Sagard Private Equity Canada

Adam Vigna co-founded Sagard in 2016 and serves as Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, overseeing the firm's investment strategy, governance and portfolio construction, and also acts as CIO of Sagard Credit Partners. Before Sagard, he spent nearly a decade at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, where he was Managing Director and Global Head of the Principal Credit Investments Group and led its 2015 acquisition of Antares Capital. Earlier in his career he was a Vice-President at Goldman Sachs in the Special Situations Group and the Investment Banking Division, and he holds a B.Comm. (Honours) from Queen's University.

Francois Lafortune cofounded Diagram and has been its Managing Partner and CEO since 2016, where he oversees the co-creation of new companies in financial services, insurance, and healthcare. He previously co-led the Canadian Business Technology practice at McKinsey & Company and worked as an entrepreneur and investor, with over 15 years in financial technology. He holds a B.Eng. from McGill University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and is a member of Sagard's Executive Committee.

Jocelyn Lefebvre is Founding Partner at Sagard, having launched its European business in 2001, where he oversees the European division's strategic development and chairs the Investment Committee. He also serves as European Vice-Chairman of Power Corporation of Canada and Pargesa in Switzerland and sits on the board of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert in Belgium. He began his career at Arthur Andersen in Montreal in 1980, later held senior executive roles at the Canadian manufacturing group M.I.L. including CEO of Vickers, and graduated from HEC Montréal.

Jonathan Tétrault is a Managing Partner at Sagard and CEO of Sagard Private Equity Solutions, and also oversees the firm's global expansion, M&A, and strategic partnerships. He previously was President and COO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, and spent 14 years at McKinsey & Company as a Senior Partner, where he co-led the Global Institutional Investors Practice and led the Canadian Financial Services practice. He holds an MBA from Oxford University, an LL.B. from the Université de Montréal, and a CEP from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris.

Paul Desmarais III is Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm covering venture capital, private equity, credit, and real estate, which he has led since 2016. He is Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage and Chairman and Co-Founder of Diagram. Earlier in his career he worked at Goldman Sachs, Imerys S.A., and Great-West Lifeco; he holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from INSEAD.

Raja Manchanda is Co-Founder and Head of Sagard Healthcare Partners, having joined the firm in 2018, where he oversees the healthcare strategy investing in approved biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical devices backed by strong intellectual property. He co-leads the healthcare team's investment process and sits on its investment committee. Before Sagard, he was a Vice President at DRI Capital sourcing royalty monetization opportunities, and he holds an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business (University of Western Ontario) and a Master of Finance from Queen's University.

Samuel Robinson is Co-Founder, Vice Chairman, and a Managing Partner of Sagard, where he also sits on the firm's Board of Directors and oversees operations and strategic initiatives. He served as President of Sagard from 2016 to 2024, a period during which the firm's assets under management grew from $400 million to $25 billion. Before Sagard, he spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs in roles including CAO and Head of Strategy for Investment Banking, COO of Growth Markets, and Chief of Staff to the President, and he holds an MA and MPhil from Christ Church, Oxford.

Amanda Gaiotti is a Partner at Sagard and has been part of the Corporate Development team since 2020, leading M&A integration across the Sagard platform and working on acquisitions from transaction execution through value creation. She is part of the leadership team of Sagard Private Equity Solutions and serves on its Executive Committee, contributing to strategic partnerships and new investment strategies. Before Sagard, she was Senior Director of Strategy, Transformation & Integration at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group under TPG Capital ownership, and holds an MBA from McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management.

Devon Kirk is Co-Head and Partner of Portage Capital Solutions, having joined in 2022, where she co-leads growth equity, structured equity, and special situations investments in financial technology and financial services companies globally. She previously spent over ten years at CPP Investments, most recently as Managing Director and Head of Capital Solutions, and earlier worked in M&A at Linklaters LLP and BMO Harris Nesbitt. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Guillaume Marion is a Partner at Sagard, where he manages relationships with institutions, family offices, and entrepreneurs in Quebec. He previously served as COO/CFO and chair of the investment committee at Sagard's venture builder, Diagram, helping grow the platform from one fund to five funds and more than 20 ventures. He has over 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and investment banking across Canada and Europe, holds degrees from London Business School and HEC Montréal, and is a CFA and CAIA charterholder.

Jeff Johnson is a Partner at Sagard who joined in 2012 and works on the Corporate Development and Value Creation teams, leading the firm's strategic M&A activities and supporting portfolio company M&A and financing. He also oversees private investments on Sagard's balance sheet and sits on the Sagard Private Equity Canada investment committee. Before Sagard, he was a portfolio manager at Evercore Asset Management and at Citigroup, and he holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in History from Dartmouth College.

Leslie Hill is the Chief Operating Officer of Global Capital Formation at Sagard, which she joined in 2019, and oversees the firm's capital formation efforts after previously leading its Investor Relations team. She became a Partner in 2021 and serves on the Executive Committee. Before Sagard, she was a Director of Research at Optima Fund Management, where she managed U.S. long/short equity portfolios, and she holds a B.A. in Government from Harvard College.

Michaël Hassan is Partner, General Counsel and Secretary at Sagard, which he joined in 2023, where he oversees legal, regulatory, and compliance matters with a focus on fund governance, fundraising, M&A, and transaction execution, and serves on the Executive Committee. Before Sagard, he spent 17 years at PSP Investments, most recently as Managing Director, Divisional General Counsel and Head of Legal, Private Investments, and previously held roles at Quebecor World, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, and Muñoz de Toro Abogados. He holds Civil Law, Common Law, and legislative and legal drafting graduate degrees from the University of Ottawa and is a member of the Québec and Ontario Bars.

Stephan Klee has been Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Sagard since 2018, where he oversees the firm's finance function including corporate finance, fund accounting, valuation, tax, and controls. He previously served as CFO of SoFi's Banking Division and as Chief of Staff and CFO of ING Bank in the United States and Canada. He holds a B.A. from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabruck and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, is a Harvard Business School AMP graduate, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Brian Mullin is a Senior Principal, Capital Formation at Sagard, which he joined in 2026, where he handles raising assets across Sagard strategies and managing relationships with institutional investors in the US. He previously worked as a Vice President at Eaton Partners, a Director of Institutional Sales at Campbell and Company, and started his career at Neuberger Berman. He holds a BA from Gettysburg College and has earned the CAIA designation.

Aikta Jain is Managing Director, Capital Formation at Sagard, which she joined in 2026, where she oversees real estate capital raising. She previously served as a Managing Director at Urban Partners, a Northern European real estate manager, leading its North American capital raising team, and has over 20 years of experience in real estate and capital formation. She earned an MBA in Finance from London Business School and a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce.

Annie Martineau is Vice President, People and Culture at Sagard, which she joined in 2023, where she oversees human capital strategy and operations with a focus on growth and transformation, talent, and leadership development. She previously served as Vice President, Human Resources at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), held HR roles in the pharmaceutical sector, and began her career as a lawyer at a large law firm. She holds an LL.B from Université de Montréal and an MBA from HEC Montréal, and is a member of the Barreau du Québec.

Aurélie Jaclot works at Sagard Wealth (formerly Grayhawk Wealth), advising families on managing their wealth. She previously served as Senior Vice President at Lombard Odier, where she led the French desk in London, and as a Senior Private Banker at Pictet & Cie in Paris. Earlier in her career she spent three years at Merrill Lynch in London and Paris and began in the finance team at LVMH in London.

Jonathan Morgan is a Managing Director and Head of Consultant Relations at Sagard, which he joined in 2025 as part of the capital formation team, focusing on relationships with institutional consultants across the firm's strategies. He was previously Global Head of Consultant Relations at Orchard Global, an alternative credit manager, and earlier held consultant relations and business development roles at Insight Investment, BlackRock, and Lord, Abbett & Co. He holds a BSBA from Creighton University and has earned the CAIA designation.

Lawrence Rusoff is a Managing Partner of Sagard Private Equity Solutions and serves on the Executive Committee for both Sagard and Sagard Private Equity Solutions, as well as the Private Equity Investment Committee. He joined Performance Equity Management (now part of Sagard Private Equity Solutions) in 2005, having previously been a Portfolio Manager in Private Equity at General Motors Investment Management Corporation and worked in the Treasurer's Office of General Motors; he began his career at Salomon Brothers. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a member of the CFA Institute.

Lee Wanie is Managing Director, Head of North America, Capital Formation at Sagard, which he joined in 2025, overseeing fundraising across North America. He previously served as Head of Sales and Distribution at Mubadala Capital and led institutional fundraising and consultant relations at BMO Global Asset Management, and earlier held capital formation leadership roles at BlackRock and Barclays Global Investors over 18 years. He holds an A.B. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a CFA charterholder.

Ralph Shields is an Associate, Capital Formation at Sagard, which he joined in 2025, where he supports fundraising across the firm's strategies. He previously worked as an Associate in Investor Relations at HPS Investment Partners and as an Application Engineer at Lutron Electronics. He holds an MS in Management and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University.

Sebastien Lamaute is an Analyst on the Capital Formation team at Sagard, which he joined in 2025, supporting prospective LP and market research, CRM alignment with fundraising strategies, and reporting. He previously interned at The Raisner Group, a real estate private equity firm. He holds an MBA and a BS in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University.