ETF Tools

Valerie Grimba runs the Global ETF Sales and Strategy team at RBC Capital Markets. In this role, she is responsible for providing solutions to help RBC’s institutional clients better understand and implement ETF strategies. She also works closely with ETF issuers to help facilitate ETF trading and create markets for their ETF products. Valerie has more than 15 years of global institutional sales and trading experience, spanning trading floors across Canada, the US and Australasia.

Valerie received her HBA with distinction from the Richard Ivey School of Business, Western University, and has attained several global market accreditations with the ability to trade on numerous international equity exchanges including Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Chris has more than 14 years of experience in the investment industry and currently serves as portfolio manager for equity-based and derivative-based ETFs. Chris also trades equity options and foreign exchange for the firm. He holds two degrees including a Master of Finance from the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management (Dean’s List), and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo, with studies in History and Mathematics, and is a CFA charterholder.

Greg Walker is Director, ETF Capital Markets and Strategic Relationships at BMO Global Asset Management. Before re-joining BMO, Walker was head of institutional ETF sales for Vanguard Investments Canada Inc. and global head of ETF distribution at RBC Capital Markets. He also served as executive vice-president and head of institutional and national accounts at Evolve ETFs and was head of iShares business development at BlackRock Asset Management Canada

Greg started his career at Bank of Montreal and has held various investment roles including high yield debt analyst and portfolio manager in a fixed income investment management group specializing in credit risk assets.

Mr. Walker earned an HBA in economics and financial management from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a CFA® charterholder and has held positions on a number of investment industry boards, including the Buy-Side Investment Management Association (BIMA), Canadian Security Traders Association (CSTA) and the board of Women in Capital Markets (WCM).

Graham MacKenzie is the Head of Exchange Traded Products and leads the ETF and Structured Product businesses at the TMX. In this role, Graham is not only tasked with growing the TSX’s ETF footprint but also focused on nurturing and fostering the adoption and use of ETFs in Canadian investment portfolios. Graham joined the TMX after an 18 year career as an equity trader that included managing multiple trading businesses. During this time he was at CIBC where his responsibilities included Portfolio Trading, Head of the Retail Execution Services and Retail Block Trading desks. Prior to CIBC, Graham worked at RBC Capital Markets where he was a pioneer in the Canadian portfolio trading business. At both CIBC and RBC, Graham was responsible for managing corporate trading relationships and advised issuers on corporate buybacks, building toehold positions and disposing minority stakes. He began his trading career as an options trader on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange with RBC. Graham and his wife, Michèle, are the founders of Ready, Set, Play Children’s Charity which is a Toronto based charity that provides funding for underprivileged children to participate in recreational sports and dance.

Pat Bolland has been in the investment industry for more than 4 decades. Pat started work on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange as a phone clerk for McLeod Young Weir. Over a decade he progressed through retail and institutional sales to help take MYW to a leadership position on Bay Street.

Pat spent the next 25 years in media; as TV-host at BNN and SNN; on-air business editor at CNBC and CBC; radio host on CFRB; and writer for Moneysense, Sun Media and AOL.

Despite all his media, business and sport ties he still gets stopped on the street, usually by someone who states … “You’re the guy with the ‘stache’!

Ellen Roseman is a journalist who sticks up for ordinary Canadians. She’s been advocating for consumer rights for the past 40 years.

When you hear about consumer issues in Canada, you can’t avoid finding references to Ellen Roseman. She’s become a brand name for activism and a champion at helping consumers fight back against injustices. People praise her direct, down to earth and common sense writing style.

Ellen’s personal finance and consumer columns appeared in the Toronto Star for 20 years until 2019.

She was the Star’s business editor for two years (1997-1998). Before that, she was with the Globe and Mail as a columnist and associate managing editor of the Report on Business.

Her books, Money 101: Every Canadian’s Guide to Personal Finance, and Money 201: More Personal Finance Advice for Every Canadian, are an easy-to-understand introduction to personal finance for those of us who are short of time and money.

She’s the author of four other books, Ellen Roseman’s Money Guide for Modern Families, Canadian Parent’s Sourcebook, Canadian Consumers’ Survival Book and Consumer, Beware! The most recent book is Fight Back: 81 Ways to Help You Save Money and Protect Yourself from Corporate Trickery.

She’s been teaching courses in investing and personal finance at the University of Toronto’s continuing studies department since 2004. Her specialties are learning how to invest for beginners and how to become a smart consumer.

Ellen is a former board chair and current director of the Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights (FAIR Canada). She also hosts the MoneySaver Podcast, sponsored by Canadian MoneySaver magazine.

As the founder and leader of Sparx, Hamish has always been drawn to big ideas and impactful projects. He has a knack for puns: he once convinced a potato to fall in love with an onion – the secret was to teach them how to be mutually a-peeling.

At SparxTrading.com, we believe DIY investors deserve access to quality, objective information about online brokerage industry that services them. By constantly researching, monitoring and compiling data into an easy to access format, SparxTrading.com has become Canada’s leading and most comprehensive website for DIY investors to compare discount brokerages as well as to get the latest information on deals & promotions offered by Canadian online brokers.