Headquarters:

250 Yonge Street, Suite 2100, P.O. Box 40, Toronto, ON

Year founded:

1967

Number of employees:

550

Phone:

416 673 9000

Email:

contact@caatpension.ca

Website:

caatpension.ca

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/caat-pension-plan

“We don’t just do spreadsheets and decks, we take the lead on execution and communication, and really take care of our clients in ways others don’t in the industry”

Joseph Chan, Looniewell

CAAT PENSION PLAN

Derek Dobson

Chief Executive Officer and Plan Manager

Asif Haque

Chief Investment Officer

Mike Dawson

Chief Financial Officer

Leadership

Since joining as CEO in April 2009, Derek Dobson has applied his expertise in funding, risk management, strategic planning, governance, and stakeholder relations to strengthen the CAAT Plan, and more recently, guide its growth. In addition to leading one of Canada’s model pension plans, he plays an active role in various industry groups, notably as co-chair of the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Canadian Pension Management, and as a founding faculty member of the Masters of Trust Management Standards of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits and Pensions. Dobson’s pension management expertise and engaging presentation style make him a sought-after speaker in Canada and abroad on a variety of topics, including the need for national aging and retirement strategies. He is an associate of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and has a degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo.

Chief Executive Officer and Plan Manager

Derek Dobson

Asif Haque brings over 25 years of experience in finance and investments to the CAAT Pension Plan. As CIO, he leads CAAT’s investment team in managing a portfolio designed to generate sufficient long-term returns to keep benefits secure. Prior to his appointment as CIO, Haque was responsible for CAAT’s public market investments program. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Pension Investment Association of Canada, and serves as chair of its Member Services Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Committee of the Pension Plan of the United Church of Canada, and of the Investment Advisory Committee of Nunavut Tunngavik. He earned a master's degree in economics from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.

Chief Investment Officer

Asif Haque

Mike Dawson brings over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, both as an auditor at PwC Canada and as a vice president at BlackRock. As chief financial officer at CAAT, he is responsible for overseeing the investment and corporate finance, and enterprise risk functions at CAAT. Dawson is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), and a CFA charterholder. He graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Accounting degree.

Chief Financial Officer

Mike Dawson

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Julie Giraldi

Chief Human Resources Officer

Julie Giraldi is an accomplished, energetic senior executive and recognized organizational culture turnaround specialist. As chief human resources officer, she leads organizational business strategy development, as well as the people strategy, and initiatives related to CAAT’s innovation and transformation objectives. Prior to joining CAAT, Giraldi was vice president, business transformation at OMERS. She holds a degree from the University of Toronto, is a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) from the Human Resources Professional Association, and is certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors as an ICD.D.

Chief Human Resources Officer

Julie Giraldi

Evan Howard

Chief Pension Officer

Evan Howard and his team are responsible for pension policy development, public affairs, and pension regulatory compliance at CAAT. He brings over 20 years of experience in pension and benefits law in Canada and abroad. Howard is the past chair of the Ontario Regional Council of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM) and continues to serve on the ACPM’s National Policy Committee. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and an LL.B from the University of Western Ontario.

Chief Pension Officer

Evan Howard

Established in 1967, the CAAT Pension Plan is an independent, jointly governed plan that offers two highly desirable designs of a defined benefit pension. CAAT’s award-winning DBplus plan design is leading an extraordinary pace of growth for the Plan. Originally created to support the Ontario college system, the CAAT Plan now proudly serves more than 440 participating employers in 20 industries, including the for-profit, non-profit, and broader public sectors. It currently has more than 100,000 active and retired members. The CAAT Plan is respected for its pension and investment management expertise and focus on stability and benefit security. On January 1, 2024, the Plan was 124 percent funded on a going-concern basis. With a highly engaged team of passionate and dedicated professionals who believe in their mission to improve the financial security of its members in their retirement, CAAT is committed to a core belief in the power and efficiency of a jointly governed, multi-employer defined benefit pension plan. CAAT values its employees and promotes an inclusive, supportive work environment to highlight a shared purpose of improving retirement income security for all Canadians. It is this shared purpose that allows them to stand out as they pursue their goals.

“Our philosophy is to be honest, ethical, and transparent with our clients; focus on what’s in their best interest; and help their business thrive” 

Joseph Chan, Looniewell

Jillian Kennedy

Chief Strategy Officer

Karen Vigmond

Partner

Lara Fitzgerald-Husek

Partner

Liane Brown

Partner

Jillian Kennedy has over 25 years in the financial services industry, including 18 years at Mercer, where she focused on the defined contribution practice, retirement research, thought leadership, and Mercer’s financial wellness strategy for Canadians. She has a deep understanding of Canada’s retirement landscape and the needs of Canada’s largest employers and plays a key role in CAAT’s long-term success and in delivering on its mission, vision, and purpose.

Chief Strategy Officer

Jillian Kennedy

Karen Vigmond is committed to assisting personal injury victims and their loved ones achieve the best possible outcomes. Her practice focuses solely on personal injury law, including accident benefits, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and occupiers’ liability cases.

Partner

Karen Vigmond

Lara Fitzgerald-Husek joined Oatley Vigmond after practicing insurance defence at a leading national firm. The experience of representing many of Canada’s largest insurers has provided Lara with valuable insight into personal injury claims, allowing her to better serve her clients.

Partner

Lara Fitzgerald-Husek

Liane Brown is committed to representing individuals who have suffered serious personal injuries and to families who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Her practice concentrates on personal injury law, including accident benefits, motor vehicle collisions, medical malpractice, occupiers’ liability, product liability and wrongful death cases.

Partner

Liane Brown

Partner

Liane Brown

Ben Irantalab enjoys the complexities of personal injury litigation. His practice is exclusively devoted to representing clients with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and severe orthopedic injuries. For him, the cases that require special creativity and thinking outside the box are the most gratifying.

Partner

Ben Irantalab

This modern mindset extends to how Looniewell manages client interactions.  “We don’t hide our commission, our clients know exactly how we’re compensated,” explains Chan. “We strive for same-day response and acknowledgement. Oftentimes we respond and at least acknowledge within an hour.”  As a result, the firm’s client retention is “very high” and a by-product of the trust built upon Looniewell’s methods of operation.  Eager to keep evolving and offering more to the market, Chan is considering expanding beyond consulting services to provide Software as a Service (SaaS) for Total Rewards through platform and analytics.  Chan comments, “Our philosophy is to be honest, ethical, and transparent with our clients; focus on what’s in their best interest; and help their business thrive.” 

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“We will continue to strengthen our service proposition and customer experience as a key differentiator, as we build on the momentum we have achieved to date across multiple business lines and territories,” says McLean. “Our im is to continue to grow our market relevance and strengthen our partnerships with our strategic brokers as we expand our leadership position in key sectors. “We will also continue to invest in talent. We are committed to drawing from the broadest pools of talent, and to creating an environment that attracts and retains stellar employees. We recognise the importance of building teams that are diverse, collaborative, and innovative and are dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture in which all our employees can thrive.”

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There is also an absence of ‘consulting speak’ and corporate red tape as Looniewell provides clients with the top-quality fundamentals of measurable results and a highly responsive team.  An example of how focused the team is on delivering the best work possible, Chan prohibited the acceptance of gifts/meals from vendors/partners to ensure there is never any potential conflict of interest.  He says, “We put our clients first and advocate for them.”  Looniewell’s rapid rise has been driven solely by organic growth, and its customer base is the result of referrals, which include organizations with over 10,000 employees to start-up operations seeking to scale.  The firm’s team of consultants have been attracted by the progressive and innovative work environment that features: 

· Global Office – work up to two weeks from anywhere in the world · Work from anywhere – not hybrid, no office, 100 percent remote · Proprietary tools and best technology to support digital-first work · Immediate benefits coverage from day one · Unlimited vacation · No corporate red tape, no hierarchy, no nonsense – staff are empowered to focus on meaningful client work and professional development

· Day-to-day Shout-outs – to award outstanding work, employees can exchange earned points for gift vouchers of up to $150 · Quarterly Stars Award – employees demonstrating core values have the chance to win $500 · Annual Hero’s Celebration – manager-nominated and peer-voted awards where outstanding employees earn a $5,000 bonus

Ben Irantalab

Partner

Ben Irantalab

Partner

Ben Irantalab

Partner

Liane Brown