Andre L. Hidi

Andre is an Executive Managing Director and Head of the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group, which consists of over 50 professionals located in Toronto and Chicago. Since his arrival at BMO Capital Markets, Andre has advised on numerous M&A transactions, including Wheaton River Minerals's $2.6B merger with Goldcorp, BCE's $1.3B recapitalization of Bell GlobeMedia and $600M sale of a 48.5% equity interest therein, Hudson’s Bay Company's $1.5B sale to Maple Leaf Heritage Investment Acquisition Company, Goldcorp's $1.3B purchase of Placer Dome assets (from Barrick Gold) and Cambior Inc.'s $1.3B sale to Iamgold.  Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Andre spent 12 years in the investment banking industry with two leading international firms and taught an MBA course on mergers and acquisitions at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto for three years. Andre joined BMO Capital Markets in 2004. 

Andre obtained his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and his Bachelor of Arts and MA in Political Economy from the University of Toronto.

Blair Agnew

Blair is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has been involved in numerous private and public company transactions involving domestic and foreign companies, including private equity firms. In addition to advising on acquisitions and divestitures, he has extensive experience in valuation and fairness opinion matters. His transaction experience has included advising E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company on the CAD $1.5 billion buy-out of the minority interest in DuPont Canada, advising Bain Capital on its CAD $1 billion acquisition of Bombardier Recreational Products and advising the Special Committee of Royal Group Technologies in connection with the CAD $1.7 billion sale to Georgia Gulf Corporation. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, he worked in Ernst & Young's Corporate Finance Group in London, U.K. and Toronto. He joined BMO Capital Markets in 1994.

Blair has a Master of Arts degree (with distinction) in economics and accountancy from the University of Dundee. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Daniel Barclay

Daniel is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has extensive capital markets and M&A experience and is currently responsible for our Income Trust and Energy M&A practice. Daniel’s assignments have included advising Ketch Resources Trust on its $2.7 billion merger to Advantage Energy Income Fund, Acclaim Energy Trust on its $5.0 billion merger with Starpoint Energy Trust, Kensington Resources Limited on its $0.9 billion merger with Shore Gold Inc., IESI Corp on its $1.1 billion sale to BFI Income Fund, an Investor Group on the acquisition of control of Noverco (Gaz Met), CCL Industries on the sale of its container division to KCP Income Fund, Penn West on its $5.0 billion restructuring into to an income trust, Nelson Petroleum on its $2.0 billion sale to LUKOIL, CML Healthcare on its $1.3 billion restructuring to an income trust and EnCana on its $1.5 billion sale of its oil pipelines. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, he spent a combined 13 years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley, where he ran the Canadian Energy Group, and at Scotia Capital, where he ran the Power Group. Daniel joined BMO Capital Markets in 2003.

Daniel has a Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the University of Calgary.

Chris Hillyer

Chris is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Chris has extensive experience in investment banking and has focused on the telecommunications and media industries since 1996. He is responsible for advising clients regarding a wide range of public and private M&A initiatives, including: purchase and sale mandates, merger transactions, and valuations and fairness opinions. Chris spends a majority of his time advising in the telecommunications and media sector and for financial sponsors. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Chris was Head of Media Corporate & Investment Banking at ABN AMRO where he led the financing for Yell Group plc’s initial public offering and their subsequent acquisition of Transwestern Publishing. Prior to ABN AMRO, Chris was with Merrill Lynch for 12 years latterly as Managing Director and Head of Media Mergers and Acquisitions. Chris has advised clients in over $80 billion of Transaction Value, including the acquisition of Yell Group plc from BT plc, the sale of Canal+ to Vivendi Universal and the acquisition by VNU nv of Nielsen Media Research, and the subsequent sale of VNU’s Consumer Information Group to SanomaWSOY. He joined BMO Capital Markets in 2006.

Chris holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honours from Queen’s University.

Ilias Konstantopoulos, P.Eng., CA, CPA

Ilias is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has over 12 years of Mergers & Acquisitions experience and has worked on many public and private transactions across various industries. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Ilias worked with Ernst & Young in auditing and tax for four years and before that, with Bechtel Canada as a structural design engineer for three years. Ilias was recently selected “Top 100 Bankers in the World”, by Brendan Wood International Survey of Corporate Clients, 2006. He joined BMO Capital Markets in 1996.

Ilias has a Bachelor of Engineering degree and an MBA from McGill University. Ilias is also a Professional Engineer (P. Eng.), CA and CPA.

Gary A. Mattan, CFA

Gary is a Managing Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He is responsible for advising clients regarding a wide range of public and private M&A initiatives, including: purchase and sale mandates, merger transactions, and valuations and fairness opinions. Gary has been involved in several notable transactions, including advising: Sxr Uranium One on its $3.6 billion acquisition of UrAsia; Yellow Pages Group on its $330 million acquisition of Aliant Directory Services from Bell Aliant; Bema Gold’s Special Committee on the sale of Bema to Kinross for $3.6 billion; Lonmin Plc on its $500 million acquisition of AfriOre; Canico Resource Corp on its defense and successful sale to CVRD for $941 million; TransCanada Corporation on the disposition of its interests in TransCanada Power LP to EPCOR for $529 million; Yellow Pages Group on its $2.5 billion acquisition of Advertising Directory Solutions from Bain Capital; and Canada Life in its successful defense of Manulife’s hostile bid which resulted in a $7.3 billion sale to Great-West Lifeco. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Gary worked in an M&A advisory capacity with TD Securities in Toronto and New York, where he advised on a number of significant cross-border transactions. Before entering investment banking, he worked in both the management consulting and corporate finance practice areas of Ernst & Young. Gary joined BMO Nesbitt Burns in 2000.

Gary has an MBA from Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. He is also a CFA charterholder.

John Armstrong

John is a Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has been involved in a wide range of public and private advisory mandates but focuses much of his time on advising clients in resource-based industries. Notable advisory mandates include advising BP on its integrated oil sands joint venture with Husky Energy, advising Aluminum Corporation of China on its acquisition of Peru Copper, advising Uramin on its sale to AREVA, advising the Special Committee of Bema Gold in connection with Kinross’ acquisition of Bema Gold, Alcoa’s unsolicited bid for Alcan, the hostile defence of Aurizon Mines, Teck Cominco’s unsolicited bid for Inco, and Goldcorp's acquisition of certain Placer Dome assets in conjunction with Barrick’s unsolicited bid for Placer Dome. John joined BMO Capital Markets in 2003. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, he spent two years working with other investment banks in Toronto and New York.

John received an MBA with Honours from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.

Mark Caiger, CA, CFA

Mark is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He is actively involved in advising on public and private M&A assignments. Mark’s transaction experience includes the hostile take-over bid response and sale of Calpine Power Income Fund ($874 million), the Bentall Corporation going-private transaction ($780 million), the sale of Call-Net Enterprises ($610 million), and the acquisition of U.S.-based Marshall & Swift/Boeckh ($480 million). Mark also plays an active role in BMO Capital Markets’ restructuring practice, advising on formal and informal restructuring transactions including Algoma Steel (US$349 million of notes restructured), Bell Canada International ($440 million rights offering), Call-Net Enterprises ($2.8 billion of notes restructured), and the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool ($627 million of debt restructured and subsequent $150 million rights offering). Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Mark worked for three years at Cadillac Fairview Corporation as Director, Strategic Analysis and was directly involved in the Company’s $350 million initial public offering and simultaneous listing on the TSX and NYSE and subsequent $2.3 billion going-private transaction. Before that, Mark worked for four years with KPMG on corporate finance and audit assignments. Mark joined BMO Capital Markets in 2000.

Mark has a Bachelor of Commerce (with honours) from Queen’s University. He is also a Chartered Accountant and CFA Charterholder.

Sarfraz Visram, CFA

Sarfraz is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has had extensive experience advising clients on a wide array of M&A assignments, including purchase and sale mandates, valuations, strategic alternatives reviews, and restructuring mandates. Sarfraz has also been involved in a number of successful defences of hostile bids, including advisory roles for Meridian Gold, Air Canada, SMED International and Canico Resource Corp. While he has worked for clients in a variety of industries, the majority of his time is currently spent advising clients in the mining sector. He joined BMO Capital Markets in 1998.

Sarfraz has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from York University's Schulich School of Business. He is also a CFA Charterholder.

Ariel Walsh

Ariel is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisition Group. He has significant transaction experience in a wide range of public and private M&A assignments spanning a number of sectors, including: the successful hostile take-over defence and sale of Hudson’s Bay Company; Ontario Power Generation on the sale of the Bruce Nuclear Facilities to British Energy; E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company on the privatization of Du Pont Canada; and ClubLink Corporation on the preparation of a regulatory prescribed valuation.

Ariel’s financial services transaction experience includes Perigee on its merger with Legg Mason; First International Asset Management on its acquisition of Montrusco Bolton; C.I. Fund Management on its acquisitions of Spectrum from Sun Life and Diversico from Clarica Life; Investors Group on its acquisition of IPC Financial Group; and most recently TSX Group on its combination with Montréal Exchange.

Ariel’s income fund transaction experience includes IESI Corporation on its sale to BFI Canada Income Fund; CCL Industries on the sale of its Custom Division to KCP Income Fund; Somerset Entertainment Income Fund on its acquisition of Compass Productions; the successful hostile take-over defence and sale of Atlas Cold Storage Income Trust; and most recently on the sale of TransAlta Power LP to CKI Holdings.

Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Ariel worked in Salomon Smith Barney's Investment Banking Group. He joined BMO Capital Markets in July 2001.

Ariel has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree with distinction from the University of Toronto specializing in finance and economics.

Scott Humphrey

Scott is the Executive Managing Director and Head of U.S. Mergers and Acquisitions. Based in Chicago, Scott is responsible for U.S. M&A practice and oversees a team of 23 professionals. Scott has extensive M&A advisory and financing experience at a senior level, having acted on dozens of high profile transactions. He spent almost a decade at Deutsche Bank and its predecessor companies, most recently in Deutsche Bank's Chicago office where he was responsible for that office's M&A practice, including client relationship management, transaction sourcing, execution and quality control. Prior to moving to Chicago, Scott spent seven years in New York City with BT Wolfensohn (Bankers Trust's M&A Group prior to Deutsche Bank's acquisition of Bankers Trust in 1999). Before BT Wolfensohn, he was a principal at Brass Rock Holdings, a Cleveland-based buyout and financial advisory boutique, and spent several years in various corporate finance functions in private company settings. Scott joined BMO Capital Markets in 2007.

Scott is a graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Charles L. Adair

Chuck is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group where he leads the team’s Food M&A specialization. With nearly three decades of experience in the Food & Agribusiness marketplace, Chuck is responsible for initiating and executing investment banking transactions in the Food & Agribusiness sectors in North America. Before joining BMO Capital Markets, he was Senior Vice President and manager of the Harris Capital Markets Group. Prior to Harris, Chuck was Director of Mergers and Acquisitions for Elders Grain, Inc. where he managed acquisitions for the Australian agribusiness firm in the U.S. and Canada. Early in his career, Chuck held senior positions in domestic and export cash grain trading, futures trading, and truck, rail and barge transportation logistics with Consolidated Grain and Barge Company.

Chuck has a MS in Resource Economics from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Arts from North Park College.

Tom Gerlacher

Tom is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Tom spent 11 years in the M&A Group at Merrill Lynch in their New York and Houston offices. During his career, Tom has worked on a wide range of public and private company strategic transactions for clients in numerous sectors, including energy, power, industrial and media industries. Tom joined BMO Capital Markets in April 2005.

Tom has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and is a graduate of Notre Dame.

Edmund King

Ed is a Managing Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Ed is responsible for leading the mergers and acquisitions activity in the Business Services and Education industry sectors. In his 15 years of investment banking experience, he has led the execution of multiple transactions for publicly traded and privately held companies including M&A transactions and public equity offerings. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Ed worked in the investment banking/technology practice at William Blair & Company and at Chicago Corporation/ABN AMRO where he was a Managing Director in investment banking and ran the Information Services practice. Ed also spent five years in strategic planning and corporate finance at Tribune Company where he was involved in executing acquisitions, divestitures and corporate restructuring activity.

Ed has an MBA from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern and a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College.

Eric Bilenko

Eric is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. His primary focus is originating and executing mergers and acquisitions transactions in a variety of industries, including consumer products, commercial and industrial, and diversified manufacturing sectors. For over 10 years, he has focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance for middle market companies. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Eric worked for nearly 10 years in the Investment Banking department at Robert W. Baird & Co., advising on a number of mergers and acquisitions and equity financing transactions. He began his investment banking career at Bank of America’s Corporate Finance Group.

Eric has a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science and Finance from the University of Illinois.

Karen L. Martin

Karen is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group, specializing in the Food industry. For over 13 years, she has focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance for public and private mid-corporate clients. Karen has advised clients in various sectors of the food industry as well general consumer products and diversified industrials. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Karen was with Banc One Capital Markets, Inc. for 10 years where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

Karen has an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from DePauw University.

Thomas S. Midura

Tom is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He has extensive experience in initiating and executing both M&A transactions and public equity offerings. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Tom worked in the investment banking group at William Blair & Company and the global investment banking practice at ABN AMRO, Inc. He began his investment banking career at Lehman Brothers in New York. Tom is also a guest lecturer on selected M&A topics at the University of Notre Dame. He joined BMO Capital Markets in 2004.

Tom has an MBA from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.

Seth A. Prostic

Seth is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Merger & Acquisitions Group, where he focuses on the business services, education, media, communications and technology industries. Seth has extensive transaction and strategic advisory experience advising public and private clients in a variety of assignments, including acquisitions, divestitures and carve-outs. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Seth worked in the Retail Industry Group and the Merger & Acquisitions Department in Morgan Stanley’s New York and Singapore offices, and in the Merger & Acquisitions area at the Chicago office of Lazard Frères.

Seth received an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University.

Dennis Wolff, CPA

Dennis is a Director in the BMO Capital Markets Mergers & Acquisitions Group. His primary focus is originating and executing mergers and acquisitions in the industrials sector. For over 10 years, Dennis has been focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance for both industrial and consumer companies. Most recently, prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Dennis was with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. where his primary focus was originating and executing mergers and acquisitions for public and private industrial companies. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Dennis held positions at Sara Lee where he focused on treasury and special corporate finance projects. Earlier in his career, performed financial statement audits at McGladrey & Pullen for middle market companies.

Dennis has an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and is a Certified Public Accountant.