As has been the tradition for many years, the FIAMtl Méchoui once again brought together a large number of Montréal finance professionals in a warm, collegial atmosphere.
At the 12^th edition of this highly regarded event, held on August 21, Adriana Arrillaga, CFA, was awarded the honorary prize recognizing the exceptional commitment of a woman who has made a significant impact on the financial and investment community through her dedication and influence.

Surrounded by many association members, including CFA Montréal President Sandy Poiré, CFA, Adriana received heartfelt applause for her inspiring role in supporting the next generation and for her initiatives to open doors for women in the profession.

With a distinguished career — notably at Fleming Asset Management, where she managed North American mandates for foreign pension funds — Adriana has become a recognized leader in our field.
A graduate of the John Molson School of Business and a CFA charterholder, she has consistently given back to the community, with a strong focus on advancing financial literacy among women.

A former member of CFA Montréal’s Women in Investment Management Committee, she has contributed to numerous initiatives aimed at supporting women in finance and increasing their representation within our network. She has inspired countless young women at the association’s career days, sharing her journey and insights, and has helped raise the profile of the CFA Program among hundreds of students at Montréal universities.

Adriana Arrillaga embodies generosity in the investment world and is committed to making a real difference for young professionals. Her values are rooted in her family history: her grandmother funded scholarships for medical students in memory of her husband, Dr Francisco Arrillaga, a pioneer of clinical cardiology in Argentina, and her great-uncle, who was awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and donated his prize money to his research laboratory.

Since 2018, Adriana has personally funded an annual scholarship encouraging a female finance student from Concordia University to pursue the CFA designation. This rare and tangible gesture has already helped nine recipients take a decisive step in their professional journey. She has also chaired the CFA Montréal scholarship program selection committee for several years.

Adriana is a founding member and donor of the Women Impact Montréal Fund, a former member of Tiger 21, and a voting member of Conservation Manitou.

Receiving this recognition with humility, she said: “I would like to thank CFA Montréal and FIAM for this recognition. It is an honour to receive this award. It brings me immense joy to see the next generation of women succeeding in our industry.”

“FIAM is proud to recognize the 2025 recipient of CFA Montréal’s Women in Finance Award. Giving back is a value at the core of FIAM’s mission — a value that Adriana continues to demonstrate through numerous initiatives she has led or supported. Her efforts have not only encouraged many female finance students to aim for the CFA designation but have also raised broader awareness among women of the importance of financial literacy,” said Claude Perron.

Her commitment to developing female talent and her desire to build a more equitable ecosystem make her an exemplary recipient of the FIAM Award. We salute her lasting impact and dedication to elevating the role of women in the investment world.

Source : CFA Montréal

Every year, the Méchoui organized by FIAMtl is an unmissable event for the Montreal financial community.

It was in the summer atmosphere of the 11^th edition of this event that Lédéenne Chapleau, CFA, received the award for the woman who has distinguished herself the most for her emeritus involvement in the financial and investment community of Montreal on August 22.

On this occasion, many members, including Sandy Poiré, CFA, president of the Society, were able to congratulate this promising professional for her immense contribution to raising awareness of our investment profession among young people.

Lédéenne, who is part of CDPQ’s external portfolio management team, started as a volunteer with CFA Montréal in 2019. Her passion for finance led her to get involved with young people and to become Co-Chair of the University Relations Committee in September 2022, before taking over at its leadership in November 2023.

The role of the University Relations Committee is vital to CFA Montréal and the promotion of the CFA program, as it facilitates interconnection between students, professionals, and professors.  Thanks to its inspiring dynamism, the committee led by Lédéenne has performed more than forty presentations in universities.

Driven by her interest in applied mathematics, Lédéenne remembers that when she started at university, she had no idea what finance was. A classmate had explained to her that her father’s best friend held the CFA designation, had a rewarding job and that obtaining this certification was a major challenge. It was enough to convince her!

During her many meetings with young people, she observes interesting disparities: young men already often have their foot in the door in the industry, they have a network, they evolve in groups and seem to be better aware of the different career prospects available to them. On the other hand, young women are often less well supported and informed.

It is this desire to reduce this gap and to engage future professionals in our field that makes Lédéenne a remarkable and convincing ambassador.

This distinction, which recognizes the contribution to the influence of the finance professions, and more particularly of the CFA designation among the next generation in finance, is close to the heart of FIAM President Claude Perron, who said: ”  It is with deep admiration that we salute Lédéenne’s achievements in the future of finance at universities. Her commitment perfectly embodies the objectives and values of excellence that we cultivate at FIAM. We are all prouder to highlight the importance of her involvement as it feeds a talent pool that aligns harmoniously with FIAM’s mission: to develop a community of professionals in the “new finance”, one that integrates Big Data and merges data science with finance. There is no denying that her passion and dedication will have a significant impact on the future of the profession. »

The lucky winner, who would like to thank all the volunteers who work with her to support our mission, said: “It is a privilege to be part of such an exciting financial community that inspires me to contribute to the mission of CFA Montréal and to promote the CFA program at universities. Helping students better understand the CFA designation and the professional opportunities that if offers it in a changing context is a real pleasure. »

Lédéenne’s recognition in the finance industry is a testament to her undeniable influence within CFA Montreal. We send her our most sincere congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Source : CFA Montréal

During the 10th annual Montreal Alternative Investment Forum (FIAMtl) Méchoui BBQ event on August 24, 2023, Julie Ducharme, CFA, received an award from CFA Montréal for her outstanding contributions to Montreal’s financial and investment community. Through her volunteer efforts, Julie has played a key role in shining the spotlight on financial professions and the benefits of being a CFA charterholder, thus helping to improve outreach to prospective candidates.

Julie has been an active, insightful and engaged member of the CFA Montréal Board of Directors for the past four years. She also serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and has been involved with the mentoring program in several capacities, including program co-lead, pairing advisor and mentor. She firmly believes in the importance of paying it forward. A vocal proponent of diversity and inclusion, and women in finance in particular, she embodies the values of ethics and integrity that are fundamental to the CFA designation. Her sense of engagement and spirit of community are beyond exemplary. And she is quick to seize every opportunity to talk to high school, college and university students and to share her passion about the profession unites us all.

“I am grateful to be part of this community and to help advance CFA Montréal’s mission of contributing to the career progression of our members,” said Julie. “Whether it’s been through the mentoring program or the support provided by our Board to our members, I’ve always felt like this is a place where I can be myself and do my part to make CFA Montréal the best it can be.”

Her thoughts on the current state of the financial industry, specifically as it pertains to diversity within its ranks, are very clear. “With markets evolving as quickly as they are, the financial community needs to stay one step ahead of the game,” she said. “Our leaders will have to be proactive to change the face of our industry in order to better represent the clients we serve, especially with regard to diversity, and especially here in Montreal. Right now, 40% of CFA candidates around the world are women. That number plummets to 26% for Montreal.”

Julie is enthusiastic about what the next generation will bring and hopes that other women in the financial industry will join her in making more female students aware of the career opportunities available to them, with the ultimate goal of fostering greater diversity among financial industry leaders moving forward.

During the event, FIAMtl President Claude Perron added that “Julie is making an indelible mark on our financial community, most notably through her passion for developing young talent by way of the CFA Montréal mentoring program that she has championed so vigorously these past years. She is a proud ambassador of the Society’s work and the values it espouses. Her tireless efforts to empower women in the financial industry have been pivotal in encouraging and inspiring female students to pursue a career in this field.”

Julie’s reputation as a go-getter is well established in Montreal’s financial circles. On behalf of the entire CFA Montréal community, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to her for this richly deserved honour.

Source : CFA Montréal

At the ninth annual Montreal Alternative Investment Forum (FIAMtl) Méchoui BBQ event on August 25, CFA Montréal presented an award to Danielle Filistin, CFA, PRM, for her outstanding contributions to Montreal’s financial and investment community. Her volunteer efforts have helped raise the visibility of the various financial professions, and the CFA designation in particular, within the university ecosystem.

As the chair of CFA Montréal’s University Relations Committee, Danielle is determined to help provide students with the tools they need to break into and thrive in the financial industry.

“In my capacity as chair of the CFA Montréal University Relations Committee, I would like to share this award with everyone at CFA Montréal and CFA Québec. Together, they have built a financial community at the local level that has had an impact and a voice on the global stage,” she said. “I would also like to thank our Executive Director, Jo-Ann Hajdamacha, for being so supportive and responsive and our President, Odrée Ducharme, who feels strongly about the role of women in growing our collective financial expertise. For me, this is a particularly meaningful honour that recognizes all the hard work and effort put in over the past two years amid some pretty daunting challenges.”

Danielle stressed that the award is a testament to the vital importance of volunteers and partners to CFA Montréal, without whom she would never have been able to undertake the colossal task of bringing students, professors and professionals together to speak plainly about what they have each learned and experienced. “Giving back to those who will continue to propel this tremendous community forward in the years to come is what inspires me to do what I do every day. My thanks go out to Claude Perron and the whole FIAMtl team for their ongoing commitment to shining the spotlight on our local expertise and to growing our network here and around the world. Thank you, everyone, for this incredible honour.”

FIAMtl President Claude Perron also sang Danielle’s praises at the Méchoui BBQ: “Keeping members informed and inspired, sharing experiences and growing networks are all central to the mission of CFA Montréal’s University Relations Committee, chaired by Danielle. The exceptional part she has played in developing a community of young talent is making a real difference in cementing the reputation of our financial community, both here at home and internationally. Congratulations to Danielle for being such a great leader!”

Source : CFA Montréal

When the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) first opened a branch in Canada 15 years ago, the hedge fund sector in this country was just starting and still small. The way firms were set up and products marketed was very different to today. Indeed, as we mark our crystal anniversary in Canada, it is thrilling to look back and see how far the industry has truly come in this country and to see where it is headed.

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Since the global financial crisis, private lending has become an increasingly prevalent part of institutional and retail portfolios across Canada, as investors seeking high-yielding investments continue to face low interest rates and compressed credit spreads on corporate debt versus comparable-term federal and provincial offerings. In this publication, we provide an overview of private lending and some of the most common forms that it takes. Our goal is to provide enough information so that investors and their advisors develop a better understanding of this important fixed-income strategy. We would like to thank the CAASA Fund Investment Risk Methodology (FIRM) Group, the CAASA Private Lending Group, and each of our sponsors for their important contributions to this work. […]