Origin Merchant’s Financial Services team brings in-depth experience advising clients on buy-side, sell-side, and capital raising solutions, as well as advising Special Committees and Boards on significant public company transactions, and has been engaged on a number of landmark transactions in the financial services industry. We provide our clients access to a global network that has advised on 500+ M&A transactions with a total value of US$36 billion over the past 5 years.
Managing Director, Quebec Lead
Managing Director, Quebec Lead
Alain joined Origin in December 2021 and his responsibilities involve leading the Quebec practice as well as participating in the Financial services, Tech and Education verticals.
Alain has close to three decades of experience, principally in senior executive operating and financial roles in public companies within the financial services and technology industries. Prior to joining Origin, Alain was a Senior Partner at Novacap Inc, a leading Canadian private equity firm. Previous senior positions include roles as President and CEO of Bourse de Montréal Inc. and Group Head of Derivatives and fixed income markets at theTMX Group, as well as CFO and COO roles at mdf Commerce and Memotec communications, both TSX-listed companies. Alain’s experience also includes working in the investment banking group at Scotia Capital Markets. Alain also has extensive experience in corporate governance, having served on numerous public and private company boards including Fortsum Solutions, Guru Energy and Ad Opt Technologies, all TSX-listed companies.
Alain holds a Bachelor of Commerce from HEC Montreal and an MBA from INSEAD. He is also a CPA, having earned his CA designation.
Alain’s select transaction list includes:
Vice President
Vice President
Andrei joined Origin in May 2022. Prior to joining Origin, Andrei was an associate in the Mergers & Acquistions group at National Bank Financial.
Andrei graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, with distinction.
Managing Director
Managing Director
With more than 15 years of capital markets experience, Artem joined Origin in 2024 with a focus on energy transition, automotive and financial services. Throughout his career, he has advised on over 40 transactions, including over $2 billion in capital raised in the last 4 years (cross-border and domestic) via private raises, structured notes, initial public offerings, and secondary issuances. Artem has advised major corporations, privately held companies and founder-owned businesses on over 20 closed M&A transactions representing over $10 billion in value.
Artem started his capital markets career in the KPMG Transaction Services group, followed by investment banking roles with TD Securities Mergers & Acquisitions and later Financial Institutions teams. After 8 years with TD Securities, he was recruited by National Bank to help expand their Toronto-based, Diversified Industrials team. After 3 years with National Bank, Artem, along with some of his colleagues, was recruited by Stifel Canada where he focused on growing Canadian franchise following Stifel’s acquisition of GMP FirstEnergy. At Stifel, Artem focused on domestic and cross-border capital raise transactions for energy transition companies across solar, industrial and transportation sectors. He also focused on covering financial services under Stifel owned brand, KBW. His most recent transactions before joining Origin included $175 million capital raise for Canadian solar panel manufacturer, Heliene, and numerous capital raises for the EV component manufacturer, Exro Technologies.
Artem holds a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. Artem also holds a CA, CPA designation from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and he is a CFA charter holder.
Artem has been a Vice Chair of the Board of the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club, Chair of Taxation committee for TD Securities Charity Auction and is an active participant in numerous cycling fundraisers for cancer research.
Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
Bill has over 30 years experience as a senior lawyer focused on capital markets & securities, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance and energy and mining. Bill practised with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP where he was a senior partner, the head of M&A for many years and acted for a variety of industrial and commercial companies and financial institutions, both public and private, domestic and foreign.
Bill has been recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers Canada as one of the Worlds Leading Lawyers for Business, by The Legal 500 Canada Corporate and M&A as a Leading Lawyer and recognized in multiple reports by Lexpert including as one of the 100 Most Creative Lawyers in Canada and Canada’s Leading Corporate Lawyers.
Bill holds a BA and LLB from University of Cambridge and a BCL and LLB from McGill University.
Managing Director
Managing Director
Bill Farrell comes to Origin from CCC Investment Banking. Bill joined CCC in 1997 and leads the Food and Beverage practice with experience in retail, consumer products, business services and building products. Chairman of Dare Foods, serves on boards of several private companies and previously worked at EY. Recent marquee deals include the sales of Dustbusters (2024), GMCO (2024), Ault Industries (2023), Innovative Surface Solutions (2022), and Marks Supply (2021).
Managing Director
Managing Director
Charlie has over 25 years of investment banking experience at both Canadian and international investment banks.
Charlie has extensive industry experience in investment banking, debt & equity capital markets and bond sales with Blackmont Capital, Midland Walwyn/Merrill Lynch, TD Securities and Richardson Greenshields. Charlie’s investment banking activities have included public and private debt & equity financings, M&A and advisory services across industrial products, financial services, real estate, mining and energy.
Charlie graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queens University.
Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
Jay brings 35+ years of professional experience having been CEO of Arterra, Canada’s largest Wine Co., COO Constellation Brands Inc., Board Director of Kruger Products Inc. and Upper Canada Forest Products, an Investor & Advisor with Lumo, The Group Ventures, OTPP for Arterra. In addition to this he has been an Investor LP for Peloton, Ironbridge, Information Venture Partners, and Pilot Coffee. Other Board advisory work includes Opus One Winery; the California Wine Institute; Wine Growers Canada and Ruffino Wines.
In the community, Jay is Chair of the Advisory Board for the Smith School of Business, Queen’s University; the co-founder of the Centre for Indigenous Corporate Partnership; the Past Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto Big Night Out; and a past Board Director of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Jay also mentors and coaches professionals in career growth and transition.
As a career-long leader of global Fortune 500 consumer goods companies in the U.S. and Canada, Jay brings broad experience and expertise to purposeful business opportunities. Prior to Jay’s 20+ year wine industry leadership, he worked in consumer-packaged goods, holding General Management and Marketing roles at companies such as Borden Foods USA (KKR owned), Molson, Nabisco, and Procter & Gamble. Jay is a customer-focused leader with the knowledge to build powerful brands and create optimized cost structures, as well as lead M&A, oversee technology innovation, and nurture excellent, engaged organizational cultures.
Managing Director
Managing Director
Jonathan has been a senior investment banker and corporate executive for over 25 years. Jonathan has split his investment banking career between Canada, the US and the UK/Europe working with clients in many industries, including financial services, energy, mining, infrastructure and technology. He has worked as a strategic advisor as well as leading numerous equity and debt financings in all of these markets. In the corporate world, Jonathan has led business development, sales and strategy functions, and acted as a senior strategic advisor, primarily in the energy transition sector.
Jonathan began his investment banking career in New York with Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. He subsequently spent time in Canada and the UK/Europe, with CIBC World Markets, as one of the founding partners of Genuity Capital Markets, and with TD Securities. He was most recently Head of Europe & Asia-Pacific Investment Banking at TD Securities. At all of these firms, he has worked with everything from large multinationals (Shell, bp, Teck, TD Bank, Allstate, Manulife, etc) to innovative fintech and cleantech start ups.
In addition to his investment banking and corporate executive roles, Jonathan has been a Board Director in both Canada (Home Capital) and the UK (Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce).
Jonathan was awarded his Joint LLB/MBA degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business at York University. He completed his BA at Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
Paul Spafford brings over 40 years of M&A advisory experience to Origin’s team. Most recently, he was the Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at CIBC World Markets, a position he held from 1994 to 2021. Previously, Paul held progressively more senior positions at Wood Gundy prior to its acquisition by CIBC, including Head of Mergers & Acquisitions.
Paul has been a lead financial advisor on many of Canada’s largest M&A transactions including the take-over defense of Falconbridge, Placer Dome, Equinox Gold and Makenzie Financial, as well as the mergers of Randgold with Barrick, Agrium with Potash Corp., and Suncor with Petro-Canada. He has been involved with numerous capital markets financings, acquisitions and divestitures, and has been the financial advisor to several Boards of Directors, including Bell Canada, Manitoba Tel, and Teck, to name a few.
Paul has a BASc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, where he also formerly served as Governor, and an MBA from IVEY Business School. Paul is also a Director and Vice Chair of the Canadian Opera Company and a Governor of Crescent School.”
Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
Richard (Dick) is currently a Member, CDIC Advisory Panel on Resolution. Former corporate directorships include Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chorus Aviation Inc.; Director, Resolute Forest Products Inc.; and Chairman of the Board, Jaguar Mining Inc. Dick retired from CIBC, in 2011, after 40 years with the bank. At the time of his retirement Dick was a Vice Chairman and Managing Director, CIBC World Markets Inc. Former positions include Senior Advisor, Lazard Canada Inc., and Senior Partner, Verus Partners & Co.
Dick has extensive corporate finance and M&A experience in numerous industries including agriculture; energy; financial; forest products; media and telecom; mining; retail; technology; and transportation. He is a Director, The Dorothy Ley Hospice; a Member of the Advisory Council for the Children’s Aid Foundation; a Member of The Brain Campaign Cabinet, for the University Health Network, Krembil Neuroscience Centre; a Member of the LOFT Campaign Cabinet; and a Member of the Board of Governors for The Shaw Festival Theatre Endowment Foundation.
Mr. Falconer is a Chartered Financial Analyst; MBA, York University; BA (Honours) University of Toronto.
Managing Director
Managing Director
Rob Bird has over 25 years of experience and comes to Origin from CCC Investment Banking. Rob joined CCC in 1997 and has been involved in over 100 successful transactions. Rob has advised on M&A, financings (debt and equity), recapitalizations and IP licensing. Previously worked at EY. Recent marquee deals include the sales of Oscardo (2024), Macro Enterprises’ divesture (2024) and debt financing (2022), Sargent Farms’ carve-out (2023), and the sale of Companion Healthcare (2021).
Managing Director
Managing Director
Rob has over 20 years of investment banking experience at both bank-owned and independent Canadian investment dealers, most recently as Head of Diversified Industries at Cormark Securities, and previously as a Principal at Genuity Capital Markets and Managing Director at CIBC World Markets. Rob has extensive experience managing financings and M&A transactions across multiple sectors including some of the most significant Canadian wealth management transactions.
Rob holds an Honours BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Rob’s select transaction list includes:
• Sale of Integrated Asset Management to Fiera Capital
• Advising Economical Insurance on its Demutualization
• Investment by ONCAP in Wyse Meter Solutions
• Advising on the merger and creation of Aviso Wealth
• WideWaters Hotel Development Financing
• The Scoular Company Acquisition of the Special Crops Division of Legumex Walker
• Hydrogenics Corporation Note Offering
• Sale of Blumont Capital to Arrow Capital
• Acquisition of Renewable Energy Developers by Capstone Power
• Sale of Thompsons to The Andersons and Lansing Trade Group
• Sale of BPR Engineering to Tetra Tech
• Sale of Acuity Investment Management to AGF
• Acquisition of certain assets of Dundee REIT by GE Real Estate
• Sale of UE Waterheater to Alinda Infrastructure
• Sale of Mackenzie Financial to Investors Group
• Acquisition of John Hancock by Manulife
• Sale of Assante Capital to CI Financial
• Acquisition of Trimark Financial by Invesco (Amvescap)
