The Ontario Securities Commission has decided to grant an exemption from proficiency requirements to James Ross, VP services and corporate secretary of Synergy Asset Management Inc. The exemption will allow him to take on some supervisory duties at the firm delegated to him by the firm’s compliance officer.

Although he does not meet the qualification criteria to be delegated a full slate supervisory functions by Synergy’s compliance officer, the OSC has decided he won’t have to meet those requirements, as long as the designated compliance officer of Synergy agrees not to delegate certain supervisory functions, such as overseeing account opening, trading and advice.

Ross has, in the past, been responsible for the firm’s legal and compliance functions. He was also previously registered as a trading officer of Synergy and has completed the Canadian Securities Course, the Partners, Directors and Officers Examination, the Canadian Options Course and the Canadian Futures Examination.

He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1989 and, prior to joining Synergy in 1997, worked as legal counsel at the OSC for seven years.