Front Street Capital

Our Team

Fund management services are about one thing – fund managers.

Front Street Capital managers have been providing portfolio management through more than five market cycles, in both up and down markets.

We pride ourselves on our carefully selected portfolio team, their accomplishments, and their track record.

Norm Lamarche – Senior Portfolio Manager

Norm Lamarche

Norm Lamarche: established Tuscarora Capital Inc., one of Front Street Capital’s two founding companies, with Gary Selke in 1996. From 1987 to 1995, Norm was a portfolio manager with Altamira Management Ltd., where he managed Altamira's AltaFund Investment Corp., Altamira's Resource Fund and the Orbitex Resource Fund, and was responsible for the equity component of Altamira's Balanced Fund.

Norm has earned a reputation as the “best mutual fund manager you’ve never heard of” (the Globe and Mail, December 30, 2006), managing the #1 and #2 funds in Canada over the last 15 years based on the 15-year average compound return of the funds (source: GlobeFund.com as at January 31, 2010). Norm is a partner, co-chief investment officer and VP of the Firm, as well as a Management Committee member.

In 2009, Norm was named Investment Executive's Fund Manager of the Year. Norm currently manages the Front Street Growth Fund, Front Street Energy Growth Fund, Front Street Special Opportunities Canadian Fund and the Front Street Canadian Energy Fund. The latter two have consistently outperformed their benchmarks and the competition as set out in the chart below. He also manages the auspicious Front Street Flow Through Limited Partnerships, the Front Streeet Shari’a Resource Fund and the Chelston Park Energy Resource Fund, Offshore.

Most Recent Commentary

Frank Mersch – Senior Portfolio Manager

Frank Mersch

In 1999, Frank established Casurina Limited Partnership, which grew to become one of Canada’s largest privately managed hedge funds. From 1987 to 1998, Frank was a shareholder, director and vice president of Altamira Management Ltd., where he managed many funds, most notably the Altamira Equity Fund and the New Altamira Value Fund, with more than $9 billion in assets.

Frank has earned a reputation as one of the most highly regarded investment managers in Canada. Frank is the chairman, co-chief investment officer and vice president of Front Street Capital. He manages the portfolios of various investment vehicles, including the Front Street Canadian Hedge and Front Street Capital Equity Opportunities Fund, among others. He also co-directs Front Street Capital’s management of Ceres Global Ag. Corp and the offshore FSC Agri Fund Ltd.

Most Recent Commentary

Craig Porter – Portfolio Manager

Craig Porter

Craig Porter has more than 20 years' investment experience. He served as Vice President, Equities, Natcan Investment Management Inc., and was also lead portfolio manager of several of the Altamira energy and resources funds. Craig joined Front Street Capital as Portfolio Manager in October 2005. He has prime responsibility for various resources mandates for the Firm’s individual and institutional clients including the Flow Through Partnerships. He holds a BA in commerce and economics from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.

Most Recent Commentary

Prakash Hariharan – Portfolio Manager

Prakash Hariharan

Prakash Hariharan was previously with Dominion Bond Rating Services, analyzing and rating structured investment products. During that period, he was a lead analyst at DBRS in rating a number of split-share and other derivative products. Prakash joined Front Street Capital in March 2005. He acts as one of the primary co-portfolio managers of the Front Street Long/Short Canadian income strategy and agriculture strategy. He holds a financial engineering degree from York University, an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business, and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.

Eric Dzuba – Portfolio Manager

Eric Dzuba

Eric Dzuba joined Front Street Capital in March 2005. He acts as one of the co-portfolio managers for the Front Street credit and yield strategies, including the Front Street Diversified Income Fund. Previously, Eric was employed by Sentry Select, a leading manager of income trust portfolios, where he held a variety of positions,
including investment analyst and portfolio manager, and provided investment analysis for several of its income trust portfolios. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.

Most Recent Commentary

Based out of our head office in Toronto, each of our sales associates is available for branch presentations, client presentations, and marketing support for Canadian investment advisors.

Client & Dealer Services
Email: advisorservice@frontstreetcapital.com
Tel: 416-364-1990
Toll-Free: 1-800-513-2832
Fax: 416-364-8893

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

 

 

 

 

Gary Selke, Partner, President and CEO

Gary Selke

Gary is a partner and Management Committee member of Front Street Capital 2004. He has been a Director, Chairman and President of Front Street Investment Management Inc. since October 2001 and Chief Executive Officer since February 2002. Mr. Selke formed Tuscarora Capital Inc., an affiliated dealer of the Investment Advisor, in 1996 with Mr. Lamarche. Prior to that time, Mr. Selke was employed by RBC Dominion Securities Inc. and its predecessor firms in various capacities including in investment banking, public and private financings, debt restructurings, equity syndication area, capital markets, corporate finance and securitization. Mr. Selke holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Accountant.

Frank Mersch, Partner, Chairman, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager

Frank L. Mersch

Frank L. Mersch is the Chairman and a Vice President of Front Street Capital 2004 and Vice President, Director and Senior Portfolio Manager of Front Street Investment Management Inc. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has over 30 years of experience in the investment industry, including 11 years as an investment manager with Altamira. Prior to joining Altamira in 1987, Mr. Mersch was President of Special Investment and Vice President of Guardian Capital Group and Vice President of Investments at Morgan Trust Company of Canada. From 1987 to 1998, Mr. Mersch was a shareholder, director and Vice President of Altamira. During that period he was instrumental in building an organization which had over 300 employees and approximately $17 billion of assets under management. At Altamira, Mr. Mersch managed and marketed private wealth, mutual funds and pension funds and earned a reputation as one of the most highly regarded investment managers in Canada, frequently making appearances on “Wall Street Week” and other investment programs. Since June 1999, Mr. Mersch has been an officer and Senior Portfolio Manager for the Front Street group, managing the portfolios of various investment vehicles, including Front Street Canadian Hedge (including assets of the former Casurina Limited Partnership), Front Street Canadian Equity Fund, Front Street Canadian Opportunities Fund Ltd. and various TSX-listed closed end funds, ultimately merged into mutual funds. Mr. Mersch holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.

Normand G. Lamarche, Partner, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager

Normand G. Lamarche

Normand G. Lamarche is a Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of Front Street Capital 2004 and Vice President, Director and a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Front Street Investment Management Inc.. Mr. Lamarche holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has been engaged in the business of providing investment advisory services and portfolio management since 1987. Mr. Lamarche was a portfolio manager with Altamira Management Ltd. from 1987 to 1995 managing, among other things, the Altamira Resource Fund, the Orbitex Resource Fund, Altamira’s AltaFund Investment Corp. and the equity component of the Altamira Balanced Fund. In 1996, Mr. Lamarche established Tuscarora Capital Inc., a Front Street affiliated IIROC regulated investment dealer, with Mr. Gary Selke. As a Senior Portfolio Manager for the Front Street group, Mr. Lamarche manages the Front Street Growth Fund, Front Street Special Opportunities Fund Ltd., Front Street Small Cap Fund, Front Street Energy Growth Fund, Chelston Park Energy Resource Fund Ltd., a number of other offshore investment funds and co-manages the Front Street Flow-Through Limited Partnerships. Mr. Lamarche holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Carleton University.

David A. Conway, Partner, Vice President and Secretary, Chief Operating Officer

David A. Conway

David A. Conway has been involved in the financial industry since 1978. He is a Vice President and Secretary of Front Street Capital 2004 and Front Street Investment Management Inc. as well as a Director and Chief Compliance Officer for Tuscarora Capital Inc., the group’s affiliated IIROC-regulated investment dealer. Since January 2000, Mr. Conway has been responsible for the operations and compliance of the Front Street Capital group of companies, as COO. Prior to joining Front Street, Mr. Conway was Director, Global Private Banking at CIBC, a Canadian Chartered bank, specializing in assisting high net worth clients in the structuring of their assets internationally. From 1978 to 1998 Mr. Conway was employed by Royal Trust Corporation, Morgan Trust Company of Canada, and CIBC Trust Corporation, where he performed various Estate, Trust and Taxation roles, finishing as National Director, Estate & Trust Services at CIBC Trust. He also had responsibility for the securities “back office” and for Trust operations across Canada.

Linda D. Hryma, Partner, Assistant Corporate Secretary and Office Manager

Linda D. Hryma

Linda D. Hryma is the Assistant Corporate Secretary for Front Street Capital 2004 and the Front Street Investment Management Inc. and has been the Office Manager of the Front Street group and related its predecessor entities since 2001. Prior to working with Front Street, Ms. Hryma joined Tuscarora Capital Inc., an affiliated IIROC-regulated investment dealer, in 1996 where she was responsible for the day-to-day administration of its mutual fund and private client accounts, systems and internal controls. Prior to joining Tuscarora Capital Inc., Ms. Hryma was employed by what was then the Nesbitt Burns Institutional Fixed Income Department where she worked as a Sales and Trading Assistant.

Tracey N. Patel, Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Tracey N. Patel

Tracey N. Patel is Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance officer for Front Street Capital 2004 and Front Street Investment Management Inc. and General Counsel for its related investment dealer, Tuscarora Capital Inc. Prior to joining the Front Street Group, Ms. Patel practiced law in the Business Department of a top tier law firm in Toronto, Ontario for 13 years and was a partner for 6 years. While in private practice, Ms. Patel was involved in advising on mergers, acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and other business arrangements, with a focus on advising on and obtaining regulatory approvals for both public and private company clients. Ms. Patel’s experience also includes implementing and monitoring regulatory compliance programs for Canadian and international businesses, as well as negotiating and working with regulators and other government agencies. Ms. Patel obtained her law degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1993 and her Masters of Laws from Osgoode Hall in 2007. Prior to that, Ms. Patel obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University.

* On average, Front Street Capital portfolio managers have approximately 20 years of experience in investment fund management, and our principals each have more than 25 years of experience in the industry.