The Advisors Boards Call First

Wes Hall came from humble beginnings in Jamaica to become one of the most influential business figures in Canada. He is the undisputed leader in shareholder advisory and contested situations and built Kingsdale Advisors into the firm that defines the industry in the country. The Globe and Mail has called him one of Canada’s “most influential powerbrokers,” Maclean’s ranked him among the 50 most powerful people in Canada, and Canadian Business named him one of the country’s most powerful executives.

Over his career, Wes has led some of the most consequential transactions and activist campaigns in North American capital markets, advising on Enbridge’s $37 billion merger with Spectra Energy, the $36 billion Agrium–Potash merger, Tim Hortons’ $12.5 billion merger with Burger King, and Pershing Square’s successful campaign to replace the board of Canadian Pacific Railway, among many others.

Beyond Kingsdale, Wes is the executive chairman and founder of WeShall Investments, the founder of BlackNorth Initiative, the Chancellor of the University of Toronto, a board member of SickKids Foundation and TIFF, and a recurring dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. His memoir, ‘No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot,’ is a bestseller.

‍

‍

Aaron Boles is the advisor boards and management teams turn to in high-stakes shareholder, regulatory, and reputational moments. With over two decades of experience in financial services, he has guided companies through contested situations, complex transactions, governance crises, and the full range of shareholder challenges that test leadership.

His career spans the Executive Leadership Team of the Canadian Bankers Association, the role of Country Head in Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Macquarie Bank, and a senior position at Capital Group, one of the world’s largest privately held trillion-dollar asset managers.

Aaron holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto and the University of Victoria, and a Juris Doctor from the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria.

‍

‍

Ray is a seasoned financial executive with over 30 years of experience in financial strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and operational leadership. He leads the firm's financial management and plays a central role in strategic decision-making and operational growth. Most recently, he served as CFO of Farber Debt Solutions for over six years, a period of significant expansion during which he oversaw finance, data, facilities, and shared services.

Earlier in his career, Ray served as CFO for a portfolio of television production companies and the National Ballet of Canada, and as Director of M&A at MDC Partners (now Stagwell), where he helped close more than 60 transactions across North America and the UK.

He began his career at KPMG, holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

‍

‍

Victor Li is a senior advisor to boards on shareholder-sensitive governance decisions, activist defence, and contested M&A. For over 25 years, he has been regarded as an authority on how proxy advisors and institutional investors assess proxy contests, executive compensation, and governance outcomes. Victor has founded and led the firm’s Governance Advisory practice for a decade.

His experience spans some of North America’s most visible governance and M&A situations, including the Agrium–Potash merger, Enbridge’s acquisition of Spectra Energy, Suncor’s acquisition of Canadian Oil Sands, and Newmont’s acquisition of Goldcorp. He has represented leading activists including Pershing Square, JANA Partners, and FrontFour, and advised issuers facing activist pressure including EnerCare, RONA, Sherritt, and Parkland. Earlier in his career, Victor led the Canadian M&A and proxy contests team at ISS, working directly with global institutional investors on voting policy and engagement strategy.

He is a CFA charterholder, holds a Certificate in ESG Investing, and earned a Master of Finance from the University of Toronto and dual graduate and undergraduate degrees from Tsinghua University.

‍

‍

Iqra Musaddaq is the Chief Legal Officer at WeShall Investments, where her mandate includes leading legal strategy, governance, and risk management across the firm’s portfolio, and supporting transactions, financing, and strategic initiatives in close partnership with senior leadership.

Prior to joining WeShall, she served as Chief Legal Officer at Pakistan’s federal technology regulator, chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, where she established and led the legal and policy function, advised on national regulatory frameworks and technology licensing, and supported large scale investment and infrastructure initiatives. She began her career in M&A and transactional law at Haidermota & Co., and has since held senior in-house roles across real estate, construction, hospitality, and the energy sector.

Iqra holds a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours), LLB from the University of Warwick and a Master of Laws, LLM from University College London, United Kingdom. She is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in Ontario, is an Accredited International Mediator (Level 1) with the Singapore International Mediation Institute, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association, Ontario.

‍

‍

Sylvia brings over 25 years of experience providing strategic counsel to executive management teams and boards facing corporate governance and proxy challenges. A leading advisor across annual and special meetings, shareholder activism, governance advisory, and corporate actions, she has advised both U.S. and international companies throughout her career.

Her expertise spans executive compensation, M&A, contentious shareholder proposals, and activist defence. Sylvia began her career at Georgeson Shareholder over three decades ago and has since held senior positions at multiple proxy solicitation firms. She regularly provides continuing legal education to major U.S. corporate law firms and has been invited to speak at international forums on U.S. corporate governance. She is a current member of the CHIEF organization.

‍

‍

Kevin Auten brings over two decades of experience in proxy solicitation, stock surveillance, and debt-related services. His work centers on institutional vote tracking, proxy contest strategy, debt information agent transactions, shareholder identification, and activist defence monitoring.

Prior to Kingsdale, Kevin held senior positions at MacKenzie Partners and Ipreo, where he was instrumental in forming MacKenzie's Operations ID team and played a central role in high-profile proxy campaigns including Dell, DuPont, Heinz, Hess, and Forest Labs. He also helped develop a Bondholder ID service and led a major stock surveillance team.

Kevin holds a B.S. in Finance and Global Management from Susquehanna University.

‍

‍

Neil brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the investment sector, with deep expertise in shareholder engagement, proxy fights, M&A, and routine and special meeting management. He leads the Shareholder Advisory team that focuses on complex and sensitive stakeholder engagements, communications solutions, and outreach strategy.

At Kingsdale, Neil has been involved in several landmark transactions, including Pershing Square’s successful proxy contest at CP Railway, Rio Tinto’s $3.1 billion acquisition of Turquoise Hill Resources, Burger King’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Tim Hortons, and Kirkland Lake Gold’s $13.5 billion merger with Agnico Eagle.

He holds an Honours B.A. in International Political Economy from York University.

‍

‍

Raman Bhan oversees Corporate Actions, the Engagement Center, Data Engineering, and all aspects of Kingsdale’s operational platforms. He brings over 22 years of experience in proxy solicitation and has been with Kingsdale since 2013.

Under his leadership, the operations team delivers high-quality shareholder engagement across the firm’s mandates, supported by proprietary technology that enables precise, omni-channel outreach and vote solicitation.

Before Kingsdale, Raman held roles at Computershare Fund Services, working across Boston, New York, and Chicago, and at Georgeson in Toronto.

‍

‍

Reiann Stoute brings a distinctive balance of strategic insight and people-centered leadership to our Barbados team.

Prior to Kingsdale, she worked at Goldman Sachs, across New York, London, and Salt Lake City, where she managed complex projects, supported high-profile clients, and streamlined operational processes in fast-paced, high-risk environments.

A lifelong athlete, Reiann spent many years as a competitive field hockey player, and she brings that strategic discipline to every professional challenge.

Reiann holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Accounting with a Minor in Finance from Missouri State University.

‍

‍

Aquin George leads thought leadership, brand positioning and targeted marketing campaigns for the firm’s shareholder and governance advisory practice.

Previously, as Director, Special Situations, he advised public companies and shareholder activists on communications strategies. His multidisciplinary background includes founding a marketing and corporate publishing firm that served clients including Nestlé and Lexus, leading marketing communications for an enterprise SaaS platform now used in 77 countries, and serving as editorial head for national newspapers and international magazines.

Aquin holds a Master’s in Management Studies, a Bachelor’s in Financial Accounting and Auditing, and an Executive Education certificate in Marketing from MIT Sloan.

‍

‍

Deivis Diaz has led the firm’s technology transformation by modernizing its digital ecosystem, implementing AI-driven, SaaS, and cloud-based solutions, and developing the internal workflows and applications that enhance operational efficiency and support client service delivery.

Prior to joining Kingsdale, Deivis held IT leadership roles at DDR Solutions and Resolve Collaborations. Earlier in his career, he spent six years with Royal and Radisson Hotels, where he led technology operations and managed one of Latin America’s largest telecommunications and MPLS network integration projects.

Deivis holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from Los Libertadores University and has completed advanced cybersecurity studies at the University of Toronto. He brings extensive expertise in IT leadership, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, infrastructure management, and digital transformation.

‍

Gloria is a CPA, CMA with over 20 years of experience in financial and management accounting across banking, construction, manufacturing, and franchising. At Kingsdale, she is responsible for financial accounting, planning and analysis, regulatory compliance, and tax filings for the holding company, as well as the ongoing review of internal controls and accounting processes.

Before joining Kingsdale, she served as Accounting and Administration Manager at Sensient Flavors Canada, where she implemented financial controls and led the company’s migration to a new ERP system. Gloria began her career as an auditor with Akintola Williams & Co. (now Akintola Williams Deloitte) in Nigeria, where she worked with a federal government panel reconciling debts between major parastatals. She holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Nigeria.

‍

‍