Bob McKim, CFA

Bob McKim, CFA

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer
Bob earned his CFA designation in 1981 and joined Elliott and Page Atlantic (later re-named SEAMARK Asset Management) in 1984, when the firm had $50 million in assets under management. Over a twenty year period, Bob was integral in honing a durable investment style that led to clients achieving above median returns in 80% of the annual periods during that time.1 Over that twenty year period, Bob participated in all aspects of the investment management process....research, trading, portfolio management, client service and business development. His executive responsibilities culminated in the Chief Investment Officer and CEO roles. SEAMARK’s assets under management exceeded $10.5 billion at the time of his departure from the firm in 2005. Upon his return to the firm in 2012, Bob was appointed CIO.

1. This record which belongs to SEAMARK Balanced Pension Composite, is covering the time period between 1985 and 2004 when Bob McKim was leading the SEAMARK Investment Team. The record is calculated by RBC Global Services. SEAMARK's Balanced Pension Composite includes all pension accounts for which SEAMARK provides discretionary investment management through a balanced portfolio of fixed income securities, Canadian equities, and foreign equities. It has the longest track record of any SEAMARK composite and, as it includes all asset classes managed by SEAMARK, provides and overview of the company's overall investment performance. Based on RBC Global Services sample of pension funds. Performance data is calculated on an annual basis, prior to fees and taxes (except withholding tax, if any, on foreign income).

Donald Wishart, FCPA, FCMA, CFA

Donald Wishart, FCPA, FCMA, CFA

President
Don began his career with the New Brunswick Telephone Company where he worked on the investment side of the company’s pension plan. Over the years Don held a number of management positions of increasing responsibility including the field of mergers and acquisitions, Comptroller and Treasurer of Bruncor, NBTel’s parent, and CEO of a leasing company where his credit adjudication skills were critical. Don attained the CMA and CFA designations in 1983 and 1986 respectively. He owned and operated companies in the equipment leasing and IT sectors before joining McKim and Loughery at SEAMARK in 2002. There, he held key positions as CFO, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Portfolio Manager. He spent several years as one of three members of the Executive Portfolio Management team and was lead portfolio manager for the firm’s Foreign and International pooled funds. Since his return to SEAMARK in 2012, he has been served as President and Portfolio Manager.

George V. Loughery, CGA, CPA, CFA

George V. Loughery, CGA, CPA, CFA

Chief Portfolio Manager
George was awarded the CFA designation in 1993. He worked in the Irving organization for 20 years, where he also earned his CGA. George joined SEAMARK in 1996 where he quickly demonstrated his unending penchant for knowledge of every aspect of a company’s business. His diligence in understanding companies culminated in his appointment as Head of Equities at SEAMARK. George’s expertise is invaluable in the screening of names for inclusion on the firm’s ‘masterlist’. As Chief Portfolio Officer, George holds the responsibility for identifying and determining the suitability of each company for this list, on which the team relies to construct portfolios meeting clients’ objectives. George’s focus on individual companies is the backbone of the team’s bottom-up approach to portfolio construction.

Beste Alpargun, MBA, CFA

Beste Alpargun, MBA, CFA

Vice President, Fixed Income, Portfolio Manager and Chief Compliance Officer
Beste joined SEAMARK in 2009, bringing 18 years of industry experience, primarily in investment analysis, company research and valuations. She held senior research analyst and head of research positions at some of the largest investment banks in Turkey. Since relocating to Canada in 2000, she has conducted investment research for two local boutique firms and was also involved in the administration, compliance and senior management of these companies. A graduate of Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey, Beste also holds an MBA degree from Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Beste currently teaches a graduate level finance course at St. Mary’s University.

René Fantin, MBA, CFA

René Fantin, MBA, CFA

Portfolio Manager
René earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics) and a Masters of Business Administration degree from York University.  He received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2014.

René had been a member of the portfolio management team at Stone Asset Management, where he participated in all aspects of the investment process including portfolio construction, risk management and trading.  As the lead portfolio manager responsible for the firm’s Dividend Growth and Growth funds, he developed a long-term track record of outperformance in each of the mandates, earning multiple Lipper Awards as the top fund in the category*.  René’s skill set will complement the core capabilities of the SEAMARK investment team.

*Dividend Growth – Lipper 2021 (5yr), 2020 (3yr)
*Growth Fund – Lipper 2022 (10yr), 2021 (3yr)

Ann-Marie Slawter

Ann-Marie Slawter

Client Relations Assistant
Since joining SEAMARK in 1993, Ann-Marie has worked in a variety of roles including office administration, marketing associate and executive assistant to SEAMARK's founder - G. Peter Marshall. In her current role as Client Relations Assistant, Ann-Marie is responsible for providing organizational and administrative support to SEAMARK's investment team with a focus on meeting or exceeding client expectations in terms of the level of service they receive.