Each week, we summarize notable moves across the financial industry.
Benoit Hudon has been appointed executive vice-president (EVP), corporate strategy and development of iA Financial Group, effective June 1. Currently Mercer UK president and CEO, Hudon will be rejoining the firm, where he worked for about a year as an actuarial analyst in the mid-1990s.
Reflecting on his return to the firm in a LinkedIn post, Hudon said, “Coming back to an organization with this foundation, this culture, and this ambition feels less like a homecoming and more like a natural next chapter.”
Hudon has been in leadership roles at Mercer for more than 13 years, and previously spent more than a decade as a retirement lead consultant and partner at Towers Watson in Montreal.
In his new role, Hudon will be responsible for leading acquisition-driven growth, strengthening the firm’s capital deployment strategy, according to a press release.
Pierre Miron, executive vice-president and chief growth officer, Canadian operations, will retire at the end of the year, after moving to an EVP and strategic advisor role in June. He’s been with iA Financial Group in various executive roles since 2018, and previously held senior roles with Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and National Bank Financial (NBF). Denis Berthiaume will succeed him, after serving as executive vice-president, strategy, performance and M&A for two years. He was previously executive-vice president and chief operating officer at Desjardins.
Other moves include:
- Rob Krizmanich and Jerry Silva have joined CIBC Wood Gundy, each as senior wealth advisor and portfolio manager, along with Steve Lockner, wealth advisor and portfolio manager. The team was previously with NBF and HSBC Securities, before it was acquired by NBF, for more than 20 years. Earlier in their career, Krizmanich, Silva and Lockner also worked at Scotia McLeod, Krizmanich in a vice-president role.
- Greg Steers has joined Wellington-Altus Private Wealth as a senior wealth advisor and portfolio manager, bringing his team of three with him from Scotia Wealth after 12 years. Further back in his career, he was with NBF for upwards of a decade as an investment advisor and for a time as branch manager.
- Rose Marcello has been named VP and chief investment officer of the Bâtirente and Fondaction Combination, starting at the end of June. She brings close to two decades of industry experience in portfolio management, investment strategies and sustainable investing. Marcello will succeed Claire Bisson, who is retiring after 16 years with Fondaction and more than 25 years in the industry. Marcello most recently was VP and head of investment strategy and client solutions at iA Global Asset Management, where she spent four years. Bâtirente and Fondaction Combination was established in 2025 with a mandate to use group savings as a catalyst for social and environmental progress.
- Stanley Julien has joined Richter as a partner, bringing more than three decades of experience with BMO Financial Group in commercial banking, corporate finance, credit structuring and enterprise risk management. His roles at BMO included head of its special accounts management unit in Canada.
- Shawn Kauth has retired from Meridian Credit Union, where he was vice-president, wealth, and after accumulating more than 25 years of industry experience. Before joining Meridian in 2022 in an associate VP role, he spent close to 20 years with Sun Life and Sun Life Financial in senior client solution, product development and other roles.
- Amy Stein has joined Scotia Wealth Management as senior manager, business and wealth transition responsible for advanced planning services. A fourth-generation business leader at Henry’s Cameras, Stein earned her family enterprise advisor designation last year.
- Tanya Rowntree has been elected board chair of Women in ETFs, Inc. Currently senior director and head of listings at Cboe Canada, she brings deep experience in capital markets and ETF listings, including previous VP-level roles at TMX Group and TSX Trust focused on sales and client success.
- Naizam Kanji has been promoted to executive VP, strategic regulation at the Ontario Securities Commission. He has been with the regulator for 25 years, with his most recent role being general counsel.
- Elio Luongo has joined the board of directors at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. He was CEO and senior partner of KPMG Canada for eight years ending in 2024, spending more than 35 years with the firm in all.
If you know of other people moves in the financial industry and/or would like us to consider your announcement, email Alisha Hiyate at alisha.h@newcom.ca.