Board of Directors of Cumberland Partners Limited
Gerald R. Connor
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Connor has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland since founding the firm, together with three partners, in 1997. He is responsible for the firm’s overall investment policy, its operations and its strategic direction. He also has responsibility for managing a significant base of clients to which he brings over 40 years of investment experience. Prior to Cumberland, Mr. Connor was a founding partner of Connor, Clark & Company, Connor Clark & Lunn, and 20/20 Investment Management, which collectively managed over $16 billion for high-net-worth clients, pension plans and mutual funds. Before that, he managed discretionary funds at Baker Weeks of Canada and headed the Canadian operations of Francis I. DuPont and Co. Mr. Connor was a director of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Foundation in Toronto for 14 years, and director of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for 2 years.
John S. Budd FCA
Portfolio Manager
Mr. Budd has been a Portfolio Manager at Cumberland since 2000. He is responsible for managing investment portfolios, on a discretionary basis, for a clientele of affluent individuals, holding companies, trusts, estates and charitable foundations, located in Canada, Bermuda, and Europe. Prior to Cumberland, Mr. Budd was a senior tax partner with Deloitte & Touche, where he served as the national leader of Estate Planning, and spearheaded the development of a national program to help family business owners with strategic planning and succession. He has published numerous articles on investment, tax, and financial planning matters and co-authored The Canadian Guide to Will & Estate Planning in 2001. In 1991, Mr. Budd was named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in recognition of his contribution to the CA profession. Mr. Budd is a director and shareholder of Cumberland Partners Limited, the firm’s parent company.
Guida Fernandes
Operations Manager
Ms. Fernandes is a founding partner of Cumberland, and has responsibility for managing Cumberland’s operations and administrative staff. Prior to Cumberland, she was a partner at Connor, Clark & Company and has over 35 years experience within the investment industry in the areas of operations, compliance and general management. Ms. Fernandes is a director and shareholder of Cumberland Partners Limited, the firm’s parent company.
Peter Jackson HBSc, MBA, CFA
Chief Investment Officer, and Lead Manager, Canadian Equities
Mr. Jackson is Cumberland’s Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Jackson has been a Portfolio Manager at Cumberland since 1999, with overall responsibility for Canadian equities. He also manages the Cumberland Total Energy Fund and the Cumberland Special Opportunities Fund. Mr. Jackson is a member of Cumberland’s investment committee. Prior to Cumberland, Mr. Jackson managed a private investment partnership that acted as a sub-advisor for Elliott and Page Investment Counsel. Previously, he was a Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst at Barclays McConnell and Sun Life, respectively, with a focus on Canadian equities stock selection and research. Mr. Jackson has over 25 years experience in the investment management business. He is a director and shareholder of Cumberland Partners Limited, the firm’s parent company.
Thomas A. Starkey CFA
Director
Mr. Starkey is Chief Investment Officer at Cumberland Associates Investment Counsel Inc., formerly Wirth Associates Inc. One of Canada’s preeminent investment management firms serving high net worth private clients. Founded in 1991, the firm is wholly owned by Cumberland Partners Limited and an affiliate of Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Alexandra von Schroeter MBA, CFA
Head of Strategic New Business and Portfolio Manager
Ms. von Schroeter leads Cumberland’s strategic business and client portfolio management initiatives as well as marketing and communications for the firm. In addition, since 1999 when she joined Cumberland, Ms. von Schroeter has been managing investment portfolios for a significant base of affluent individuals and families. Prior to Cumberland, Ms. von Schroeter held senior positions at CIBC World Markets and Wood Gundy in Toronto and New York, and Bank of Montreal in Toronto. She brings over 24 years of experience in the investment industry, in capital markets and wealth management, and is affiliated with INSEAD, Europe’s leading international business school, as a trustee for the INSEAD Alumni Fund and the Canadian Foundation for INSEAD. Ms. von Schroeter is a director and a shareholder of Cumberland Partners Limited, the firm’s parent company.