david_m_beatty

DAVID BEATTY STRIKES GOLD David M. Beatty (BCom’82) (MPhil’85, Cambridge; MBA’87, Harvard), who co-founded Westwind Partners in 2001 and sold it for $150 million just seven years later, has gone into gold mine development and exploration in Brazil. Queen’s Executive Program alum Julio Carvalho, ex-Rio Tinto Brasil Executive Director, is his key partner in this venture. Last December, David retired from a 25-year investment banking career that included stints at Morgan Stanley, Gordon Capital and First Marathon. He didn’t retire so much as take on a new career with a distinctly global element; he was appointed CEO of TSX-listed Rio Novo Gold (RN-T, $235mm market cap) assembled by the founders of Yamana Gold. Based in Toronto and Rio de Janeiro, Rio Novo focuses on exploring and building gold mines in Brazil and Colombia. Under its new CEO, Rio Novo’s investment of $150-160 million over the next two years is expected to build two mines to produce 225,000 oz. per year. He remains deeply involved in his Toronto life, though. David has been married for 27 years to Kim (Kerr) (Artsci'81), (LL.B, UWO) and a Cambridge LL.M. grad, who is founder and Executive Director of the Children’s Bookbank. Son Christopher, 20, is at Parsons School of Design in New York; son Chas, 18, has gone “purple” playing rugby for Western. David also serves his community as a board member at the National Ballet Foundation and Covenant House Toronto.