Business Details
29 Years
experience
Corporate Bond Investment Specialists
Founded in 1997, Canso Investment Counsel has established itself as a leader in corporate bond management, delivering tailored investment strategies for institutional and private clients across Canada. Our approach is rooted in rigorous fundamental analysis, prioritizing security selection over passive indexing to maximize value for clients. With offices in Richmond Hill and Montreal, our team of seasoned professionals brings decades of collective experience in credit research, portfolio construction, and risk management. We distinguish ourselves through proprietary methodologies like Maximum Loss analysis, which quantifies downside risk to inform strategic investment decisions. Our commitment to ESG integration since 2019 reflects our belief that sustainable practices enhance long-term portfolio performance. As a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, we maintain accountability through our Responsible Investment Committee, ensuring ESG considerations are embedded in every credit review.Our community-focused ethos drives year-round charitable initiatives, including 100% employee participation in United Way campaigns and support for veterans' causes. Backed by a legacy of military tradition and financial expertise, we provide clients with disciplined investment stewardship grounded in transparency and client-centric values. Our proprietary research resources exceed those of many Canadian investment dealers, enabling independent analysis free from reliance on external credit ratings. This dedication to intellectual rigor and ethical investing has solidified our reputation as a trusted partner for sophisticated investors seeking consistent, risk-adjusted returns.
Services
Corporate Bond Management
Institutional Investment Solutions
Private Investment Strategies
Credit Research
Portfolio Construction
Risk Management
ESG Integration
Market Analysis
Investment Advisory
Portfolio Management
Details
- Year established: 1997
Highlights and features
- We have over 25 years of specialized corporate bond management experience
- Our proprietary Maximum Loss analysis quantifies downside risk for every position
- We integrate ESG factors into every investment decision through dedicated frameworks
- Our team maintains 100% employee participation in community initiatives since inception
- We conduct independent credit research without reliance on external rating agencies
Associations and certifications
- Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
Services
Corporate Bond Management
Our corporate bond management focuses on fundamental security selection rather than index replication. We analyze issuers' creditworthiness through proprietary research, constructing diversified portfolios that prioritize risk-adjusted returns. Our approach allows flexibility across credit ratings while maintaining strict downside risk controls through Maximum Loss analysis.
Institutional Investment Solutions
We provide customized investment strategies for institutional clients including pension funds and endowments. Our solutions emphasize long-term capital preservation through rigorous credit analysis and ESG integration, supported by quarterly portfolio reviews and transparent reporting frameworks tailored to institutional mandates.
Private Investment Strategies
Our private investment strategies cater to individual investors seeking income generation through corporate bonds. We offer diversified portfolios with varying risk profiles, combining fundamental research with proprietary risk assessment tools to help clients achieve their financial objectives while maintaining capital protection.
Risk Management
Our risk management framework utilizes proprietary Maximum Loss analysis to quantify potential capital loss. We maintain strict position limits based on downside risk assessments while incorporating ESG factors that could impact issuer performance, ensuring portfolios remain within defined risk tolerances.
ESG Integration
We integrate environmental, social, and governance factors into every investment decision through our PRI-compliant framework. Our Responsible Investment Committee ensures consistent application of ESG principles across research coverage, focusing on material issues affecting long-term cash flows and creditworthiness.
People
John Carswell
Executive Chair and Chief Investment Officer
A Royal Military College graduate with aviation background, John brings extensive investment expertise as CFA charterholder. He oversees portfolio strategy and risk management, leveraging decades of experience in distressed debt analysis.
Heather Mason-Wood
Chief Executive Officer
With mathematics and finance background, Heather leads strategic direction as CFA charterholder. Her 30+ years in financial services include leadership roles in investment management and corporate governance oversight.
Patrick McCalmont
President
Patrick directs investment operations with political science and philosophy expertise. As CFA charterholder, he focuses on credit research and portfolio construction strategies for institutional clients.
Jeff Carter
Portfolio Manager
Jeff combines economic analysis with risk management expertise as CFA charterholder. He oversees portfolio construction and leads proprietary Maximum Loss analysis implementation across investment strategies.
Vivek Verma
Portfolio Manager
With economics and finance background, Vivek contributes to credit research and portfolio management. His analytical approach emphasizes fundamental issuer analysis and market opportunity identification as CFA charterholder.
Questions
What investment strategies does Canso specialize in?
We focus on corporate bond management using fundamental credit analysis and proprietary risk assessment tools to identify undervalued securities.
How does Canso incorporate ESG factors into investing?
Our Responsible Investment Committee integrates ESG considerations into every credit review through materiality assessments and proxy voting.
What risk management techniques do you employ?
We use proprietary Maximum Loss analysis to quantify downside risk and maintain strict position sizing based on potential capital loss.
Do you work with private investors?
Yes, we offer tailored investment strategies for private clients seeking income generation through corporate bond portfolios.
How is your research process structured?
Our bottom-up approach combines fundamental issuer analysis with independent credit research, avoiding reliance on external ratings.
What community initiatives do you support?
We maintain 100% employee participation in United Way campaigns and support veterans' housing through Veterans House Canada.
