Headquarters:

250 Yonge Street, Suite 2500, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2L7

Year founded:

1967

Number of employees:

550

Phone:

416 673 9000

Email:

contact@caatpension.ca

Website:

caatpension.ca

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/caat-pension-plan

“I strongly believe our culture is what distinguishes us and helps us outperform other organizations”

Julie Giraldi, CAAT Pension Plan

Derek Dobson

Chief Executive Officer and Plan Manager

Asif Haque

Chief Investment Officer

Mike Dawson

Chief Financial Officer

Leadership

Since joining as CEO in April 2009, Derek Dobson has applied his expertise in funding, risk management, strategic planning, governance, and stakeholder relations to strengthen the CAAT Plan, and more recently, guide its growth. In addition to leading one of Canada’s model pension plans, he plays an active role in various industry groups, notably as co-chair of the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council, as a member of the board of directors for the Association of Canadian Pension Management, and as a founding faculty member of the Masters of Trust Management Standards of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits and Pensions. His pension management expertise and engaging presentation style make him a sought-after speaker in Canada and abroad on a variety of topics, including the need for national aging and retirement strategies. Dobson is an Associate of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and has a degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo.

Chief Executive Officer and Plan Manager

Derek Dobson

Asif Haque brings over 25 years of experience in finance and investments to the CAAT Pension Plan. As CIO, he leads CAAT’s investment team in managing a portfolio designed to generate sufficient long-term returns to keep benefits secure. Prior to his appointment as CIO, Haque was responsible for CAAT’s public market investments program. He sits on the board of directors of the Pension Investment Association of Canada and serves as chair of its Member Services Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Committee of the Pension Plan of the United Church of Canada, and of the Investment Advisory Committee of Nunavut Tunngavik. He earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Toronto, and is a CFA charterholder.

Chief Investment Officer

Asif Haque

Mike Dawson brings over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, both as an auditor at PwC Canada and as a vice president at BlackRock. As chief financial officer at CAAT, Dawson is responsible for overseeing the investment and corporate finance, and enterprise risk functions at CAAT. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), and a CFA charterholder. He graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Accounting degree.

Chief Financial Officer

Mike Dawson

“I strongly believe our culture is what distinguishes us and helps us outperform other organizations”

Julie Giraldi, CAAT Pension Plan

Leadership

“I strongly believe our culture is what distinguishes us and helps us outperform other organizations”

Julie Giraldi, CAAT Pension Plan

Leadership

Evan Howard

Chief Pension Officer

Evan Howard and his team are responsible for pension policy development, public affairs, and pension regulatory compliance at CAAT. He brings over 20 years of experience in pension and benefits law in Canada and abroad. Howard is the past chair of the Ontario Regional Council of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM) and continues to serve on the ACPM’s National Policy Committee. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and an LLB from the University of Western Ontario.

Chief Pension Officer

Evan Howard

Julie Giraldi

Chief Human Resources Officer

Julie Giraldi is an accomplished, energetic senior executive and recognized organizational culture turnaround specialist. As chief human resources officer, she leads organizational business strategy development, as well as the people strategy, and initiatives related to CAAT’s innovation and transformation objectives. Prior to joining CAAT, Giraldi was vice president, business transformation at OMERS. She holds a degree from the University of Toronto, is a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) from the Human Resources Professional Association, and is certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors as an ICD.D.

Chief Human Resources Officer

Julie Giraldi

Established in 1967, the CAAT Pension Plan is an independent, jointly governed plan that offers two highly desirable designs of a defined benefit pension. CAAT’s award-winning DBplus plan design is leading an extraordinary pace of growth for the Plan. Originally created to support the Ontario college system, the CAAT Plan now proudly serves more than 440 participating employers in 20 industries including the for-profit, non-profit, and broader public sectors. It currently has more than 100,000 active and retired members. The CAAT Plan is respected for its pension and investment management expertise and focus on stability and benefit security. On January 1, 2024, the Plan was 124 percent funded on a going-concern basis. An industry-leading innovator based in Toronto, CAAT is highly respected for its successful pension management expertise and strong governance structure. With a highly engaged team of passionate and dedicated professionals who believe in their mission to improve the financial security of its members in their retirement, CAAT is committed to a core belief in the power and efficiency of a jointly governed, multi-employer defined benefit pension plan. CAAT’s success is built on shared governance by members and employers, and its collective focus on benefit security, stable contributions, and work-life balance. With the DBplus pension plan design, CAAT makes it easy for employer and employees to be part of a plan that provides secure lifetime pensions. CAAT values its employees and promotes an inclusive, supportive work environment to highlight a shared purpose of improving retirement income security for all Canadians. It is this shared purpose that allows them to stand out as they pursue their goals.

Jillian Kennedy

Chief Strategy Officer

Elisabeth Demone

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Kevin Kim

Director of Finance  

David Badurina 

Director, General Counsel  

Jillian Kennedy has over 25 years in the financial services industry, including 18 years at Mercer, where she focused on the defined contribution practice, retirement research, thought leadership, and Mercer’s financial wellness strategy for Canadians. She has a deep understanding of Canada’s retirement landscape and the needs of Canada’s largest employers. She also plays a key role in CAAT’s long-term success and in delivering on our mission, vision, and purpose.

Chief Strategy Officer

Jillian Kennedy

Elisabeth Demone oversees the company’s legal, contractual, and regulatory functions in addition to guiding governance matters as secretary to the Board of Directors. She joined Symcor in 2010, holding progressively senior positions. Prior to joining Symcor, Demone worked at John Deere Credit and Stikeman Elliott LLP. She earned her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. She previously served as a director on the board of the Canadian Technology Law Association.

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Elisabeth Demone

Kevin Kim is responsible for providing leadership and strategic guidance to the finance team (accounting, planning and analysis, tax, financial reporting and extended warranty and internal audit and financial controls), ensuring compliance with company policies and all financial and government regulations, influencing high-level management decisions, and ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, forecasting, and planning. 

Director of Finance  

Kevin Kim

David Badurina is the director of general council at Hyundai Canada, where he is responsible for the direction of all legal matters pertaining to the company, including providing legal advice to management. He is also responsible for the risk management function, such as advising on all risk-related issues pertaining to events, consumers, and team members. 

Director, General Counsel  

David Badurina  

Director, General Counsel  

David Badurina

Director, General Counsel  

David Badurina  

Sarah M Stewart

Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations

Karen Bannister, CM

Vice President, Marketing

Dave Longbottom

Chief Technology Officer

Alex Ventura

Head of Marketing

Damian Palovick

Senior Vice President of Underwriting AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Dr. Mary Lavoie

Head of Risk Management and Senior Vice President AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Mark Bernacki

Chief Underwriting Officer

Ryan Armijo

Chief Operating Officer, Underwriting Division

Bob Petrilli

President, Underwriting Division

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“A passion to improve retirement income security for Canadians is at the core of our organization because expanding access to good pensions is better for Canadians and for society”

Derek Dobson, CAAT Pension Plan

“A passion to improve retirement income security for Canadians is at the core of our organization because expanding access to good pensions is better for Canadians and for society”

Derek Dobson, CAAT Pension Plan

“A passion to improve retirement income security for Canadians is at the core of our organization because expanding access to good pensions is better for Canadians and for society”

Derek Dobson, CAAT Pension Plan

social services fuel oil and propane distribution janitorial services security guard services animal welfare organizations adult residential care facilities and more

Tangram’s experienced team is constantly surveying the landscape and creating ways to add value through broader coverage, elevated service, and competitive pricing. They continue to move with independence, diversity, and responsibility to serve their customers and partners. The Tangram team looks forward to working together.

technical excellence portfolio management data analytics focusing on communication collaboration

CAAT’s core values of Integrity, Teamwork, Impact have guided the organization to exceptional growth. Through a robust culture of belonging, they remain a united team with a common goal and a shared vision, while being an inclusive workplace where employees can bring their whole selves to work. Integrity ■ CAAT employees are fiduciaries of the Plan, acting in members’ best interests and earning their stakeholders’ trust. Teamwork ■ CAAT is One Team that works and grows together, celebrating each other’s successes. The path to individual success is through team success. Impact ■ CAAT employees leverage their collective talents to create a better tomorrow, today.

“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not,” says Christine Schneider, senior vice president, casualty claims. “Also, strategically executing on opportunities based on market conditions has continuously supported Arch’s growth.” Leadership encourages all segments of the business to be bold, take calculated risks, celebrate accomplishments, and learn from mistakes. The focus is placed on the goals of each initiative, along with the necessary specific strategies. A key factor in Arch’s success has been the implementation of a new claims system that interlinks with the firm’s ‘North Star’ of placing employees in a position where they can add value on a daily basis. Senior vice president, financial and specialty claims Brian Kristiansen says, “We segment claims by line of business and hire employees with experience in those lines. We provide them with additional training and mentoring to ensure the continued development of expertise in those lines.” Another driver of Arch’s market-leading performance is its investment in data analytics and data transformation, increasing its ability to utilize business intelligence to improve product offerings and the abilities of its claims department, with a strong emphasis on claims handling and claims excellence. In addition, the firm continuously seeks feedback from the broker community on any areas where they would like to see potential improvement, particularly in claims service. Arch Claims specifically has done considerable work around communication with brokers over the past year, including an extensive survey to solicit feedback on the claims experience. Schneider says, “Through their commentary, we strive to be able to build even more trusting, respectful, and responsive relationships with all of our partners.” The claims department underscores the importance of:

CAAT’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee and Employee Engagement Committee were both founded in 2019. The Inclusion and Diversity Committee maintains its mission of fostering safety, education, awareness, and belonging for all employees, regardless of age, ethnicity, cultural background, or professional role in the workplace, while the Employee Engagement Committee supports a positive workplace culture by ensuring employees feel valued, heard, and connected to CAAT’s mission, vision, and values. As part of CAAT’s commitment to supporting employees across every demographic, earlier in 2024, the organization invited a third-party Canadian diversity and inclusion organization, to conduct a Diversity Meter survey, together with online and anonymous Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Focus Groups. With a mix of industry experience, education, and commitment to its long-term objectives, CAAT has a leadership team with a wealth of expertise to support CAAT on its growth journey. The six members of CAAT’s senior executive team each exhibits strong vision, decision-making skills, and an ability to foster a positive culture. They continue to significantly influence the organization’s expansion, performance, and long-term success.