Sagard Private Equity Canada

Paul Desmarais serves as Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm with approximately $33 billion in assets under management. The firm invests across venture capital, private equity, private credit, and real estate, focusing on entrepreneurs in financial services, technology, business services, and healthcare sectors.

Adam Vigna is Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Managing Partner of Sagard, a multi-asset class alternatives firm that invests in equity, credit, venture, and real estate through private funds and mandates. As Chief Investment Officer, he is involved in investment decisions across the platform, along with overall investment strategy, governance, and portfolio construction. Prior to Sagard, he held roles at CPPIB and Goldman Sachs, and has worked as a direct investor for over 20 years.

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 and Vice Chairman of Sagard, a multi-asset class private investment firm active in private equity, venture capital, private credit, and real estate, where he also serves as Managing Partner and Board Director. He served as the firm's President from 2016 to 2024, a period during which its assets under management grew from $500 million to $46 billion, and he now focuses on select clients, strategic initiatives, and the firm's global expansion. Earlier in his career, he worked at Goldman Sachs from 1996 to 2014, becoming a Managing Director in 2006 and holding roles in London, Sydney, Hong Kong, and New York, including chief of staff, chief operating officer, and CAO and head of strategy.

Co-founded Portage in 2016 to help fintech and financial services entrepreneurs scale globally.

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.

Chad Messer is a Managing Director and Deputy Chief Investment Officer at Sagard Real Estate, based in Denver. He oversees portfolio management for the firm's value-add programs.

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.

Erik Good is Head of Acquisitions at Sagard Real Estate, where he has worked since 2011 and directs the national acquisitions team responsible for sourcing, negotiating, underwriting, and closing investments across the firm's real estate accounts. He has 30 years of commercial real estate experience in acquisition, asset management, and brokerage, holding leadership and principal roles at GW Realty, Newport Capital Advisors, Kilroy Realty, Charles Dunn, and Grubb & Ellis. Over his career he has directed the acquisition of more than $2 billion across over 100 industrial, office, and multi-family assets and overseen operations, marketing, leasing, and disposition of over 13 million square feet of commercial property.

Francois Lafortune is the co-founder and CEO of Diagram Ventures, a venture builder that launches technology companies alongside founders. Since its founding in mid-2016, Diagram has launched 18 ventures generating over $1 billion in shareholder value and employing more than 1,000 full-time employees. Lafortune previously spent seven years at McKinsey & Company as co-leader of the Canadian Technology practice and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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.

John Maurer is Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity and a Partner at Sagard Real Estate, where he oversees the firm's equity separate account portfolios and serves as Senior Portfolio Manager for the Sagard US Property Fund and the Sagard Enhanced Property Fund. He has 35 years of experience in real estate investment management and previously held roles as head of Portfolio Management at Bell Partners and Principal and Portfolio Manager at PGIM Real Estate, and co-founded an investment management firm. Maurer holds an M.S. in Real Estate Appraisal and a B.A. in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin.

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.

Mark Bigarel is President of Sagard Real Estate, where he oversees the firm's day-to-day operations and execution. He supports the development and implementation of the firm's strategic direction and works on building investor and partner relationships.

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.

Mike Gagne is Head of Property Management and a Sagard Partner at Sagard Real Estate, where he holds the title of Senior Managing Director. He oversees a national institutional portfolio and directs teams across property operations, drawing on a background in building operations, property management, and construction management. His areas of focus include portfolio management, capital planning, financial forecasting, risk mitigation, and staff development.

Rick Stone is the founder and CEO of Sagard Real Estate, where he oversees strategic direction and institutional relationships and serves on the Investment Committee. He has 32 years of experience in commercial real estate, previously handling development and acquisition of assets exceeding $2.2 billion at Alliance Commercial Partners and serving as Vice-Chairman of The Galbreath Company. Stone holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.S.I.A. in finance from Carnegie Mellon University, and he received the Ernst & Young Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year Award with Alliance.

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.

Joined OUVC in 2019, supporting investment division operations and internal IT. Previously worked as an engineer in the nuclear power and embedded systems fields.

Guillaume Marion is a Partner at Sagard, where he connects Quebec entrepreneurs and investors with the firm's global investment platform. He previously served as COO/CFO and chair of the investment committee at Diagram, contributing to the growth of Sagard's venture-building platform to five funds and more than 20 incubated companies. With over 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and investment banking across Montreal, Toronto, Berlin, and London, he holds degrees from London Business School and HEC Montréal, is a CFA and CAIA charterholder, and serves on boards spanning culture, public policy, and private capital.

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.

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.

John G. Taft is Vice Chair of Baird, an employee-owned wealth management, capital markets, asset management and private equity firm. He previously served as CEO of RBC Wealth Management–U.S., president and CEO of Voyageur Asset Management and of Dougherty Summit Securities, and as managing director at Piper Jaffray & Hopwood, with earlier roles as a Senior Advisor to Deloitte & Touche LLP, assistant to the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, and a journalist. He chaired the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) in 2011, has testified before Congress on a federal fiduciary standard, and authored the books "A Force for Good" and "Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street."

Dr. Marat Ressin serves as President of YEDI and received the Award for Excellence in Innovation at the 2016 Pioneers for Change Award Gala.

Alpha Lam is Senior Director of Asset Management at Sagard Real Estate. Lam works in real estate and finance, with experience in asset management, financial forecasting, and budgeting, and has an accounting background.

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.

Brett Birkeland is a Managing Director at Sagard Real Estate, where his work spans asset management, acquisitions, and the development and entitlement processes. His experience includes financial modeling, due diligence, and structuring acquisitions and public-private joint-venture partnerships, as well as negotiating agreements with local municipalities. He holds a BA from the University of Texas (2002) and an MBA from Georgetown University (2008).

Christina DuCoté is a Senior Property Manager at The Muller Company, a full-service real estate development, management, and investment firm founded in 1979. The company has acquired, developed, and managed over 20 million square feet of office, industrial, and retail real estate across the Western United States, and has worked with institutional owners and private investor groups including GE Capital, Rockwood Capital, Blackrock, AEW, and Guggenheim.

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.

Jonathan d'Auvergne is Vice President of Distribution for Private Wealth Solutions at Sagard, where he works with investment advisors, portfolio managers, and family offices across Western Canada in the private markets sector. He is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute, offered through the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

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.

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.

Rene Luckey is Director, Property Management at Sagard. Luckey has experience in commercial and industrial property management, including the oversight of multimillion-dollar properties and management of tenant relationships.

Sarah J. Caraman is Head of Strategy & Operations for Private Wealth Solutions at Sagard. Her background includes work in management consulting and corporate strategy, spanning multiple industries and cross-functional teams.

Suzy Kaye-Marana is Director of Property Management NE at Sagard Real Estate. Her experience in commercial real estate includes project management, client relations, capital improvement, vendor management and selection, budgeting and forecasting, team leadership, and strategic planning. She has managed facility maintenance and preventative maintenance programs while overseeing budgets and regulatory compliance.

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.

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.

Software technology advisor; bio forthcoming.

Dayna Kleinman is Managing Director, Head of US Wealth at Sagard, where she is responsible for building the firm's US presence across multiple private market strategies. She began her career in 1993 on the municipal bond trading floor at Merrill Lynch and spent 18 years at Robert W. Baird & Co. working in fixed-income portfolio management, alternative investment platform development, and key account relationships, later holding a role at Monroe Capital in alternative investments. She holds a degree from Ithaca College and an MBA from DePaul University.

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.

Leads AIMCo's global Private Assets portfolio; joined in 2012 with over 30 years of financial industry experience. Formerly Managing Director at Rothschild Canada advising on M&A and restructurings.

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.