Internal Investment Committee
Internal Investment Committee
The Internal Investment Committee was established in 2016 to strengthen our internal processes for exercising delegated authority and certain other matters. Additional details regarding the function of the Internal Investment Committee are set out in its Terms of Reference.
The current voting members of the Internal Investment Committee are set out below. The General Counsel and other investment department staff also attend and participate in meetings of the Internal Investment Committee.
Jeff Norton, LLM, CFA, CPA (Hon.)
President & CEO
204-942-3764
Jeff Norton is responsible for the overall operations of TRAF and chairs the Internal Operations Committee. He interacts closely with the Board regarding governance and risk matters, as well as setting the overall strategic direction of the organization. Jeff is the primary liaison with our key stakeholders regarding various aspects of the plan, including long-term sustainability.
Prior to joining TRAF in 2005, Jeff was President of Assante Global Advisors Inc., an investment management firm based in Los Angeles, California.
Jeff holds two degrees from the University of Manitoba (Industrial Engineering, 1986, Gold Medalist; Law, 1989, Dean’s Honour List), as well as a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics. Jeff is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and Chartered Director, and previously served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. In 2015, Jeff was admitted as an Honorary Member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba.
Jeff currently serves as the Chair of the Independent Review Committee of the Beutel Goodman family of mutual funds, as a director of Altema Asset Management Inc. and as a member of the Investment Committee for the Winnipeg Civic Employees’ Benefit Program. Within the pension industry, Jeff has served as a director of both the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM) and the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC).
Graeme Hay, CPA, CMA, CFA
Chief Investment Officer
204-975-3655
Graeme Hay leads all aspects of TRAF’s investment program, including investment strategy, manager selection and monitoring and investment risk management. Graeme also chairs the Internal Investment Committee.
Prior to joining TRAF in 2013, he was a member of the investment team of Wellington West Asset Management, the internal portfolio management unit of one of Canada’s largest independent brokerages. In this role, he carried out fundamental research for the firm’s equity portfolios and led the firm’s research effort on external investment managers.
Graeme is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), having earned the Robert Syme Memorial Silver Medal, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
He is a past chair of the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC), and a past president of the CFA Society of Winnipeg. He currently serves on the Investment Committees of the Manitoba Museum Pension Trust Fund, United Way Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba’s endowment.
Russell Olivson, CFA
Portfolio Manager
204-594-4278
Russell Olivson is responsible for the long-term strategy and implementation of TRAF’s infrastructure, real estate and real estate debt portfolios.
Prior to joining TRAF, he was a Director of Investments and Analysis for Longboat Development Corporation, a Winnipeg-based real estate development firm. Russell played a key role in the development of several office, retail and residential projects, as well as overseeing a portfolio of stabilized assets.
Russell holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Russell currently serves as a director of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and is the Chair of its Investment Committee. He also serves as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee and the Pension Committee of Manitoba Possible.
Brett Tessler, CFA
Portfolio Manager
204-975-4582
Brett Tessler participates in all aspects of TRAF’s public equity investment activities, including long-term strategy and the evaluation and monitoring of external investment managers.
Prior to joining TRAF, Brett was a Corporate Finance Analyst at Investors Group. In this role, he was responsible for and supported analytical activities related to the firm’s pension plan, corporate investments and M&A activity.
Brett has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba, majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
He currently serves on the Public Equity Markets Working Group of the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC), the Investment Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Investment Committee of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
Jeremy Tataryn, CPA, CA, CFA
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Risk Officer
204-560-2340
Jeremy Tataryn is responsible for all aspects of TRAF’s finance activities including financial reporting, treasury, tax, investment back-office and financial controls for the entity.
Prior to joining TRAF in 2019, he was the Director of Finance at New Flyer Group, an international, publicly traded manufacturing firm based in Winnipeg. He also previously held positions with Ernst & Young and The Great-West Life Assurance Company. In these roles, Jeremy had responsibilities related to external reporting, performance analysis, currency hedging, designing and implementing internal controls, transaction due diligence, risk, assurance and corporate restructuring.
Jeremy is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. He is also a past chair of the Manitoba Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.