Alex
At Best Startup Canada we track over 100,000 Canadian startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top British Columbia based VP’ operating in the Financial Services space. If you think a VP’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.ca.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Trevor O
VP, Engineering of Bench
Follow Trevor O:
About Bench: Bench is a fintech company that provides online bookkeeping services for small businesses.
Peter Drummond
Vice President of Sales of Beanworks
Vice President of Sales at Beanworks.
Follow Peter Drummond:
About Beanworks: Beanworks is an accounts payable automation solution that helps companies eliminate paperwork and reduce invoice processing costs.
Katherine Flandez
VP of Marketing of Beanworks
VP of Marketing at Beanworks.
Follow Katherine Flandez:
About Beanworks: Beanworks is an accounts payable automation solution that helps companies eliminate paperwork and reduce invoice processing costs.
Derek Ferguson
VP Operations of E-xact Transactions
Derek Ferguson has over 20 years of experience in IT from Development to Operations. He was a founder of Tuffmail, eTunnels, and ThirdApp, and VP of Development for Something Simpler. As VP Operations at E-xact, he directs administration and operations of our hosting services ensuring the company’s efficiency.
Follow Derek Ferguson:
About E-xact Transactions: E-xact Transactions E-xact has provided fast, secure, and innovative online transaction solutions for over 15 years.
Rolf Dekleer
VP Investments of PenderFund Capital Management
Rolf Dekleer has eighteen years of operating experience with technology companies such as Cymbolic Sciences, MacDonald Dettwiler, Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard and Schlumberger. He has extensive experience in product management and business development, including 10 years with venture capital backed firms. Rolf has an MA and an MBA from York University, and graduated from BCIT’s Electronics Engineering program. Current and past board positions include Angstrom Power, BC Photonics Industry Assoc., Canadian Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Assoc., Cellex Power, Clearwater Technologies, CoolEdge Lighting, CopperLeaf Technologies, D-Wave Systems, Dyaptive Systems, General Fusion, NxtGen Emission Controls, Radiant Communications, Redlen Technologies, Spark Integration, Switch Materials, Versawave Technologies and Zeugma Systems.
Follow Rolf Dekleer:
About Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), PenderFund Capital Management: PenderFund Capital Management is an investment firm that aims to create value for investors by generating superior risk-adjusted returns.
Mark Achtemichuk
Vice President & Managing Director of CMLS Financial
As part of the commercial management team, Mark Achtemichuk is responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with institutional placement partners. Having previously led the mortgage analytics group, he now oversees that group’s development as well as commercial and corporate marketing. Mr. Achtemichuk has more than 18 years of experience in the financial sector. Prior to joining CMLS in 2010, Mr. Achtemichuk operated his own firm where he counseled real estate development clients regarding various financing and strategic initiatives. He has held several senior positions, including with a Western Canadian developer and at KPMG’s Transaction Services practice in the United States. Mr. Achtemichuk is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia.
Follow Mark Achtemichuk:
About CMLS Financial, GreenPower Motor Company: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Lorenzo Cocco
Senior Vice President of Risk Management of CMLS Financial
Lorenzo Cocco is responsible for all aspects of commercial mortgage origination and credit risk across Canada. Mr. Cocco has more than 20 years of experience in commercial mortgages, structured finance and corporate finance. Prior to joining CMLS in 2007, Mr. Cocco held several senior executive positions in the Canadian banking industry. He has led commercial origination operations and credit risk management, and has had responsibilities in mortgage trading and institutional mortgage investor relations. Mr. Cocco holds an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia and a graduate degree in business from Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany.
Follow Lorenzo Cocco:
About CMLS Financial: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Stephen Meadows
Vice President of Technology Solutions of CMLS Financial
Stephen Meadows oversees all software development and technology infrastructure and support. He has more than 20 years of experience in software development, information technology and consulting. Prior to joining CMLS in 2016, Mr. Meadows developed his career designing, coding, project managing and team managing software development projects in traditional MIS, logistics, secure wireless data communication, reporting and engineering applications. More recently, he explored the various developing virtualization, storage, backup and archiving technologies and was an instrumental part of the senior management team of a startup IT outsourcing company. In this role, Mr. Meadows oversaw the strategic technological and operational direction of the company, including work focused on system performance and I/O requirements for secure virtualized infrastructures. Mr. Meadows holds both a Master and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Toronto.
Follow Stephen Meadows:
About CMLS Financial: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Elaine Freeman
Vice President of Finance of CMLS Financial
Elaine Freeman is responsible for all finance and accounting functions. She has more than 20 years of accounting and management experience. Prior to joining CMLS in 2007, Ms. Freeman held a controller position at a publicly traded company for over 10 years, during which she had responsibility for the accounting, tax, reporting, payroll, and ERP system management. Ms. Freeman earned her Chartered Professional Accountant designation through Ernst & Young in Vancouver and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.
Follow Elaine Freeman:
About CMLS Financial: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Beverly White
Senior Vice President of CMLS Financial
Beverly White is responsible for providing commercial servicing consultation at a senior executive level. She also works with the executive team on special projects that drive business initiatives. Ms. White has more than 35 years of mortgage servicing experience, primarily in the commercial mortgage arena. Prior to joining CMLS in 2006, Ms. White held several senior positions with some of Canada’s largest diversified commercial mortgage originator/servicers. She has built her servicing experience in commercial construction servicing, merchant banking, commercial mortgage account management, and residential and commercial mortgage servicing. Ms. White holds an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Follow Beverly White:
About CMLS Financial: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Beverly White
Senior Vice President of CMLS Financial
Beverly White is responsible for providing commercial servicing consultation at a senior executive level. She also works with the executive team on special projects that drive business initiatives. Ms. White has more than 35 years of mortgage servicing experience, primarily in the commercial mortgage arena. Prior to joining CMLS in 2006, Ms. White held several senior positions with some of Canada’s largest diversified commercial mortgage originator/servicers. She has built her servicing experience in commercial construction servicing, merchant banking, commercial mortgage account management, and residential and commercial mortgage servicing. Ms. White holds an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Follow Beverly White:
About CMLS Financial: CMLS Financial provides independently owned mortgage services.
Soheil Karkhanechi
Senior Vice President – Institutional of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group
Soheil is Senior Vice President of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group, responsible for overseeing various components of the institutional business. His prior career experience includes the founding of the Special Situations business at Deutsche Bank in New York where he managed a portfolio of risk arbitrage investments. Prior to that, Soheil was an M&A banker at Merrill Lynch and he started his career as an M&A lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell. Soheil received his B.A. from Trinity College, University of Toronto, his M.A. in Economics from the University of Toronto and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Follow Soheil Karkhanechi:
About Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group: Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd. provides a broad range of traditional and alternative investment
Joe Timlin
VP, Investments of GrowthWorks Capital
Joe Timlin joined GrowthWorks Capital in 2002 focusing on software and information technology investments. Prior to joining GrowthWorks Capital, he worked for four years with BDC’s Venture Capital Group focusing on information technology and alternative energy investments. Joe has experience in technical sales and sales management, and has worked as a construction engineer. Joe has a BSc in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University and a MBA from UBC. Joe is currently on the Board of Directors of Bycast, Layer-7 Technologies, Make Technologies, ResponseTek Networks, Sutus, Teradici, and QuIC Financial Technologies.
Follow Joe Timlin:
About GrowthWorks Capital, Make Technologies, Teradici: GrowthWorks Capital is a Vancouver-based venture capital firm focused on the management of regionally-based venture capital funds.
Kenneth Conroy
VP of Data Science of Finn AI
Kenneth Conroy is the VP of Data Science at Finn AI.
Follow Kenneth Conroy:
About Finn AI: Finn AI provides AI-powered conversational banking technology for personal banking and finance.
Christine Bergeron
Vice President, Community Business Banking of Vancity
Christine has spent over 20 years working with entrepreneurs, financing innovative companies and building financial firms – all focused within the cleantech, sustainability and impact investing sectors. As a founding team member and Vice President of Chrysalix Energy, an early stage venture firm, she was part of a team that pioneered “cleantech” investing. She then co-founded an alternative asset management firm furthering her expertise in sustainability financing. She currently leads Vancity’s business banking group which finances small and medium sized enterprises in BC, and is growing the portfolio by putting people, communities and the planet first. Christine is a recipient of BC’s Top 40 under 40, Rising Star with the AWF and a Clean16 winner with Canada’s Clean50 awards. She can usually be found enjoying all that Vancouver offers – running, hiking, skiing, cycling. She is passionate about education, entrepreneurship and innovation, democracy, social trends and empowering people to be their best.
Follow Christine Bergeron:
About Vancity: Vancity is one of Canada’s largest credit unions, with $17.1 billion in assets, more than 492,000 members and 57 branches throughout Metro
Christine Bergeron
Vice President, Community Business Banking of Vancity
Christine has spent over 20 years working with entrepreneurs, financing innovative companies and building financial firms – all focused within the cleantech, sustainability and impact investing sectors. As a founding team member and Vice President of Chrysalix Energy, an early stage venture firm, she was part of a team that pioneered “cleantech” investing. She then co-founded an alternative asset management firm furthering her expertise in sustainability financing. She currently leads Vancity’s business banking group which finances small and medium sized enterprises in BC, and is growing the portfolio by putting people, communities and the planet first. Christine is a recipient of BC’s Top 40 under 40, Rising Star with the AWF and a Clean16 winner with Canada’s Clean50 awards. She can usually be found enjoying all that Vancouver offers – running, hiking, skiing, cycling. She is passionate about education, entrepreneurship and innovation, democracy, social trends and empowering people to be their best.
Follow Christine Bergeron:
About Vancity: Vancity is one of Canada’s largest credit unions, with $17.1 billion in assets, more than 492,000 members and 57 branches throughout Metro
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings