2024 SBAI Toronto IDEAS Breakfast

Ben Samild

SBAI Trustee; Chief Strategist, Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC)

Ben Samild is the Chief Strategist at ADIC and brings over two decades of extensive global investment and portfolio management experience across hedge funds, alternatives, debt, and multi-asset strategy to the firm. In his role, he is responsible for the overall strategic asset allocation of the firm, including setting up ADIC’s capital budget, managing the overlay portfolio, and overseeing interest rate and foreign exchange hedging activities.

Prior to joining ADIC, Ben was Chief Investment Officer at Future Fund in Melbourne, Australia where he led the organization’s strategic investment direction and performance transformation. Over his tenure, he held multiple senior roles, driving major structural reforms, cross-asset coordination, and macro-informed allocation strategies that delivered exceptional returns. Earlier in his career, he served as Head of Investment Strategy at LUCRF Super and Head of Financial Research at Elysium Capital, developing innovative managed futures strategies and advancing risk-managed investment models.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts (Honors) from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Applied Finance from FINSIA, and has completed the Leadership for the 21st Century Program at Harvard Kennedy School with a focus on Adaptive Leadership Development.

Michael Beaton

Head of Portfolio Construction, Polar Asset Management Partners

Michael works within the Office of the CIO and is responsible for a range of portfolio and strategy-level analysis and initiatives, ranging from the incubation of new strategies and PM development to portfolio efficiency efforts. Prior to his current role, Michael developed a systematic trend-following strategy within Polar and worked on the Fixed Income team.

Prior to joining Polar, Michael was a managing director at the Carlyle Group responsible for liquid systematic strategies. Prior to Carlyle, Michael was a partner at Breton Hill Capital, where he traded for the global macro fund. Mr. Beaton has also worked at Macquarie Bank in their commodity group and as a fund analyst at Diversified Global Asset Management.

Michael graduated from the University of Toronto in 2004 with a master’s in mathematical finance.

Mario Therrien

SBAI Trustee; Head of Investment Funds and External Management, La Caisse

Mario Therrien leads CDPQ’s investment funds activities. The teams he oversees invest in private investment funds and credit in private markets, as well as in venture capital in Québec and internationally. They are also responsible for external management in equity markets, as well as developing and managing strategic and institutional relationships. His mandate consists of adding value by building portfolios with the best external managers, while improving in-house management through the sharing of knowledge and expertise. He sits on the Investment-Risk Committee.

Prior to this role, Mr. Therrien was Senior Vice-President and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Developed Markets. He joined CDPQ in 1993 as an Analyst before taking on the role of Portfolio Manager in the group responsible for absolute return activities. Subsequently, he was mandated to develop external management activities in liquid-asset classes.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from Université de Sherbrooke. He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course given by the Canadian Securities Institute, and is a CFA charter holder.