Alumni stories
Students of the School of Accounting & Finance (SAF) share a common curriculum in the first two years of study. As an SAF student, you will be thoroughly educated in Accounting, Finance and other essential business disciplines, then choose to major in either Accounting or Finance beginning in your third year. This common curriculum will give you a solid grounding to choose which of the two degrees is right for you.
Year of Graduation: 2009
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
Jamie joined Cidel in 2013. He works extensively with institutional investors, consultants and private clients in Cidel鈥檚 Institutional and Asset Management division.
Prior to joining Cidel, Jamie worked in Capital Markets focused on Foreign Exchange and has over 10 years of financial services experience, 7 of those years with Cidel.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University and is a CFA庐 Charterholder.
Jamie has been actively involved with the CFA Institute鈥檚 exam development over the past 5 years while also being a member of the CFA Institute and Toronto CFA Society.
Year of Graduation: 2009
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
Alex Lelievre is the quintessential "success story" of volunteerism at the Ted Rogers School of Management. As a proud alumnus (BComm, Finance) and a current Associate Vice President at TD Bank, Alex has translated his professional success into a profound legacy of service to his alma mater.
Alex鈥檚 contribution is distinguished by his unique perspective as both a graduate and an industry executive:
Alex鈥檚 commitment to 91影视 began long before he joined the Advisory Council. He was the visionary who introduced the "Battle on Bay Street" case competition. What started as his initiative has grown into one of Canada鈥檚 premier undergraduate finance competitions, providing thousands of students over the years with the opportunity to showcase their skills to top-tier firms.
In his role as industry Chair of the SAF Advisory Council, Alex provides a bridge between the classroom and the boardroom. He leverages his senior leadership experience at TD Bank to ensure that the SAF curriculum remains agile and responsive to the needs of the financial sector, emphasizing both technical excellence and the "Bay Street" mindset.
Alex serves as a powerful role model for current students. He is a frequent presence at school events, where he shares his career trajectory and provides candid advice on navigating the corporate world. His ability to mobilize his professional network for the benefit of the school has significantly enhanced the "real-world" readiness of our graduates.
Alex Lelievre does not just advise the school; he actively builds it. His work ensures that the same opportunities he had as a student are expanded and improved for the next generation of finance leaders.
Year of Graduation: 2018
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
Kyle Yancan joined Hazelview Investments in July 2018 as an Associate, Global Securities Investments. In his current role as Partner, Kyle is responsible for researching, underwriting and valuing new investment opportunities and providing formal investment recommendations to the portfolio management team.
Prior to joining Hazelview, Kyle completed several work programs including roles as Corporate Access Associate at RBC Capital Markets, and Junior Analyst, U.S. Equities at RBC Global Asset Management where he worked alongside portfolio management to develop portfolio valuation and monitoring models. While completing his Commerce degree, Kyle was CIO of the Ryerson Investment Group student Fund.
Kyle holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the Ted Rogers School of Management and is a CFA庐 charterholder, CFA Institute.
Year of Graduation: 2021
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
Choosing to study Finance at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) is one of the best decisions I've made 鈥� and that's a conviction that's only grown stronger since earning my CPA in 2025.
When I enrolled at TRSM, my goal was clear: build the foundation I needed to pursue my CPA designation and a career in finance. The program delivered on that in ways I didn't fully appreciate until I was deep into my career. The Finance curriculum overlaps meaningfully with the CPA preparatory courses, which gave me a genuine head start when the time came. Professors Else Grech and Romi-Lee Sevel were instrumental in this 鈥� they didn't just teach accounting and finance, they taught us to think the CPA way: always starting with the user, understanding their objective, and working methodically toward a solution. That framework has stayed with me every single day of my professional life. It's not just an exam technique 鈥� it's a way of approaching every problem, every client, and every decision.
On the finance and modelling side, professors like Yuanshun Li, Mike Inglis, and Adam Prokop brought real-world rigour into the classroom. Through financial modelling, investment strategy, and case-based scenarios, they gave us problems that felt less like coursework and more like practice for the job we were about to step into. That practical grounding meant that when I moved into corporate finance, I wasn't starting from scratch 鈥� I was building on something solid.
Beyond the classroom, TRSM gave me opportunities to grow as a leader. I served as Vice President of Finance for the Real Estate student club, where I took on real financial responsibility for the organization and learned what it means to lead a team toward a shared goal. I also gave back to the community as a Co-op Student Peer Mentor, supporting fellow students as they navigated their own career journeys. These experiences taught me things no course could 鈥� accountability, leadership, and the value of investing in the people around you.
The co-op program itself was another turning point. Getting real work experience while still in school accelerated my development in ways that are hard to overstate. By the time I graduated in 2021, I had both the academic foundation and the professional exposure to hit the ground running.
Today I work as a Controller in the commercial real estate industry, and I can trace a direct line from those classrooms and experiences to where I sit now. TRSM gave me breadth 鈥� across finance, accounting, real estate, and investment 鈥� and that breadth is what allowed me to move up quickly and contribute meaningfully from early on in my career. For anyone considering this program, especially with a long-term goal like the CPA in mind, TRSM gives you a head start that truly matters.
Year of Graduation: 2017
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
After graduating from the Ted Rogers School of Management in 2017 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, I joined National Bank Capital Markets through their Capital Markets Rotation Program. This program allowed me to gain experience across a variety of departments鈥擡quity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Equity Sales & Trading, Derivatives, and Corporate & Investment Banking鈥攂efore being placed in Credit Capital Markets.
The foundation I built at TRSM was instrumental in preparing me for these early roles. The practical, hands-on courses such as Financial Modelling, Intermediate Accounting, Business Law, and the Capstone projects equipped me with both the technical skills and the critical thinking necessary to succeed as an Analyst and Associate. The professors鈥� real-world experience, combined with the program鈥檚 experiential learning approach, helped bridge the gap between academic theory and professional application.
Since those early years, I have continued to build on that foundation鈥攁dvancing to more senior positions at BMO Capital Markets, OceanaGold, and two private equity鈥揵acked portfolio companies. Today, I lead the Academy and Investments division at Contrarian Thinking, managing a team of approximately 20 direct reports and a total of 30 professionals report to me.
Looking back, choosing to study at the Ted Rogers School of Management was an excellent decision to begin my journey into the world of finance. Its practical curriculum, engaged faculty, and proximity to Toronto鈥檚 financial district made it an ideal launchpad for success in capital markets and beyond.
Year of Graduation: 2008
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
I chose 91影视 because it gave me something I genuinely needed: flexibility.
I worked full time while going to school full time, and 91影视 made that possible. That flexibility allowed me to gain professional experience, support myself financially, and graduate debt-free. It also taught me very early that there is rarely only one path to achieving a goal.
鈥�91影视 gave me the flexibility to build an education around the realities of my life鈥攁nd that shaped the way I have approached my entire career.鈥�
I earned a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance and a minor in International Business, but my career has taken me far beyond any one discipline. Over the past 15+ years, I have worked with startups, large public organizations, and Fortune 500 companies across operations, governance, risk, compliance, resiliency, transformation, and strategy.
My career has taken me through financial services, consulting, energy, technology, digital assets, and executive leadership. I have helped launch an insured digital asset custody operation in nine months for a Canadian startup that had raised what was then the country鈥檚 largest pre-seed round at $8.26 million. I built a Middle Office function in six months and led commodity risk management activities for a portfolio operating across nine North American power and gas markets. I was also a key contributor to the transition of Sony鈥檚 gaming sales and distribution business in Latin America, helping launch operations across 14 countries in four months.
Through my consulting and risk work, I have helped build, strengthen, and manage enterprise risk, crisis management, business continuity, disaster recovery, and emergency response programs for more than 40 organizations, including BP, Intuit, McDonald鈥檚, Allstate, Enbridge, U.S. Bank, Laurentian Bank, Riyadh Bank, Hitachi Data Systems, Banque de Rothschild, and others.
Today, at the Independent Electricity System Operator, I work at the intersection of strategy, risk, transformation, and resiliency, supporting an organization responsible for one of Ontario鈥檚 most critical systems.
What connects all of these experiences is not a specific industry or job title. It is my willingness to step into the unknown.
鈥淚 have never been afraid of jumping into the unknown. In many ways, the unknown is exactly what fuels my drive and passion.鈥�
I enjoy taking complex ideas, challenges, and initiatives and turning them into something practical鈥攄esigning, analyzing, planning, and implementing solutions that create clarity, purpose, resilience, and value.
That same entrepreneurial mindset also extends beyond my corporate career. I am the President and Founder of Slavia FC, a grassroots youth soccer club that my husband and I run in Etobicoke. We created the club to bring a European-style approach to grassroots player development, with a focus on technical ability, confidence, discipline, and a genuine love of the game.
Building Slavia FC has been another opportunity to create something from the ground up and to apply the same skills I have relied on throughout my career: leadership, strategy, operations, problem-solving, and community building.
鈥淵our career does not have to follow a straight line. Some of the most meaningful opportunities come from being willing to enter unfamiliar territory and build something that did not exist before.鈥�
When I look back at my time at 91影视, what stands out most is that it gave me the opportunity to pursue an education on terms that worked for me. Working full time and studying full time was demanding, but it built independence, resilience, discipline, and confidence.
Those qualities have stayed with me through every career pivot, every new industry, and every challenge where there was no obvious roadmap.
For current 91影视 students, my advice is simple: do not feel constrained by what your path is supposed to look like. Learn broadly, stay curious, take ownership of your decisions, and do not be afraid to pursue opportunities that feel unfamiliar.
鈥淭he path does not have to be conventional to be successful. Sometimes doing things differently is exactly what creates the opportunity.鈥�
Year of Graduation: 2009
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance
My time at Ryerson/TMU in the Ted Rogers School of Management was a truly transformative experience regarding the theoretical and practical knowledge I gained from my many great professors, the real-world experience that professors brought to each topic and the life-long friends that I made along the way.
I originally embarked on this journey focused on the Entrepreneurship & Innovation stream, but FIN301 & FIN401 in my second year quickly had my focus on another path, and I subsequently switched my major to finance. I feel fortunate to have had multiple courses with professors Edward Blinder & Keith MacInnes, who were both incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and memorable, making each class interesting while always adding real world anecdotes to better illustrate the day鈥檚 learnings. Unique experiences from hands-on learning in labs, such as simulated investing in real world markets, and simulating a market amongst the class to trade equity & fixed income, were experiences that I truly enjoyed as they cemented theoretical learning, gave practical experience, and helped guide my career aspirations in the financial markets.
TRSM is where I first learned of and set out to pursue the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. I was fortunate to be awarded a CFA Student Scholarship, which combined with a strong foundational knowledge in Finance, Accounting and Portfolio Management, set me on the path to becoming the proud CFA charterholder I am today, and member of the CFA Society Toronto and the CFA Institute.
Shortly after graduating I began my career as an Analyst in Investment Analytics at State Street, a large global financial services firm. After briefly pursuing an opportunity outside of finance, I returned and joined Scotiabank鈥檚 Global Banking and Markets. Over the next 8 years I held progressively senior roles across Credit Derivatives, Loan TRS (Total Return Swaps) and Government Finance/DCM (Debt Capital Markets), most notably, facilitating the origination and syndication of multibillion-dollar transactions for Governments, Agencies and Public Sector Entities in the CAD public market. In my current role as Institutional Fixed Incomes Sales, Sales & Trading with Laurentian Bank Securities, I provide market coverage for global institutional investors such as Asset Managers, Pension Funds and Bank Treasuries and facilitate their investment needs through primary and secondary market transactions.
I am incredibly grateful for my time at TRSM and the knowledge and experiences I gained, my career path and the professional I am today is in large part a direct result of my time at Ryerson/TMU and the Ted Rogers School of Management.