Learn from Outstanding Faculty and Industry Experts

Jon is an adjunct faculty at Queen’s University and other leading universities. He teaches graduate and executive courses in the Master of Finance, MBA, and Master of International Business programs.

Jon is currently researching the application of artificial intelligence and finance applications, including with environmental, social and governance issues. Some of this research is done in collaboration with the Institute of Sustainable Finance at Queen’s University.

Jon is the co-founder of an artificial intelligence firm, NordAI Analytics. Previously, Jon was Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager for an alternative investment firm focused on alternative equity and private debt strategies. He was previously with Citigroup investment bank in London, U.K. Jon has a law degree from Queen’s University, an MBA from Oxford University, and has completed advanced certificates on artificial intelligence and fintech from MIT and is completing a MSc in computer engineering, focused on machine learning. Jon is a Chartered Investment Manager and qualified lawyer in Ontario, England & Wales.

He sits on the investment committee of the endowment and pension fund of Victoria College at the University of Toronto. He was a member of a think-tank with the Federal Reserve of Chicago focusing on risk management and systemic risk issues. He is an advisor to fintechs and financial institutions around the world.

He is currently completing a book on “AI and Finance”. He is the author of “When Prime Brokers Fail” published by Bloomberg Press.

Tim provides strategic leadership and operational oversight to the training business at The Marquee Group, including managing relationships with clients and ensuring best in class training seminars are delivered. Tim has taught thousands of business professionals and university students. He has been a Lecturer in the Master of Finance program at Smith School of Business since 2012.

Tim has extensive experience in Investment Banking, Equity Research, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations. He was part of the senior management team at Retirement Residences REIT, a TSX listed real estate investment trust, with responsibility for business strategy, corporate finance and investor relations. Tim was also involved in negotiating the sale of the company to a private equity buyer (total value of the transaction was $2.8 billion).

Previously, Tim worked in the capital markets for over 10 years. While at a merchant bank he made private equity and mezzanine debt investments. At UBS Securities he was a sell side equity research analyst covering the Canadian oil & gas sector. As a member of the Investment Banking group at BMO Capital Markets, Tim was involved in a number of financings, mergers & acquisitions and securities valuations with clients in the oil & gas, utility and agriculture sectors.

Tim received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Ivey Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Haskayne School of Business. While at the Ivey Business School he taught business and entrepreneurial skills in Nizhny-Novgorord, Russia and Minsk, Belarus as part of the LEADER Project. He has also attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Karine Benzacar has been teaching for the Smith School of Business at Queens university since 2010. She is also Managing Director of Knowledge Plus Corp., an organization which specializes both in business training and in providing financial, accounting, and management information services. As a professional accountant, certified both in Canada and in the U.S., Karine’s practice has involved organizations all across North America. Her clients include many companies - large companies, such as the Bank of Nova Scotia, Magna, and IBM, start-up firms and the public sector, such as various departments of the Government of Canada.

Karine is a seasoned industry professional with over 25 years of solid industry experience. After beginning her career in the finance departments of Kraft Foods and Avon Products, she held senior financial management positions at three major Canadian Banks – Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, and Bank of Montreal. Her career has spanned many areas including budgeting, accounting, finance, project management, re-engineering, and strategic management. She is fluently bilingual in English and French.

Karine obtained an MBA from McGill University in Montreal. In addition to her industry experience, Karine has been teaching undergraduate, MBA, and Masters of Finance courses at several leading universities which include University of Toronto, Queens University, Concordia University, and Ryerson University. She is a highly acclaimed industry expert, has presented at national and international industry conferences, and has been facilitating professional development courses for CPAs for over 10 years. She helped develop and marked professional accounting exams. She has also trained hundreds of bankers in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean on credit analysis. She has published numerous articles in leading journals such as the National Post, Financial Post, CMA Management Magazine, HR Reporter, HRPA Magazine, Bottom Line and the RMA Journal and has been quoted as an industry expert in industry publications. She was awarded the FCPA designation an honorary designation where she was selected by her industry peers for her outstanding contributions to the industry, profession, and the community; this designation is held by less than 1% of CPAs in Canada. She was also instrumental in training accountants throughout Canada on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Deborah has over 25 years of financial industry experience having managed investments for both institutional and private clients.

She has a long standing relationship with Toronto CFA Society having served as its President (Chair) of its Board of Directors as well as Chair of its Governance and Membership Committees. Deborah also founded the Mentorship program, which was awarded the 2007 Award for Innovation by CFA Institute.M.

Dr. Sean Cleary is the BMO Professor of Finance, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University. He is the Executive Director of the newly-established Institute for Sustainable Finance based at Smith, as well as the founder and Director of the Master of Finance program. He holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Toronto, an MBA, and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation. He is a CFA charter holder, is a current member of the CFA Society Toronto Advisory Council, and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Toronto CFA Society and the Atlantic Canada CFA Society (where he served as President).

Dr. Cleary has authored 14 finance textbooks and has published more than 30 research articles, including several in top tier finance journals. His publications have been cited over 3,400 times and he has received several major research grants. His most recent research and educational interests focus on the field of sustainable finance. He is an Associate Editor for two finance journals and frequently serves as a reviewer for many of the top finance journals. Dr. Cleary regularly serves as an expert witness on cost of capital and capital markets.

Dr. Jean de Bettignies is Professor, and Distinguished Professor of Business Economics, at the Smith School of Business (SSB) at Queen’s University. His research examines applications of contract theory to organizational economics, non-market strategy, entrepreneurship, and industrial organization.  His work has been published in top-tier academic journals including Journal of Labor Economics; Management Science; Journal of Law, Economics and Organization; Journal of Industrial Economics; Journal of Economics and Management Strategy; and International Journal of Industrial Organization. He is the recipient of the 2014 Research Excellence Award at SSB.

Dr. de Bettignies has taught in a number of different programs since joining Queen’s in 2007, including Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA Americas (EMBAA), MSc/PhD, Master of Finance in Toronto (MFIN-Toronto) and in Beijing (MFIN-Beijing), Graduate Diploma in Business (GDB), Commerce, and Executive Education programs. He was awarded the Full-Time MBA Teaching Excellence Award in 2016; the MFIN-Toronto Professor of the Year Award in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; and the MFIN-Beijing Professor of the Year Award in 2019.

Dr. de Bettignies received his PhD and his MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago in 2001. He also holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a MA in Economics from the Université Catholique de Louvain. Prior to joining Queen’s, Dr. de Bettignies was Assistant Professor at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Gagnon is an expert on capital markets and risk-management. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Toronto, a M.Sc. in Finance and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke. Dr. Gagnon's research is published in leading academic journals including the Journal of Financial Economics and the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis.

Dr. Gagnon is a seasoned practitioner who oversaw the bank's global interest rate derivatives exposures and developed risk-management methodologies and policies during his stint in senior management at the Royal Bank of Canada. He consults for a number of organizations in the finance and the non-finance sectors and is actively involved in executive development both in Canada and abroad. Professor Gagnon has been quoted extensively in the Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star and featured on national television and radio programs including BNN, CBC' The National, CBC' Newsworld, CTV's Canada AM, CBC's Ontario Morning, TVO's The Agenda, TFO, RDI, CBC's National Radio Syndication, and CBC Radio-Canada. His recent editorial in the National Post, "Fees and Leverage", explains the origins of the credit crisis and provides a five-point plan to reform the financial system.

As a Capital Markets professional, Priya Radha has over 14 years of experience in Sales and Trading and managing a team. Currently, she is Executive Director, Corporate Solutions Group and Head of Canada Rates Sales for all Corporates, Provinces and derivatives globally for the SSA platform. In this role, she and her team are responsible for comprehensive client coverage in derivatives markets for this valuable client base.

In 2013, Priya assumed responsibility for Scotiabank Global Banking Market’s Fixed Income Interest Rate Options Business globally. Prior to running the Options Business, Priya was a successful Swap trader in the U.S. and Canadian markets as a market maker for Scotiabank as well as a Swap Trader and market maker in European and Sterling interest rates.

In 2006, Priya was appointed by Senior Management to assist with the build-out of the Emerging Markets Trading Platform. She successfully managed a team within Capital Markets and Banking and helped launch the business.

Priya joined Scotiabank in 2000 on the Bank side via the Commercial Banking Development Program. After 3+ years as a Relationship Manager, she moved to Capital Markets through the Sales and Trading Rotational program and has held progressively senior roles within Fixed Income Trading.

In 2017, Priya was the recipient of Women in Capital Markets Rising Star Award. This coveted award is presented annually to one woman in Canada whose entrepreneurial spirit, leadership and social responsibility have made a unique contribution to the capital markets industry.

She was also awarded the WCM Executive Coaching Award in 2016 as a high potential candidate who exemplifies exceptional business leadership. She mentors and coaches several junior and intermediate men and women in Capital Markets both within Scotiabank and outside the firm.

Priya is a firm advocate for women in business and has been involved with Women in Capital Markets since she started in the industry. She was the Chair of the Professional Development Committee overseeing over 12 program series that are run by volunteers, for over 3 years. She was most recently appointed as Co-chair of the Steering Committee for both the Toronto and National Chapters.

Priya is on the Board of Directors for the Mississauga Living Arts Centre. Previously, she was also the Treasurer and a board member for a grassroots non-profit organization, REA’son D’etre Dance Productions and the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation. Her commitment to giving back to her community is prevalent through her board work.

Priya holds both a B.B.A. (Hon.) and an M.B.A (Dean’s List) with a Specialization in Finance and Strategic Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Matthew Reesor is the Director of the Full-time MBA at Smith School of Business. He has held administrative leadership and faculty positions at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB) and Queen’s University. He was a recipient of the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award while at NUCB. His research, focusing primarily on communications and language policy, has been published and widely referenced in academic journals. He is the author of a best-selling communications textbook published by Macmillan Japan.

Mr. Robertson was an investment banker for nearly 20 years and has over US$100 billion in completed transaction experience. He has extensive M&A experience (>US$80 billion) as well as significant ECM, DCM, corporate lending and restructuring experience (>US$20 billion collectively) across a broad group of sectors. Mr. Robertson has executed numerous award winning and notable transactions across the globe having lived and worked in Asia (15 years) as well as in New York and San Francisco (4 years). He has held numerous senior positions, including Co-Head of Investment Banking, Asia and Head of Sectors, Asia. Employers have included Lazard Freres, Credit Suisse First Boston/Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and The Royal Bank of Scotland/ABN Amro.

Mr. Robertson currently teaches a variety of finance courses across numerous programs at the Smith School of Business, including courses in the Executive MBA, Master of Finance, MBA, Master of International Business, Accelerated MBA and Bachelor of Commerce programs. He is also the Finance Expert in Residence in Smith’s Career Advancement Centree. Mr. Robertson is conversant in Mandarin and Spanish. He earned his H.B.A. from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Ryan is an Associate Professor and Distinguished Professor of Finance at Smith School of Business and the most recent recipient of the Bank of Canada Governor’s Award. He studies the use of technology in financial markets, and more recently the role climate risks play in asset prices. He finds that carbon risk is an important component of asset prices and is large enough that it should not be ignored by asset managers. He is the Director of Research of the newly-established Institute for Sustainable Finance based at Smith. Some of his past research has also focused on high-frequency trading systems and the impact of these systems on the quality of financial markets; too much technology, or its misapplication, can result in markets that are unstable and expensive. Not enough technology can mean investors do not meet their investment targets.

Ryan’s work has been published in the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Financial Markets, Journal of Banking and Finance, and the Journal of the Association of Information Systems. His work has won awards such as the Michael J. Brennan Award for the best paper published in the Review of Financial Studies, and the Philip Brown Prize for the best paper published using Sirca data. In 2015 Ryan was awarded a SSHRC grant and the Smith School of Business New Researcher and Research Excellence Awards. He has also worked extensively within the financial industry, with regulators, policy makers, and central banks.

Prior to joining Smith, Ryan was an assistant professor at University of Ontario Institute of Technology and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He earned his PhD from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and his MBA from the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Before embarking on an academic career, Ryan worked as a trader and risk manager at HSBC Trinkaus in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Ian founded The Marquee Group in 2002 to provide Excel-based financial modeling training to professionals in the financial community. Ian has built The Marquee Group into a leading provider of financial modeling training, consulting and accreditation.

Over the years, Ian has taught thousands of business professionals and university students in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Mexico. Ian is passionate about teaching and brings a hands-on, interactive approach to every course. He has developed a framework and discipline for building models and for teaching that is now used in all of The Marquee Group’s sessions.

Ian teaches at Queen’s University and is a past recipient of the “Instructor of the Year” award in the Master of Finance program at Smith School of Business.

Prior to establishing The Marquee Group, Ian spent a number of years in the Investment Banking departments at Citigroup and BMO Capital Markets. Ian completed his Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree with academic distinction from the University of Manitoba and has also attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.