Beyond The Exchange

In this episode of Beyond the Exchange, Ben Sinclair talks with Kurankye “Krunch” Sekyi-Otu, founder and CEO of Capoeira Partners and former Chief Strategy Officer at Polar Asset Management Partners, where assets grew from US$700 million to US$7 billion during his time there. Krunch explains why culture, long-term partnerships, and multi-dimensional support are critical to building founder-led alt...

In this episode, Ben Sinclair sits down with Ralph DeSando, Deputy CEO at Yorkville Asset Management, to explore how long-term care and senior living have become one of Canada’s most compelling and misunderstood healthcare investment opportunities. Ralph shares the story of Yorkville’s healthcare fund from its inception in 2010..He explains why aging infrastructure, substantial waitlists, and an a...

Ben sits down with Julian Klymochko, founder and CEO of Accelerate Financial Technologies, to explore listed liquid alternatives, the “Holy Grail” of uncorrelated return streams, and the myths around private funds being lower risk just because they don’t trade every day. They discuss: -The trade-off between liquidity and volatility smoothing -How Canada’s private credit boom went offside on concen...

In this episode of Beyond The Exchange, Ben Sinclair speaks with Jay Simmons, founder, chairman, and CEO of Durum Capital, about how distress, governance, and niche specialization shape his approach to private markets in Western Canada. Jay explains how early experience in financial restructuring at Deloitte and turning around an oilfield services firm informed his focus on risk, downside protecti...

In the first episode with multiple guests, I am joined by two leaders of Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs). We discuss topics such as: The background of both guests and their firms. What is a MIC? How do mortgages fit into an investment portfolio? What type of borrowers do MICs serve? What are some of the safeguards used by MICs to protect against losses?

Episode 7 of the Beyond the Exchange podcast features a wide‑ranging conversation with Josh Will, President of Virtus, a diversified private real estate manager focused on cash‑flowing assets in secondary and tertiary markets across Canada and the U.S. Josh traces his path from aspiring teacher to building a career in private real estate marketing and asset management, including selling U.S. real...

In this episode, Ben Sinclair, CFA, CAIA, talks with David Gens, founder and CEO of Merchant Growth and manager of the Merchant Opportunities Fund, about building a fintech lender for Canadian small businesses in a market dominated by the big five banks. David explains how he spotted the gap in 2009, why he chose a fund structure to finance loans, and how the strategy aims to deliver uncorrelated,...

Farmland is the world’s oldest asset class, and a lot more investable than most people realize. This episode, featuring Andrea Gruza of Bonnefield, dives into this story. A few highlights from the conversation:​ How climate change, water availability, and limited arable land globally are creating a structural tailwind for Canadian farmland. The capital challenges facing farmers today (input costs,...

John Fisher founded Bridgeport in 2007 and is the chief architect of Bridgeport's investment strategy, with ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the investment process and client relations. Prior to Bridgeport, John spent 10 years at private equity company Clairvest Group, and he also has past experience in investment banking at one of the big five Canadian banks, and in accounting at on...

Elroy Gust, CEO of Newlook Capital, joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about the origins of Newlook, how the firm operates, and what led a private equity company to launch a strategy focused on dentistry.

Sean O'Hara, Chief Investment Officer of Obsiido, talks about about what led him to join a startup, what Obsiido offers investors, and how he selects funds in the private markets space, among many other topics.

In this conversation, Tom Johnston, Managing Director and Canadian Market Head at iCapital, discusses the evolution of private markets, the challenges faced during iCapital's founding, and the current landscape of alternative investments in Canada. He emphasizes the importance of due diligence, the role of Canadian banks, and the misconceptions surrounding private markets. Johnston also highli...