Headquarters:

#500, 1010 142 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T5N 2R1

Year founded:

1939

Number of employees:

Phone:

780 451 4166

Email:

info@atrf.com

Website:

atrf.com

LinkedIn:

ca.linkedin.com/company/atrf

“We prioritise embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative problem solving and continuous improvement to enhance our premium funding solutions and provide exceptional value to our clients”

Brett Bastow, IQumulate Premium FundinG

Rod Matheson

Chief Executive Officer

Alwyn Christian

Vice President, Information and Technology Services

Julie Joyal

Vice President, Pension Services

Leadership

Rod Matheson is responsible for the operation and management of ATRF. He leads the Executive Leadership Team and oversees ATRF’s strategic direction for the entire organization. Matheson has an extensive background working with the Government of Alberta, where he served in various capacities for over 30 years. His last government role was assistant deputy minister, treasury and risk management with Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA from the University of Alberta. He is also a CPA, CMA, and CFA, and holds an ICD.D designation.

Chief Executive Officer

Rod Matheson

Alwyn Christian spearheads ATRF’s technology strategy, driving transformative initiatives and strengthening IT infrastructure and cybersecurity to align with organizational objectives. With over 20 years of experience in the technology sector, he specializes in cybersecurity, IT risk management, enterprise architecture, and large-scale technology transformations. Before joining ATRF, he held leadership roles at KPMG and various provincial ministries, where he led critical IT functions and delivered high-impact projects. Christian holds a Bachelor in Engineering degree, a diploma in Information System Security, and certifications including CISSP, CISM, and CRISC.

Vice President, Information and Technology Services

Alwyn Christian

Julie Joyal is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the pension services department, overseeing the provision of pension benefits as well as services and information to plan members, employers, and plan sponsors. Prior to joining ATRF in 2016, Joyal was director, pension and benefits with Canada Post. Before that, she was vice president at Aon. She holds a B.Sc. degree in mathematics and is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries. Joyal is a board member of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM) and the chair of its Alberta Regional Council.

Vice President, Pension Services

Julie Joyal

Myles Norton

Vice President, Finance

Myles Norton is responsible for leading ATRF’s financial services, which includes pension payroll, contributions, refunds and transfers, financial reporting, investment accounting, and enterprise risk management, as well as overseeing the planning and budgetary process. Norton holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Alberta, in addition to CPA, CMA and CFA designations. He is also a member of CPA Alberta, the CFA Institute, and the Edmonton CFA Society.

Vice President, Finance

Myles Norton

Maciek Kon

Vice President, Investments & Funding

As vice president, investments & funding, Maciek Kon leads the Fund’s investment strategy, funding policy, and total portfolio risk oversight functions. He brings more than 25 years of institutional investment experience across pensions, endowments, and public sector funds, with deep expertise in portfolio construction, risk management, and investment governance. Prior to joining ATRF, Kon held senior investment and risk leadership roles in asset owner and advisory organizations including universities, global consulting firms, and financial institutions. He holds an MBA in finance and a BA in economics from Simon Fraser University.

Principal

Alexander Nordang

Stevens & Associates Lawyers is a leading and trusted employment law firm based in Sydney known for delivering high-quality legal expertise in the area of employment law and industrial relations across Australia, alongside a proven track record of effectively and swiftly resolving a variety of workplace law issues. In the past year, the firm’s growth has been notable. It has: • experienced a 213% growth in the number of client matters, increasing from 149 client matters in the 2022 financial year to 390 client matters in the 2023 financial year • improved its online visibility, leading to over 50 online enquiries each month and a conversion rate of client leads of up to 40% • significantly expanded the breadth and type of matters that it advises on day to day, which has increased the firm’s skillsets, diversity and resilience • expanded its community outreach by collaborating with local Sydney venues for client seminars and continuing active participation in a Sydney small/family business group Stevens & Associates Lawyers has adapted to digital trends by implementing an effective strategy with SEO and web design, resulting in a structural shift that has seen increased representation of employees where the firm previously mainly advised employers. The firm’s recognition as a “Fast Firm” attests to its momentum in the employment law space.

“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started”

Wayne Tower, IQumulate Premium Funding

Steve Tchepak

National Underwriting Manager

Michael Prokopis

Manager – Southern Region

Jeffrey Valdivia

Manager – Commercial Strata

Pam Chhabra

Manager – Residential Strata

Steve Tchepak became the national underwriting manager at CHU in June 2019. He has over 13 years of experience in strata management and strata insurance. He has held various positions, including commercial underwriter, team leader and NSW and ACT branch manager.

National Underwriting Manager

Steve Tchepak

Thierry Pascal has over 13 years of experience in business and corporate banking in various financial/credit analytical and relationship management roles with the NAB and CBA. After a career break to undertake postgraduate studies, he joined GE Capital as a senior risk analyst in premium funding in 2010. Following the divestment of the premium funding business to the Macquarie Group in 2015, he joined Macquarie Premium Funding and was promoted to credit risk manager, where he led the credit underwriting team. Following the re-branding to IQumulate Premium Funding, Pascal was recently promoted to head of credit and legal, a role that sees him manage the credit underwriting team as well as oversee IQumulate’s in-house legal function. Pascal holds undergraduate and postgraduate tertiary qualifications in accounting and law.

Head of Credit and Legal

Thierry Pascal

Cemal Akgul sees the head of risk and collections role as pivotal in guiding and influencing business decisions. He has more than 15 years of experience across financial and government services, most recently with the NDIS, where he was the leading consultant driving the Risk Management process’ nationwide. Prior to that, he served various roles at BMW Finance across the United States, Hong Kong, Germany and Australia. During Akgul’s tenure at BMW Finance, he predominately worked in risk management, guiding the organisation through seismic changes between 2016 and 2018. In his time prior, he was based out of New York, leading BMW Finance’s American subsidiary's market risk and data analytics teams between 2011 and 2016. Akgul values a balanced approach to business, encourages a positive work culture and is passionate about teaching and guiding the business and individuals at IQumulate.

Head of Risk and Collections

Cemal Akgul

Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

One culmination of these efforts has been the real-world, needs-based IQEdge solution. A one-stop online quoting tool designed for both the Australian and New Zealand markets, IQEdge delivers quotes in under 60 seconds. Plus, the solution offers quote comparison and quote versioning capabilities, enabling users to review vital historical and financial data in a single page view. IQEdge can streamline and automate application processing, underwriting document verification and payment collection, cutting the need for manual labour and minimising processing errors. A digital “self-service” platform, IQEdge, reduces the need for customer and administrative support. Meanwhile, borrowers can access their accounts, make payments and manage their policies independently and through sales and support teams, which are always available for further assistance. “We’ve created a quality platform that simplifies the quoting process yet amplifies the customer experience,” says Gordon. “It’s a real game changer.” IQumulate offers an online digital quoting tool to clients. The best-in-market solution enables IQumulate to tailor funding offerings to brokers that align with their prefered distribution channel.

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What does IQumulate have in mind for the future? “IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur. “Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, with the potential to allow IQumulate to capture a larger market share, whilst continuing to deliver service excellence to clients.” “As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead. “We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”

Adam Basaldella

Manager – Claims

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

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Ivan Verescuk

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Shaun O’Brien

Head of Underwriting

Emily Walker

Head of Strata and Development

Rex Oakman

Head of Operations and Risk

Sandy Newton

Head of Underwriting

Andrew Mitchell

Manager – NSW

Michael Prokopis

Manager – Southern Region

Pam Chhabra

Manager – Residential Strata

Jeffrey Valdivia

Manager – Commercial Strata

Adam Basaldella

Manager – Claims

For almost nine decades, the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF) has carried a singular charge: safeguarding the pensions of the educators who shape Alberta’s classrooms. That sense of purpose runs through everything the organization does, and it’s a major reason ATRF has once again been named to Benefits & Pensions Monitor’s Top Employers list. The recognition reflects what employees already know. Behind the scenes of pension administration and investment oversight is a workplace built on excellence, dedication, and mutual support, anchored by leaders who set a clear tone and corporate values that hold up under pressure. Staff engagement is high, and the organization invests in its people with intention. ATRF’s depth shows in the details. Decades of pension management experience meet a nuanced understanding of what Alberta’s teachers actually need, and the organization pairs plan administration with strategic investment oversight while guiding members through their options with tailored, plain-spoken advice. Every member interaction is shaped by professionalism and pension expertise, grounded in respect and trust. That same sense of purpose is what draws employees in and keeps them. Staff are pulled toward the mission, the collaborative culture, and the chance to do work whose value compounds over time, much like the pensions they help protect.  "We strive to provide a comprehensive total rewards package that caters to the diverse needs of our employees and supports their ongoing professional development," says CEO Rod Matheson. Employees are backed by a total rewards structure that ties competitive compensation to market benchmarks and individual contribution. The benefits package is built to support the whole person – physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being – alongside a real sense of community connection.

IQumulate invests in education and people, which are vital to attracting new business and talent to the company. “We have long tenures for several of our key staff, including some in leadership positions, and this sound working knowledge of our business, practices and industry provides great insights and a wealth of experience to offer our clients,” says Bastow. “Our new head of sales, Graeme Gordon, formerly manager for New Zealand, joins us in Australia to drive our sales strategy and lead our team to successful outcomes for our clients and our business. We look forward to great things ahead with Graeme as he continues to be active and present in the New Zealand market as well as building sound working relationships and new connections in Australia.” Clients can also expect a lot from working with IQumulate. “Through active engagement with our trusted broker network, IQumulate provides relevant information, education and training content,” says Graeme Gordon, head of sales. “Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available and how IQumulate can spread the cost of insurance and help borrowers get the right level of insurance cover to free up their cash flow for other expenses or business growth opportunities. Premium funding is often considered a tool for those who simply cannot afford to pay their premiums in full. While this is certainly a significant driver for many, it is also successfully used by profitable companies who use premium funding to manage their cash flows more wisely or better manage their liquidity.”