Net Learnings

Kyle chats with Gareth Nichols, Regional Director at The CFO Centre, a UK-based firm with operations in 17 countries.In this episode, the duo discusses: What a fractional CFO does and how they deliver value.Some of the most important decisions and projects from Gareth's career.Gareth's time at RIM/BlackBerry (and his collection of original, beta-stage devices).The single most important characteristic that makes finance leaders successful.Career wisdom from Metallica's James Hetfield (you read that correctly).And lots more!Gareth has seen and done a lot over the course of his 30+ year career in finance leadership roles. Join us to tap into some of that wisdom!

Join Kyle for his chat with Jennifer McCracken, Partner at BDO Debt Solutions.In this episode they discuss:What a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner does.What a successful outcome looks like in a restructuring process or bankruptcy proceeding.The differences between insolvency, receivership, and bankruptcy.Jennifer's passion for forensic psychology.Tips for people considering a career in debt restructuring.How facing a fear of public speaking forever changed her career.And so much more!The insolvency world is very dynamic, and this line of work is equal parts challenging and rewarding. Tune in to learn more and see if this is a potential career fit for you, too!

Join Kyle for his chat with Bolanle Williams-Olley, CFO and co-owner at Mancini Duffy, a full service design and architecture firm based in New York City. They discuss:Bolanle's thoughts on starting (or changing) a career in finance.Being true to yourself, in your career and beyond.What a CFO (really) does.Becoming an accidental author.How parenting has influenced Bolanle's leadership style.Some ways leaders can help set their people up for success.And so much more!Bolanle has such an interesting career story, and one that has progressed really quickly. This is a great episode for anyone trying to find their way in (or into) finance

Join Kyle for his chat with Aaron Corr, Chief Risk Officer at MCAN Financial Group, one of Canada's largest mortgage finance companies. In this episode they discuss:The types of risks that risk managers manage.The spectrum of roles that exist (from highly technical to… Still pretty technical!)How the perception of risk management has evolved.The top 5 reasons why someone might consider a career in ERM.Some of the key skills required to be successful in role.What's keeping Aaron up at night?And so much more!Aaron also shares some great perspectives around AI, Covid, the GFC, and how these have influenced the way ERM professionals think about risks and cycles.A must listen for finance enthusiasts and people considering a career in risk management. 

Join Kyle for a chat with Charlie Gifford, Senior Partner at New Heritage Capital, a middle market private equity firm based in Boston.In this episode:Why you should (strongly) consider a career in private equity.Leveraged buyouts vs. leveraged buy-ins; The Private IPO®Charlie's recent successful (but outside the box) recruiting experience.Due diligence and information asymmetry in the private (vs. public) market.Misconceptions about PE, and some ways the industry has evolved.How being genuine may be the most important driver of career success.And so much more!This episode has lots of fresh perspectives on private market investing, and a ton of really actionable career wisdom.

Join Kyle for a chat with Karl Moore, Associate Professor at McGill University. Karl is an award winning teacher, author, researcher, and thought leader in the leadership and management space.In this episode they discuss:Why Karl chose tech over financial services, and what led him to academia.Introversion vs. extroversion preferences, working styles, and workplace impacts.Tips around managing both up and down.Boomers vs. Generation Why? (aka Z's and younger millennials)Thinking differently about strategy and innovation at a big firm.Why we could all afford to talk less and listen more, at least once in a while!And much more…This episode is a must listen for anyone that wants to be a more effective leader, colleague, or partner.

Join Kyle for his chat with Duncan McKeen, EVP Financial Modeling at CFI. Duncan brings 10 years of experience in equity research and another 10 in corporate training.In this episode they discuss:Why are models so important anyhow?Whether AI will make humans obsolete in financial modeling.How to be a more effective modeler.What career progression looks like in the research game.A detailed unpacking of equity research, including Duncan's 5 “must know” pointers.Craft beer - buy, sell, or hold?And so much more!With more model talk than fashion week in Milan, this episode is a must listen for anyone that wants the inside scoop on a career in equity research.

Join Kyle for a chat with Jean-Philippe Ménard, Senior Vice President at BDC, which is the Business Development Bank of Canada. Among other things, they discuss:What a development bank is.How BDC is uniquely positioned to support entrepreneurs.Why bankers might consider working at a development bank vs. a traditional FI.How JP went from cleaning floors at BDC 25+ years ago to his current SVP role.The 4 qualities JP looks for when recruiting talent.His game-changing networking mantra.And so much more!This is a very informative interview that sheds a ton of light on an organization where finance pros of all stripes can excel and make a genuine impact on the economy!

Join Kyle for a chat with Marcus Whitney. Marcus is (among many other things) a healthcare VC, board member, keynote speaker, World Master Jiu Jitsu Champion, and bestselling author of the book Create and Orchestrate.In this episode:Venture capital, particularly early stage fundingThe business and investing landscape in Nashville, and why it's a hot marketPortfolio construction, and a lot of baseball analogiesThe four burner theory of work-life balanceTime as a more valuable resource than money (manage it accordingly!)Cookies.. So many cookiesAnd a whole lot more!Marcus's story is awesome, and so are his insights… A must listen for anyone interested in venture capital or in thinking differently about their professional journey. 

Join Kyle for a chat with Noah Miller, Co-Founder & Chief Advisory Officer at Rho Impact. They discussed:Noah's super winding career pathHow military service informed his perspectives on governance and trainingThe employment landscape for ESG enthusiastsWhich geographies & sectors have a lot of opportunitiesESG's “PR problem”Why climate literacy is becoming table stakes for business professionalsAnd much more!This episode is a must listen for people that are keen to take on more ESG responsibilities within their organizations.

In this episode:CFO Tech and the evolution of FP&A.Julio's global list of Fintechs doing incredible things.The benefits of “going wide” in your career. The modern challenge of attracting and retaining talent.How a 1 year sabbatical in India forever changed Julio's professional perspective.The value of mastering technical skills early in your career.And much more!Julio brings 20 years of finance, investing, and entrepreneurial experience across many countries and continents. This is a must-listen for finance, Fintech, and investing enthusiasts.

Join Kyle as he sits down with Meeyeon Park, VP Content at CFI. In this episode:Buy-side & sell-side dynamics, including a breakdown of Capital Markets roles.The energy on a trading floor.The importance of patience in role.How and why Meeyeon ended up in corporate training.A new game—Lender or Liar?Motorcycles vs. Mac trucks.And so much more!This was a fun chat with a ton of interesting perspectives and career insights from a seasoned finance pro.

In this episode we chat with Kyle Kreppenhoffer, Principal at Ashdown Capital—an independent commercial financing broker in Western Canada.We discuss:Pros & cons of a big-name bank vs. a smaller independent firmThe art of a quick “no”Myths about commercial lendingCommon competitive sticking pointsTransitioning from individual contributor to people leaderPlaying the ‘long game' and building your personal brandAnd so much more!

Check out Kyle's chat with Bill Vlaad, CEO and Managing Partner of Vlaad & Company, Bay Street's premier independent executive financial recruitment firm.In this episode:Three characteristics that the most successful financial services professionals share in common.Less heralded (but still awesome) career paths in finance.Job searching with a rifle vs. a shotgun. Campus recruiting and Bill's path to IBD (which started in a pulp and paper mill!)Why a lack of expertise is often misinterpreted as a lack of passion.Expert deployment of the metaphor as a literary device.This episode is absolutely packed with industry insights and professional wisdom for anyone that wants to reflect seriously on their career.

Join our conversation with Devon Thompson, Managing Director at RBCx.In this episode:A day in the life of a tech bankerTrends in FinTech and financial servicesWhy banks are measured against Apple and Google (not other banks?) Venture debt vs. SaaS lendingCharacteristics of a successful bankerLeadership, mentorship, and sponsorshipDevon also gives us a career retrospective—and with over 20 years of financial services experience, this episode is packed full of professional wisdom and career advice.

In this episode of Net Learnings we chat with Rohit Mehta, President & CEO of Horizons ETFs—one of Canada's largest ETFs with $27bn in AUM.Tune in as we discuss:Why Rohit doesn't eat steak for lunchETFs vs. mutual fundsEmerging trends in the ETF space & sources of future innovationWhat career progression looks like in the fund world (spoiler alert: sometimes it starts in the mail room)Tips to advance your career and transition into leadershipWhy it's important to stop and smell the roses once in a while And so much more…This episode has more juice than a double-leveraged ETF. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

We chat with Pete Moore, Founder & Managing Partner of Integrity Square - a boutique investment banking and consulting firm.In this episode, we discuss:What it's like to do business and invest in HALO (Health, Active Lifestyle & Outdoors) - a $4.7 trillion category with tailwinds.How managers/leaders get cooked in a crock pot, not a microwave.The advantages of developing a narrowly-focused capital allocation strategy around industry or sector specializations.What it's like to make seven figures investing in long-dated OTM options and then lose it all on an internet venture.More sports analogies than you'll know what to do with... And so much more!This episode has more ups and downs than a game of pickleball but with way more business stories, career insights, and hilarious anecdotes.

In the latest episode of Net Learnings, host Kyle Peterdy engages in an enlightening conversation with Rob Pulkys from Waratah Capital Advisors. Rob, with his vast experience in the trading industry, provides a deep dive into the complexities of the trading world and the evolving dynamics of the market. Rob emphasizes the importance of passion, communication, and detail orientation as the absolute must-have skills for anyone in the trading game. He also discusses the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in trading, highlighting how these technologies are enabling traders to "skip the human" in certain scenarios, thereby changing the dynamics of the market.In this episode:How trading is like a puzzle (but where people keep stealing your pieces!)“Must have” skills for aspiring tradersHow sell-side and buy-side dynamics have evolvedWhat it was like on a trading desk during the GFC and the Coronavirus pandemicWho is TINA? And so much more!

In this episode of Net Learnings, we share a thought-provoking conversation with guest Kristi Miller; Managing Partner at Krystal Growth Partners (KGP), a boutique private equity firm in Western Canada. Kristi shares a ton of wisdom by opening the book on her illustrious 25+ years of financial services experience. They discuss a wide range of topics, including entrepreneurship; KGP's unique value proposition(s); what good governance looks like in the private, middle market; how Kristi thinks about mentorship; and a step-by-step walk down the entire capital stack. This episode is a must-listen for people that provide financial services to small and middle market operators, as well as anyone interested in private equity, entrepreneurship, and/or making better capital allocation decisions!

In this episode of Net Learnings, we sit down with Koert VandenEnden, CFO at Kardium - a medical device company based in Vancouver, Canada. Koert has over 20 years of accounting and finance experience, ranging from public practice at KPMG to a variety of roles in technology and life sciences.Koert talks at length about his career and he kindly shares insights on financial stewardship, what it's like to work on large transactions (like capital raises and mergers), how he thinks about mentorship, and some great career advice for folks earlier in their journeys.Join us for a wide-ranging conversation, rich with wisdom from a seasoned finance pro with an impressive track record of success at every stop.

In this episode of Net Learnings, host Kyle Peterdy engages in a deep-dive conversation with David Gens, the founder and CEO of multiple FinTech businesses. David shares his expert perspective on everything from entrepreneurship and venture capital, to private credit fund mechanics, to a rising rate environment and portfolio construction. Kyle and David also explore what makes a good capital partner, what makes a good leader, and the importance of networking and mentorship more broadly. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in FinTech and financial services or who's thinking about scratching their entrepreneurial itch!

In this episode, we dive into the world of emerging and frontier market investing with Asha Mehta, founder and CIO at Global Delta Capital. Asha breaks down some of the unique characteristics of investing in these markets, as well as how she and her firm leverage data to more effectively time the entries and exits of positions that typically trade much less efficiently than securities in more traditional markets.Transitioning to a topic close to her heart, Asha discusses her passion for using investment capital to build sustainable ecosystems. Drawing on her early career experiences in microfinance and ESG investing, she highlights the power of capital, which also serves as the title and theme of her new book.Asha elaborates on some of the professional experiences that led her to her position today, including what she loved and loathed about her time in investment banking early in her career. She provides a number of valuable insights and recommendations for people thinking about career mobility in financial markets and asset management roles.Asha also discusses basic fund mechanics as well as some of the challenging aspects of the investment business, including alignment around a mission, team communication, and the importance of cognitive diversity. 

In this episode of Net Learnings, powered by the Corporate Finance Institute, we're joined by Yashar Farmanara, an experienced corporate finance professional who offers a deep dive into the world of mergers and acquisitions. Yashar discusses some key challenges and successes he's encountered during his career, as well as the critical role of an M&A advisor in orchestrating deals and providing invaluable guidance to clients.Yashar emphasizes the importance of strong relationships with clients, highlighting how trust and open communication can make all the difference in the outcome of a deal. He also delves into the dynamic nature of M&A transactions and the need for advisors to be proactive, thinking multiple steps ahead to ensure success.Finally, Yashar shares his thoughts on work-life balance, emphasizing the necessity of managing personal well-being in a high-pressure environment. This episode offers valuable insights and advice for anyone interested in corporate finance, M&A transactions, and building successful client relationships.