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Edgepoint

EdgePoint Investment Team Session – 7th Floor

  • Your host, Mimi Hijleh

    Volatility might not make the average EdgePointer sweat, but Mimi definitely has that effect on her coworkers. She does this mostly by setting up events such as a Spicy Noodle Challenge, but sometimes it's through stories about how she spends her free time doing things like skydiving, cliff jumping or whitewater rafting. In between her death-defying adventures, Mimi's managed to amass an impressive shoe collection while being a rabid NBA fan. She claims not to have any Jordans among her footwear, but Compliance is still auditing her statement. Prior to joining EdgePoint, Mimi spent five years at a competitor firm, with four as a financial advisor. She earned her Honours BA in Applied Economics from Queen's University. Mimi has been an EdgePoint partner for 7.1 years.

Meet your presenters...

  • Derek Skomorowski

    Derek wanted to be a cowboy. Makes sense, as he and his yet-unnamed biceps hail from right smack in the middle of the trapezoid that is Saskatchewan (Prince Albert for those not familiar with the geometry of the Prairies). An adventurous sort, young Derek was drawn to extreme sports like BMX and snowboarding and played anything that required a bat, ball, stick or broom. After graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Derek did a 180° and obtained an MBA from the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan and is also a CFA charterholder. Derek came to the Big Smoke in May 2013 to work at Burgundy Asset Management. While there, he worked on U.S. small/mid-cap equities before becoming a bond guy on their fixed-income team. When he’s looking for some R&R, Derek goes south to a beach or heads home sweet home. Derek has been an EdgePoint partner for 8.7 years.

  • Tracey Chen

    Even though Ningbo in the Zhejiang Province of China has millions of people, it wasn’t big enough to contain Tracey’s love of adventure and exploring new places. She moved away to the even bigger city of Beijing and began her Bachelor of Finance at the Beijing Language and Culture University. During her third year, she decided she wanted to go international and moved to Finland. There she balanced studying with working at a Finnish high-tech start-up. Tracey worked at an impressive string of internships such as the Chinese-German joint venture Ningbo Preh-Joyson Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd. and The Nielsen Corp. After completing her Masters in Finance from McMaster University, Tracey came here to put her skills with numbers, Excel and ping-pong to good use! She is a CFA charterholder and a certified FRM. Tracey has been an EdgePoint partner for 9.2 years.

  • Geoff MacDonald

    Geoff MacDonald has a farm. He grows blueberries in beautiful P.E.I. Why tell you this ahead of anything about his investment career? Because those particulars are more widely known. For example, he’s been honoured by the World Economic Forum as a “Young Global Leader”; recognized by his alma mater in its Top 10 After 10 program; named by Barron’s as one of the top 50 portfolio managers of 2007. Keeping a parcel of land near his east-coast hometown is a detail fewer people are familiar with that speaks volumes about Geoff’s temperament. He’s classic salt of the earth: unpretentious, level-headed and calls ‘em like he sees ‘em – qualities that also make him a talented investor. Geoff’s calm composure helps him to avoid the investing mistakes that portfolio managers can be so easy to succumb to when emotion comes into play. Geoff bought his farm because it represented good value, which also plays perfectly into the investment approach he’s followed throughout his career. He first gained experience managing money at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, joining Invesco Ltd. in 1998, when it was still called Trimark, as a vice president and portfolio manager. There, he managed a broad range of mandates during his 10-year tenure. Geoff earned his BBA from Bishop’s University, an MBA from the University of Windsor and is a CFA charterholder. As a founding partner, we believe one of Geoff’s greatest accomplishments is being the brainchild of Cymbria’s unique structure. We don’t like to imagine where we’d all be without his bright idea! Geoff has been an EdgePoint partner for 18.3 years.

  • Jeff Hyrich

    Market volatility is nothing compared to the constantly shifting weather during Jeff’s childhood in Manitoba. He claims he moved to Ontario to pursue a career in the investment industry, but we think it was to get slightly closer to a coast so he could get fresher oysters. Looking for bargains is more than a job for Jeff, it's a lifestyle. Being able to buy something for less than it's worth is important, whether it’s a business, clothes or flight deals. This comes in especially handy when he pairs two of his biggest passions in life – travel and spending time with his wife and three kids. While Jeff enjoys hiking with them through various U.S. national parks or going somewhere warm, their regular weekend movie nights (a.k.a. “pyjama parties”) show that it’s more about the “who” than the “where” for him. Jeff, Tye and Geoff have worked together at two prior firms and have known each other for over 20 years. (And despite doing things like occasionally calling at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning to go skeet shooting, they STILL want to work with him.) Prior to joining EdgePoint, he was a portfolio manager at Invesco Trimark and an investment analyst at Ontario Teachers' Pension plan. He earned his B.Comm. with a double major in Finance and Accounting from the University of Manitoba and is a CFA charterholder. Hyrich has been an EdgePoint partner for 5.2 years.