The Canadian Security Traders Association (CSTA) will host its 28th Annual Conference at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Kananaskis Village, Alberta, Canada on August 17-20, 2023.
Key themes this year will include the continuing changes in market structure in the US and Canada, according to CSTA President John Christofilos.
Another important discussion will be around energy and energy transition: “We have a number of speakers who will update us on this very important topic in Canada,” Christofilos said.
The CSTA Conference is known for its content and lack of selling of services and “this year is no different,” he told Traders Magazine.
“I’m thrilled with what the Conference and Speakers Committee has put together,” he added.
The event will start on Thursday, August 17 with an opening night cocktail reception featuring guest speaker Meghan Chayka, CEO and Co-Founder of Stathetes, the preeminent hockey data and analytics company.
During the event, notable panels will include: “Demystifying US Regulation” with Sapna Patel, Head of Americas Market Structure & Liquidity Strategy, Morgan Stanley; “Sustainability Trading” with Duncan Higgins, CEO of Sustainable Trading, and moderated by Larry Tabb, Bloomberg Intelligence; “Alternative Investment Platforms for the Retail Community” with Nimar Bangash, CEO and Co-Founder of Obsiido Capital Management; and an eagerly anticipated update from Jim Toes, President and CEO of STA.
“This is just to name a few of the many panels and speakers at our conference,” Christofilos said.
“If you ask me which panel is my favorite, it is like asking me which of my children is my favorite…I love them all equally and that’s how I feel about this year’s roster of panels,” he commented.
The CSTA was incorporated on July 20, 2000 to serve as a national voice for four affiliate trading organizations based in Canada: Institutional Equity Traders Association (of Toronto); Association des Arbitragistes Institutionnels de Montreal (Montreal Institutional Equity Traders Association); Prairies Securities Traders Association; and Vancouver Security Traders Association.
According to Christofilos, the CSTA is presently comprised of approximately 700 capital market participants nationwide and is led by a Board of Directors elected from each of the four distinct affiliates (Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver).
The CSTA comments on industry topics and forms opinions on trading issues based on input from its members, said Christofilos.
The purpose of the Association is:
- To promote and improve the ethics and business standards among those, wherever situated, who are engaged in the business of buying, selling or trading in securities;
- To maintain communication with self-regulatory organizations and local and national governments and their agencies in respect of the regulation of the markets in which securities are traded; and
- To foster cooperation among all segments of the world-wide securities industry to enhance free and open markets for the mutual benefit of its membership and in the best interests of investors, foreign or domestic.
“Our membership is very engaged, which is a truly value-added aspect to the CSTA,” he stressed.
According to Christofilos, CSTA’s membership extends across the industry: “Traders are the biggest part of our membership, but we also have active members who work for regulators, clearing and settlement firms, technology platforms, vendors and marketplaces who all participate in our many events across the country.”
“Acting as a voice for our membership, we definitely stay in touch with our regulators and have a truly synergistic relationship where dialogue, cooperation and knowledge transfer are encouraged by both the CSTA and our regulators across the country,” he added.
Christofilos was named President of the CSTA on August 20, 2022. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA) and Tradelogiq Markets. In addition, he serves on the Ontario Securities Commission’s Market Structure Advisory Committee and is a Board member of the Bay Street Children’s Foundation (BSCF).
“The role of President is a huge honor and comes with a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” Christofilos stressed.
He said he is following in the footsteps of his predecessors who have positioned the CSTA as a preeminent financial services industry association in Canada.
“Whether we’re discussing and championing trading issues, technology enhancements or market structure, or even just coordinating social gatherings, the CSTA has always been and will continue to be the leader in Canada to identify and comment on all issues that matter to our members,” he said.
“The trading community has been good to me over the many years I’ve spent in the industry, so when I was asked to run and eventually won the Presidency, it was a highlight of my career,” he revealed.
Christofilos’ career has spanned more than 30 years, with experience on both the buy and sell sides. He is currently Senior Vice President, Chief Trading Officer & Head of Investment Management Operations Strategy at AGF Investments, where he leads a team responsible for trading AGF’s AUM across retail, institutional and private client portfolios.
He is also a member of AGF’s Business Development unit, with responsibility for reviewing and leading capital markets opportunities and technology advancements. Christofilos is also a member of The Office of the CIO – a structure within AGF’s Investment Management team. This leadership structure encourages and further embeds collaboration and active accountability across both the Investment Management team and the broader organization.
As part of his role at the CSTA, Christofilos has several key mandates: to continue good stewardship for the CSTA; to continue growing its membership; and to continue growing Canadian buy-side participation.
“We have a rich history that we are proud of, and my role as President is to continue to build on that history while still trying to modernize the CSTA in these ever-evolving markets,” he commented.
Christofilos also believes there is “work to do” to get US partners to reengage with the CSTA.
“COVID unfortunately caused our membership among US brokers and the buy side to drop slightly,” he said. “I would like to see those numbers increase over time. We are on our way this year with increased membership from south of the border, but more work remains,” he added.
As for the Canadian buy-side participation, Christofilos said that these members are “key to have engaged for so many reasons,” so he will be working with his Executive Team and Affiliate Boards to increase those numbers.
Finally, he said the CSTA will continue to work with STA in the US to tighten the relationship with Jim Toes and his team.
“This is underway, and I will continue to stress the importance of the partnership between STA and the CSTA,” Christofilos said.
He further said: “I believe that in order to fully appreciate what we’ve been given, it’s important to give back, and that’s how I feel about the CSTA in my role as President”
“That’s why I took on this role, and why I will endeavor to grow our membership through collaboration and inclusion, including with our parent association, STA in the US, as well as our own Canadian affiliates across Canada,” he concluded.
