CIBC Mellon
Talent at the core: Shaping the future of Canada’s securities finance industry
12 May 2026
CIBC Mellon’s Lisa Tomada, vice president of securities lending, and William Yan, relationship executive of markets, review the search for talent, a broadening skill set, and supporting the next generation as a consequential investment
Image: stock.adobe.com/surangaw
Securities finance is frequently discussed through the lens of market conditions, collateral demand, regulation, and technology. These are essential conversations. However, as the industry looks ahead, one factor deserves equal attention: talent. The future of securities finance will be shaped as much by the people entering the field, as by the technology changes and the market forces impacting it.
Canada’s securities finance industry has long benefitted from experienced practitioners, strong infrastructure, and a collaborative industry culture. The Canadian Securities Lending Association (CASLA) has brought market participants together to advance dialogue and support the long-term health of the sector. That same spirit of collaboration will be essential in helping the next generation see securities finance not as a niche corner of finance, but as a sophisticated and integral part of institutional finance.
Expanding awareness and access
Visibility remains a genuine challenge. Students and early-career professionals interested in finance are familiar with investment banking, asset management, trading, or wealth management. They are less familiar with the market infrastructure, operational expertise, and client service models that support institutional investors. This visibility gap is one many practitioners know firsthand. Many entered the industry through adjacent roles, or more recently through a non-traditional finance degree such as STEM. Broadening that aperture is not only an inclusion effort, but a genuine recruiting channel.
Evolving skills for a data-driven industry
The skill set required in our industry is also broadening. Technical knowledge remains foundational: lending structures, collateral management, borrower demand, beneficial owner considerations, regulatory requirements, and risk controls. As automation and data infrastructure continue to mature in this space, the premium on the ability to contextualise data, challenge assumptions, and identify meaningful signals only increases. Strong communication skills matter equally — securities finance is built on trust, judgement, and the ability to translate complexity of opportunities, risks, and market developments into clarity for clients and stakeholders.
That combination is not developed overnight. It requires mentorship, structured exposure, and deliberate pathways into the field.
Developing talent through experience
This is precisely why student-focused engagement matters. The CIBC Mellon Student Investment Fund Conference was designed to bring students, student-managed investment fund leaders, university sponsors, and industry professionals together, connecting emerging talent directly with institutional investment leaders and expanding awareness of career paths that fall outside traditional recruiting channels. If students can better understand the full investment lifecycle, including the operational and market functions that support institutional investors, they are more likely to recognise careers in securities finance as both accessible and valuable.
For firms and industry leaders, this means being intentional about how we talk about our work. We cannot assume future talent will find us. We need to explain what securities finance is, why it matters, and how it contributes to the functioning of capital markets. The complexity of the business is not a barrier, it is part of what makes it interesting, and we should say so directly.
Aligning with the next generation
Mentorship also has a critical role to play. Many practitioners in this field did not begin their careers with a clear view of where the path would lead, they learned through relationships, client interactions, and time spent understanding the market. Creating structured opportunities for emerging professionals to learn from experienced practitioners preserves institutional knowledge while bringing new perspectives into the field.
Last year, CASLA formalised this mandate through the creation of its Emerging Talent Committee — a recognition that visibility and belonging are structural challenges, not individual ones. For new joiners navigating an industry built on deep, long-standing relationships, having a dedicated resource for networking, education, and community, supports the acceleration of their technical and career development on multiple fronts.
The next generation also arrives with different expectations. They want careers with clear learning trajectories and a visible connection between their work and broader outcomes. It also means meeting people where they are. A generation that prioritises balance and personal wellbeing is not less committed — they are differently committed.
Firms that recognise that distinction possess the ability to build more durable cultures and retain talent longer. For Canada’s securities finance industry, talent is not a peripheral concern. It is foundational to sustaining a strong, resilient, and competitive industry. As we discuss the industry’s future at various conferences and meetings, talent belongs in that discussion. Market resilience is built through sound practices, strong infrastructure, effective regulation, and through people. Attracting and supporting the next generation of talent is one of the most consequential investments our industry can make.
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