jenny Lu
Jenny Lu
Prior to joining Altas, Jenny worked in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in Toronto, where she was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions across a variety of sectors.
Education
Jenny holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (Honours).
Nick Mancini
Nick Mancini
Prior to joining Altas, Nick worked at TPG in San Francisco, where he evaluated investment opportunities across a variety of sectors. Nick began his career in the Technology Investment Banking group at Morgan Stanley in New York.
Education
Nick holds a Bachelor of Science with majors in Finance, Accounting, and Economics from Boston College (summa cum laude) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Hannah McGrath
Hannah McGrath
Prior to joining Altas, Hannah worked in Fundraising and Investor Relations at The Riverside Company in New York, where she was involved in the operational activities of raising capital and oversaw the client relationship management database.
Education
Hannah holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Finance from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia (Degree with Honours, Dean's Honour Roll).
Cameron McWatt
Cameron McWatt
Prior to joining Altas, Cameron worked in the Investment Banking Division at J.P. Morgan in New York, where he was involved in executing M&A transactions across a wide variety of sectors.
Education
Cameron holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours).
Alexandre Michaud
Alexandre Michaud
Prior to joining Altas, Alexandre worked in the Leveraged Finance Origination & Restructuring Group at Credit Suisse in New York, where he was involved in structuring and executing leveraged buyouts, dividend recapitalizations, and other debt financings across a variety of sectors.
Education
Alexandre holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University (with Distinction).
Tara Park
Tara Park
Prior to joining Altas, Tara worked at Boston Consulting Group in London, where she focused on strategy and performance improvement across a range of industries. Tara began her career in the Postwar & Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s in London.
Education
Tara holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Biomedical Science and Art History from McGill University (with Great Distinction), a Master of Letters in History of Modern and Contemporary Art from Christie’s, London and the University of Glasgow (with Merit), and an MBA from London Business School (with Distinction, Luxury and Retail Scholar).
Dharmesh Samji
Dharmesh Samji
Prior to joining Altas, Dharmesh was an Associate Director in BCE’s Corporate Strategy and M&A team, where he worked extensively to grow BCE’s hosting business into the largest co-location provider in Canada. Dharmesh also worked on a number of strategic initiatives with BCE’s Media and Mobility divisions. Dharmesh worked at Veritas Investment Research and Deloitte prior to joining BCE in 2009.
Education
Dharmesh holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University (with Distinction) and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario (Dean’s Honour List). Dharmesh also holds a Chartered Accountancy designation.
Michael Shay
Michael Shay
Prior to joining Altas, Michael worked at Scotiabank, where he supported an enterprise-wide transformation program, and at Bain & Company, where he led projects across private equity due diligence, corporate strategy, and performance improvement.
Education
Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Business Administration from University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business (with Distinction, Ivey Scholar), a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario (with Distinction), and an MBA from Northwestern University (with Distinction).
Ryan Thackston
Ryan Thackston
Prior to joining Altas, Ryan spent ten years in investor relations roles at Trian Partners and Blackstone where he focused on new business development and existing client coverage. Additionally, he served as a strategic advisor to Good Growth Capital, an emerging venture capital firm. He began his career as an Analyst and Associate in investment banking.
Education
Ryan holds Bachelor of Economics from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Finance from Tulane University.
Arasan Thangavelu
Arasan Thangavelu
Prior to joining Altas, Arasan worked in the Investment Banking Division at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto, where he was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions for clients in various consumer and industrial sectors.
Education
Arasan holds a Bachelor of Commerce in the Honours Investment Management program from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University (First Class Honours).
Arun Thiru
Arun Thiru
Prior to joining Altas, Arun worked at Deloitte’s Audit and Assurance practice, where he served clients across various sectors on M&A transactions and IPO readiness reviews.
Education
Arun holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours) and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
Kendra Whitlock
Kendra Whitlock
Prior to joining Altas, Kendra was a Senior Accountant in KPMG’s Financial Institutions and Real Estate Practice, focusing on audits of private equity and wealth management clients.
Education
Kendra holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Mathematics, and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Nathan Witteveen
Nathan Witteveen
Prior to joining Altas, Nathan worked in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in New York, where he was involved in executing M&A and capital markets transactions for clients in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.
Education
Nathan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours).
Hank Xu
Hank Xu
Prior to joining Altas, Hank worked at Clairvest Group in Toronto, where he evaluated investment opportunities across a variety of industries. Hank started his career in the Investment Banking Division at Credit Suisse in Toronto.
Education
Hank holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University (First Class Honours) and an MBA from INSEAD (with Distinction).
Andrew Hauptman
Andrew Hauptman is an American business executive, philanthropist, and civic leader and Chairman of Andell Holdings, a private investment firm and family office he controls with his wife, Ellen Bronfman Hauptman. Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment managers across the globe. Since co-founding the firm in 1998, Andrew has grown Andell into one of the leading family office entities in the nation.
Andrew currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Altas Partners and Pendulum Holdings and has been a director of numerous public and private companies, including BSN Sports, Dick Clark Productions, Koor Industries, Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Storage Mobility (PODS), and Canyon Ranch Holdings, amongst others. From 2007 to 2019, Andrew was the Owner and Chairman of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire Soccer Club. Under his leadership, the club experienced dramatic growth, expanding its global reach and increasing the franchise value more than eleven-fold. The Club was also consistently recognized for its deep community engagement and in 2019 received the ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award. Additionally, Andrew led a successful and complex multi-year effort to re-locate the team back to the city of Chicago and Soldier Field. In 2017, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
Andrew is deeply engaged across a host of philanthropic and civic initiatives. He is a Board Member of the Center for American Progress, the independent policy institute committed to improving the lives of Americans through bold progressive ideas and leadership. For more than twelve years, Andrew served as a National Trustee for City Year Inc., an education nonprofit that recruits young adults to serve as AmeriCorps members in public schools and was elected Charter Trustee in 2020. He also co-founded and led the effort to bring City Year to Los Angeles in 2007, where he served as Chairman for nine years and continues as Chair Emeritus. He serves on the Leadership Council of Service Year Alliance and is a Co-Chair of the organization’s “Serve America Together” campaign, which called on 2020 presidential candidates to make national service a priority – a topic about which he has authored many published op-eds. Andrew is also on the Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, the Leadership Council of International Medical Corps, and served as President of the Chicago Fire Foundation for twelve years, where he launched the award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. program now in 50 Chicago public schools. He co-founded and serves as Director of the Bronfman Hauptman Foundation, which is dedicated to social justice, advancements in education, and environmental protection, and supports many other philanthropic and civic causes. He is a co-founder and Trustee of the Charles Bronfman Prize, which recognizes young humanitarians whose work is grounded in their Jewish values and is of universal benefit to all people.
Earlier in his career, Andrew was a senior executive with Universal Studios in London and played a key role in the oversight of its international operations. He produced feature films through Andell Entertainment, including “State of Play,” starring Russell Crowe and “Millions,” directed by Danny Boyle. Andrew also worked in restructurings and mergers and acquisitions at Alex. Brown & Sons in New York.
Andrew holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
David Lawee
David Lawee is Founder and General Partner of Capital G. Previously, David was Google’s Vice President of Corporate Development, managing the company’s acquisitions and investments. Over David’s five-year tenure, Google acquired approximately 100 companies. Before that, as Google’s first Vice President of Marketing, David managed all of Google’s consumer, advertiser, and partner marketing globally.
Before joining Google, David was a founder of Xfire, a leading online gaming community, which was acquired by Viacom. Previously, David co-founded three other start-ups, including Mosaic Venture Partners, a leading Toronto-based venture capital firm. He also worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.
David holds degrees in law and philosophy from McGill University and the University of Western Ontario, respectively, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.
Dominic Barton
In addition to his role at Altas as an Advisory Board Member, Mr. Barton is the Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rio Tinto, Chairman of LeapFrog Investments, an impact-investment firm focused on emerging markets, and Senior Advisor and Partner at Radical Ventures, a leading AI investment firm.
Mr. Barton served as a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and served as Global Managing Partner for three terms from 2009 to 2018.
Dominic was previously Chair of the Board of Teck Resources, Chair of Standard Chartered Bank’s International Advisory Council, Chair of the Canadian Minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, Chair of the Seoul International Business Advisory Council, an Advisory Board Member of the Olayan Group, and a Non-Executive Director at the Singtel Group (Singapore) and Investor AB (Sweden).
He was a Senior Trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Singapore Economic Development Board’s International Advisory Council, and a member of the boards of Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
He is one of the founders of FCLT Global (Focusing Capital on the Long Term), has co-authored four books, including Talent Wins, published in 2018, and is also an Adjunct Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing.
Dominic holds a B.A. in Economics (with Honours) from the University of British Columbia and a MPhil in Economics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the recipient of eight honorary doctorates from the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Edinburgh, among others.
Joe Natale
Joe Natale is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest provider of wireless communications services and one of the country’s leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet, information technology, and telephony services. Prior to Rogers, Joe was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Telus Corporation, having held positions of increasing responsibility over twelve years.
Previously, Joe held senior leadership roles at KPMG Consulting, including Global Managing Director in consumer and industrial markets, Country Leader for Canada, and Managing Partner for Business Transformation Services. Joe joined KPMG Consulting after the company he founded, PNO Management Consultants Inc., was acquired by KPMG in 1997. He began his career at Accenture in 1987 in strategy and transformation services.
Joe is a member of the Board of Soulpepper Theatre Company and the Board of Trustees of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
John Francis
John Francis is the Managing Director of Fraser Kearney Capital Corp., an investment company that oversees the Francis family office. Before Fraser Kearney, he was President and CEO of Trader Media Corp., a classified media business he led for 16 years that was acquired by Yellow Pages Income Fund in 2006.
Prior to Trader Media, John was an Associate, Mergers and Acquisitions with Castle & Cooke Inc., a public company controlled by Pacific Holding Company, the private Los Angeles-based family office of David Murdock. Before moving to Los Angeles, he was an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions department at Goldman Sachs in New York.
John is a director of NSC Inc., OTI Lumionics, and NoNo Inc. In addition, he is a director and past chair of the SickKids Foundation and serves as chair of the investment committee for Rideau Hall Foundation. He works actively in the early-stage venture space, volunteering as a G7 Fellow at the Creative Destruction Lab, an accelerator that provides mentorship, capital, and networking to young entrepreneurs.
John is a graduate of University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School of Business (Honours Business Administration, with Distinction) and serves as a member of the School’s Advisory Board.
Robin Washington
Robin L. Washington is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Alphabet, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc., and Salesforce.com. She serves as chair of the leadership development and compensation committees for Alphabet, and as chair of the audit committee for Salesforce.com. Robin is also a member of the Presidents Council & Ross Business School Advisory Board at the University of Michigan; a member of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Board of Directors; and a trustee of the Financial Accounting Foundation.
Robin served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gilead Sciences, Inc., from 2008 to 2019, where she oversaw Global Finance, Facilities and Operations, Investor Relations, and the Information Technology organizations. Previously, Robin spent nearly 10 years at PeopleSoft., where she served in a number of executive finance positions, and two years as the Chief Financial Officer of Hyperion Solutions Inc., an enterprise software company that was sold to Oracle Corporation in 2007.
Robin is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Yves de Balmann
From 2002 to 2012, Yves was Co-Chairman of Bregal Investments, a global private equity firm that he built on behalf of the Brenninkmeijer Family. Bregal, which operates from offices in New York, London, Luxembourg, Jersey, and Calgary, invested more than $9 billion during Yves’ tenure with the firm.
Prior to Bregal, Yves was Co-Head of Deutsche Bank’s Global Investment Bank (GIB) and a member of the Board of the Bank’s Global Corporates and Institutions Division. In addition, Yves was Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown, the bank’s U.S.-based investment banking and retail brokerage business. As co-head of GIB, Yves also oversaw the firm’s private equity and venture capital investments.
Prior to its merger with Deutsche Bank in 1999, Yves was an executive at Bankers Trust, where he rose to the position of Vice Chairman of Bankers Trust Corporation, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of BT Alex. Brown, and Co-Head of Global Investment Banking. Yves’ banking career began in 1973 at Citibank, where he was Division Executive responsible for all aspects of Interest Rate and Currency Derivatives and Proprietary Trading in North America. Yves left Citibank in 1987 to run the Capital Markets business at E.F. Hutton, later named Shearson Lehman Hutton.
Yves is a director of Exelon Corporation (a NYSE-traded company), ESI (a Paris SE-traded company), and Conversant IP Management (where he is non-executive Chairman). He holds dual U.S. and French citizenship.
Yves earned an Engineering degree from the École Polytechnique in Paris and a Master of Science in Operations Research from Stanford.
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