The Empire Life Investments Team is made up of experienced professionals with specific expertise, skills and knowledge. Our team-based approach is at the core of how we manage money. The team manages Canadian, U.S. and international equities, balanced and fixed-income investments.
President and Chief Investment Officer
As President and Chief Investment Officer at Empire Life Investments Inc. Paul leads both the equity and fixed income investment teams who collectively manage certain Empire Life segregated funds1 and the insurance company’s general funds.
As Senior Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer at Empire Life, Paul Holba is responsible for the management and oversight of Empire Life’s assets. In addition to being a member of Empire Life’s Executive Leadership Team he also sits on the Asset Management Committee and Product Review Management Committee of Empire Life. He continues to work closely with distribution partners to communicate strategies and results.
He joined Empire Life’s retail distribution division in 2009, moving into the Vice-President, Investments role with Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2010. Prior to that, Paul was the Vice-President, Retail Distribution.
Before joining Empire Life, he spent more than 20 years working in the Canadian investment industry through progressively senior roles with global investment management firms and the asset management division of a major Canadian bank.
Paul has a Bachelor of Mathematics with a specialty in business from the University of Waterloo. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the Toronto CFA Society.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
Senior Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist
Ashley joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2017 as Senior Portfolio Manager focusing on U.S. & global equities.
He is a member of the Investment Team providing investment management for segregated funds1.
Ashley is the lead manager of the Empire Life American Value GIF2. He is a manager on Empire Life Global Equity GIF2, Empire Life Global Dividend Growth GIF2, Empire Life Global Smaller Companies GIF2, Empire Life Elite Equity GIF2, Empire Life Asset Allocation GIF2 and Empire Life Global Asset Allocation GIF2.
Ashley has held progressive roles at various investment management firms, including as co-manager of an award-winning U.S. equity fund at a leading Canadian investment firm. His experience includes working at two of Canada’s major financial institutions as an equity research associate where he developed expertise across multiple sectors.
Ashley holds a BA in economics from Western University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He is also a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Jennifer was a portfolio manager at Empire Life Investments Inc. from 1999 to 2003, rejoining the team in 2017 as Senior Portfolio Manager, focusing on Canadian equities.
She is a member of the Investment Team providing investment management for segregated funds1.
Jennifer is the lead manager of Empire Life Elite Equity GIF2, Empire Life Monthly Income GIF2, and Empire Life Canadian Small Cap Equity GIF2.
Jennifer has over 25 years of proven performance as a lead manager in Canadian All Cap Equities. Her most recent experience includes managing a billion dollars of Canadian small/mid-cap equities in mutual funds and segregated funds at a leading Canadian bank.
Jennifer has been recognized many times as “Canadian TopGun Investment Mind” by Brendan Wood International. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and is also a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Doug joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2017 as a Portfolio Manager focusing on Canadian equities.
He is a member of the Investment Team providing investment management for segregated funds.
Doug is the lead manager of the Empire Life Dividend Growth GIF1.
Doug began his career in the industry in 1999 and has held increasingly progressive roles with a leading Canadian investment firm. His experience includes working on two industry award-winning funds2 and, most recently, was Vice President and Portfolio Manager for three funds where he researched and analyzed global and Canadian equities.
Doug holds a BA in Economics and Philosophy from Queen’s University and is also a CFA charterholder.
1 This is the marketing name of the fund. The fund’s legal name is Dividend Growth Fund.
2 The fund names were CI Harbour Fund and CI Harbour Growth & Income Fund. There is a segregated fund and mutual fund version of both these funds.
Senior Portfolio Manager
David joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2019 as Portfolio Manager, focusing on Global equities.
He is a member of the Investment Team providing investment management for segregated funds1.
David is the lead manager of Empire Life International Equity GIF2, manager of Empire Life Global Dividend Growth GIF2, and the co-manager of the Empire Life Global Sustainable Equity GIF2, Empire Life Global Equity GIF2 and Empire Life Global Smaller Companies GIF2.
David has more than 10 years of investment industry experience, holding progressive roles at a Canadian independent wealth management firm. In addition to his role as Portfolio Manager where he focused on investing in international equities in all markets outside North America, he was also Director of Equity Research.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a CFA Charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Greg joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2018 and is a Senior Portfolio Manager focusing on Canadian equities.
He is a member of the Investment Team providing investment management for segregated funds1.
Greg is the lead manager of the Empire Life Canadian Equity GIF2 and the Empire Life Asset Allocation GIF2.
Greg began his career in 2006 and has held progressive roles at a leading Canadian investment firm.
Greg holds a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies from the University of Western Ontario and he is also a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Portfolio Manager
Neeraj joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2023 and is a Portfolio Manager focusing on Global equities.
Neeraj has over a decade of investment experience, holding progressive roles at a Canadian investment firm. In his most recent role, Neeraj supported a high conviction all cap global equity investment team with primary research focus on Emerging Markets and Europe.
Neeraj holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from India and an MBA from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He is a CFA Charterholder.
Senior Investment Analyst
Jack Duff joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2019 as an Investment Analyst.
As a member of the Empire Life Investments Team, he is responsible for researching Global equities, mainly supporting Empire Life American Value GIF1,2.
Prior to his current role, Jack served as a Summer Investment Analyst with the Empire Life Investment Team during 2017 and 2018.
Jack holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University with a major in Finance. He is a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Investment Analyst
Kevin joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2023 and is a Senior Investment Analyst on the equity team. As a member of the Empire Life Investments team, he is responsible for providing research on Canadian equities, mainly in support of the following Empire Life segregated funds: Empire Life Asset Allocation GIF1,2, Empire Life Canadian Equity GIF1,2, Empire Life Dividend Growth GIF1,2, Empire Life Elite Equity GIF1,2, and Empire Life Monthly Income GIF1,2.
Prior to his current role, Kevin served as an Equity Research Associate and Accounting Policy Specialist with a leading Canadian bank.
Kevin holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance and Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. He is also a CPA, CA and CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Investment Analyst
Atul joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2021 and is responsible for providing research on Canadian equities, mainly in support of the Empire Life Asset Allocation GIF1,2, Empire Life Canadian Equity GIF1,2, Empire Life Dividend Growth GIF1,2, Empire Life Elite Equity GIF1,2, and Empire Life Monthly Income GIF1,2.
Prior to his current role, Atul served as an Equity Research Associate and as a Summer Research Analyst with a leading Canadian bank.
Atul holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University with a major in Finance. Atul is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Investment Analyst
Brendan joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2023, focusing on U.S. Growth equities.
Prior to joining Empire Life Investments, Brendan worked as a Senior Associate in Finance and Corporate Strategy in Fintech, and as an Equity Research Associate at a wealth management firm.
Brendan holds a Bachelor of Mathematics and Accounting with a Finance Option from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. In 2021, Brendan and his team won the CFA Institute Research Challenge Americas Finals and were one of only five teams to move on to the Global Finals.
Brendan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Investment Analyst
Michael joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2025. As a member of the investments team, he is responsible for providing research on International equities.
Prior to joining Empire Life Investments, Michael worked as an Investment Analyst covering Global Equities at a Canadian bank. Michael holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management and a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. Michael is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) charterholder.
Trader & Back Office Specialist
Michael joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2024 as a Trader & Back Office Specialist, primarily focusing on executing equity/option trades across Global markets on behalf of the investment team. He also provides support to Portfolio Managers for trading related issues.
Before this, Michael was a Senior Associate in Trade Operations at a Canadian asset management firm, supporting daily trading activities on the equity and bond desk. He executed trades for portfolio FX hedging and rebalancing.
Earlier in his career, Michael held progressive roles in Fund Accounting and Trade Operations at a wealth management firm and a fund services provider. During this time, he was responsible for NAV review, holding reconciliations, and other operation tasks.
Michael is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the Toronto CFA Society.
Senior Trader
Diana joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2023 and is a Senior Trader on the Equity Trading team.
Currently she is responsible for execution of foreign and domestic equity/option trades on behalf of the investment team.
Prior to joining the equity trading team, Diana worked as manager of trade operations at an independent Canadian wealth management firm, where she managed the overall operations of the equity trading desk, including trade flow, equity and FX trade execution as well as implementation of new trading systems.
Diana is a member of the Institutional Equity Traders Association and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy degree from the University of Toronto.
Fixed Income and Private Placements
Geoff joined Empire Life in 2004 and leads the fixed income team for Empire Life Investments Inc.
He is primarily responsible for the oversight and management of our fixed income, private placement, and alternative asset investment programs.
Geoff has over 30 years of fixed income experience and has managed a wide variety of portfolios. Prior to joining Empire Life, he held progressive roles at a leading investment counselling firm and a major insurance company.
Geoff holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from Bishop’s University. He has a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the Toronto CFA Institute.
Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Alternative Assets
Albert joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2018 as a Senior Portfolio Manager focusing on fixed income.
He is a member of the Investments Team, providing investment management for segregated funds1.
He is the lead manager of the Empire Life Short Term High Income GIF2 and Empire Life Strategic Corporate Bond GIF2, and a manager of Empire Life Global Asset Allocation GIF2.
Albert has more than 16 years of investment management expertise with a proven background of investing in corporate credit across multiple industries globally. Prior to joining Empire Life, he co-managed a fixed-income portfolio at a leading global investment firm. Albert’s previous roles also included progressively senior positions within fixed income at both Canadian and U.S. institutions.
Albert holds a Master of Financial Economics (MFE) and Bachelor of Commerce both from the University of Toronto.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Ian joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2021 as a Portfolio Manager on the fixed‑income team.
He is a member of the Investments Team, providing investment management for segregated funds1.
Ian is the lead manager of the Empire Life Bond GIF2. He is a manager on Empire Life Monthly Income GIF2, Empire Life Asset Allocation GIF2, Empire Life Balanced GIF2, Empire Life Income GIF2, and Empire Life Global Balanced GIF2.
Ian has more than 10 years of investment industry experience with a proven background of managing a variety of credit securities. Prior to joining Empire Life Investments, he managed credit portfolios and traded securities for several independent Canadian wealth management firms.
Ian holds a Bachelor of Arts, in Economics from Queen’s University, and is also a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
2 This is the marketing name for the fund. The legal name excludes “Empire Life” and “GIF” and includes “Fund” at the end of the name.
Private Placements
Michael (Mike) joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2022.
He is responsible primarily for managing a portfolio of private debt investments within the fixed income portfolio of Empire Life’s general fund.
Mike has over 20 years of investment management experience, having worked in private fixed-income and commercial real estate lending for several leading Canadian institutional investors.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. He is a CFA charterholder.
Investment Analyst
Madhav Kathal joined Empire Life in 2024. As a member of Empire Life Investments Team, Madhav supports the management of private debt investments portfolio for Empire Life’s general fund, which supports our annuity and insurance products.
Madhav has over five years of fixed income research and analysis experience, having previously worked with a well-known credit rating agency. Madhav holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University of Delhi, India and an MBA from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Madhav is a CFA charterholder.
Investment Analyst
Lynn Zhong joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2025, focusing on fixed income.
Prior to joining Empire Life Investments Inc., Lynn worked as an Investment Analyst intern at a global asset management firm.
Lynn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto, and is a CFA Level II Candidate.
Investment Analyst
Folarin joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2025 as an Investment Analyst. He provides research for and supports the management of corporate credit and alternative investment portfolios.
Prior to his current role, Folarin worked across infrastructure, private equity & credit at a leading Canadian pension. In those roles, he invested in direct investments and co-investments for both private and public companies. Prior to that, he worked as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at a leading Canadian bank.
Folarin holds a BA in Economics with an Option in Management from Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business. Folarin is currently pursuing the CFA designation.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Dave Paterson is responsible for the management of Empire Life Multi-Strategy GIFs, a suite of segregated funds1 which provide exposure to exchange traded funds (ETFs) and actively managed investments from third party managers.
Prior to joining Empire Life Investments Inc., Dave was Director, Public Markets Research & Analytics at a registered portfolio management firm where he was responsible for the sourcing, evaluation, and ongoing monitoring of investment products. In addition, he was also a Portfolio Manager, managing portfolios and a fund-of-fund portfolio program for registered third-party dealers.
Since 1994, Dave has specialized in investment fund research and performing ongoing analysis on thousands of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. He produced a monthly “Investment Fund Ranking” report, a quarterly “Mutual Funds Focus List” and an “ETF Focus List” report.
Dave has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor and is a CFA charterholder.
1 Policies are issued by The Empire Life Insurance Company.
Investment Analyst
Sid joined Empire Life Investments Inc. in 2024, supporting the management of Empire Life Multi-Strategy GIFs with a focus on manager research and portfolio construction.
Prior to joining Empire Life Investments, Sid worked as a Senior Manager of Investment Funds at a leading Canadian full-service brokerage with manager research responsibilities across the Canadian mutual fund and liquid alternatives landscape. In addition, he was also responsible for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of investment products on the mutual fund shelf. Sid has over a decade of experience in the Canadian financial industry, including roles in research, sales and relationship management.
Sid also holds a Master of Business Administration from Western University, is a CFA Charterholder and has earned the CAIA Charter.
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