Our People

Mr. Taerk is a co-founder of Faircourt Asset Managment Inc. Mr. Taerk has been President and CEO since inception of Faircourt in 2002. From 1999 to 2001, Vice President and Managing Director for Charles Schwab Canada, Co., and a member of its Executive Committee. His responsibilities included leading the development of Investment Banking, Syndication as well as Institutional Research. Prior to that, Mr. Taerk was in the Corporate Finance group at Porthmeor Securities, where he worked from 1996 to 1999, rising to director in 1998.

During the period 1994 to 1996, Mr. Taerk founded Faircourt Capital Corporation, a boutique corporate finance advisory business, working with private Canadian companies. Prior to that, Mr. Taerk spent eight years with a major Canadian bank in the mid-market corporate lending area.

Mr. Taerk graduated with a Masters from the School of International Affairs at the Graduate School of the University of Pittsburgh in 1988. He received his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in 1986.

Mr. Waterson brings over 10 years of financial management experience to the Trust. Prior to joining the Manager, Mr. Waterson worked as a Senior Supervisor at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada) (OSFI), where he was responsible for monitoring and conducting risk assessments of Schedule I banks. From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Waterson worked as an Analyst in the Investment Banking Group at Charles Schwab Canada, Co. where he was responsible for the initial review of prospective transactions as well as detailed due diligence, including analysis of financial models and business plans. Prior thereto he held several positions within the TD Bank Financial Group from 1996 to 1999, including two years as an investment advisor with TD Evergreen. Prior to his tenure as an investment advisor, Mr. Waterson held the position of Analyst, Finance at TD Bank Financial Group where he provided analysis and recommendations on a variety of financial issues and transactions such as securitization programs, and was involved in the management of TD Bank Financial Group’s regulatory capital.

Prior to his tenure at TD Bank Financial Group, Mr. Waterson held auditing positions at Deloitte & Touche from 1992 to 1994, and in the Office of the Provincial Auditor of Ontario from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Waterson is a CFA Charterholder (1999) and a Chartered Accountant (1995), and holds a B.Sc. from the University of Waterloo (1991).

Mr. Panagopoulos is a Portfolio Manager at Faircourt Asset Management Inc. Mr. Panagopoulos has been employed with Faircourt Asset Management Inc. for over six years. Mr. Panagopoulos provides analysis of companies and sectors, as well as assisting with trade execution and the implementation of option strategies. He brings over ten years professional experience in fund management, accounting and finance to Faircourt Asset Management Inc. Prior to joining Faircourt Asset Management Inc., Mr. Panagopoulos worked as a Manager at TD Securities Inc., where he managed the accounting and reporting functions of the Global Derivatives Products Group. From 1997 to 2004, Mr. Panagopoulos worked as a Senior Auditor and Manager at BDO Dunwoody LLP where he managed audit, non-audit, consulting, unique and special engagements, including financial, strategic and operational analysis, planning, budgeting, and report preparation in a broad variety of enterprises. Mr. Panagopoulos is a CFA Charterholder (2006) and a Chartered Accountant (2000), and holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto. Mr. Panagopoulos is also the Chief Financial Officer of Faircourt Resource Fund Management Ltd.

Ms. Davis is a Corporate Director and President of EMJD Consultants Inc. Ms. Davis is an experienced risk management and change management professional. She built the Global Risk and Compliance function at RBC Investments, leading this function for the wealth management division of RBC Financial Group for five years. She used her in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment spanning the brokerage, mutual fund, trust, investment counselling and private banking businesses together with her risk/reward mantra to develop a compliance function jointly owned by the business. Ms Davis has sales experience in the corporate and commercial banking sectors.
Ms. Davis sits as an independent director on three corporate and one not-for-profit boards after obtaining her ICD (Institute of Corporate Directors) designation in early 2006. Ms. Davis also is a member of five independent review committees appointed pursuant to NI 81-107 in the fund sector.

Ms. Davis has worked internationally in her corporate banking risk management role where she covered Asian clients and the banks global lending book in four industries. She also managed the risk/compliance function for RBC’s Wealth Management sector in the USA, Europe, South America and Asia in addition to Canada.

Ms. Davis has an Hon. B.Sc. Mathematics from Queen’s University; a Masters of Management from McGill University, and an Institute of Corporate Director designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Mr. Miller presently serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Investment Allocation International Inc. and predecessor companies from its inception in October 1989. From August 2002 to June 2004, Mr. Miller was Executive Vice-President of Faircourt Asset Management Inc. and was a co-founder of the company

Investment Allocation International Inc. is a portfolio management firm serving high net worth investors. Mr. Miller has worked in the investment industry for over 30 years as a portfolio manager, securities adviser, and institutional investment analyst. Mr. Miller has also served as Director of Research with a large integrated investment dealer from 1987 to 1989, and as Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer of Cougar Global Investments from 1994 to 1995. Mr. Miller previously served with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as an Economic Affairs Officer in Geneva, Switzerland, and as a commissioned officer with the RCAF in Germany.

Mr. Miller holds an M.B.A. from Queen’s University.

Mr. Kangas is President of Kangas Consulting Inc., an independent consulting firm founded in July 2001, providing corporate clients with strategic analysis involving mutual funds and hedge funds. Previous to this position, from June 2008 to September 2009, he was Vice President, Product Management, MFC Global Investment Management, an arm of Manulife Financial. Prior to that, he was President of BluMont Capital Corporation, one of Canada’s leading hedge fund companies. He joined BluMont in January of 2004 as a Managing Director. Mr. Kangas has over 15 years of experience in the investment industry. From July 2000 to July 2001, he was the Managing Editor and Director of Corporate Relations of Streetviews Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Kangas was Vice-President, Risk and Research at Canada Trust Company, from November 1997 to July 2000, overseeing all third party mutual fund relationships and product development strategies. From February 1997 to November 1997 Mr. Kangas was Executive Vice-President of First International Asset Management Inc., responsible for the sourcing, structuring and negotiating acquisitions of money management firms. From June 1995 to January 1997, Mr. Kangas was Vice-President, Mutual Fund Research at BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.

Mr. Kangas is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, a CFA Charterholder and a Chartered Accountant. Mr. Kangas has a B.A. from the University of Waterloo and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.