Cowen Acquisition: Shared vision, one team and a global reach
April 6, 2023
Guests: Riaz Ahmed, President and CEO, TD Securities, and Jeffrey Solomon, President, TD Cowen and Vice Chair, TD Securities
Host: Peter Haynes, Managing Director and Head of Index and Market Structure Research, TD Securities
In this episode, Riaz Ahmed and Jeff Solomon sit down with host, Peter Haynes, to discuss the recent Cowen acquisition, aligning our cultures, growth opportunities, and the product suite that makes us a leading North American investment bank with a global reach.
This podcast was originally recorded on April 3, 2023.
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Riaz Ahmed
President and CEO, TD Securities
Riaz Ahmed
President and CEO, TD Securities
Riaz Ahmed
President and CEO, TD Securities
Riaz Ahmed was named President & CEO, TD Securities and Group Head, Wholesale Banking, TD Bank Group in September 2021. His previous role was Group Head and Chief Financial Officer, TD Bank Group from 2016 to 2021. As CFO he was responsible for Enterprise Strategy, Finance, Chief Accountant’s department, Strategic Sourcing, Enterprise Real Estate, Treasury and Balance Sheet Management, Corporate Development, and TD’s Corporate Transformation Program and Strategy. Before assuming the CFO role, from 2013 to 2015, Riaz led Insurance and North American Credit Cards, two key growth businesses.
Riaz joined TD in 1996 as an investment banker within TD Securities’ infrastructure and independent power team. In 1999, he was appointed the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Vice Chair and Chief Administrative Officer. In November 2004, Riaz was appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, TD Bank Group. Joining its Senior Executive Team in August 2009, Riaz guided TD’s acquisition and treasury strategies. Prior to joining TD, Riaz held various roles with Citibank Canada and Financial Trustco and articled with Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC).
A passionate promoter of inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, Riaz chaired TD’s Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council between 2015 and 2018 and is currently a member of the Women in Capital Markets Advisory Council. He also co-chaired TD’s United Way fundraising campaigns in 2013 and 2014. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Aga Khan Museum and is Chairman of Aga Khan Foundation Canada, National Committee.
Riaz holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) from the University of Calgary. He obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1985 and was elected as a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 2013.
He grew up in Tanzania and later moved to Canada. He lives in Toronto with his wife and they have two grown children.
Jeffrey Solomon
President, TD Cowen and Vice Chair, TD Securities
Jeffrey Solomon
President, TD Cowen and Vice Chair, TD Securities
Jeffrey Solomon
President, TD Cowen and Vice Chair, TD Securities
Jeff is President of TD Cowen, a division of TD Securities and Vice Chair, TD Securities. He was Chair and CEO of Cowen from 2018 until the company’s acquisition by TD Bank Group in March 2023.
Previously, Jeff was President of Cowen after serving as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Investment Banking. Joining Cowen Investment Management (formerly known as Ramius) when it was founded in 1994, Jeff was the co-portfolio manager of its multi-strategy investment portfolio. Earlier in his career, he held positions at Republic New York Securities Corp. (now part of the HSBC) and Shearson Lehman Brothers.
Jeff is a trustee of The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) and serves on the board of the American Securities Association (ASA). A passionate advocate for small companies and emerging businesses, from 2019 - 2023, he was Vice Chair and an inaugural member of the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, which provides advice and recommendations on Commission rules, regulations and policy matters related to small businesses. He was also an inaugural member of the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation, a non-profit organization dedicated to efficient capital markets and the stability of financial system.
Jeff believes in leading with empathy and making a difference in the lives of others. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Partnership for NYC and is the Co-Chair of the UJA Federation of New York’s King David Society. Jeff serves on the Board of the Foundation for Jewish Camp and is Chair of Lost Tribe eSports. He and his wife, Linda, are Co-Chairs of the Tree of Life Center’s Remember, Rebuild and Renew campaign.
Jeff received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
He and Linda, both born and raised in Pittsburgh, reside in New York and have three grown children.
Peter Haynes
Managing Director and Head of Index and Market Structure Research, TD Securities
Peter Haynes
Managing Director and Head of Index and Market Structure Research, TD Securities
Peter Haynes
Managing Director and Head of Index and Market Structure Research, TD Securities
Peter joined TD Securities in June 1995 and currently leads our Index and Market Structure research team. He also manages some key institutional relationships across the trading floor and hosts two podcast series: one on market structure and one on geopolitics. He started his career at the Toronto Stock Exchange in its index and derivatives marketing department before moving to Credit Lyonnais in Montreal. Peter is a member of S&P’s U.S., Canadian and Global Index Advisory Panels, and spent four years on the Ontario Securities Commission’s Market Structure Advisory Committee.
