Mike Meekins
President
Michael has been President & CEO of Westbridge Capital since co-founding in 2007. For the two decades prior to the formation of Westbridge Capital, Michael was actively involved in the Canadian telecommunications industry, initially as Vice President of WorldxChange Communications and finally as President & CEO of Modern Digital Communications Inc.
Michael was a finalist in both the 2003 and 2022 Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year awards and is actively involved on the board of a number of private companies in diverse industries.
Trish Harris-Schentag
Chief Operating Officer
Trish brings extensive financial and executive management experience to Westbridge Capital. Trish obtained her Chartered Accountant designation while working for the national accounting firms of Thorne Ernst and Whinney and KPMG.
Moving from public practice into industry, Trish began a career of more than 20 years in the manufacturing technology industry working for such industry leaders as Nortel Canada and US tech giant Corning Inc. Through various roles, Trish has gained significant experience and expertise in senior financial management at both operational and corporate levels.
Henry Fernandes
Chief Technology Officer
A veteran of both startups and established companies, Henry has more than 20 years of experience in the technology space. As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Modern Digital Communications, he lead the software development team and was responsible for all technology operations until the company was acquired.
Subsequent to that, he occupied technology leadership roles at US Internet Corp., MyKey Global Accommodations, and Hubstaff. Henry holds a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics as well as a MSc in Computer Science, and is a past finalist in the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Prashant Gokhale
Chief Corporate Development Officer
Prashant leads our growth initiatives at Westbridge Capital, as we look to build on our track record with investors, strengthen our foundations, seek operational efficiencies and expand our business. He brings extensive global experience across both client facing functions as well as operational leadership roles not only at bulge bracket firms, but most recently as an entrepreneur.
In a career spanning 20 years at Credit Suisse, Prashant led global research teams, and was the Chief Operating Officer for its APAC Global Markets division. In 2018, he co-founded Aletheia Capital, Asia’s largest and No.1 ranked independent investment advisory business. He is now based in the New York area.
Stuart Schwartz
Managing Director
Stuart joined Westbridge Capital as a Managing Director in 2019. He leads Westbridge Capital’s origination and execution in the United States as it expands its operations in North America. During his three decades in the financial industry he has worked as a senior and mezzanine lender, an investment banker and private equity investor.
He has worked for Sanwa Bank, Newcourt Capital, CIT Group and Imperial Group. In addition, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of American Titanium Works, LLC. Stuart has sat on the board of multiple private companies.
Gavin Morgan
Managing Director
Gavin joined Westbridge Capital as a Managing Director in 2024. Focused on opportunities driven by the convergence of the operations of our companies with real estate, he will leverage his industry experience and relationships, to identify growth opportunities in this sector.
Gavin joins Westbridge after an extensive global career at JLL and CBRE where he held leadership roles in New York, Hongkong and in London. At CBRE, Gavin was Head of Leasing, for Europe, The Middle East & Africa based in London. Most recently, at JLL he held the positions of Vice Chairman in New York and Managing Director (CEO) of its 900 person platform in Hong Kong and Chief Operating Officer, of Greater China.
Josh Lawson
Managing Director, Head of Finance
Josh is a seasoned professional with nearly 17 years of experience at Scotiabank. Throughout his tenure, he worked various roles in sales, credit and leadership. Most recently, Josh served as Vice President & Market Lead, overseeing the commercial banking team in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario. In this role, he played a pivotal part in driving growth and fostering strong client relationships.
Katrina Wagner
Director, Compliance and Legal Affairs
Katrina joined in 2020 and is responsible for managing the legal aspects of the operations of Westbridge Capital, with a specific focus on M&A transactions, financing, and governance matters.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Katrina worked for one of the leading law firms in the Province of Saskatchewan for 8 years as a corporate commercial associate where she advised small, medium, and large companies through all stages of their business cycle and practised extensively in M&A transactions.
Kelly McShane
Director, Accounting and Finance
Kelly is a CPA, CA, with 18 years of experience. Prior to joining Westbridge, he was the Director of Finance at the Global Institute for Water Security, and the CFO for Deep Earth Energy Production Corp; responsible for financial reporting, financial modelling and treasury management of approximate $20m in annual spending at each organization. Previous roles include Senior Manager with KPMG’s public company audit practice, and CFO & Corporate Secretary at TSX-V listed Titan Uranium, responsible for financial reporting, treasury management, regulatory compliance in Canada and for Titan’s USA subsidiary, and financial modeling for Titan’s acquisitions and financing strategies.
Outside of work Kelly was twice a bronze medalist at the Canadian Biathlon Championships, has spent time as a full-time rock and ice climber in the Canadian Rockies, and is an amateur cellist.
Matt Solomon
Director, Mergers & Acquisitions
As part of the professional services team, focusing on evaluating and executing acquisition opportunities, including managing due diligence and integration planning.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Matt gained M&A experience as a Senior Manager for Federated Co-operatives Limited within the Business Development team managing the full acquisition cycle, from deal origination, valuation, due diligence, transition planning to closing, across various industries throughout western Canada. Further financial experience includes managing the Foreign Exchange trading desk for a global agriculture organization, and providing financing & advisory services with commercial/agricultural lending institutions. Matt holds a CPA, CMA designation and is actively pursuing the Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation.
Kyle Moore
Group Controller
Kyle joined Westbridge Capital in 2022 as part of the professional services team that focuses on supporting the transition and integration processes for all our acquisitions, and is responsible for all aspects of the monthly accounting function for Westbridge Capital and the internally managed portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Kyle worked as an assistant controller for a general contracting construction company in Saskatoon where he was responsible for financial reporting, risk management, and the accounting and finance functions. Kyle previously articled at Deloitte in Saskatoon, spending 4 years in their audit private practice. Further, Kyle serves on the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Soccer Association and is Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Cameron Dubé
Manager, Accounting and Finance
Cameron joined Westbridge Capital in 2024 and provides controller and financial advisory services to the Westbridge portfolio of companies including financial, accounting, treasury and tax matters and supporting the post-close transition and integration of financial processes for acquisitions.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Cameron worked as a manager in Deloitte’s audit and assurance practice, where he was responsible for leading audit engagements of private companies, managing internal quality and risk management processes and supporting complex accounting and auditing projects for the firm’s national office.
Dexter Scheibelhoffer
Manager, Valuations and Financial Modelling
Dexter joined Westbridge Capital in 2024 and is part of the professional services team, focusing on evaluating and executing acquisition opportunities, including managing due diligence and integration planning.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Dexter worked in various manager and analyst roles for Federated Co-operatives Limited focused in areas of finance, treasury and accounting (corporate and retail). Dexter holds a CFA and CPA designation.
Prat Boungnavath
Compliance Officer
Prat has 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, and a great deal of expertise in dealing with the complexities of the exempt market. He has experience in dealing with exempt offerings from diverse issuers, all registered product types, insurance and mutual funds, and legal compliance issues.
Hunter Miller
Technical Lead
Hunter leads the development of custom software for our portfolio companies. Prior to joining Westbridge, Hunter spent several years as lead developer for MyKey Global Accommodations, a technology platform in the insurance industry.
As lead developer, Hunter was responsible for leading the software development efforts for the company. Hunter graduated with honours from Saskatchewan Polytechnic with a diploma in Computer Systems Technology.
Martin Roy
Associate, Corporate Counsel
Martin Roy joined Westbridge Capital in 2023 and is responsible for advising Westbridge and its affiliates on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions and general corporate matters.
Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Martin gained experience in the Ottawa office of a leading international law firm where he focused on private M&A, corporate finance and commercial matters, primarily in the technology, telecommunications and constructions industries. Martin holds a Juris Doctor and bachelor’s in political science from the University of Ottawa.
Aaron Vogel
Associate, Corporate Counsel
Aaron is responsible for assisting with the legal aspects of the operations of Westbridge Capital, with a specific focus on M&A transactions and financing. Prior to joining Westbridge Capital, Aaron worked for one of the leading law firms in the Province of Saskatchewan as an associate where he maintained a corporate commercial practice focusing primarily on real estate sales and acquisitions, M&A transactions and commercial lending.
Ashley Fullowka
Accounting Specialist
Ashley is responsible for assisting the accounting team with the internally managed portfolio companies and the monthly accounting functions.
Graduating from the Saskatoon Business College with a diploma in Accounting and over 10 years of experience in the accounting industry, Ashley has worked with a diverse set of clients over the years, mainly focusing on real estate, property management and trades.
Candice Mukanik
Legal Assistant
Candice provides legal administrative support to Westbridge and its legal team, with a specific focus on general corporate commercial matters.
Prior to this, Candice worked in private practice as a legal assistant for over 10 years and has experience in assisting many lawyers in different areas of corporate law. Candice graduated with honours from the Saskatoon Business College, where she obtained her diploma in the legal assistant program.
Tracy Seaman
Director, Human Resources
Tracy joined Westbridge in 2024 to provide vision and leadership for HR initiatives that deliver a strategic advantage to operations across the organization and its portfolio companies. Tracy brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience in several industries including SaaS, biotech, aviation, manufacturing and oilfield services.
Tracy holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, the CPHR designation and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. She is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Past Chair of Airdrie Food Bank.
Douglas McDonald
Head of Sales
Douglas leads Westbridge Capital’s business development team and the capital raising efforts across Canada. Over the last fifteen years in the financial services industry, Douglas has worked at a multi-national asset manager, a schedule 1 bank, and a multi-billion-dollar private credit & equity firm.
With nearly half of his career spent in the alternative investment industry, Douglas has raised capital across retail and institutional channels, led private equity origination, and most recently headed the expansion into US capital markets. Douglas holds a business degree from Western University and a certificate in real estate investment from Cornell University.
Andrew McCready
Director, Business Development
Andrew graduated from the University of Alberta School of Business in 2006, and began working for an international land developer. Andrew co-founded a small venture capital firm specializing in mining, real estate and technology licensing.
Andrew later served, first as Corporate Controller then as Business Development Manager, for The Canadian Brewhouse, a very successful Alberta-based chain of sports bars. He contributed to 500% growth in the company during his tenure.
Malcolm Meekins
Director, Business Development
Malcolm joined Westbridge Capital in 2018 and is responsible for sourcing and assessing prospective partnerships, as well as raising capital for The Fund. He has prior experience as a summer associate, during which time he managed investor relations and project analysis.
Malcolm holds an MBA and a B.Sc. from the University of Saskatchewan as well as the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation.
On a personal note, Malcolm was a varsity wrestler at the University of Saskatchewan, who competed both on an intercollegiate level in Canada and internationally.
Tom Mann
Director, Business Development
Tom joined Westbridge Capital Ltd. as Director, Business Development in 2020.
With more than two decades of experience in Alternative Investments and over 10 years of experience in the Private Debt space, Tom’s strongest suit is his passion for finding unique investment ideas and cultivating long-term, high trust relationships with Financial Advisors, Portfolio Managers, and Family Offices.
Prior to joining Westbridge, Tom served as Vice President, Product Specialist at Ninepoint Partners, a leading independent alternative asset manager. Prior to Ninepoint, Tom served as Vice President, Regional Sales Manager of BluMont Capital, a Toronto-based hedge fund company.
Stephan Lavoie
Director, Business Development
Stephan joined Westbridge Capital as Director, Business Development in 2024 and is responsible for servicing advisors and family offices in Quebec and the Atlantic region.
Stephan has nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry, previously working at an alternative asset manager with a focus on private real estate investments.
Stephan has a bachelor’s degree in commerce the University of Guelph, and is fluent in both English and French.
Dan Kemmer
Entrepreneur in Residence
Dan is a co-founding shareholder and was Executive Vice President of Westbridge Capital intimately involved in all aspects of its development for 14 years. Dan was the founder, President & CEO of Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers, a Westbridge Capital portfolio company.
Over 33 years Dan built Canadian Tarpaulin into a thriving enterprise serving both domestic and international markets. He is also Founder, President and CEO of Kemco Holdings Inc, a real estate development company with a diverse range of commercial and residential holdings. Dan sits on the board of a number of other private companies. As an Entrepreneur in Residence, Dan will provide guidance and expertise in the development of the Westbridge Capital business.
Raj Kavia
Entrepreneur in Residence
Raj is the former President and owner of Kavia Auto Body. During his twenty-seven year tenure at Kavia, it became the largest independent collision repair facility in Saskatchewan.
Raj has a BAC from the University of Saskatchewan and holds an ICD.D designation from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He was a finalist in the 2018 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, was a 2017 NEYA award recipient and has received numerous SABEX awards. Raj is actively involved on the board of a number of private companies in diverse industries.
Justin Ferrara
Strategic Advisor
Mr. Ferrara is a Senior Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP and has over 25 years experience as a corporate securities lawyer, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance matters, primarily in the technology, power and oil and gas industries. During such time, Mr. Ferrara has represented a number of leading Canadian and international companies in some of the largest merger and acquisition transactions in Canada having an aggregate value in excess of $75 billion.
Mr. Ferrara has been recognized as a leading practitioner in Chambers Canada, IFLR 1000, Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. Mr. Ferrara has Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Laws degrees from Dalhousie University. Mr. Ferrara is currently and has been director of a number of public and private corporations, including being a director of corporations that are controlled by Westbridge.
Greg Vorwaller
Strategic Advisor
Mr. Vorwaller has over 30 years of senior executive leadership experience in the real estate industry, spanning the private equity investing, financial services and investment consulting sectors. Mr. Vorwaller currently serves as Executive Chairman of AllTrades Industrial Properties, Inc. Most recently, Mr. Vorwaller served as President and Partner of Trez Capital (“Trez”), a leading Vancouver-based private equity bridge lender and investor in Canada and the United States. At Trez, Mr. Vorwaller architected and executed a five-year strategic plan that more than doubled annual loan originations to $2.5 billion and assets under management to $4 billion.
Mr. Vorwaller also acted as the Global Head of Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield (“C&W”), the business unit responsible for advising clients on the sale, financing and recapitalization of their real estate holdings. Under Mr. Vorwaller’s leadership, the annual volume of concluded transactions at C&W grew from $20 billion to $40billion. Prior to this, Mr. Vorwaller spent 18 years at CBRE, the last 12 years of which serving on the Global Operations Management Board and as the Global COO and President of CBRE Capital Markets, where he oversaw the transformation of the business to become the top ranked sales and financing advisor in the world, with over $100 billion in closed transactions in 2010.
Vikram Rajagopalan
Strategic Advisor
Vikram Rajagopalan joined Westbridge in July 2024 as a strategic advisor, bringing his extensive expertise to enhance Westbridge’s investment and acquisition platform. With over 20 years of experience in the investment industry, Vikram is a seasoned veteran who has made significant contributions to the field.
Most recently, Vikram spent over a decade at one of Canada’s fastest-growing alternative investment platforms. During his tenure, he excelled in various key roles including capital raiser, sales leader, and executive. His versatile experience has not only honed his skills but also positioned him as a prominent leader within the Canadian alternative investment space.
Vikram is a strong advocate for the necessity of non-correlated investments, which are crucial for diversifying portfolios. His insights and leadership have benefited a wide range of investors, from private clients to large institutions. At Westbridge, Vikram’s focus will be on leveraging his extensive background to drive growth and innovation within the investment and acquisition domain.