Yorkton Securities today announced that Gregory Thompson will join the firm as senior vice president and director of research, effective April 2.Thompson will report to Rodney Sim, Yorkton’s chairman and CEO.

Thompson comes to Yorkton from Morgan Stanley, where he was responsible for building the Canadian research effort, overseeing investment research related aspects of life insurance demutualization in Canada and developing research coverage on the Canadian life insurance sector. In the fourth quarter of 2001, he assumed responsibility for managing a team of New York based analysts, research associates, and support staff within the firm’s technology, financial services and real estate groups.

In a career of nearly 20 years in the North American investment field, Thompson has also held executive positions at Lincluden Investment Management, as a member of the portfolio management team, and at Midland Walwyn, Prudential Bache and McLeod Young Weir.

Sim said: “We are delighted that Greg has chosen to join our team. He will play a pivotal role in the future growth of our company and helping to ensure that Yorkton Securities is the leading independent investment dealer in Canada.”

Thompson has a Master of Business Administration Degree from Concordia University in Montreal and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bishop’s University in Lennoxville.

A team of 25 research professionals will report to Thompson from Yorkton’s research offices in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal. Yorkton’s research department covers a broad spectrum of the emerging growth sectors of the Canadian economy with particular focus on technology, biotechnology and energy.