Meet The Judges

Jessica is a specialist in value advisory and has served clients across multiple industries in the provision of strategic, transaction, financial reporting, and disputes-related value advisory services. Her experience includes business valuations, buy-side advisory mandates, fairness opinions, purchase price allocations, fair value determinations for financial reporting, limited critiques for disputes, and financial modeling. Her experience spans a range of industries, with a specialty in FSI and technology.

Sam is the Director of Business Valuations at CI Financial, overseeing all valuation for financial reporting mandates within the organization. Prior to joining CI, Sam worked in the Valuations and Modelling group at BDO as a Senior Manager working on a broad array of valuation for financial reporting and corporate finance engagements.

Stella’s practice is focused on commercial disputes, class actions, expropriations and forensic investigations. Within those fields, her casework included matters involving fraud, contractual rights, investigations, patent infringement, PMNOC Section 8 disputes and more. She has experience in a broad range of industries including mining and forestry, real estate, financial services, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and technology.

Louis-Charles performs financial analysis and due diligence in order assess the risks of potential investments. Prior to joining BDC, he worked at EY performing business valuations, including financial reporting, M&A and litigation.

Patricia Harris is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator, Certified in Financial Forensics with the AICPA. She is a life long learner with a Master in Forensic Accounting from the University of Toronto and having recently completed a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall. Patricia’s practice has included business valuation for litigation, M&A and financial reporting. In addition, Patricia practices in forensic accounting investigations.

Stephen is the founder and President of Kertzman Valuations Inc.  He has over 20 years of experience specializing in the areas of business valuation, corporate finance and loss quantification.

Stephen is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Business Valuers and is Chair of both the Audit Committee and By-Laws Committee.  He has qualified as an expert witness and has provided independent testimony regarding business valuation and loss quantification issues at various Courts in Ontario, British Columbia and at international arbitrations.  His evidence has been reviewed by the Court of Appeal, Ontario.

Derek is a Partner in the valuation services practice.  In this role he specializes in the preparation of valuations of private business and public companies for the purposes of merger and acquisition transactions, divestitures, income tax planning, litigation, corporate restructurings, executive compensation plans, and financial reporting.

Prior to co-founding Verity, Paul was a Senior Director in the Toronto office of a large multi-national valuation and professional services firm within the Disputes, Investigations & Valuations practice.

Paul has specialized in business and securities valuation and financial advisory services since 2004. His experience in business valuation includes privately held business securities, employee stock options and restricted share awards. In the area of financial litigation support, he focuses on loss quantification, forensic investigation and fund tracing.

Natalia Raimondi is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Dispute Advisory practice. Natalia has over 7 years of experience working on engagements involving the quantification of economic losses for lawsuits and insurance claims across various industries in Canada and abroad. Her practice focuses on general commercial litigation, expropriation, business interruption, class actions, personal injury and shareholder disputes. She has authored numerous expert reports and has provided expert advice and attended various settlement forums including arbitration and trial. In 2021, Natalia presented at the national CBV conference to over 400 of her peers and valuation professionals.

Eveline has worked exclusively in business valuation and financial litigation services for almost 30 years. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator (1997 silver medalist) and is Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF). Eveline has worked with a diverse range of clients in a wide range of industries. She has completed valuation and income analyses and damage claims in matters involving matrimonial disputes, shareholder disputes and oppression, product liability, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, expropriation, personal injury, and wrongful death. She has been qualified as an expert in business valuation, matrimonial matters and the quantification of economic loss by the Superior Court of Ontario.

Michael is an Associate Partner at Holmes CPAs and Tax Advisors where he is responsible for the management of compilation and review engagements for corporate clients and advises on income tax matters for both corporate and personal tax clients.

Michael is also the founder of MTR Valuation Services, a business valuation and advisory practice based in Peterborough, and previously worked as Vice President at a local credit union and in various roles in both local and national accounting firms.

Nikki is the Partner leading the Deals practice for PwC in Atlantic Canada. She leads the Valuations, Modelling and Disputes practice as well as the Transaction Services practice for the firm’s Atlantic Canada office. Nikki is based in Halifax and provides services to clients throughout Atlantic Canada.  Nikki specializes in business valuations as well as quantification of losses in litigation matters including breach of contract, loss of earnings, economic interference and insurance claims including personal injury. In particular, Nikki specializes in valuations and income quantification in family law matters for purposes of matrimonial disputes, also assisting with settlement mediation or collaborative family law matters. Her strategic advisory services include due diligence and business acquisitions and divestitures.

Darren is a Senior Manager in the Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team of Loblaw Companies Limited (“Loblaw”). Darren is experienced in analyzing financial and operational information; financial forecasting/modeling; financial statement analysis; financial due diligence; costing; and, business valuations.

His role at Loblaw entails leading the competitive benchmarking process for the enterprise; ownership and management of the long-term corporate strategic planning model; and, in-year performance measurement, reporting and forecasting.

Michael joined SLC in 2010 and his focus is on Private Equity Investing, Senior Secured Lending, Origination and Business Development. Michael has over 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining SLC Management,  Michael worked at Dancap Global Asset Management, where he focused on private equity direct investments and co-investments. Prior to Dancap, Michael was a Vice President at Société Générale focused on Corporate and Investment Banking structuring lending transactions between risk management and relationship management.

Jennifer is currently a Director with the OMERS investment finance team. She leads a team responsible for the valuation of the infrastructure and private equity asset classes. Prior to joining OMERS, Jennifer was a Senior Manager within the Financial Advisory practice at Deloitte LLP in Toronto, specializing in valuation and dispute consulting.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business from York University. She is also a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV).

Jennifer is also an active volunteer. She is the leader of the Women’s Employee Resource group at OMERS and a board member and the Treasurer of the Children’s Book Bank, an organization that provide free books and literacy support to children and families in Toronto.

Tara Singh is a Managing Director at FTI Consulting based in Toronto and leader of the Canadian Valuation & Damages practice, where she specializes in the assessment of economic damages and the valuation of businesses and other assets, particularly in the context of complex commercial litigation including breach of contract matters, intellectual property and securities fraud litigation, class actions, and other financial disputes.   Tara was a winner of the CICBV’s Ian R. Campbell Research Initiative and received global recognition for the resultant research paper on blockchain and cryptoassets. She frequently presents at industry conferences and to the legal community and has participated as an expert witness in numerous trial advocacy workshops.

Fatim is a senior manager at MNP where she specializes in business and securities valuation and financial litigation, performing numerous valuations of businesses, business ownership interests, securities and intangible assets for public and private companies in a wide range of industry sectors. She has provided services in the context of business combinations; private placements; corporate and financial reorganizations; financial reporting support; and for various other purposes such as income tax, financing, shareholder disputes and quantification of economic damages.

Cristy provides valuations, fairness opinions, and financial modelling services. She has over 12 years of professional experience across financial planning & analysis (FP&A), valuation, assurance and financial reporting functions. Cristy has prepared valuations for financial reporting, transactions, tax compliance, asset management, and risk management. Cristy has held key valuation roles at Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) and Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) where she worked with private markets deal teams, investment reporting teams, and risk teams covering private investments valuation across a wide range of industries, including infrastructure, industrial, consumer business, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and real estate.

Based in Ottawa, Leah has over seven years of experience performing valuations for financial reporting, tax and strategic purposes. Leah works with a variety of clients, from small owner operated businesses to large public companies, and works across many industries, with a focus on technology and real estate. Prior to her role in valuations, Leah worked in KPMG’s audit practice for two years.

John is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Deal Advisory Services practice and has been providing valuation services for public and private companies for over 8 years. John lives and works out of Ottawa, with a focus on real estate and technology clients. In addition to being a CBV, he is also a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Financial Analysts.