Our Team
Each of our clients has its own unique culture and approach to how they like to work. Common among all, is the need to completely trust who they’re partnering with. This is why every member of the PBY team is an honest and ethical expert in their subject matter. We focus on forming exceptionally close partnerships with our clients from beginning to end.
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Lindsey Hall
CEO and President
CEO and President
Lindsey Hall
Lindsey is CEO and President of PBY Capital, which he helped found in 2019. He joined Lysander Funds, a PBY affiliate, in 2014 and continues to be a member of the leadership team. While at Lysander, Lindsey was responsible for overseeing distribution and family office relationships, the development and onboarding of boutique investment firms, as well as managing corporate technology initiatives. Prior to joining Lysander, Lindsey was a Director at Russell Investments responsible for business development in both the institutional and retail markets and before that was a Sales Executive at Ernst & Young in the Technology, Entertainment and Communications group. Lindsey is a graduate in Management Sciences from the University of Manitoba and is a past board member of the Ontario SPCA.
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Meriem Mehdaoui
Vice President
Vice President
Meriem Mehdaoui
Meriem is Vice President – Institutional Solutions at PBY Capital. Her financial services experience includes sales and investment counsellor roles with CI Investments. She also worked for one of the big 5 Canadian banks and a globally-recognized insurance company. Meriem became a CFA charterholder after completing an undergraduate commerce degree at Concordia University. She speaks fluent French, English and Arabic and is now learning Spanish.
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CFO
Raj Vijh
Raj is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for PBY Capital. In addition, Raj is Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CFO for PBY Capital’s affiliate, Lysander Funds. He is responsible for operations, finance, and technology for the two companies. Prior to his current roles, Raj was Vice President, Investment Finance at CPP Investment Board, and before that COO and CFO of Russell Investments Canada and a member of its Board of Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Physics (Honours) degree from the University of Bristol in the U.K. and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
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Frédéric Béland
COO & CCO
COO & CCO
Frédéric Béland
Fred Béland is the Chief Operating & Compliance Officer of PBY Capital. In his role, he oversees the firm’s regulatory compliance, operations and corporate technology initiatives. Over his 20-year career, Fred led CH&Co.’s management consulting practice for Canadian Wealth & Asset Managers, was the Chief Operations & Technology Officer for a Canadian and US subsidiary of a Swiss Private Bank, lectured at the graduate level on financial crime at the University of Sherbrooke, and managed RBC Investor & Treasury Services’ Client Solutions initiatives in Eastern Canada. Fred graduated from Université du Québec à Montréal with specialisations in finance, information systems and E-Business. He is a CFA Charter holder and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).
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General Counsel
Ruth Liu
Ruth Liu is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at PBY Capital. Prior to joining Lysander in 2018, Ruth was Senior Counsel at a Schedule I bank, supporting the bank’s wealth businesses. Prior to that, she was Partner in the Securities and Capital Markets practice group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Called to the Ontario Bar, Ruth holds a J.D. and B.Sc. from the University of Toronto.
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Joyces Soon-Ngo
Client Service Analyst
Client Service Analyst
Joyces Soon-Ngo
Joyces is a Client Service Analyst at PBY Capital. Prior to joining PBY Capital, she worked in Hedge Fund administration at State Street and Citco (Canada) Inc where her experience includes accounting and investor relations roles. She is a graduate of Ryerson University receiving her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Major in Accounting and Minor in Business Law.
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Samuel Dion-Lessard
Client Service Analyst
Client Service Analyst
Samuel Dion-Lessard
Samuel joined PBY Capital in 2021 and is currently a Client Service Analyst. Prior to joining the firm, he had a number of roles with one of the major Canadian Banks and gained valuable experience in Treasury and Capital Market risks. Samuel graduated from Sherbrooke University where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science with a Market Finance concentration. He then completed the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams and was awarded the title in 2019.
Board Members
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John Carswell
John founded Canso Investment Counsel in 1997 and is currently President & CIO of the firm. He began his investment career at Mutual Life of Canada as a private placement and corporate debt analyst. Subsequently, John joined TAL Investment Counsel Ltd. as Vice President, Fixed Income, responsible for credit analysis and specialty fixed income products. His last role prior to founding Canso was with Foyston, Gordon & Payne, where he was the partner responsible for fixed income and preferred share investments. John is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Commerce) degree and served as a Royal Canadian Air Force navigator. He then earned an MBA degree from Queen’s University (Dean’s List, Award in Finance). He later completed the Chartered Financial Analyst program and received his CFA charter.
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Heather Mason-Wood
As the Chief Strategy and Operating Officer at Canso Investment Counsel, Heather is responsible for all non-investment related activities at the firm. She is also a member of the Canso investment team, responsible for credit analysis as well as portfolio management. She first joined Canso as part of the investment team and was also responsible for client service and marketing and served as the Chief Compliance Officer. Heather began her investment career as a representative for Investors Group before joining The Bank of Nova Scotia, where she held a number of positions in Corporate and Commercial banking as well as Risk Management. She obtained a mathematics degree from the University of Toronto and then went on to obtain an MBA from McMaster with a specialization in Finance, and subsequently was awarded the CFA charter.
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Richard Usher-Jones
Richard is President of Lysander Funds and Portfolio Manager at Canso Investment Counsel. He is a member of the Canso investment team, responsible for credit analysis as well as some client servicing and marketing functions. Richard began his career as an advisor at Nesbitt Thomson before moving on to Trimark Investment Management as a manager in the pensions area. He later joined Russell Investments working on product development and became a member of Russell’s Canadian executive team. Richard obtained a BA in Sociology from Queen’s University, then went on to earn the Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) designation and later became a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI).
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Sam Reda
Sam has over 40 years of investment management industry experience and expertise. He previously held board or executive-level positions with investment managers Triasima, Fiera, Natcan, and TAL. Sam serves on several boards and advisory committees of both profit and non-profit organizations, including as vice-chairman for the Concordia University Pension and Investment Committee. Sam provides strategic consulting services for investment managers and family offices through Maralex Capital, which he founded. He is also co-founder and Chairman of Alpha CCO Software, which delivers governance and compliance solutions . He established the “Séminaire sur la gestion des caisses de retraite” (in 1999) and the “Dialogue with our Leaders” series with CFA Montreal (in 2009), important annual Montreal educational events for the pension fund and wealth management industry. Sam is a CFA charterholder and obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University. He is also a graduate of the Corporate Directors Program offered by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Management.
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Patrick McCalmont
Patrick is a portfolio manager at Canso Investment Counsel and head of the client service and marketing team. He joined the firm in 2010 and has spent his entire career as a member of the Canso fixed income team. Patrick obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University and went on to earn a Master of Philosophy with a concentration in International Politics from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. He subsequently completed the CFA exams and was awarded his charter in 2015.
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Nicolas Desjardins
Nicolas is a portfolio manager at Canso Investment Counsel after joining the firm as a Portfolio and Risk Analyst. Previously, he served as an operations engineer/robotics instructor at the Canadian Space Agency – Canadian Forces Detachment. Nicolas’ prior role was as an aerospace engineer with 14 Air Maintenance Squadron in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Space Science and later obtained a Master of Science degree in Physics from RMC. Nicolas then attended the Université de Sherbrooke to complete a Master of Science degree in Finance and was awarded the CFA charter in 2015.
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Diana Berto
Diana has 35 years of experience in a variety of operational roles in the investment management industry. Her financial services experience includes roles as Senior Director, Operational Effectiveness and Director, Business Management with CIBC Asset Management. Prior to being acquired by CIBC, she was Assistant Vice-President, Pooled Funds & Investment Services with TAL Asset Management. Diana obtained a DEC in Business Administration from Dawson College. She is extremely passionate about fundraising for charitable organizations and devotes much of her spare time to this work. She served on the board of Goldie Foundation for 8 years. Diana speaks fluent English, French and Italian.
Advisory Council
The Advisory Council is comprised of selected individuals who have deep experience and insight in the business community. They are a resource to management and the board of directors of PBY Capital.
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Mark Auger
Mark is an accomplished executive with extensive enterprising family experience in strategic management, governance, portfolio management and the capital markets. His career spans more than 30 years in the investment industry in a series of unique roles that gave him considerable insight and experience working with highly successful business family owners. Currently, Mark is CEO and co-founder of Crysalia Inc., the Outsourced Chief Learning & Development Office for Significant Enterprising Families. Prior to his current role, he was COO and EVP with Groupe Immobilier Eddy Savoie Inc. in charge of Investments & Strategic Acquisitions. Prior to that, Mark co-founded and launched the first Multi-Family Office within Desjardins Financial Group. Previously, he worked as a portfolio manager and investment advisor, as well as a trader and analyst with leading financial institutions such as National Bank Financial and Casgrain and Company. Mark holds a BA (Economics) from Carleton University and subsequently earned an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal before obtaining a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
