Who we are

Portfolio Management

Ravi Sood

Mr. Sood is a leading Canadian money manager with an international mandate and a successful track record of generating wealth for his clients. Recognized by his peers as one of the country’s best venture capitalists and financiers, Mr. Sood also gained mindshare as a shareholder activist and a media commentator on the income trust sector. Most recently, Mr. Sood’s thought leadership encompasses India’s investment potential, the agriculture sector and venture capital in Canada. Prior to joining Lawrence in 1998 when the firm was still called Lawrence & Co., Mr. Sood was employed by a major international investment bank. While at Lawrence, Mr. Sood founded and seed-funded several companies in the resources sector, including Buchanan Renewable Energies Inc., Feronia Inc. and Russo-Forest Corporation. He is currently a director of Trinorth Capital Inc., Wildhorse Farms Corporation, and Phoenix Coal Inc., and a non-executive Chairman of Feronia Inc. In his role as President and Chief Operating Officer at Lawrence, a company he co-founded with his partners in 2001, Mr. Sood has provided the direction, leadership and strategy for Lawrence’s investing activities. He holds a Bachelor of Mathematics with distinction from the University of Waterloo, Ontario.

Glenn MacNeill, Senior Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer

Mr. MacNeill has more than 30 years of financial and petroleum-related experience, including portfolio management, corporate finance and equity/debt analysis. Prior to joining Lawrence Asset Management Inc., Mr. MacNeill spent nine years with Sentry Select Capital Corp. as Vice-President, Investment where he served as the principal portfolio manager of Sentry Select Energy Growth Fund, Sentry Select Canadian Resource Class and the NCE Flow-Through investment funds. He has extensive experience in oil & gas royalty trusts, energy companies and private investment opportunities. He served as an oil & gas research analyst at HSBC Securities and an energy equity analyst with Scotia Capital Markets, where he covered integrated oil companies and a selection of petroleum companies. He also served as a portfolio manager with Imperial Life/Laurentian Financial Inc. for six years. Mr. MacNeill is a Professional Engineer and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Igor Lipkanou, Vice President

Mr. Lipkanou joined Lawrence Asset Management Inc. in February 2007 and is responsible for sourcing and developing investment opportunities in overseas markets with a particular emphasis on Russia and Eastern Europe. In 1992, Mr. Lipkanou was a founding partner of LBL Invest Ltd., a foreign exchange and money market brokerage firm in Belarus, and remained there as President & CEO until his move to Canada in 1998. From 1999 to 2002, Igor worked for HSBC Securities as a Senior Market Risk Analyst and later as a Financial Engineering Associate with HSBC’s Equity Structured Trading group. From 2003 to 2006 he worked for Polar Securities Corporation where he provided credit analysis and special situations research, in addition to assisting in managing the credit arbitrage strategy and special situations portfolios. Mr. Lipkanou graduated from the Belarussian State University in 1990 with a Masters degree in Radio-physics. He later earned his MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Catherine Stretch, Vice-President and Partner

Ms. Stretch is responsible for all marketing, communications and investor relations activities and is actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the funds. She is also engaged in developing new funds for investors and implementing unique structures to deploy assets in investment opportunities internationally. Prior to joining Lawrence Asset Management Inc., Ms. Stretch worked in international business development in Southeast Asia for several years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Brian Viveiros, Senior Sales Manager

Mr. Viveiros is responsible for identifying opportunities to promote the firm’s investment products to the retail investment community across Canada and is an active participant in the Company's new fund development. Prior to joining Lawrence Asset Management Inc., Mr. Viveiros worked for several years in sales and marketing with a leading investment firm that specialized in closed end funds, labour-sponsored funds and various limited partnerships. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Andrew Bentley, Vice President

Mr. Bentley co-founded Navina Capital Corp. in 2006 and currently has various roles within the company, including product development, sales and marketing, and execution of the overall business strategy of the firm. Previously, he was Senior Vice-President at Fairway Capital Corporation where he headed sales and marketing efforts for the firm. From 2003 until 2005, Mr. Bentley was the President of NGB Management Inc., the Manager of a $120 million venture capital life science fund. He was also Vice-President of Skylon Capital Corp. from 2001 until the firm’s sale in 2003. Mr. Bentley holds an Honours Bachelor of Science (Biology) degree from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree from McMaster University, Ontario.

Larry Guy, Vice President

Mr. Guy has more than ten years of experience in the specialty investment fund business working with retail structured products, closed end funds, and various specialty limited partnerships. He co-founded Navina Capital Corp. in 2006 and is currently responsible for product development, sales and marketing, and execution of the overall business strategy of the firm. Previously, he held senior management roles with Fairway Capital Corp., First Trust Portfolios and Lawrence & Company Inc. Mr. Guy holds a B.A. (Economics) degree from The University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

TRADING AND OPERATIONS

Hugh Maclean, Manager of Trading and Operations

Mr. Maclean joined the firm in 2004. Previously he worked at RBC Financial Global Securities Services in the Prime Brokerage Services department, most recently as a Hedge Fund Account Manager. Mr. Maclean was also with Investors Group Financial Services Inc. as an Investment Representative. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from McMaster University and also holds the Canadian Investment Manager designation.

Michal Walczyk, Associate, Trading and Operations

Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Mr. Walczyk worked for RBC Dexia Investor Services in the Prime Brokerage Services Department as a Securities Lending Account Manager. Mr. Walczyk holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the University of Toronto, Ontario.