Leadership

Jean-Guy Desjardins is Executive Chairman of the Board of Fiera Capital Corporation, an independent investment management firm that he created in 2003. The firm has since continued its expansion by way of several acquisitions across North America, Europe and Asia.

After working as a financial analyst and portfolio manager for a life insurance company, Mr. Desjardins co-founded TAL Global Asset Management in 1972 and was its principal shareholder until its purchase by a financial institution in 2001.

Mr. Desjardins is a member of the Board of Directors of the Société de Services Financiers Fonds FMOQ, HEC Montréal, DJM Capital Inc. and the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research.

Mr. Desjardins also supports a variety of community and social programs, in particular as a member of the Council of Governors of Centraide of Greater Montréal. Additionally, he sits on the Investment Committee of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

Mr. Desjardins graduated from Collège Mont-Saint-Louis in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts. In 1969, he earned his L.Sc.Comm. (Finance) from HEC Montréal. Mr. Desjardins is also a CFA Charterholder. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2014 and, in 2015, received the CFA Institute Award for Excellence, the highest and most prestigious distinction bestowed by the CFA Institute.

Jean-Philippe Lemay is Global President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Capital. In this role, Jean-Philippe ensures the planning and implementation of the organization’s strategic vision and direction. Since he joined Fiera in 2012, Jean-Philippe has been instrumental in the successful realization of Fiera Capital’s global vision and truly embodies the firm’s core values.

Jean-Philippe previously held various executive roles of increasing responsibility at Fiera Capital, including that of Global President and Chief Operating Officer, during which time he successfully led Public Markets and Global Distribution activities, while also managing the operational side of the firm. He was previously responsible for Fiera Capital’s Canadian division.

Jean-Philippe has over 20 years of experience in the investment industry. Before joining Fiera Capital, he was Vice President, Liability-Driven Investment at Natcan, which was acquired by Fiera Capital in 2012. His previous experience also includes investment roles at Standard Life Investments and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Jean-Philippe has a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from Laval University with a major in Actuarial Science and a Master in Financial Mathematics (M.Sc.) from Stanford University. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and also has been certified CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investments Analyst).

Involved in the community, Jean-Philippe is co-chair of the fundraising campaign cabinet for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, as well as chairman of the board of directors of the Place des Arts Foundation.

Mr. John Valentini is President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiera Private Alternative Investments.

In his role, he oversees Fiera Capital’s alternative strategies platform, which includes real estate core and value-add, real estate financing, infrastructure, agriculture, private equity and private debt.

Mr. Valentini has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in managing both public and private organizations, including in the area of investment management. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, he held the positions of Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at PSP Investment Inc., Chief Financial Officer at BCE Emergis and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cognicase Inc., as well as senior positions in Corporate Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Caisse de depot and placement du Quebec and Ernst & Young.

Mr. Valentini holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Great Distinction) and Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy from McGill University and is an Advanced Management Program Graduate of Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. He also holds the following professional designations: Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator, and Accredited Senior Appraiser. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Michael Quigley leads Fiera Capital’s Global Institutional Distribution activities across all investment platforms.

Michael has a deep understanding of the institutional business environment and an extensive knowledge of both traditional and alternative asset classes. He brings more than 30 years of investment management industry experience having achieved great success with asset management firms of varying sizes in Canada, the United States and Europe, and has developed and established a very strong network with pension plans, foundations, endowments and investment consultants. Under his leadership our teams of professionals focus on advancing the evolution of distribution practices while continuing to enhance the depth, value and sophistication of investor interactions.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke and is a holder of the CFA and CAIA designations.

Peter Stock is Executive Vice President and Head of Global Private Wealth. Prior to his June 17, 2020 appointment, Peter was the Executive Vice President of Strategic Development. He has over 38 years of financial services industry experience in the United States, Canada, and South East Asia. Peter has extensive experience with private wealth and institutional clients in the areas of investment management, marketing, sales and client services.

Peter’s earlier experience includes working at TAL Investment Counsel as Managing Director of the Hong Kong office and prior to that as Vice President of Institutional Sales and Marketing in Vancouver, British Columbia.

From 1982 to 1992, Peter worked in New York as a Senior Vice President for Dean Witter Reynolds and Lehman Brothers in Institutional Equity Sales. In 1978, he began his career as an Account Executive with A.E. Ames & Co in Toronto.

Peter graduated with a degree in History and Politics from Trent University, Ontario in 1977.

Lucas Pontillo is Fiera Capital’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Financial Officer. As a member of the Global Executive Management Committee, he leads Fiera Capital’s finance function and drives core initiatives to advance the Firm’s strategic plan.

Before joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Pontillo was Chief Operating Officer for Manulife Asset Management Canada, where he was responsible for delivering on the corporate strategy through leadership and collaboration. Most notably, while CFO of Manulife’s Global Asset Management business, with over $400 billion in AUM, he played a key role in the acquisition of Standard Life Investments Canada, and its subsequent integration, including being a member of the Manuvie Quebec Executive Leadership Team. While based in Hong Kong with Manulife, he served as CFO of the asset management business and investment division across the Asia region.

Prior to his time at Manulife, Mr. Pontillo was Senior Underwriting Officer at Chubb Insurance specializing in Representations & Warranties insurance for M&A transactions, Fiduciary and Directors & Officers liability most notably for companies undergoing corporate restructurings, IPO’s and income trust conversions. Mr. Pontillo began his career with KPMG and was a member of their Financial Institutions & Real Estate practice.

Mr. Pontillo is a member of the Board of Directors of the Portfolio Management Association of Canada (PMAC) and co-chairs their Emerging Trends Committee. He is also a Board member of the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto (AST).

He also has a Master’s Of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management, a Master’s of Science in Global Finance (MSGF) jointly awarded by the New York University – Leonard N. Stern School of Business and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – School of Business and Management, and a Bachelor’s of Commerce (B.Comm) in Accounting & Finance from Concordia University.

Before joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Castiglio was a partner at the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP where he practiced business law for over 15 years, more specifically mergers and acquisitions, securities law and corporate governance.

Mr. Castiglio sits on the Board of Directors of BMTC Group Inc. (TSX: GBT) and is also chair of its investment committee.

Mr. Castiglio earned his law degree from University of Montreal and completed common law studies at Osgoode Hall Law School. He is a member of the Quebec Bar.

Sebastian Blandizzi is Global Chief Technology and Operations Officer at Fiera Capital and a member of the Global Executive Management Committee. In this role, Sebastian is responsible for overseeing the global operations and technology functions of the firm, including Investment Analytics, Cybersecurity, Data Management, and Client Experience. He leads our Strategic Transformation program, driving regional back office integration and the digital transformation ambitions of the firm.  

Sebastian has more than 20 years of experience in strategic roles related to IT and operations. Prior to joining Fiera Capital, Mr. Blandizzi founded a consulting firm specializing in technological change and organizational transformation strategies with a focus on increasing business efficiency and profitability. Previously, Mr. Blandizzi was CIO, SVP & Head of Global Solutions Delivery for the Investments and Corporate Group Divisions at Manulife Financial, having direct accountability for all global systems and services supporting Manulife’s operations across North America, UK and Asia. One of his noteworthy achievements during his time at Manulife was the creation of LoFT (Lab of Forward Thinking), a globally branded network of development labs focused on driving innovation and accelerated solution delivery. Sebastian also directed Manulife Financial’s enterprise data and analytics strategy and was responsible for aligning the company’s divisions to a common framework and technological infrastructure.

Mr. Blandizzi started his career at State Street, spending over 13 years in various roles and was Vice President and Head of Global Technology Services prior to joining Manulife in 2010.

For almost 30 years, Lyne Lamothe has been an enthusiastic advocate for purpose-driven HR. With a strong focus on the power of engaging communications, she thrives to find a true balance between talent and value creation for businesses. An established executive, she has led many companies through critical times of organizational transformation, including mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Lamothe avidly navigates change management strategies to ensure business growth, while maintaining an exceptional employee culture. Most recently as Chief Talent Officer at Le Cirque du Soleil, she worked within the executive team in charge of closing the sale of the company to the new owners. Previously, as Vice President, Human Capital at La Presse, she led a cultural and organizational transformation enabling the organization to implement a new digital model. Her other work experiences include executive HR positions at Saputo, Liz Claiborn and Nestlé. Ms. Lamothe has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations of the University of Montreal and holds the CRIA designation.