CDSPI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice - President
- Vice President of Technology and Digital Solutions
Amir Jafri is the Vice President of Technology and Digital Solutions and has over 20 years of Senior IT leadership experience within the Financial Services Industry. Amir is responsible for developing, implementing, and supporting the organization's technology and digital transformation strategies. Prior to joining CDSPI in 2019, he held Executive roles at Burgundy Asset Management and FundSERV Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Allegheny College, Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Insurance Advisor
- Professional Insurance Advisor
Anca Poirier is a bilingual Professional Insurance Advisor holding the CAIB designation and she is licensed as a general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness insurance advisor. Anca provides professional and personal insurance guidance and advice to Canadian dental professionals and their families. In her 15+ years of insurance experience with CDSPI Advisory Services Inc., she has developed specialized knowledge in risk management for dentists building a practice or renovating their practice.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President, Marketing & Customer Experience
Aviva Shiff is responsible for leading the strategic planning and implementation of mission-aligned marketing, communication and digital initiatives that transform the customer experience. Aviva's team leverages business analytics, market research and the voice of the client to drive value for the dental community.
Aviva joined CDSPI in 2018 with 15+ years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. In addition to her BCom degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, she is a Certified Customer Experience Profession (CCXP), a Fellow of the LIMRA Leadership Institute (LLIF), has earned her Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation and successfully completed the Mutual Fund Branch Managers and Canadian Securities Courses.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Insurance
- Manager, Insurance Advisory Services
Bee Braganza is the Manager of Insurance Advisory Services and holds the FLMI®, ACS®, CLU®, AIAA™, and CHS® designations. Bee is licensed as a Level 2 general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness advisor. With over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Bee leads a team of insurance advisors who specialize in providing guidance and advice tailored to the needs of dental professionals across Canada.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President
- Vice - President, Client Solutions & Product Innovation
Bonita Bonn leads the strategic development of the insurance program and product solutions for CDSPI. A customer-driven insurance leader, Bonita has deep industry knowledge and understanding of insurance trends including product innovation, regulation, and best practices.
Bonita joined CDSPI in 2023 with over 20 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry and holds the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) designation. She has a proven track record of delivering innovative, cost-effective, and compelling insurance products customized to the needs of clients.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Brian Buirs is an Investment Planning Advisor who holds a B Comm degree, FMA® designation, and is a CFP professional. Brian is a wealth management professional with 20 years of experience working with high-net-worth clients. He joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2015 working with dental professionals and their families on their financial planning needs in the areas of investment, retirement, tax, and estate planning. He is also experienced at optimizing income splitting and capital gains exemption opportunities stemming from the incorporation or sale of dental practices.
Job Titles:
- Insurance Advisor
- Professional Insurance Advisor
Cindy Chiu is an Insurance Advisor who holds the CIP designation and a Diploma in Human Services Administration. Cindy provides professional and personal insurance advice to Canadian dental professionals and their families. She began her career with one of the largest insurance companies and has 20+ years of industry experience progressing in roles with increasing responsibility.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Job Titles:
- Investment Sales Associate
- Investment Sales Associate / BBA
Devon Kauffeldt is an Investment Sales Associate holding a BBA, an MBA, and an MA in International Management. Devon provides ongoing client support and assists the Investment Advisory Team in developing relationships with the dental community for their wealth management, retirement planning, estate, and tax planning needs. He has 10+ years working in the financial services industry and joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- President of the MDA
Dr. James Bonar joined the CDSPI Board of Directors in May 2013. He was elected as Vice-Chair of the CDSPI Board in May 2021 and is a past Chair of the CDSPI Human Resources Committee. He currently serves as a member of CDSPI's Human Resources Committee and Risk Management Committee.
Prior to that, he served 15 years as Chair of the Manitoba Dental Association (MDA) Committee on Insurance and Investment and as the MDA voting member to CDSPI. He also served on the MDA Economics Committee during that period. Dr. Bonar presently practices general dentistry full time in Brandon, Manitoba, with an emphasis on implant therapy.
Dr. Bonar has served as President of the MDA, Western Manitoba Dental Society and Brandon
Dr. James Bonar is a 1983 graduate of the University of Manitoba who established two dental practices following six years in the Canadian Forces Dental Services. He is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Dr. Bonar was appointed Chair of the MDA Blue Ribbon Panel from 2018-2020, tasked with reviewing the Peer Review Process of the MDA.
Job Titles:
- Specialist Practice Owner
Job Titles:
- Specialist Practice Owner
Job Titles:
- Internationally Trained Associate
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Dwight Laughton is an Investment Planning Advisor who holds the CFP® designation. With 25+ years of experience in the financial services industry, Dwight provides expertise in the areas of tax planning, estate planning, retirement, and wealth management. He has worked widely with high-net-worth clients (including dentists, physicians, accountants, and lawyers), growing his clients' portfolios, developing solid client relationships, and exceeding their expectations.
As an avid reader and collector of random information, Dwight is a whiz at trivia. He is also an enthusiastic fitness and sports fan with his attention dedicated to community basketball, tennis, and exercising. He serves as a referee for basketball teams in Mississauga, and occasionally takes to the tennis court for a few rounds during the warmer months. Over the holiday seasons, Dwight volunteers at his local food bank.
Ed Dermit is the President and CEO of CDSPI. Ed joined CDSPI in September 2014, bringing over 15 years of senior management experience in financial services. Prior to CDSPI, he held senior marketing roles at Manulife Asset Management, VenGrowth, ING Investment Management and AGF.
Ed enjoys working closely with the dental community across Canada, which includes our clients, our corporate stakeholders - the provincial and territories dental associations, the Canadian Dental Association - plus the CDSPI Board of Directors, whose continued passion and commitment to this organization has driven our many achievements.
Ed has a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, is an avid hockey and baseball fan and enjoys playing hockey in his leisure time.
Job Titles:
- Professional Insurance Advisor
Fraser MacLean is a Professional Insurance Advisor who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and is licenced as a general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness insurance advisor. Fraser provides insurance advice and solutions to help dentists protect themselves against potential risks they face. He has worked in the insurance industry for 10+ years, and he joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2018, based in Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
- Specialist
Jaye Walter is an Investment Planning Advisor holding the CIM®, TEP, FMA®, and FCSI® designations. He is also a CFP professional. Jaye has 20+ years of experience in the financial services industry and he joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2019 as a senior financial planner focused on wealth management. He works with high-net-worth clients providing solutions for their investment, retirement, tax, business succession and estate planning goals.
Jaye is a specialist in estate planning, and he also enjoys the other aspects of working with dentists such as navigating foreign tax laws and resolving cross-border financial planning issues. Working with clients to provide solutions is what makes financial planning one of the most rewarding careers.
Job Titles:
- Investment Sales Associate
Jennifer Hung is an Investment Sales Associate who holds a Bachelor of Economics Degree. Jennifer provides ongoing client support and assists the Financial Planning Advisory team in developing relationships with the dental community. Based in the Vancouver, B.C region, Jennifer joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2016 and she has 15+ years' experience in the financial services industry, previously working at two major financial institutions.
Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, 2 kids and a Yorkshire terrier. She is a food enthusiast and enjoys cooking for her loved ones. She also loves spending time outdoors and practicing yoga during her spare time.
Job Titles:
- Insurance Advisor
- Senior Insurance Advisor
Julie Berthiaume is an Insurance Advisor who holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA), the CAIB designation and she is licensed as a general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness insurance advisor. Julie provides educational sessions on insurance and risk management strategies to dentists and dental students across Canada. Her extensive background in claims with 18+ years of industry experience underpins her passion for ensuring everyone has the protection they need.
Job Titles:
- Investment Sales Associate and Administrator
Kevin Bautista is an Investment Sales Associate and Administrator who holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. Kevin has 10+ years' experience in the financial services industry, previously working at two major financial institutions. Kevin provides support to help the advisory team build and maintain strong relationships in the dental community.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Lamees Rahif is an Investment Planning Advisor who holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Math, Statistics and Computing and has been a CFP® professional since 2007. With over 30+ years in the financial services industry providing advice to professionals, business owners and retirees, Lamees joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2017 to offer her expertise to the dental community. Lamees focuses on the bottom-up approach starting with the financial goals and creating a plan so nothing gets missed and goals can be achieved.
Margaret Rutherford is the Chief Operating Officer at CDSPI responsible for executive leadership of compliance, human resources, risk management, administration and office management. Margaret joined CDSPI in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer, moving into her current role in 2022. She brings over 30 years of finance experience, holding progressively senior roles at some of Canada's leading financial institutions.
Margaret earned a BComm from the University of Toronto and she has the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor / BBA
Matthew Wright is a bilingual Investment Planning Advisor who holds an MBA in Finance. Matthew serves the financial planning needs of dental professionals and their families in the areas of wealth management, estate, and tax planning. He has experience in the financial services industry both professionally as well as academically and before joining CDSPI Advisory Services Inc, he spent several years in the investment brokerage division of a major Canadian bank.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Michael Tyler is an Investment Planning Advisor holding the CFP® and FMA designations. Michael provides expertise in financial wealth management solutions exclusively for the needs of dental professionals and their families that address their personal and professional financial planning needs in the areas of investment, tax, retirement, estate, and wealth transfer. He has 25+ years of financial services experience joining CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2017 in the Manitoba region.
A former jazz musician, Michael is a proud father of a daughter who is a talented musician and an inspiration to him in the pursuit of her dreams. He is also a movie buff, "whether it's superhero, drama, or foreign, you name it, and I've probably seen it, it's on my list, or I'll add it right away!" Michael loves to cook and has been improving his culinary skills for the past 10 years. He likes playing poker for the puzzle aspect of it and keeps busy with his dog, Freddie, a miniature Australian Shepperd who had lived in four homes before serendipity brought them together.
Mr. Mitch Orr joined the Board at CDSPI's Annual General Meeting in May, 2001. He is the current Chair of CDSPI's Audit Committee and also serves as a member of the Human Resources Committee. Mr. Orr is a Senior Wealth Advisor with Scotia McLeod.
He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds an Honours degree in business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Mr. Orr has also served on the Board for the Diabetes Flame of Hope Golf Tournament in London.
Mr. Paul Batho joined CDSPI's Board in May of 2013. He is the past Chair of CDSPI's Nominating/Governance Committee and currently serves as a member of CDSPI's Audit Committee, Nominating/Governance Committee and Risk Management Committee.
He started his career in the life insurance industry at North American Life Assurance Company and then moved to Transamerica Life Insurance Company of Canada. At Transamerica, he held a number of senior positions including Chief Actuary, SVP of Sales and Marketing, and Chief Investment Officer, and was a member of the company's Board. Mr. Batho then moved to the investment industry and was the Chief Operating Officer and a principal at KBSH Capital Management Inc. He retired as Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development with BMO Asset Management in 2010.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Insurance
Ms. Cathy Welling was elected to the CDSPI Board in May 2019. She is the Chair of the CDSPI Nominating and Governance Committee, and currently serves as a member of CDSPI's Audit Committee.
Ms. Welling is an experienced Corporate Director with an accomplished career as a Senior Financial Services Executive. She managed several complex International and Canadian businesses for Scotiabank, including Insurance; Pensions; Asset Management; Private Banking; Investment Advisory; Direct Investing and Trust Services. Cathy spent her career in a highly regulated industry and has been a Senior Executive on several core Oversight & Governance Committees. She also sat as Director or Chair on several Boards related to this global bank which were both private and publicly traded. Cathy retired from Scotiabank in 2017 as Senior Vice President, Insurance, Pensions and Wealth for their International Bank.
Job Titles:
- Independent Board Director
Ms. Helen Polatajko joined the CDSPI Board of Directors in October 2016, in an Observer capacity. In that capacity, she has participated as a member of both the Governance Committee and Risk Management Committee. She was officially elected as a Director at CDSPI's AGM in 2017 and is currently serving as a member of the Human Resources Committee, Nominating/Governance Committee and is Chair of the Risk Management Committee.
Helen is an accomplished independent board director, for over 10 years, in the financial services, energy, health care, education and arts sectors, serving as chair, risk, governance, and audit committee member.
She has over 35 years of executive experience in both the private and the public sectors, and has been responsible for the overall strategic direction, organizational transformation and management of information technology functions while being a contributing member of company executive committees.
Helen has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Computing, acknowledging her achievements and contributions to information services and technology, and was the Executive Sponsor of WIN (Women's Initiative Network) at CIBC Mellon.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Insurance Advisor
- Professional Insurance Advisor With a Bachelor of Arts
Olga Yoffe is a bilingual Professional Insurance Advisor with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Olga provides guidance and advice to Canadian dental professionals on their insurance needs. She is licensed as a general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness insurance advisor. Olga has 20+ years' experience at CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. including helping dentists navigate the claims process. Olga offers guidance on insurance protection strategies and insurance risks that arise from not having adequate coverage.
Job Titles:
- Professional Insurance Advisor
Penelope Cenac is a Professional Insurance Advisor who holds a BSc degree and is licensed as a general insurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness insurance advisor. Penelope provides her expertise to meet the professional and personal insurance needs of the dental community and she has 10+ years insurance experience at CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. She has also completed the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) course.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Penny Hall is an Investment Planning Advisor and a CFP® professional based in the British Columbia region. Penny has worked in the financial services industry for 15+ years in the United Kingdom and BC. She provides planning expertise in tax, estate, retirement, and wealth management for dental professionals and their families. Penny joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2018, providing financial planning strategies that help clients clarify and achieve their goals to grow and protect their personal and business assets.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Senior Insurance Advisor
- Senior Insurance Advisor
Renata Whiteman is licenced as a Level 2 general iInsurance broker and as a life and accident and sickness advisor. Renata holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and has many years' experience as an insurance broker.
Renata has 20+ years of experience at CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. and in her current role as a senior advisor, Renata works with a range of clients, including dental specialists, general dentists, and students, providing insurance and risk management strategies to meet their specific protection needs. Renata is driven and passionate about helping her clients and she also enjoys speaking at dental industry events across the country.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chartered Professional Accountant
Ruchira Raybardhan is the Chief Financial Officer responsible for finance and banking operations. Ruchira has 13+ years of experience in the financial services industry holding progressively senior roles. She joined CDSPI in 2015 and previously held the role of Controller.
Ruchira is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and holds a BA with Honours and a Master of Accounting (MAcc) from the University of Waterloo.
Job Titles:
- Investment Sales Associate
Sarah Lin is an Investment Sales Associate who holds the Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree. Sarah has 5+ years in the financial services industry, previously working as a Financial Services Representative & Investment Consultant at a major financial institution. She joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2021 and supports the advisory team with building and maintaining relationships in the dental community.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Shan Janmohamed is an Investment Planning Advisor holding the RRC® designation and a BA. He is also a CFP professional. Shan started his career in finance as a runner and then later as a Market Maker on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange. His extensive experience in securities trading and as a financial advisor led to close connections with his clients, allowing him to develop personalized financial plans to help them realize their goals. Shan joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2018 providing planning expertise in the areas of tax, estate, retirement, and wealth management for dental professionals and their families.
Shan is an accomplished triathlete and marathon runner. He is an avid traveller who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, driven the Ho Chi Minh Highway on a motorcycle, hiked the Great Wall of China, and cycled from Bruges to Amsterdam.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Shane Dewling is an Investment Planning Advisor who holds the CFP® and FMA® designations as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree. Shane has 20+ years of experience working with high-net-worth clients in the areas of tax planning, estate planning, retirement, and wealth management. Shane also has expertise helping dentists leverage their business assets through the incorporation or sale of their dental practice.
Job Titles:
- Investment Planning Advisor
Shiv Ghuman is an Investment Planning Advisor holding a BComm and FMA® designation. He is also a CFP professional. Shiv provides investment planning expertise in the areas of retirement and wealth management, tax planning and estate planning. With over 20 years of financial planning experience, he started in the financial services industry providing strategies and financial planning solutions for high-net-worth clients. Shiv joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2019 to help clients achieve their goals including to grow and protect their personal and business assets and to focus on long term planning and portfolio management.
Shiv's family keeps him pretty busy outside of work. He enjoys playing sports including soccer and tennis. Shiv is a singer often performing for family and friends' events and he hosts a Punjabi music show on a multi-cultural radio station in Calgary. He has also served on the boards of not-for-profit organizations.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President
- Vice - President of Advisory Services
Steven Moscone is the Vice-President of Advisory Services and is responsible for leading a team of Advisors at CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. who provide expert advice and leading insurance and investment solutions to help protect and grow the wealth of Canadian dental professionals.
Steven has 20+ years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. in 2018, developing and executing strategic growth strategies with executional excellence and superior customer experience to achieve outstanding business results.
In addition to his BA in Economics from the University of Toronto (Economics Specialist Program) and other industry accreditation, Steven has obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation.