Montreal, Canada, 17 September 2024 – Coller Capital, is announcing the opening of a new office in Canada led by Daniel Cohen, who joins the firm as Head of Canada Private Wealth Distribution. Mr. Cohen will be based at 2000 McGill College in Montreal, working closely with Coller Capital’s London and New York teams to focus on serving private wealth and institutional investors across Canada. Coller has already raised more than $130 million from wealth clients through a Canadian mutual fund administered by iCapital, which provides access to Coller International Secondaries Private Equity Fund (CollerEquity), Coller Capital’s first Luxembourg domiciled ‘SICAV’ fund. The launch of the new office and Mr. Cohen’s appointment underlines Coller Capital’s commitment to expanding its PWSS business across all channels globally.
Before joining Coller Capital, Mr. Cohen was Head of Investor Relations at Fiera Comox Partners, a global investment management firm with investments in Private Equity, Private Credit and Natural Capital. Mr. Cohen began his career as a corporate lawyer at Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he practiced in M&A, securities and corporate law, with a focus on cross border private equity transactions. Mr. Cohen holds a law degree (BCL / LLB / JD) and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and is a certified member of the Quebec Bar.
The announcement follows the recent launch of CollerEquity, which is accessible to eligible private wealth investors outside of the U.S., and to eligible Canadian investors via a Canadian mutual fund administered by iCapital. CollerEquity was seeded with $470 million of capital from investors globally and invests alongside Coller Capital’s closed-ended vehicles, seeking to deliver a combination of absolute and risk-adjusted returns, diversification, and the opportunity for more liquidity than traditional private equity funds.[3]
The appointment of Mr. Cohen and the opening of a Canadian office is the latest step in Coller Capital’s growing PWSS business. The PWSS team, which launched in 2022, now consists of more than 30 dedicated individuals globally. Earlier this year, Coller Capital opened hubs in Zurich and Melbourne.
Daniel Cohen, Head of Canada Private Wealth, said: “While Canadian institutions have been among the most sophisticated private markets investors globally, private wealth portfolios in this country still largely focus on traditional asset classes. Secondaries are an ideal foundational building block for private markets portfolios given their broad diversification, lesser volatility of returns and enhanced liquidity. Coller Capital’s 30+ year track record in secondaries and our unique experience in wealth management makes us the partner of choice for private wealth clients. I am excited to develop Coller Capital’s private wealth business in Canada, and to support our investors in achieving their goals.”
Jake Elmhirst, Partner and Head of PWSS, Coller Capital, said: “Establishing a permanent, on-the-ground, presence in Canada marks our ongoing commitment to expanding our private wealth business globally. We are thrilled to be joined by Daniel who brings a deep knowledge of the Canadian market and a strong track-record in delivering private markets solutions to investors here.”
Coller Capital has offices in London, New York, Zurich, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Luxembourg, Melbourne and now in Montreal. The firm has $33 billion assets under management and more than 30 years of experience in the market.
[1] “iCapital” refers to iCapital Network Canada Ltd., a registered investment fund manager.
[2] Based on a review of Preqin and competitor firm’s ownership structure, as at May 2024.
[3] The ability to redeem shares in CollerEquity will be subject to potential deductions and limitations.
