PETER SHIPPEN
CHAIRMAN & DIRECTOR
Peter Shippen is an entrepreneur, investor, and capital markets professional with 22 years of experience. Mr. Shippen is the Chief Executive Officer of CSE listed Britannia Life Sciences Inc., and formerly, a senior executive at Purpose Investments, following Purpose’s acquisitions of Redwood Asset Management. Mr. Shippen was President and CEO of Redwood until its amalgamation with Purpose in March 2018. Prior to founding Ark Fund Management in 2007, Mr. Shippen worked in investment research roles at BMO Nesbitt Burns and TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.
Mr. Shippen serves on the Board of Directors of Britannia Life Sciences Inc., and is Chairman of Canadian Gold Corp. He holds a CFA designation, a CAIA designation and earned BA, Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University.
MICHAEL SWISTUN
CEO & DIRECTOR
Mr. Swistun most recently served as a key advisor to the previous Premier of Manitoba and was Secretary of the Economic Development Board, where he was responsible for attracting and overseeing the development of a number of important investments to the province of Manitoba. Prior to his service in government, Mr. Swistun held senior executive roles with companies in the industrial, aerospace and financial industries. Notably, Mr. Swistun was Director of Acquisitions for Exchange Income Corp. a Manitoba-based Company that consolidated several aerospace, aviation and manufacturing companies throughout North America. Prior to that, Mr. Swistun worked with Wellington West Capital Inc. in Corporate Finance, a Company whose founders are now leading Wellington-Altus, another successful Manitoba-based wealth management firm. Mr. Swistun has over 30 years of business experience, is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business.
Alex McEwen
DIRECTOR
Mr. McEwen currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner of a private industrial power generation company, Remote Power Corp., that is active in the construction, energy, and mining sectors across Canada. Alex has spent his professional career in the natural resource sector – primarily in the oilfield services industry in finance and operational management roles.
Jim Downey
DIRECTOR
Mr. Downey served in the provincial legislature from 1977-1999. During his time in office, he served as Minister of Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Northern and Native Affairs, Rural Development, and Industry, Trade and Tourism. Mr. Downey was a member of the Treasury Board for majority of this time and was appointed Deputy Premier of Manitoba from 1990 to 1999.
Jim retired from elected office in 1999 to pursue work in the private sector. In 2009, he became part owner of Shape Foods Inc., a state-of-the-art flaxseed crushing business in Brandon. He is also a board member of Manitoba Hydro-Electric and former member of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (MB).
Mr. Downey has been honoured for his accomplishments by many organizations. He was named Honourary Air Marshall by Manitoba Air Cadets. He received the Silver Eagle Citizen Award from the Indigenous Women’s Collective of Manitoba Inc. (1996), Citizen of the Year Award from the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Group (1997), Honourary Life Membership in the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (2000). He has received the Confederation, Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee Medals for contributions to community. In 2005, Jim was appointed Honourary Consul of Mexico at Winnipeg and in 2015, the President of Mexico awarded Mr. Downey the Aztec Eagle Award for his work on behalf of Mexico and Mexicans in Manitoba.