Gluskin Sheff + Associates

Gluskin Sheff + Associates

Gluskin Sheff + Associates (GSA) is a small, personalized investment management firm overseeing investment portfolios of $3 million or more. Its clientele includes "high net worth" individual and institutional (eg, pension funds, charities) investors from North America and beyond.

In 2004, GSA celebrated its 20th year of existence since its founding by Ira Gluskin and Gerald Sheff. Prior to joining forces, both founders worked in private industry in various financial capacities. They continue to be the principals of the firm.

Ira Gluskin, the firm's president and chief investment officer, gathered experience in the life insurance, brokerage and mutual fund industries, and was the president of the securities firm Brown Baldwin Nisker prior to co-founding GSA. Via the newsletter "Ira's Musings," he comments on the state of the investment sector on a regular basis.

Gerald Sheff, GSA's chairman and chief executive officer, is a former executive with Cadillac Fairview Corporation and gained the majority of his experience in the management of real estate assets and pension plans.

In the late 1990s, with very active markets and expectant clients, the firm experienced troubles and the principals were toying with the idea of selling it before refocusing their efforts and moving forward. In 2006, GSA went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange, raising more than $133 million in its initial public offering. In 2009, the company reported more than $4 billion of assets under management.

GSA offers a range of investment solutions to its clients, so-called Portfolio Models. These models, bearing names such as Value Equity, Growth Fund, or Premium Income models, distinguish themselves in terms of risk profile, time horizon (long-term vs short-term), and objectives. Prospective clients participate in a consultation process that matches their preferences with the appropriate models.

The company and its principals are actively engaged in the community, supporting a variety of causes. In 2000 Ira Gluskin and his wife, Maxine, donated $1 million to the University of Toronto, which matched the funds, to create the May Gluskin Chair in Canadian history. At McGill University, where Gerald Sheff is an alumnus of the Architecture program, GSA provides scholarships to architecture students wishing to pursue an exchange program.

Over and above their financial support, Gluskin and Sheff are also members of a number of boards and committees. Gerald Sheff also writes columns for the Financial Post and the Financial Times.

See also STOCKS AND BONDS.