Our Leadership
Meet some of the team helping us transform Canadian innovation.
Sid Paquette
Head of RBCx
Tony Barkett
Head of Banking
Dimitri Busevs
Head of Youth & Young Adult and Climate Ventures
Hector Crespo
Head of CX and Design
Nicole Kelly
Head of Marketing and Growth
Jeff Lanthier
Director, Corporate Communications
Vikram Luthra
Head of Operations and Health & Wellness Ventures
Simon Maycock
Head of Home Ventures
Shadi McIsaac
CEO & Co-Founder of Ownr
Anthony Mouchantaf
Head of Capital
Kim Murray
Head of Human Resources
Anne No
Managing Director, Banking
Dave Simons
Head of Technology
Devon Thompson
Managing Director, Banking
Alison Wilkie
Associate General Counsel, RBC Law Group
Sarah Wilkinson
CEO of Dr.Bill
/sidpaquetteSid heads all aspects of our strategy and operations. Before joining RBC, he was a managing partner at OMERS Ventures, where he led several multi-stage investments in tech and innovation startups.
Previously, Sid worked in the international tax practice of a Big Four accounting firm and also worked at one of Canada’s leading corporate law firms, where he specialized in providing M&A advice to Canadian and foreign-based multinational corporations, as well as developing and implementing innovative intellectual property strategies.
Sid has a uniquely versatile skillset, and holds a BA from York University, JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an MTax from the University of Waterloo. He’s also an avid ‘60s and ‘70s car aficionado.
Tony leads our full technology and innovation banking practice. He provides strategic oversight of product and market development, and heads our national relationship management and credit advisory teams.
Prior to RBC, Tony was the Managing Director for Silicon Valley Bank, focused on helping technology companies thrive in Canada’s growing innovation economy. Previously, Tony managed SVB’s Eastern Cleantech practice and worked with technology companies under $100M. Prior to this role, Tony managed SVB’s Southeast Asset Based Lending Group.
Over the course of more than twenty years at SVB, he’s provided a variety of financing solutions to technology companies at every stage.
Dimitri connects businesses to tens of millions of consumers and builds platforms and services that help people save time, save money, and simplify their daily lives. Dimitri is currently responsible for leading several ventures, including Ownr, Mydoh, Goodside, and more.
Previously, as Vice President Automotive Finance, Dimitri led an integrated business that incorporated all aspects of commercial and consumer strategy, as well as distribution, focused on the automotive community.
Dimitri’s experience spans retail and commercial lending, including private label and general purpose credit cards, automotive finance, and other personal financing products, as well as commercial distribution finance.
Prior to moving to Toronto to work at RBC, Dimitri lived in Chicago and worked for several global companies where he was responsible for risk and revenue management.
Hector is the ultimate blend of creative thinking and strategic execution. He and his team work closely with our venture founders and partners to help them discover new business opportunities, gain insights on the human experience, and design exceptional products and services.
Prior to joining RBC, Hector worked in consulting at top advertising and digital agencies, where he built and managed creative service and marketing practices for clients including Fortune 500 companies and major league sport franchises. He’s also led digital and mobile strategy and delivery teams at large financial institutions.
While he grew up, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees, and lived throughout the U.S., he now calls Oakville, Ontario his home, along with his wife and son.
Nicole leads our platform engagement and marketing teams, which manage performance, brand, marketing, technology and operations, and partnerships for both the RBCx practice and scaling Ventures portfolio companies. Nicole and her team also work closely with early- and late-stage Banking clients to support their scaling efforts with resources and advisory on go-to-market strategies, growth marketing, PR, and communications.
Prior to RBC, Nicole served as the Director of Community at OMERS Ventures, where she led marketing, communications, and stakeholder relations.
Nicole has over twelve years of marketing and communications experience, primarily within finance and media across digital and traditional platforms.
Jeff leads a communications team that delivers thought leadership programs, internal and external communications strategies, and social media management for the RBCx Banking, Capital, Platform, and Ventures groups.
Prior to RBC, Jeff spent many years working at public relations agencies, primarily in the energy and public service sectors. He has worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to multinationals, and led strategic communications from planning to execution. Jeff has a long track record of delivering exceptional results that drive business growth.
Jeff is also active in the community, and sits on a number of boards and councils in the public sector.
As Head of Operations of RBCx, Vik leads finance, strategy, operations, risk, employee engagement, and analytics functions for the group. As Head of Health & Wellness Ventures, Vik builds and scales our portfolio in the healthcare space.
Previously, Vik was the CEO of Dr.Bill, and also Head of Strategy & Business Development for B2B & Health verticals at RBC Ventures. In this role, Vik led Ownr’s acquisition of Founded, a legal tech start-up that set the foundation for Ownr’s exponential growth.
Equal parts entrepreneur, corporate innovator, and business executive, Vik has built and/or led more than 15 businesses over his career, including a multi-million dollar consulting business that he exited successfully in 2011.
Vik is a CPA, CMA, and holds a BA from York University.
Simon leads our innovators to orchestrate cool experiences and solve real challenges to all things home-related.
Previously, Simon was Vice President of Payments and Lending at Tangerine. He also draws on many years of experience from his time at Capital One in Canada and the UK.
Simon completed the General Management Program for Executives at Harvard Business School and earned a M.Sc. in Physics from Imperial College of London. He spends his off-hours cycling and coaching his three boys in sports and outdoor living.
Shadi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ownr, an entrepreneurship platform that’s helped over 80,000 Canadians launch businesses by automating and simplifying business formation and everyday legal work.
She is also a General Partner at Women’s Equity Lab, an all-female investment fund that pursues equal representation of women in early-stage investing and venture capital markets by offering a unique, collaborative pooled investment approach.
Previously, Shadi worked as the Director of Digital Transformation with RBC’s Retail Banking team. Shadi began her career at IBM, is a graduate of Western University, and earned an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Anthony leads the RBCx investment team, which manages fund and direct investments across our strategies, as well as our fund finance team, which issues and manages credit to venture capital and growth equity firms.
Prior to RBC, Anthony was a venture capital investor at OMERS Ventures in the fund’s London and Toronto offices, where he focused on DeepTech and Enterprise SaaS businesses.
Before he became a venture capital investor, Anthony founded Rthm Technologies, a venture-backed mobile health and consumer genetics business. Rthm grew to several million users worldwide before it was acquired by a publicly-traded company in 2018.
Anthony is also a lawyer and has previously worked with the United Nations and a major global corporate law firm, both in New York City.
Kim leads RBCx’s human resources activities. She partners with the senior leadership team to develop workforce strategies and provide talent advice to drive business outcomes.
Prior to joining RBCx, Kim held several senior HR roles at RBC, as well as at other financial institutions. Kim gives back to her community through her support of the MS Society of Atlantic Canada.
Anne leads a highly specialized team across Eastern Canada to deliver industry-tailored capital financing, business advice, and solutions that go beyond traditional banking to support the growth of technology and innovation companies.
Anne has held a wide range of positions in commercial banking, with extensive experience in technology, life sciences, and media. Anne has an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Brest in France and MBA from HEC Montreal in finance and entrepreneurship.
Despite being our Head of Technology, Dave is first and foremost a people person. He oversees our team of high-performing tech leads and engineers to help build and refine founders’ visions.
Dave has managed software teams and delivered innovative infrastructures, consumer-facing services, and licensed software for over 25 years in large corporations, small to mid-sized private companies, and venture-backed startups across Silicon Valley, Toronto, New York, Tel Aviv, and Waterloo.
Most recently, Dave was the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Kik. Prior to Kik, he was the Chief Technology Officer at Points.
Dave lives in Toronto with his wife and their three sons. When he’s not busy solving tech challenges, he loves to fish and spend time at the family cottage.
Devon leads a highly specialized team across Western Canada to deliver industry-tailored capital financing, business advice, and solutions that go beyond traditional banking to support the growth of technology and innovation companies.
Devon is an accomplished leader, speaker, board member, and coach. She has over 15 years of experience in financial services and is a passionate connector and mentor within the tech ecosystem.
She was recognized as an Influential Woman in Finance by BCBusiness magazine, and volunteers at the UBC Sauder School of Business, as well as at TechWorks with Junior Achievement.
Alison leads a team of lawyers that support RBCx and RBC’s enterprise digital initiatives. With over 20 years of industry experience, Alison expertly enables her business partners to transform and deliver digital products and services. She also leverages her knowledge of emerging technologies to advise on innovative transaction structures and negotiate complex technology, M&A, and collaboration agreements.
Prior to joining RBC, Alison practiced corporate law at one of Canada’s leading law firms. Alison holds a BA from McMaster University and a LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Sarah is the CEO of Dr.Bill, a healthtech startup that makes billing easier for physicians. Sarah originally joined Dr.Bill as their Chief Operating Officer, and scaled the business to $1B+ in billings.
Previously, Sarah held a series of fintech roles at RBC across Canada and the U.S. in areas including innovation strategy, business development, product management, and M&A.
Sarah resides in Vancouver, and is a named inventor on three patents in the security and payments space.