Candid Conversations for Financial Markets

Episodios

• EP 13 - Tokenization: Rewiring Capital Markets 24.06.2026 25m

  This podcast sets out the impact of tokenization as a reconfiguration of specific parts of the capital markets value chain from issuance through to post-trade.It addresses where the frictions, skepticisms and opportunities lie.Duane Block, Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Crypto Advisory practice in Chicago speaks about why tokenization matters and its impact on market structure.The topics covered on this podcast also include:Foundational Token ModelsRaising Capital and Connecting with InvestorsThe Secondary MarketSettlement, Clearing, Custody, Servicing
• EP 12 - Breaking Up Should Not Be Hard to Do: The Value of Corporate Spinoffs 27.05.2026 40m

  Corporate spinoffs—known in Canada as “butterflies”—are a powerful tool for unblocking capital and sharpening competition. They let companies separate business lines so each can focus, invest, and compete more effectively.In this episode we explain how spinoffs work in Canada and the U.S., why they matter for competition and capital markets, and what policy and tax design should do to make sure breaking up isn’t hard to do.Guest: Manu Kakkar | President, Kakkar CPA Professional Corporation
• EP 11 - Data Portability and Consumer Control 20.05.2026 26m

  Based on the Competition Bureau’s “Your Data, Your Control,” this episode connects policy to day-to-day outcomes.Canada is moving toward “your data, your rules.” That shift could reshape how you bank, shop, and compare prices.The big idea: data portability lets you take your information with you securely so switching providers is easy, competition heats up, and better products show up faster.This episode gets practical about what a working framework needs to overcome in human behavior, privacy guardrails and system design..Guest: Azza Raslan | Acting Manager of Competition Law with the Competition Bureau’s Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate
• EP10 - From Assets To Tokens 22.04.2026 34m

  Tokenization—the representation of financial and private assets as digital tokens on a blockchain or distributed ledger—is moving from concept to reality. Across the financial services landscape, tokenization is more than a technological shift but emerging as a structural evolution with the potential to fundamentally transform how financial products are created, distributed, and serviced. Join us for a strategic, forward-looking discussion as we examine: Who is leading the charge. What is driving the momentum. Implications for industry participants – asset managers, wealth managers, custodians. The real-world benefits. Operational realities and execution challenges. Broader market impacts and competitive dynamics.Regulatory developments in major markets. Guest: German Soto | Chief Product & Digital Assets Officer | Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
• EP09 - Tax Breaks & Drill Bits: Inside Flow-Through Shares 09.04.2026 28m

  Flow-through shares are a uniquely Canadian financing mechanism at the intersection of tax policy, capital formation, and resource strategy.This episode will provide a focused perspective on the funding gap they were designed to solve and their ability mobilize capital for critical minerals including rare earths.GuestGeoff ClarkePartner, Miller Thomson LLP
• EP08 - Why Do Some Markets Consistently Attract More IPOs Than Others? A Global View 17.03.2026 41m

  Why do some exchanges consistently attract more listings while others struggle to get noticed?In this episode we explore:What truly shapes the frequency and size of IPOs globally.How policymakers, regulators, and exchanges can create conditions that boost listings.Practical lessons for market participants navigating today’s and tomorrow’s capital markets.GuestDr. Pedro Gurrola-PerezHead of Research, The World Federation of Exchanges Ltd.
• EP07 – Prediction Markets Enter The Financial Mainstream 10.03.2026 29m

  Prediction markets are no longer on the fringes — they are moving towards the financial mainstream. Platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket have experienced rapid growth by allowing investors to buy and sell event contracts tied to real-world outcomes — elections, policy decisions, inflation prints, regulatory rulings, even championship games — turning uncertainty into a marketable asset.In the United States, oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has helped provide regulatory legitimacy to a space once viewed as a speculative novelty. Meanwhile, major exchange operators — including CME Group, Cboe, and Intercontinental Exchange — are exploring or supporting prediction-based products. Brokerage platforms such as Interactive Brokers and Robinhood are also expanding access and infrastructure, while several asset managers have filed for exchange-traded funds designed to provide direct exposure to election-related prediction markets.Research from the U.S. Federal Reserve System has further concluded that prediction markets can serve as a valuable complement to existing forecast tools in both research and policy settings.In Canada, while interest in event-based markets is growing, the ecosystem is still at an earlier stage of commercial and policy development compared with the United States.The podcast will explore what the rise of prediction markets could mean for the future of financial markets.
• EP06 – Why Stablecoins Matter to Canada – And the Path Forward 11.11.2025 30m

  Stablecoins are growing fast — but is Canada ready? In this episode of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, CCFIMPresident and CEO Laura Paglia is joined by Dr. Andreas Veneris, Professor of Finance at the University of Toronto and co-founder of the LedgerHub at Rotman.
• EP05 – Market Data Costs: Swelling to Buy – Not Produce 25.08.2025 19m

  Market data is no longer just a by-product — it’s become one of the most expensive necessities in Canadian capital markets. In this episode of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, CFFiM President and CEO Laura Paglia is joined by R. Tee Williams, a global expert in market structure and data pricing, to break down the tangled costs behind something as simple as a stock quote.
• EP04 – From Lambs to Lions: Competition is the Path to Competitiveness (Part 2) 08.05.2025 34m

  In Episode 5 (Part 2) of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, IIAC President and CEO Laura Paglia continues her discussion with Senator Colin Deacon on how to rebuild Canada’s competitiveness. This half focuses on real-world solutions: how Canada can strengthen its innovation ecosystem, attract domestic investment, support entrepreneurship, and modernize its regulatory framework.
• EP03 – From Lions to Lambs: The Decline of Canadian Competitiveness (Part 1) 05.05.2025 17m

  In Episode 4 (Part 1) of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, IIAC President and CEO Laura Paglia sits down with Senator Colin Deacon to discuss why Canada's economy is losing ground in global competitiveness. Senator Deacon outlines the historic policy decisions, regulatory burdens, and complacency that have led to declining productivity and weakened innovation.
• EP02 – “Drill Baby Drill”: Can US’ “Energy Emergency” Bring Wins for Canada 16.04.2025 31m

  How is Canada positioned in the global race for energy and clean tech innovation? In Episode 2 of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, IIAC President and CEO Laura Paglia speaks with Professor Ari Pandes (University of Calgary) about the future of Canada’s oil & gas sector, clean tech growth, and energy market dynamics between Canada and the U.S.
• EP01 – Re-Energizing Canada’s Public Equity Markets 14.04.2025 33m

  Canada’s public equity markets are at a turning point. In this premiere episode of Candid Conversations for Financial Markets, IIAC President and CEO Laura Paglia sits down with Thomas Kalafatis, Managing Partner of Hullwright Advisors, to examine the dramatic decline in TSX listings—down 50% since 2008—and what’s behind this hollowing out of the market.