Fiera makes changes to its management team

Montreal-based Fiera Capital Corp. announced that Jean-Guy Desjardins, chairman of the board and CEO, will now assume the position of president.

In addition, the firm has appointed John Valentini as executive vice president, global chief financial officer (CFO) and president of the private alternative investments division while François Bourdon has been appointed as global chief investment officer.

“The sustained growth of Fiera Capital has led us to review the structure of our management team and of our Private Alternative Investments division in a more formal way and with established leadership,” says Desjardins in a statement.

Desjardins, in his role as president and CEO, will directly oversee the Canadian, U.S. and European divisions as well as Bel Air Investment Advisors LLC. He will also play a strategic role as chairman of the board for each division and will work increasingly alongside the management teams in terms of corporate and organizational development. Desjardins will also oversee human resources and corporate communications and investor relations.

Valentini will continue to act as global CFO overseeing finance, information technology, legal affairs and risk management. He will also be leading the development of the private alternative investments division in his new role as president.

Valentini will sit on the boards of directors and will serve as chairman of Fiera Properties Ltd., Fiera Infrastructure Inc. and Fiera Comox Partners Inc. He will be a member of the board of directors of Fiera Private Lending Inc. In addition, he will now chair Fiera’s strategic development committee in charge of mergers and acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Bourdon will oversee the firm’s global investment management activities, including its investment policies and strategies as well as aspects of risk management, operations and governance.

For the Canadian division, he will continue to manage private financing strategies, global bonds and income funds, while continuing to focus on infrastructure funds, real estate and private investments as well as remain an expert spokesperson on economic and investment matters.

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