JC CLARK - Key Persons
Alex Davidson is a Director of JC Clark Ltd. and formerly the Portfolio Manager of the JC Clark Canadian Value Fund. Alex received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor in 1966 and an MBA from McMaster University in 1967. Prior to joining JC Clark, Alex spent more than thirty years involved with the startup, ownership, and management of several businesses involved in the manufacturing and resource sectors. Alex currently serves as a Chancellor for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as well as a director of JDRF's affiliated Canadian Clinical Trials Network.
Benjie Thomas is the Canadian Managing Partner for Advisory Services at KPMG. Prior to his current role, he was the National Industry Leader of KPMG's Private Equity Practice in Canada. Benjie was a member of KPMG in Canada's Board of Directors (2013-2016).
With over 15 years with KPMG, Benjie has advised on some of the most prominent Canadian transactions. Benjie's specialties include Private Equity, Pension Plans, Food, Beverage, Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail and Technology. He is also a member of the Management Committee for KPMG in Canada.
Benjie is a member of CVCA and the Association of Corporate Growth and is very active in the community. In 2011, Benjie was presented with The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario's Award of Distinction which honours those CAs who have made an early impact, bringing distinction to themselves and to their profession through leadership and achievement in their professional, community and/or personal lives. In addition to garnering an Award of Distinction, Benjie also was named as the recipient of the Christine E. Sinclair Community Leadership Award.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Director of the Yellow Bus Foundation
- Member of the Toronto Chapter of YPO
Colin Stewart is a founding shareholder of JC Clark Ltd. and the Chief Executive Officer, and Portfolio Manager at the Firm. Colin serves as the Portfolio Manager for the JC Clark Preservation Trust and the JC Clark Focused Fund. Colin received a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1998 and is a CFA charterholder (2001). Colin began his career in the Corporate Finance division of CIBC World Markets and then joined Connor Clark & Co. where he worked alongside JC Clark founder John Clark as a Research Analyst.
Since 2012, Colin has been a Director of the Yellow Bus Foundation, a charity whose mandate is to enable children living with chronic illnesses or disadvantaged youth to enrich their lives by expanding their access to programming and support.
Colin is a member of the Toronto Chapter of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization), the world's premier peer network of chief executives and business leaders. He is also a member of the President's Council of St. Michael's Hospital Foundation in Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Peter Cundill Foundation
David Feather has 30 years of experience in the investment management industry. He is currently Chairman of Russell Investments Canada Ltd., where he served as President and CEO from 2010 to 2017. Previously he was with Mackenzie Financial Corp. from 1991 to 2010 and was President of Mackenzie Financial Services Inc. from 2002 to 2010. He has also worked in the Economic Strategy Group at Ernst & Young (Woods Gordon), and as a Senior Financial Analyst at Bank of Montreal (Corporate and Government Banking).
David is Chairman of The Peter Cundill Foundation, a Bermuda-based purpose trust with a mission to improve the wellbeing of young people, primarily through social investment in education, sport and mental health. In managing its investment portfolio, the organization has maintained the value-based investment principles of it's benefactor. David is involved in several other not-for-profit organizations, including being a member of the Board of Governors of McMaster University. He graduated from McMaster with a B.A. Economics in 1985, and an MBA in 1989. He has previously been recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 and was the 2007 recipient of the Wayne Fox Distinguished Alumni Award for DeGroote School of Business.
Ian Gunnell joined the firm in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer. Ian is responsible for the firm's accounting, treasury, regulatory reporting functions and implementation and monitoring of the firms internal controls. Ian is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant (2014) and received his Honours BA from the University of Western Ontario (2005). Prior to joining JC Clark Ltd., Ian spent over 10 years in various positions within the securities and financial services industry, including 3 years serving as Chief Financial Officer of Perimeter Markets Inc., an IIROC Dealer member firm.
Job Titles:
- President of Weatons Holdings
James Eaton is the President of Weatons Holdings, a Canadian private holding company. James has been active in the founding, growth and divestiture stages of the Weatons portfolio companies across a wide variety of industries. His responsibilities at Weatons include overseeing numerous private investments and a portfolio of listed securities.
James is currently a partner of JJR Capital, a private merchant bank, and serves on the board of Dream Unlimited Corp. James is a founding director of the True Patriot Love Foundation, chaired the Invictus Games Toronto 2017, and is a trustee of the John David and Signy Eaton Foundation.
James holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 2012, James was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal honouring significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
Jayme Gordon is the Head Trader at JC Clark Ltd. Jayme joined the firm in September 2014. Prior to JC Clark, Jayme was Head Trader at Pinetree Capital Ltd and an equities trader at Scotia Asset Management (now 1832 Asset Management). Jayme has over 5 years of experience on an institutional trading desk and over 7 years of experience in capital markets. Jayme received his BA at the University of British Columbia in 2001 and has completed the CSC, DFOL and Trader Training Course.
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
Jennifer Doherty is Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operating Officer and joined the Firm in 2001. Jennifer is responsible for the firm's compliance and day-to-day operations and client service. Jennifer has completed the Canadian Securities Course (1998), the Conduct & Practices Handbook Course (1999), the Partners, Directors and Officers Qualifying Exam (2001), Trader Training Course (2002), Chief Compliance Officer Qualifying Exam (2008) and the Chief Financial Officers Exam (2012). Prior to joining JC Clark, Jennifer served as Operations and Client Services Manager at Connor Clark & Co. where she worked closely with John Clark for more than fourteen years.
Job Titles:
- Senior Investment Strategist & Portfolio Manager
- Senior Investment Strategist and Founder / Portfolio Manager
Martin Braun is Senior Investment Strategist and Founder/Portfolio Manager of the JC Clark Opportunity Fund. Martin began his career in 1981 at Richardson Greenshields, where he covered the Canadian financial services and real estate sectors. In 1988 Martin joined Gluskin Sheff + Associates, and during his 10 years there as Portfolio Manager & Partner was responsible for the analysis and management of Canadian and US equity portfolios. In 1999 Martin co-founded Strategic Advisors Corp and, over the next seven years as President and Portfolio Manager, launched the Adaly Opportunity Fund (now rebranded the JC Clark Opportunity Fund). In 2006, Martin established Adaly Investment Management Corp ("AIMC") to assume management of the Adaly Opportunity Fund. In 2012 he sold AIMC's management contract to JC Clark, and joined its investment team.
Martin founded and is the President of Rand Kildare, a charitable foundation that over the past ten years has supported dozens of charities with a broad mandate to assist children and their families facing a variety of hardships. He is also a Director of HorizonOne Royalty Corp., and a member of the Bayview Golf & Country Club. In his spare time, Martin is an avid reader, world traveler, competitive bridge player, and the proud grandfather of Molly, Ryan, and Joey.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chancellor of McGill University
Michael Arthur Meighen, Q.C., is a Canadian senator (retired), lawyer and philanthropist. A graduate of McGill University and University Laval (cum laude), Michael has practiced litigation and commercial law in both Montreal and Toronto.
Michael was appointed to the Senate of Canada by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1990 representing Ontario, where he chaired the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. He also served on the National Security and Defence Committee and chaired its Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs. He was a member of the Senate Special Joint Committee on Canada's Defence Policy (1994) and the Special Joint Committee on a Renewed Canada. From 1985 to 1987, Michael acted as Co-legal Counsel on the Deschenes Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals.
Michael is the Chancellor of McGill University, chairs the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation, and is a director of the Peter Cundill Foundation, and Sentry Investments. In January 2007, he was appointed as a Commissioner of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park by the Canadian Government.
Michael was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2014 and has long been active in the community, including chairing the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, the Salvation Army Metro-Toronto Advisory Board and the Canadian Unity Council.
Rick is a former senior partner of Norton Rose Fulbright where he handled capital market transactions and mergers and acquisitions for private and publicly traded corporations, provided ongoing corporate and securities law advice to issuers and financial intermediaries, advised boards of directors and special board committees, and mediated shareholder disputes.
Rick has a LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School (1975) and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He is recognized in Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2012-2013 as one of the most frequently recommended in the area of Corporate Mid-Market.
Sarah Noble joined the Firm in 2010 and is an integral part of the firm's client service team. Immediately prior to joining JC Clark Ltd., Sarah worked for the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario and started her career in client services within the Financial Services sector. Sarah received an Honours BA from the University of Toronto (2004) and a Master of Public Administration from the City University of New York (2008).
Veeral Khatri - Chief Investment Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Investment Officer
- Portfolio Manager
Veeral Khatri is the Chief Investment Officer and the Portfolio Manager of the JC Clark Opportunity Fund, and the JC Clark US Equity Fund. Veeral joined the Firm in 2006 as a Research Analyst and Trader, became a Portfolio Manager in 2011, and subsequently became Chief Investment Officer in 2023. Veeral received a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2006 and is a CFA charterholder (2010). Veeral currently serves on the Board of Directors for Parkinson Canada as the Chairman of the Board, and was previously the Treasurer, and Chair of the Finance, Audit & Investment Committee.