Amy Freedman was recently named CEO at Kingsdale Advisors, the dominant player in shareholder advisory services, shareholder activism and contested merger and acquisitions situations. In an industry generally populated by males on Bay Street and Wall Street, Freedman’s capital markets and governance expertise makes her a trusted strategic advisor to the biggest names on the TSX. She provides advice in high-stake situations to the C-suite and boardroom, and oversees the day-to-day operations of Kingsdale’s Toronto and New York offices.
Freedman has extensive experience leading transaction management, positioning companies for success in the marketplace across a broad spectrum of industries and a deep understanding of capital markets. A seasoned capital markets professional with more than 12 years of experience in investment banking, Freedman focuses her team on providing superior service and outstanding strategic advice to public company boards and management as they strive to enhance value for shareholders. She is also responsible for leading the firm’s growth and thought leadership. In addition to her current role at Kingsdale, she is a director of Mandalay Resources Corporation.
Freedman began her career at Morgan Stanley in New York as an investment banking associate, where she managed equity transactions and client coverage. Four years later, she returned to Toronto and joined National Bank Financial. Her most recent position was as managing director of equity capital markets for Stifel, where she spent eight years.
A commitment to diversity in the workplace, along with an inclusive environment that welcomes a variety of opinions, perspectives and behaviors, helps ensure that new ideas are introduced that result in better decisions. Less homogenous workplace environments can lead to greater enjoyment, higher productivity and more frequent successes.
Driven by her desire to succeed, Freedman says it was “sheer grit and determination,” coupled with skill and experience, that enabled her to become the leader she is today. She offers women building careers this advice: “Operate with integrity – it is the only way to get any sleep at night.” She also shares these words of encouragement: “Stick with it – opting out comes at a cost.”
