Internships

Students also have the opportunity to explore other cities while taking their internships, including New York, Toronto, Calgary and Victoria. The variety of internships allows students to explore different facets of the investment industry and helps them manage the fund in a more professional manner.

We thank the companies listed below for their continued support offering our students invaluable internships.

Class of 2021 internships

Over the past year, the class of 2021 had the opportunity to gain re­al-world experience from the internships in different areas of capital markets, including asset management, private equity, and consulting. As the pandemic remained an overbearing matter in 2021, internships were either hybrid or remote.

The companies that provided internships to the class of 2021 this past summer included the following:

• BMO Capital Markets
• Fiera Capital Global Equities
• CI Global Asset Management
• PSP Investments Natural Resources
• Novacap
• National Bank Financial
• Global Alpha Capital Management

Darragh joined the corporate banking team at BMO Capital Markets where he learned the workings of credit analysis and relationship man­agement on the executive level. He learned about syndicated deals, working alongside American banks, as well researching companies with a focus on their ability to support debt. He felt that this would be a valu­able complement to a career in asset management, whereby he would enter the workforce with knowledge of credit analysis in addition to his exposure to public equities gained from the program.

During his summer internship, Thierry had the chance to work with the Fiera Capital Global Equities team where he had the opportunity to conduct in-depth equity research on two companies, one in Industrials and the other in Healthcare. He learned about the importance of con­ducting primary due diligence for a high conviction portfolio manage­ment strategy.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I had working on Fiera’s Global Equities team. I learned a great deal from a team of exceptional investors and cemented my view that I wanted to pursue a career analyzing equities in the public markets.” –Thierry Matin

Thierry also had the opportunity to work for CI Global Asset Manage­ment on their Global Small Cap Growth Equity team where he performed industry research on the nascent sports betting space as well as a certain robotics manufacturer. Both research projects helped Thierry understand how growth is assessed from the perspective of a quality investor.

Over the past summer, Adnan joined PSP Investments in their Natural Resources team where he had the opportunity to conduct comprehen­sive industry-focused research on permanent crop, dairy, and livestock commodities. He assisted in the analysis and execution of several multi-million-dollar tuck-in acquisitions in Australia, Asia, and Europe. Adnan was fortunate to participate in weekly management calls to as­sure timely project development in platform companies.

“I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with one of Canada’s leading pension investment managers. The internship provided me with valuable industry experience and skill sets, and further supported my growth as a student, both directly and indirectly.” – Adnan Mkamel

Over the past summer, Ami joined Novacap in their Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) team, where he had the chance to analyze several target companies within the technology industry and create detailed investment presentations for the Investment Committee. He also partic­ipated in numerous management calls during his internship.

“I’m extremely grateful for having the chance to work in such a fast-paced environment which allowed me to develop many skills through analyzing private companies, making multiple in­vestment decks, and then presenting it to more senior members of the team. My experience not only made me a better worker, but a better person as well.” – Ami Zunenshine

Over the past summer, Stefan joined National Bank Financial in their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) investment banking team. He had the chance to work on several multi-billion dollar sell-side and buy-side mandates and analyze several companies in a diverse range of industries across North America. He also participated in numerous management calls throughout his internship.

“I’m extremely grateful for having the chance to work at the fastest-growing major investment bank in the country. My ex­perience helped me develop as a professional and helped me learn more about the capital markets and am looking forward to joining the team on a full-time basis” - Stefan Georgescu

During his summer with Global Alpha Capital Management, Ali joined the East Asia small-cap team in Vancouver where he had the opportunity to gain valuable experience in researching international equities, spe­cifically Japanese and Singaporean companies. This is where he learned about the key players and the competitive dynamics of the Japanese industrial market. Ali gained plenty of knowledge during the weekly meetings where all the portfolio managers and analysts at Global Alpha shared their thoughts on the market and international trends. Moreover, Ali learned how to identify and analyze small-cap niche market leaders in various markets. By gaining this exposure to analyze multiple international companies, Ali was fortunate to learn the investing style, philosophy, and more importantly the culture of Global Alpha.

Class of 2022 internships

Although the year was marked by changing COVID-19 health guidelines, the class of 2022 still managed to capitalize on opportunities and benefit from the many internships they completed across a wide variety of fields in buy-side firms across the country; from Montreal-based hedge funds to asset management firms in Toronto and a pension fund in Victoria, BC. Accordingly, the research associates gained invaluable knowledge and experience that they will leverage throughout their tenure as Fund Managers starting in January 2022.

The following companies provided internships to the research associates during the summer of 2021:

• CI Global Asset Management
• Formula Growth
• Galliant Advisors
• British Columbia Investment U.S. Small Cap Equities
• 1832 Asset Management.

During his time at CI Global Asset Management, Samer was fortunate to work with both the Canadian and U.S. large cap equities teams. He had the opportunity to produce a deep dive research report on the North American lumber industry and conduct an initiation report on a U.S. interactive entertainment company. Both projects allowed him to develop his analytical and presentation skills, as he discussed his findings with several analysts and portfolio managers from various teams within the firm. Although he was based in Montreal throughout his summer internship, both groups had adopted a streamlined communication pro­cess where interns, analysts and portfolio managers would interact on an hour-to-hour basis. This replicated an in-person office experience as it created a frictionless and dynamic work environment.

“I enjoyed the fact that both teams were always open to so­cialize and talk about non-work-related topics. For instance, we would typically start our morning meetings discussing the hockey playoffs, which often led to passionate conversations about the Montreal Canadians and Toronto Maple Leafs.” – Samer Amaneddine

In contrast, two members of the cohort had the opportunity to work in-person as they commuted to their offices in the city. Over the summer, Nathaniel Assouline worked alongside the team at Formula Growth, a 100% employee-owned, Montreal-based hedge fund founded in 1960. He interned under the direct supervision of Calvin C. Potter fellow and for­mer KWPMP portfolio manager, Nelson Cheung, where he learned about several sectors across the public markets. Nathaniel conducted research on more than a dozen companies for screening purposes and took part in introducing a new stock to one of their funds. In addition, he had the chance to participate in numerous conferences held by the largest financial institutions and was part of multiple initial public offerings.

“At Formula Growth, most of my summer was spent research­ing companies to produce pitch reports, which would then be uploaded to the firm’s internal database. We introduced new companies using the database, kept track of others on watch lists, or revisited theses of current holdings within the fund. This exercise served as a great learning experience to develop my critical thinking and analytical skills. I was fortu­nate to have an in-person experience for the duration of the internship and will be forever grateful for the tight-knit team at Formula Growth that appreciated a new set of eyes. I also enjoyed the fact that there was always someone available to speak to one-on-one, whether it was work or non-work related.” – Nathaniel Assouline

Coincidentally, Raphael worked as an investment analyst at another Montreal-based hedge fund, Galliant Advisors LP. He had the oppor­tunity to support the portfolio managers by working on multiple stock pitches, updating financial models, and monitoring their portfolio holdings throughout the day. His role allowed him to obtain a glimpse into how market participants behave in the short-term. Specifically, he learned how macroeconomics, company-specific news, and earnings surprises can have a significant impact on companies’ short-term share prices, thus providing investors with attractive buy or sell opportunities.

“By listening to many company earnings calls as well as regularly monitoring business news and the stock market, I learned that in the short-term, markets are predominantly governed by beat or miss expectations, emotions and investor sentiment. Working at a hedge fund allowed me to experience a uniquely different investing perspective.” - Raphael Iliopoulos

Kristoph worked under Matthew Watson at British Columbia Investment Management (BCI) in their U.S. Small Cap Equities team. He conducted research on several companies for screening purposes and worked on a detailed industry report to identify potential names of interest for the team. He also developed a research report on a leading investment bank that was undergoing a transformational acquisition. He presented the report internally to BCI’s Investment Committee, where he was chal­lenged to defend his thesis in the presence of many of the organization’s senior investment professionals.

“My experience at BCI was challenging yet extremely rewarding. The autonomy from the team helped me develop my research capabilities, financial modeling abilities, and critical thinking skills. My internship entailed conducting research on several small cap companies, one of which was a leading investment bank that I pitched to BCI’s investment committee. The experi­ence was a testament to how fast-paced this industry is, as just a few hours before we planned on submitting the initial pitch, the company announced its largest acquisition to date.” –Kris­toph Bardos

During her internship at 1832 Asset Management, Ana Maria worked under Calvin C. Potter Fellow and former KWPMP fund manager, Vishal Patel, who manages a growth equities portfolio of approximately C$7 billion. Throughout the summer, she had the opportunity to complete an in-depth industry research report along with equity research reports on two companies within the industry. She then had the opportunity to present her findings to her team and several of 1832’s investment professionals. In addition, Ana Maria attended conferences on a wide range of topics including inflation, cryptocurrency, fixed income, and foreign exchange, while also being invited to attend several management meetings, a truly educational opportunity for a student.

“At 1832, I was given the freedom to complete industry and company-specific research reports without following set guide­lines. This allowed me to work independently and use my critical thinking skills in deciding how to shape the report and which relevant information to include. In addition, rather than being directed to complete research on specific companies, I was asked to write about those I found most attractive based on my industry analysis. Ultimately, this exercise allowed me to en­hance my analytical skills and receiving feedback from seasoned investment professionals was beyond valuable as they continu­ously pushed my thinking. Attending management meetings was a unique experience that allowed me to gain greater insight into the role of an investment analyst.” –Ana Maria Gubert-Mitchell