Our Leaders

Steven Ranson is the President and CEO of HomeEquity Bank, a federally regulated, Schedule 1 Canadian bank and the only national provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage^®solution. Appointed President in 1998 and CEO in 2001, Mr. Ranson has led HomeEquity Bank through the public offering of Home Equity Income Trust in 2002 and the subsequent creation of HomeEquity Bank in October 2009.

Under Mr. Ranson’s leadership, HomeEquity Bank has substantially expanded and has been named to the Growth 500’s fastest-growing companies from 2016 through to 2020 and named to the Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Company list in 2021. In his role, Mr. Ranson is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Bank and has continued to grow the business by creating sustainable, long-term value and delivering performance consistent with the interests of its clients, the general public, employees and owners.

As the only Canadian bank that deals exclusively with Canadians aged 55+, Mr. Ranson is frequently asked to speak about topics related to aging in place, financial planning, proactive home equity release, the real estate market, and mortgage trends.

Mr. Ranson holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and a Masters, Business Administration from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant who was recently named a Fellow of CPA Ontario.

As a community leader, and an avid cyclist and skier, Mr. Ranson has served as Alpine Ontario’s Director and Treasurer. Mr. Ranson is also on the board of the YMCA of Greater Toronto and recently co-authored a book called Home Run: The Reverse Mortgage Advantage.

As EVP & CFO, Mr. Chandra is responsible for the Finance and Treasury functions supporting the growth and development of the Bank. He provides oversight and leadership for a team that manages all accounting, financial and regulatory reporting, budgeting and planning, internal and external audit, capital management and funding requirements of the Bank, and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Chandra joined HomeEquity Bank in 2016, and had previously served as CFO in the financial services industry for more than 10 years. He was included in the 2021 Mortgage Global 100 list, published by MPA Magazine, recognizing “outstanding industry professionals who are making a positive difference and helping drive change across the sector.” In 2023, his achievements as CFO led to his recognition by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine as one of Canada’s Best Executives.

Mr. Chandra has served as a Director on the Boards of Joseph Brant Hospital, The Scarborough Hospital and Oakville Hydro Corporation, where he was also the Chair of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Chandra, a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant, graduated from an Indian Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering, and holds an MBA from Queen’s University.

Yvonne Ziomecki is Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales at HomeEquity Bank. Before joining the Bank in 2013, Ms. Ziomecki spent 12 years with American Express, where she held various leadership roles in product, marketing, and customer engagement.

In her role, Ms. Ziomecki is responsible for driving originations growth and increasing revenues. She leads a high-performing sales team that has helped the Bank achieve profitable growth through our direct-to-consumer, broker, wealth, and bank channels.

Ms. Ziomecki is also responsible for driving our marketing strategy and leads an award-winning marketing team that delivers marketing initiatives, brand strategy, research, product marketing, communications, advertising, and public relations.

Ms. Ziomecki graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and holds her Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business. Alongside HomeEquity Bank President & CEO Steven Ranson, she co-authored the book Home Run – The Reverse Mortgage Advantage, a guide to helping Canadians lead a financially secure retirement. She was named a CMP Woman of Influence in 2016 and 2022, named a 2022 Strategy Marketer of the Year, and has led the organization to win marketing, brand, and product awards.

Ms. Ziomecki is a Board Member at RATESDOTCA Group Ltd. and previously sat on the boards of the MedicAlert Foundation Canada and the Canadian Association for Financial Institutions in Insurance.

As Executive Vice President, Data and Technology, Mr. Favero is responsible for Data and Information Technology for HomeEquity Bank.  As a member of the Executive Committee, Mr. Favero is the CIO and leads the Bank’s data management strategy which includes stewardship and enabling capability to leverage the data in driving business results.

Prior to joining HomeEquity Bank in 2020, Mr. Favero held senior executive positions in Information Technology with a large Canadian pension plan and global credit card company.

Mr. Favero graduated from McMaster University with Honors Bachelor of Science.

Christian is Executive Vice President, Operations & Business Transformation. In this role, he leads the bank’s operations as well as its digital and business transformation.

Christian is an accomplished executive with a strong track-record of digitizing businesses, improving customer experience, and increasing operational efficiencies.

Previously, he led digital and business transformations at Thomson Reuters and Aviva Insurance, consulted global Fortune 500 companies, and led a turn-around at a major retail corporation.

Christian has a diverse educational background including a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and a PhD in Technology & Economics with research studies in the US at MIT and GeorgiaTech.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Ms. Dondo heads up the Human Resources, Internal Communications and Office Services functions, and is responsible for developing and executing the talent strategy for HomeEquity Bank.

Ms. Dondo joined HomeEquity Bank in 2020 and has significant global experience in financial service companies including Franklin Templeton, a global investment management company, where she held progressively senior positions over the past 20 years.

Ms. Dondo graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts and is an International Coach Federation (ICF) recognized professional coach (PCC).

As Senior Vice President, Customer Experience & Chief Marketing Officer, Vivianne Gauci leads HomeEquity Bank’s marketing and customer experience design and delivery teams. She is responsible for driving originations growth by leading award-winning brand and performance marketing that has increased awareness and demand. Ms. Gauci is also responsible for the evolution of the bank into a customer-centric organization, leading a team that uses the voice of the customer to design and deliver experiences worth sharing.

Ms. Gauci joined HomeEquity Bank in 2015 and has over 20 years of experience in marketing, product development, and strategy in financial services including over 10 years at companies such as American Express and Aviva. She graduated with a Hons. Bachelor of Business Administration and holds her Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business.

Ms. Gauci has led the creation of several award-winning campaigns and is regularly sought out to speak at industry conferences. She has been named a CMP Woman of Influence, sat on the board of the Canadian Association for Financial Institutions in Insurance, co-chaired the Financial Services Special Interest Group for the American Marketing Association and has judged the RBC Women Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

As SVP and Chief Risk Officer, Shyam provides oversight and leadership over the Risk, Compliance and Legal functions of the Bank. This role supports the strategic business objectives through both advisory services as well as timely identification and management of risks across a broad suite of financial and non-financial risks.

Shyam brings a depth of expertise to the role with 25 years of experience within financial services executing Risk and Compliance transformation programs as well as assurance and advisory services for multiple business lines. Shyam has proven strength in achieving results during times of change through a strong focus on collaboration and building trusted partnerships. His experience will be a tremendous asset to our team.

Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Risk and Compliance Transformation with the Bank of Nova Scotia. Shyam has a Masters of Mathematical Finance from the University of Waterloo and a Masters of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management. In addition, he holds the CFA and FRM designations.

Mr. Jauernig is a Corporate Director and President & Chief Investment Officer of NCM Capital Inc. From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Jauernig was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX:EFN), North America’s largest fleet management company. Previous to that, Mr. Jauernig was the Chief Executive Officer of Classified Ventures LLC., a provider of online classified advertising products in the United States and owner and operator of Apartments.com and Cars.com (NYSE:CARS). He joined Classified Ventures in 2000 having previously worked at Toronto-based Newcourt Credit Group Inc., where he served as Chief Financial Officer and President of the Newcourt Services division from 1991 to 1999. Prior to Newcourt, Mr. Jauernig worked at Arthur Andersen's Toronto office in its international taxation group from 1986 to 1991. Mr. Jauernig also serves as a Director of YourMechanic, Inc., Splend Automotive, Landlord Web Solutions and Wheels/Donlen Fleet Management.

Mr. Jauernig is a Chartered Professional Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant and a United States Certified Public Accountant and he holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.

Francine Blackburn is recognized as a financial expert and a leader in risk management, regulatory and government-related matters and global business operations. From 1987 to 2017, she served in a variety of senior leadership roles at Royal Bank of Canada, including as Executive Vice President Regulatory & Government Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer and during that time, was member of RBC’s Group Operating Committee charged with oversight of day-to-day management of RBC globally. Her previous senior roles at RBC include EVP & Chief Internal Auditor, Senior Vice-President of Group Risk Management and Managing Partner, Corporate Treasury at Royal Trust. Before joining RBC, Ms Blackburn was with the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche.

She is on the Board of Directors and chairs the Audit Committee of Aviva Canada, as well as a member of McGill University’s Business Faculty Advisory Board.

Ms. Blackburn graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce and a graduate diploma in public accountancy. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, a Certified Public Accountant in the US, a Certified Internal Auditor and completed Rotman’s Director Education Program. Ms Blackburn was inducted into the Women’s Executive Network 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada Hall of Fame in 2010 after being recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women from 2007 to 2009.

Cleo Cheung joined the Private Capital group at Ontario Teachers' in 2011. She has been involved in a number of transactions, including: the acquisition of Burton's Biscuits, Flexera Software, Blue Coat Systems, Canbriam Energy, Hawkwood Energy , and the sale of Sonicwall to Dell, Inc.

Previously, she worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at CIBC World Markets.

Cleo earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen's University.

Trudy is a senior executive with extensive Canadian and international financial services and retail experience. As CEO of Duo Bank of Canada (formerly Walmart Canada Bank), she led the transformational acquisition of Fairstone Financial in 2021.

As EVP Walmart Canada, Trudy was CEO Walmart Canada Bank and head of Sustainability, Public Affairs and Charitable Giving. Trudy’s executive experience also includes American Express and CIBC where she was president, CIBC Trust and head of global private banking leading a global team across Canada, the Caribbean and Channel Islands. She also led the team that developed and implemented CIBC’s Imperial Service offer across Canada and led CIBC branch banking for an Ontario region with 165 branches. Prior to her time in the Financial Services industry, Trudy held various management roles in retail with Hudson’s Bay.

Trudy Is Vice Chair of the Board for Fairstone Bank of Canada and serves on the boards of HomeEquity Bank, the Ivey Business School Advisory Board and Kensington Health Centre. She previously sat on the Financial Services board for Walmart Chile and was President and Chair of the Board of the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

She is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation and is the proud mom of her daughter, Mackenzie and son, Harrison.

Deepak Khandelwal, ICD.D is a Board member and former C-level executive with over 30 years experience in large global companies including Google, McKinsey, Rogers, and CIBC. He has driven major digital, operational, and client experience transformations in B2B and B2C industries - especially when under threat by new business models. At Google he co-led the SMB Advertising Business globally with over $25 Billion annual revenue. At CIBC he was a SEVP and Group Head with broad responsibilities including launching an online direct bank - Simplii Financial. At Rogers he was the Chief Customer Officer leading a team of 10,000+ employees and managing a $1 Billion cost base to transform the employee and client experience. Deepak earned an Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Jeff Markusson joined Ontario Teachers' in 2006 and has participated in a number of investments across the industrial, business services, and financial services sectors. He currently serves on the boards of APCO, Broadstreet Partners, Constellation Insurance Holdings, Fairstone, Allworth Financial, Lendmark Financial Services, and Seacube.

Jeff was previously an investment banker at CIBC World Markets, working in both the mergers and acquisitions group and the company's Vancouver office.

Jeff received a BA (Economics) from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from the University of Toronto, where he graduated as the Gold Medalist.

Steven Ranson is the President and CEO of HomeEquity Bank, a federally regulated, Schedule 1 Canadian bank and the only national provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage^®solution. Appointed President in 1998 and CEO in 2001, Mr. Ranson has led HomeEquity Bank through the public offering of Home Equity Income Trust in 2002 and the subsequent creation of HomeEquity Bank in October 2009.

Under Mr. Ranson’s leadership, HomeEquity Bank has substantially expanded and has been named to the Growth 500’s fastest-growing companies from 2016 through to 2020 and named to the Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Company list in 2021. In his role, Mr. Ranson is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Bank and has continued to grow the business by creating sustainable, long-term value and delivering performance consistent with the interests of its clients, the general public, employees and owners.

As the only Canadian bank that deals exclusively with Canadians aged 55+, Mr. Ranson is frequently asked to speak about topics related to aging in place, financial planning, proactive home equity release, the real estate market, and mortgage trends.

Mr. Ranson holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and a Masters, Business Administration from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant who was recently named a Fellow of CPA Ontario.

As a community leader, and an avid cyclist and skier, Mr. Ranson has served as Alpine Ontario’s Director and Treasurer. Mr. Ranson is also on the board of the YMCA of Greater Toronto and recently co-authored a book called Home Run: The Reverse Mortgage Advantage.

Brenda Rideout is a proven senior executive and board member with extensive experience in digital technologies, customer experience, strategy, marketing, operations, governance and risk management.

She currently sits on the Board for the CCG Club Group of companies - CAA Roadside Assistance, CAA Insurance, Echelon Insurance and Orion Travel. In addition, she is a strategic advisor for Nirvana Technology, an innovative fintech based in Miami aiming to simplify the finances of American households.

She is the former President and CEO of Tangerine Bank of Canada (formerly ING Direct). During her tenure with ING Group she held the Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Chief Operations Officer (COO) positions.

Brenda has over 30 years Canadian and Global experience. During her tenure she held permanent management positions in banking, insurance and retail sectors, as well as having worked as a Director for a prestigious IT Consulting firm.

In 2018, Brenda was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2008, she was the recipient of the CIO of the Year award from Deloitte/CATA and in 2007 she was awarded the Most Innovative CIO award from Bank Systems and Technology magazine. Brenda has served on a number of Boards and Advisory Councils.

Brenda has a quest for knowledge. She completed a Director Education Program with the Canadian Board Diversity Council. She attended the Executive Leadership program at Fuqua School of Business (Duke University) and Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage at Harvard Business School. She completed an Executive Management Program at Queens University, and holds a Masters Certificate in Innovation from the Schulich School of Business. In addition, she completed a Computer Science program with honours at Seneca College.

Richard Thomas joined Ontario Teachers’ Portfolio Management Team in 2020. He works closely with portfolio companies in the Financial Services and Technology sectors to lead the identification and implementation of strategic priorities and value creation opportunities. Richard also drives portfolio-wide initiatives as part of the PMT, and sits on the boards of Koru and Lendmark Financial.

Prior to joining Teachers’, Richard held a number of executive roles at Royal Bank of Canada. These included leading the development of the bank’s digital start-up arm at RBC Ventures, leading the Strategy & Business Architecture group, and managing portfolios and products within Cards & Payments. His previous experiences also include executive positions at HSBC and Sears Canada Financial Services, as well as working with Deloitte in Europe and North America in the Strategy & Operations practice.

Richard has an MA from the University of St Andrews, an MBA from London Business School, and the Chartered Director (C.Dir) designation from the Directors College at McMaster University.