Operational and Management Team
John Richardson, Chief Executive Officer
John is President and Director of the fund manager and advisor, BEST Investment
Counsel Limited for The B.E.S.T. Discoveries Fund Inc. He is also President of
B.E.S.T. Capital Management Ltd. and Absolute Private Counsel Limited the
advisor for B.E.S.T. Total Return Fund Inc. John is involved in all aspects of
the firm's business, from his role in the sales and marketing function to
managing the business activities of BEST Funds. Prior to starting BEST Funds,
John was with an organization aimed at enhancing Canada's ability to compete in
the global marketplace through the start-up of new businesses. John has been a
Chartered Accountant for over 15 years and Chartered Business Valuator for 4
years. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from the State
University of New York.
Michael Israels, President
Michael joined BEST Funds in 2005 having worked previously at Ernst & Young LLP
in both the Audit and Mergers & Acquisitions Transaction Support practices
focused on a broad spectrum of industries. Having over 16 years experience in
both finance and public accounting, Michael focuses on managing both day to day
operations of the Funds and the strategic direction for BEST Funds. Michael has
extensive experience internationally having lived and worked overseas in London,
England and Barbados for several years. More recently, he managed claims in
support of Ernst & Young partnerships around the world as part of that firm's
professional indemnity liability insurance program. After graduating in 1989
from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey Business School with a degree in
Honors Business Administration, Michael joined the London, Ontario office of
Ernst & Young. He received the Chartered Accountant (C.A.) designation in 1991,
and is a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV). Recently, Michael has focused his
efforts on building Convexus, a startup back office and fund custodian business
based in Thornhill, Ontario.
Tom Lunan, Vice President
Tom is primarily responsible for portfolio management of the BEST Funds as well
as being the Chief Financial Officer of each of the BEST Funds mutual funds. Tom
is also involved in the on-going compliance procedures and obligations of BEST
Funds. Prior to joining BEST Funds in 2000, Tom was a Manager of Company
Listings at the TSX and prior to that he was at the Ontario Securities
Commission in the Corporate Finance Branch. Tom is a past director of the
Toronto Society of Financial Analysts and chair of the Candidate Education
Program of this society. Tom is also a director of the Canadian World Fund
Limited, a TSX listed closed-end fund and a director of several private
companies. Tom is a Chartered Accountant and a CFA Charterholder.
Ilan Jacobson
Ilan works in the investment arm of the company and he is responsible for
sourcing as well as performing due diligence on prospective deals. Ilan has been
involved in many entrepreneurial activities, most notably, being the founder of
an online based tutoring business called CampusTutors.com. Ilan has an honours
degree in Science with a specialization in Genetics from the University of
Western Ontario and has completed the MBA Program at Ryerson University where he
specialized in Commercial Real Estate.
Alan Chettiar
Alan is involved in managing portfolio investments and conducting due diligence
on prospective opportunities. His investment focus lies in emerging telecom and
clean tech companies. He is also involved in BEST Funds' business development
planning and regulatory compliance. Alan has been involved in a range of
business functions, including managerial roles in sales and marketing at Molson
Canada, and several smaller businesses. He also brings a background in
international corporate law. Alan has a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie Law
School and a Bachelor of Commerce with a Major in Global Business Management
from St. Mary's University. Alan recently completed the MBA Program at Ryerson
University.
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