Message from the Director

I was reminded during a recent visit to Toronto that summer is coming to a close, with the Canadian National Exhibition – otherwise known as “The Ex” –in full swing. The Ex, the iconic annual summertime fair, is a hallmark of Toronto which has been held there since 1879. As it concludes each year on Labor Day, we know that it is back to school and business.

We are already in recruitment mode at the KWPMP. The Frosh orientation took place during the last week of August where Giovanni, one of our research associates, handed out flyers to the eager students. We also shared on our social media pages that this year’s information session will take place on Tuesday, September 10 with the selection of next year’s cohort to be announced on Monday, October 14. We had a large group of applicants last year with high quality candidates, of which we chose nine to join the program. We hope to see another large contingent of students vying to be part of the KWPMP.

We had a fantastic graduation celebration this past May. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the parents of the graduates where they obviously took keen interest in their children’s education. I was pleasantly surprised they were aware of the companies their children pitched for the fund and at times, the turmoil they experienced when the stock would not always behave as predicted. But the evening was to commemorate their two years in the program and all that they learned, but more importantly, the strong friendships that were formed – what they refer to as their KW brothers.

The graduation was punctuated with a lively fireside chat with the evening’s keynote speaker, Michael Boychuk. Michael is a dynamic results-oriented business leader, with a proven track record in capital markets. While Michael is officially retired as CEO of Bimcor, he is far from being inactive. He has been involved in shaping the future of many Canadian companies especially currently as the Chair of the Board of the Laurentian Bank of Canada. During our fireside chat, there was no topic that was out of bounds and Michael was generous to give time to answer any question that was put to him.

Halfway through the summer, I took the opportunity to meet with the employers who gave our students internships. I choose this halfway point to allow me to course correct anything that needs to be done. Fortunately, I was happy and relieved to learn that all our employers were delighted with the KWPMP students. You can see the interesting places where our fund managers and research associates worked this past summer.

I expect the thirteen KWPMP students to apply the knowledge they gained over the summer to make astute stock picks for the portfolio. I am pleased to announce that the portfolio reached a new milestone mark this summer, with assets now at $6 million. Some of the cash flow from the portfolio helps fund some of the experiential learning. For example, in October, the students will be heading to Toronto to attend a conference as well as have tours of the RBC and BMO trading floors.

This year marks a monumental year. We shall be celebrating the program’s 25th anniversary and we have already started planning for the special event that will take place on May 13, 2025. We are excited to have Alexandre Bilodeau as our keynote speaker for the evening as well as recognizing our former client committee members and the graduating class of 2024.

We have limited capacity, so once we send out the invitations, please RSVP as soon as possible. Other confirmed guests for the evening include our benefactor Kenneth Woods, President Carr, and Dean Croteau.

You will recognize our keynote speaker’s name as he was an international level freestyle skier, winning numerous world championship titles and capturing the Olympic gold at the Vancouver Games in 2010, then repeating this feat in 2014 in Sochi.

Post his sports career, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting sciences from the John Molson School of Business, a specialized graduate diploma in accounting from HEC Montreal and then earned his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.

Alexandre co-founded Partenaires A2, a firm specializing in private equity after being a Vice-President of Private Investments at Walter Capital Partners. In this role, Alexandre supported businesses in various sectors such as manufacturing, restaurants, health and wellness, and technology.

We also want you to mark your calendar for our fall celebration that will be held on November 13, 2024. We are most delighted to have Bruno Roy, CEO of CNID as our keynote speaker for the evening.

Bruno Roy is President and Chief Executive Officer of the CN Investment Division which manages one of the largest corporate pension funds in Canada. Mr. Roy is accountable for all aspects of investment management and organizational oversight.

Bruno has over 30 years of experience in investments, capital markets, pensions, derivatives, and risk management. We look forward to Bruno sharing some stories and his in-depth knowledge of investment strategy, private market investments, and fixed income.

The fall always brings back a feeling of urgency and seriousness. While we wish you success in your work and other endeavors, we hope you will be able to take some time to join us for the fall celebration November 13.