ACG Atlantic Network Event

Charles is a CPA, CA with extensive experience in corporate finance and the development of high-growth companies. Charles has successfully led mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and private and public capital raises. He has served in a number of finance and corporate leadership roles developing and executing growth strategies, with private and public companies and family offices across Canada.  Charles holds a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Mary’s University and is a member of CPA Canada and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia.

Rob is President of SeaFort Capital, a private equity firm based in Halifax. Prior to co-founding SeaFort in May 2012, he was President and CEO of Clarke Inc., a TSX-listed investment company. Rob previously practiced law in the Toronto office of Skadden, Arps, where he specialized in corporate finance and M&A. Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Scholar's Electives) from Western University, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and a Law degree from the University of Toronto. He is admitted to the practice of law in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New York. He has served as a director of several TSX-listed companies and not for profit entities and currently serves as Chair of the Wallace McCain Institute.

Michael is the Managing Partner of Founders East. For the past seven years, he’s been the CEO of HanMac Capital, the Hansen-MacDonald’s family office, overseeing investments across multiple asset classes. Prior to creating the family office, he was the Vice President Finance of a global consumer packaged goods company’s Continental European operations.

Most of his career has been in global roles, spanning operating and corporate positions, mergers and acquisitions, business integrations, ERP implementations, debt financing, foreign exchange, and interest rate management. He’s been a director of numerous privately held businesses throughout North America and Europe. Michael earned graduate and undergraduate degrees in business administration, furthered with advanced studies in business valuation and treasury.

Based in Halifax, Paul first joined BDC in 2006 as an Account Manager working with small businesses, after ten years of commercial banking experience with one of Canada’s largest charter banks.  In 2017, he joined BDC Capital’s Growth & Transition team focusing on investments in companies relating to Growth Capital, Leveraged Management Buy Outs and Acquisitions.  Prior to joining BDC, Paul’s previous lending experience included working specifically with knowledge-based industry companies across Atlantic Canada, as well as three years in the Credit Union network.  He has an additional seven years of business development, tech recruiting, and corporate partnership experience, across five different technology companies. Paul has served on the board of a local animal shelter in Halifax and a Nova Scotia technology industry association. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University

Based in Halifax, Andrew is a Senior Manager, Leveraged Finance with CIBC. CIBC’s Leveraged Finance Group is a specialty lending team within CIBC’s Commercial Bank focused on event based financing that typically relies on a company’s cash flow or enterprise value.

Through CIBC Leveraged Finance, Andrew works with mid-market companies across Canada and the US that are either owned by private equity firms, or are undergoing an event that requires senior debt and/or mezzanine debt.

Prior to joining CIBC Leveraged Finance in Halifax, Andrew spent 8 years with CIBC in Toronto holding progressive individual contributor and team leadership roles across the CIBC Commercial Banking’s Independent Business, Mid-Market, and Cross Border businesses.

Andrew holds a BBA in Marketing from Acadia University where he was a member of the men’s football team. He also holds an MBA in Finance from the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University. Additionally, Andrew serves on the Board as Treasurer and Trustee for the WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for the Early Years.

Dale is a Senior Investor at the Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF). Dale has 20 years of experience in private equity and has invested $750 million in over 50 companies. His investments have ranged from early-stage companies to large growing enterprises with thousands of employees.

Prior to CBGF, Dale worked at BMO Capital Partners, CAI Capital Management, and Working Ventures. He received an MBA from Schulich School of Business, a BA Economics (Honours) and a Diploma of Engineering from the University of Prince Edward Island, and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Shane McAdam is a Vice President, Business Development with Kilmer Group, responsible for originating and analyzing acquisition opportunities that align with Kilmer’s investment philosophy.

Shane joined Kilmer from Capitalize for Kids, a kids’ mental health not-for-profit, where he was Director of Business Development, leading all revenue-generating activities for the organization. Prior to Capitalize for Kids, Shane was part of a mid-market private equity firm where he led the sourcing and origination of Canadian investment opportunities. Before entering the private equity industry, Shane spent six years in banking with BMO Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets.

Shane holds a BA in Economics and History from the College of the Holy Cross where he was a member of the men’s ice hockey team. He also holds an MBA from Ivey Business School and is a CFA charterholder. Shane is a member of ACG Toronto’s Membership Committee and Deal Source North Committee. He is active with a number of charitable organizations including Movember, where he is a member of the Movember Mavericks hockey team and has opened the TSX on behalf of Movember. Shane also serves on the Leadership Development Advisory Council with Capitalize for Kids.

Scott is a Business Development Associate at Banyan where he is responsible for originating new platform and tuck-in investment opportunities and managing the firm’s relationships with business owners, advisors and key deal flow sources across Canada and the US. Prior to joining Banyan in 2019, Scott worked in commercial real estate sales at Avison Young and M&A transaction services at Deloitte. Founded in 1998 and under current management since 2008, Banyan is a long-term, evergreen private equity fund with the ability to hold their investments indefinitely. They seek to invest between $10 and $50 million of equity per transaction in companies with culturally compatible operating partners, strong free cash flow profiles and sustainable competitive advantages. Banyan currently manages a portfolio of six businesses comprising $300 million of assets under management and is currently investing out of a $216 million committed capital fund.

Christine works with her clients on transactions of all sizes, domestic and international, and their day-to-day corporate and commercial needs. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, banking and financing, corporate governance and infrastructure projects. Christine has a depth of experience leading teams and managing projects and is known for her practical approach