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Jonathan Aikman

Lecturer
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Overview

Jon is the founder of an artificial intelligence education and consulting firm, NordAi Analytics. He is the founder of a law firm, Matrix Law. He has advised several provincial, federal, U.S. and international agencies and governments on AI, fintech, and risk oversight.

Jon is currently an adjunct faculty member at Queen’s University, Cornell University and York University. He has taught courses on fintech, alternative investments, equity investments, impact investments, artificial intelligence and finance, finance for global managers, advanced portfolio management, corporate finance and other undergraduate, graduate and executive courses.

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Appointment Type

Continuing Adjunct

Academic Area

  • Finance

Interest Topics

Faculty Details

Profile

Full Bio

Jon is the founder of an artificial intelligence education and consulting firm, NordAi Analytics. He is the founder of a law firm, Matrix Law. He has advised several provincial, federal, U.S. and international agencies and governments on AI, fintech, and risk oversight.

Jon is currently an adjunct faculty member at Queen’s University, Cornell University and York University. He has taught courses on fintech, alternative investments, equity investments, impact investments, artificial intelligence and finance, finance for global managers, advanced portfolio management, corporate finance and other undergraduate, graduate and executive courses.

Previously, Jon was Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and Portfolio Manager (PM) for two alternative investment firms. He was directly responsible for managing an absolute return private debt fund. Jon managed the alternative private debt fund directly which had exceptionally strong risk-adjusted returns and a diversified portfolio of loans, bonds, equities, ETFs, fixed income instruments, and other private debt funds. The fund won the Portfolio Management Association of Canada (PMAC) portfolio management award for risk-adjusted performance while he managed it.

Jon was managing director of an alternative investment firm for a diversified public holding company, which included real estate, real assets, investment banking, and asset management divisions. He was responsible for building a diversified portfolio of leading global alternative investments and sat on the investment committee of the holding company also.  His mandate included researching, acquiring, and managing a portfolio of hedge funds, private equity, private debt in both onshore and offshore jurisdictions, including Canada, U.S., Europe, Asia and offshore. Jon spent considerable focus on insurance and reinsurance investment products in both onshore and offshore locations.

Jon has broad international experience and worked as Vice-President and Counsel at a bulge bracket investment bank in London, U.K.  Prior to joining the investment bank, he worked as a corporate finance counsel at a silver circle law firm in London, UK working on launching and advising hedge funds, private equity funds, and mezzanine funds in structuring, capital raising, and secondary transactions. Some of his clients included leading European and U.S. investment banks, global private equity firms, and global investment asset managers.

Jon has a law degree (JD) from Queen’s University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Oxford, Brasenose College.  Jon completed several advanced certificates on artificial intelligence and fintech from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and cryptoassets from Duke University.  Jon is a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) and qualified lawyer in Ontario and a solicitor on the role in England & Wales.  He holds the certified anti-money laundering specialist (CAMS) and the certified crytpoasset anti-financial crime specialist (CCAS) designations.

In terms of volunteer and advisory work, Jon sits on several investment committees,  the endowment and pension fund for Victoria University at University of Toronto, and the investment committee for the Canadian Bar Association’s many funds. He is an advisory board member for the Master of Financial Innovation & Technology and the Master of Finance programs at Queen’s University. He was previously a member of the Senate of Queen’s University.  He was an invited member of a think-tank at the Federal Reserve of Chicago focusing on risk management, market stability and systemic risk issues. 

He is also the author of a book published by Bloomberg Press on the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, entitled “When Prime Brokers Fail” published by Bloomberg Press, 2010. He is currently completing another book on fintech and investments.

Academic Degrees

MBA (2006)
University of Oxford, UK

JD (1999)
Queen’s University, Canada

MA | Philosophy of Science and Ethics (1996)
University of Guelph, Canada

BA | Honours Philosophy (1994)
University of British Columbia, Canada

Academic Experience

Smith School of Business | Queen’s University
Lecturer, term adjunct (2011 - Present)

Cornell University | Canada
Adjunct Lecturer (2020 - Present)

University of Toronto | Canada
Lecturer (2009 - Present)

Publications

2021 “Modern Investments”, Book (in progress)

2019 “Hedge Funds: The Complete Guide”, Course, Udemy

2016 “Time for a second look at your prime broker?”, Commentary, HFM

2013 “Hedge Fund Dreams Face Tough Reality”, Globe & Mail Newspaper, January 31

2012 “Paradigm Shift”, Hedge Fund Journal

2012 “The Evolution of Prime Brokerage”, White Paper, Royal Bank of Scotland 

2011 “A weaker position in a more dangerous world”, Article, Canadian Hedge Watch  

2010 “When Prime Brokers Fail”, Book, Bloomberg Press / John Wiley & Sons

Teaching

Courses Taught

Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

2021

  • MFIN/MBA/MMIE, Impact Investments: Smith Enrichment Program
  • MFIN, Alternative Investments
  • MFIN, Artificial Intelligence & Finance
  • MIB, Finance for Global Managers

2020

  • MFIN, Equity Analysis & Valuation (1)
  • MFIN, Equity Analysis & Valuation (2)
  • MFIN, Alternative Investments
  • MFIN, Artificial Intelligence & Finance
  • MIB, Finance for Global Managers
  • MBA, Advanced Portfolio Management

2019

  • EMBA, Fintech: Executive Program
  • MIB, Finance for Global Managers
  • MFIN/MBA/MMIE, Fintech Innovation and Technology
  • MBA, Financial Strategies
  • MBA, Advanced Portfolio Management
  • MFIN, Alternative Investments
  • MFIN, Artificial Intelligence & Finance

2018

  • MIB, Finance for Global Managers
  • MFIN, Alternative Investments
  • MFIN, Artificial Intelligence in Finance

2017

  • MFIN, Alternative Investments

2016

  • MFIN, Introduction to hedge funds

2015

  • MFIN, Introduction to hedge funds

2014

  • MFIN, Introduction to hedge funds
  • MFIN, Derivatives

2013

  • MFIN, Introduction to hedge funds

2012

  • MFIN, Introduction to hedge funds

University of Toronto

2019

  • MBA, Hedge Funds: Advanced Research

2018

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2017

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers
  • Exec. ICBC, Global Leadership Development Program (UTM)

2016

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2015

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2014

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2013

  • MBA, Derivatives, Options and Futures
  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers
  • BCom, Corporate Finance

2012

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2011

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

2010

  • MBA, Introduction to hedge funds & broker-dealers

 

University of Guelph

2014

  • Undergraduate, The Philosophy of Finance

Presentations

Speaking

2020 “Blue Ocean Strategy”, Globe Series (Vancouver, CA)

2019 “Current issues in Risk Management”, Queen’s University (Toronto, CA)

2009 - 2019 World Alternative Investment Symposium Canada, Speaker (Niagara, CA)

2015 “Hedge Fund Investing”, High Commission of Canada (Hong Kong, CN)

2015 “Securities Lending and Short Bans”, lecture for Guotai Junan (Shanghai, CN)

2015 “Global Hedge Funds” lecture series for investors (Tokyo, JP, Singapore, SG) 

2014 “Global Legal Issues in Derivatives & Prime”, Lecture for Axiom (New York, US) 

2012 Institutional Investor, Speaker, Synthetic Finance (London, UK)

2012 Royal Bank of Scotland, Speaker for institutional clients (London, UK)

2009 CIBC World Markets, Investment Bank, Speaker (Toronto, CA)

Awards

2018, Portfolio Investment Award (Calgary, CA)
PMAC Award for the Pinnacle Absolute Return Trust

2016, Nominated for Professor of the Year, Queen’s University (Kingston, CA)
MFIN Program

2013, Excellence in Teaching Award, Rotman, University of Toronto (Toronto, CA)
MBA Program

2006, Royal Society of Arts (RSA) (London, UK)
Entrepreneurship award & RSA fellow

1997 - 1999, Queen’s Law School, Queen’s University (Kingston, CA)
Robinson-Ryan Award (1999)
Queen’s Legal Aid Award for excellence in legal services (1997)

1996, Blakes LLP Law School Entrance Scholarship (Toronto, CA)
Law School Academic Entrance Scholarship

Service

Advisory Positions

2020 – Current, Financial Innovation and Technology Program, Queen’s Univ. (Kingston, CA) Advisory Board Member

2016 - Current, Victoria University at the University of Toronto, Board of Regents (Toronto, CA)
Investment Committee Member, Pension & Endowment

2018 - 2019, Vise AI, Advisor (San Francisco, US)
Advisor, AI-driven investment management firm

2014 - 2016, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Working Group Member (Chicago, US)
Member, Working Group for “Confronting Systemic Risk & Ensuring Stability.” 

Volunteer & Research Positions

2019 - Current, Institute of Sustainable Finance (ISF) (Toronto, CA)
Independent research on sustainable finance and ESG issues

2017 - Current, Finposium.com
Founder of website and conference

2014 - 2016, Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Director, Board of Directors

2012 - 2014, University of Guelph Alumni Association
Director, Board of Directors

1996 - 1999, Queen’s Legal Aid
Volunteer Group Leader & Caseworker

Memberships

 

2016 - Current, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (US)
Member

2008 - Current, Law Society of the England & Wales (London, UK)
Solicitor on the Roll

2001 - Current, Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario, CA)
Barrister & Solicitor

2014 - 2019, New York State Bar Association (New York, US)
Member 

2014 - 2019, American Bar Association (US)
Business & International Section Member

2014 - 2016, Alternative Investment Management Association (Toronto, CA)
Research Committee

 

Qualifications & Skills

2021, Certificate in ESG Investing, CFA Society, UK

2021, Approved as Advising Representative (Portfolio Manager) and Dealing Representative (Exempt Market Dealer) by the OSC

2012 - Current, Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), CSI

2017, Derivatives & Options Licensing Course 

2017, Futures Licensing Course 

2011, Portfolio Management Course

2011, Investment Management Techniques Course  

2010, Partners, Directors & Officers Course