Leadership Team
SIMA’s highly-experienced executive team focuses the association’s work on the industry’s priorities and leads the association’s policy, advocacy and educational activities.
Andy Mitchell
President and CEO
Joined SIMA 2023
Andy Mitchell joined SIMA in January 2023 as President and CEO. He has worked in the financial services sector for more than 30 years and has broad investment industry and leadership experience. Before joining SIMA, Andy was Managing Director and Head of Asset Management Distribution for SEI Investments Canada. Prior to joining SEI, he was President and COO of Worldsource Financial Management, a leading independent advisor network. As the president of Performa Financial Group, a division of Standard Life Canada, he played a principal role in the development of their advisor distribution network. He has also held senior leadership roles at Guardian Capital Group Limited and Bank of America Canada.
Andy has an MBA from Dalhousie University, is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and holds his Responsible Investment Specialist designation.
Ian Bragg
Vice-President, Research and Statistics
Joined SIMA 2015
Ian has over 25 years of experience in research, policy development, and stakeholder engagement across asset management, wealth management, and ESG fields. He is currently Vice-President of Research & Statistics at SIMA with prior leadership roles at organizations including the Responsible Investment Association and Sustainalytics.
Ian has a background in leadership in research and strategy, including overseeing mutual fund and ETF data collection, managing forward-looking data strategies, and interpreting global regulatory and industry trends to inform policy and communications. He is a dynamic communicator and leader, skilled at synthesizing complex data into actionable insights, mentoring teams, and presenting to diverse audiences from boardrooms to academic institutions.
Todd Evans
Vice-President, Capital Markets
Joined SIMA 2025
Todd Evans joined SIMA in 2025 as Vice-President, Capital Markets. Todd spent more than 20 years as a fixed-income trader at several large Canadian dealers as well as a pension fund, and he has experience in regulatory advocacy and thought leadership from his time as managing director at the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC).
Under SIMA’s expanded mandate, Todd leads our capital markets advocacy efforts, particularly as they relate to various financial instruments, in addition to capital formation, trading and settlement. His expertise and experience in fixed-income markets, portfolio management and regulatory advocacy support our efforts to serve the broader investment and securities industry.
Todd has an MBA in finance from McMaster University, a BA in administrative and commercial studies from Western University, and the CIM designation.
Daniela Follegot
Vice-President, Asset and Wealth Management
Joined SIMA 2025
Daniela Follegot joined SIMA as Vice-President, Asset and Wealth Management in 2025. Previous to this, she was managing counsel and director with the RBC Law Group where she was a key legal advisor to the RBC Canadian Wealth Management businesses, providing leadership on core strategic initiatives. Daniela was also legal counsel at the Ontario Securities Commission and she supported TD’s asset-management and wealth-management businesses.
As part of SIMA’s expanded mandate, Daniela leads and builds on our advocacy efforts for retail manufacturing, asset management, and distribution.
Arnie Hochman
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel
Joined SIMA 2020
Arnie Hochman joined SIMA in 2020 as VP, Policy and General Counsel. He is responsible for managing SIMA’ s policy group and legal affairs. Prior to joining SIMA, Arnie was VP, Wealth Legal at TD Bank Group, where he led the global wealth legal team for 14 years. He has also been General Counsel and Executive Director, Finance at Global Strategy Financial, Deputy Director, Corporate Finance Branch at the Ontario Securities Commission, and an investment banker at Prudential-Bache Securities Canada and Richardson Greenshields. Arnie has an MBA from Western University and an LL.B. and BA from the University of Manitoba. He also volunteers as an authority trustee at Bloorview School.
John Parker
Vice-President, Finance and CFO
Joined SIMA 1993
John Parker joined SIMA in 1993 and is our Vice-President and CFO. He is responsible for internal operations, including finance, IT, HP and facilities. Prior to joining SIMA, he was finance director at Coldwell Banker and manager of finance and administration at the Canadian Real Estate Association. He also held positions at Vickers & Benson and Price Waterhouse. He has a bachelor of commerce from Queens University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.
Petra Van Daele
Vice-President, Communications & Public Affairs
Joined SIMA 2023
Petra Van Daele is a seasoned communications and public affairs leader with 25 years of progressive experience in the financial services industry. Known for her strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, and ability to drive transformational change, she has consistently aligned communication strategies with organizational objectives to deliver meaningful results.
As Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs at SIMA, Petra leads strategic communications, fostering stakeholder engagement and ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals.
Previously, Petra held senior leadership roles at CIBC, including overseeing corporate communications for the Wealth Management business. There, she implemented strategic programs to enhance employee engagement, manage reputational issues, and support business growth objectives. As Senior Director of Investor Relations and Business Management within CIBC’s Finance group, Petra advanced investor engagement strategies and improved operational effectiveness, contributing to the bank’s sustained growth.
Earlier in her career, Petra served as Manager of Marketing and Communications at Worldsource Wealth Management, where she delivered award-winning marketing campaigns, implemented impactful branding strategies, and launched multiple websites that drove business growth. Her ability to simplify complex ideas into actionable strategies has earned her widespread recognition across diverse stakeholder groups.
Aidan Coulter
Director, Member Services and Industry Relations
Joined SIMA 2024
Before joining SIMA, Aidan was Director, Advisor Enablement & Experience at Sun Life, where she played a key role in the launch of their securities dealer. Aidan also worked at Croesus, where she led the account management and sales support teams.
Prior to that, she spent six years at Fundserv leading industry engagement and directing external outreach. It was here that Aidan established Fundserv’s business related advisory councils, along with the methodology to drive emerging ideas, issues, and regulations to consensus-supported initiatives. Outputs of these groups include Fundserv’s e-signature guidelines, the enhanced electronic processing agreement (EPA), and the new standards adherence framework.
In her role at SIMA, Aidan leads our member relations and services and she focuses on delivering key initiatives, including the implementation of a new CRM and expanding our member networking and event opportunities.
Kia Rassekh
Director, Policy and Regional Director, Quebec
Joined SIMA 2011
Kia Rassekh is the Director, Policy and Regional Director, Quebec at SIMA. He is responsible for managing member activities in Quebec and fostering collaborative relations with the Government of Quebec, its regulators and all stakeholders. Prior to joining SIMA in 2011, Kia held various financial, government relations and project management roles at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC.
He has a master’s in finance from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a bachelor’s from McGill University.
Kia is a member of a national committee of the Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition, where he volunteers and hosts workshops to educate parents about aquatic safety. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming and hiking.
