Team

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." -African proverb

Vlaad is responsible for setting up the investment strategy and overseeing operations.

Vlaad worked as a consultant on Wall Street. He also worked as an equity analyst at an investment fund in Canada and as a senior adviser to European financial services regulators.

Before that, Vlaad spent over a decade in senior leadership roles at IBM in Toronto, Canada. During that time, he grew revenue from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars for enterprise software products in the data management space. Vlaad penetrated new markets in dozens of countries around the world and quadrupled his team at the same time.

Vlaad also spent a few years turning around a department for a mid-market enterprise software company in Toronto. He was responsible for developing and executing a strategy to grow a new recurring revenue line while rightsizing and leading a growing team.

As a young and ambitious go-getter, Vlaad earned his first entrepreneurial experience at the school of hard knocks when he sourced, acquired, operated, and exited a small business during turbulent years at the turn of the century, forever marked by the DotCom Bust and the 9/11 catastrophe. He started his career designing and developing software systems for AT&T, Ericsson, and other telecommunication companies in Canada.

Vlaad holds a Master of Finance degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he previously completed undergraduate studies in Business Administration. He also studied Computer Engineering at the University of Belgrade. Vlaad is a proud alumnus of a world-renowned Mathematical Grammar School in Belgrade.

Wenqi Yue is an experienced professional in the healthcare and energy sectors, with a focus on strategic development and international market expansion. At Backer North, Wenqi oversees deals and agreements, including an overall investment strategy and daily operations. She holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, MEng, and a BS from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Ms. Sewell has a broad range of work experiences across small and medium size enterprises (including both for-profit and nonprofit organizations), including administration and organizational responsibilities, inventory management, client outreach and marketing and fundraising initiatives. At Backer North, Ms. Sewell is responsible for maintaining relationships with existing and prospective investors and supporting fundraising initiatives and business development. She holds a General Arts and Sciences Degree from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

Valentina Josifovic Tomanic is an experienced financial and operations management professional in the telecommunications industry. At Backer North, Valentina supports investment management operations. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Belgrade.

Mr. Vidovic is CEO & Founder, Devamo Inc. He is one of the most trusted IT partners to Canadian government agencies and businesses seeking to develop solutions using Microsoft Azure cloud technologies and Power Platform (Dynamics 365). With decades of experience and dozens of successfully created solutions, Mr. Vidovic is a relentlessly sought-after Microsoft consultant throughout North America. He is a TOGAF 9 certified enterprise architect and a Microsoft Certified Professional with seven Dynamics CRM certifications.

Mr. Nigro is a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity & Venture Capital Groups at Stikeman Elliott, a global leader in Canadian business law. He is one of the most prominent Canadian midmarket M&A counsellors. Mr. Nigro also hosts the widely popular "Views from the Market: Midmarket M&A and Private Equity" podcast.

Mr. Stefanovic is a consultant with 25 years of industry experience across several major financial institutions. His areas of expertise include mid-market private equity, financial risk managment, valuation, portfolio management, structured credit, and the application of quantitative methods in the financial sector.

Dr. Kostanic is an Associate Professor at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) where he teaches graduate-level courses in RF propagation, Communication theory and Wireless communication. He is also a director at the Wireless Center of Excellence (WiCE) at FIT. Before joining FIT, Dr. Kostanic spent over seven years in the wireless communication industry as a research engineer with Agilent Technologies, SAFCO Technologies and TEC Cellular.

Suvd Tserenkhuu has extensive experience in commercial banking, credit and impairment analysis, and customer relationship management. She is a CFA charterholder and has a master’s degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University in Japan. Suvd is now pursuing an MBA at Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Dennis Tung, an experienced mechanical engineer, has honed his expertise across the semiconductor, medical technology, and aerospace industries. His foray into the healthcare consulting arena and strategic planning role within the aerospace sector's corporate strategy adds a rich layer to his professional journey as he embarks on an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, complementing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA.

Jessie Zhao is an experienced economic consultant with a demonstrated history of supporting clients in healthcare, life sciences, health tech, construction, and textbook manufacturing. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University in Atlanta with a BA in Economics and Linguistics. Jessie is currently pursuing her MBA at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Evan Wang brings a balanced skillset of financial analysis, consulting, selling, and marketing due to his wide variety of experiences. He holds a BBA in Operations & Information Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Evan is currently pursuing his MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Guilherme Pamplona previously worked as an Associate. Before that, he was a model risk internal auditor at Itau Unibanco in Brazil and interned at Citigroup in Chicago as an Investment Banking Summer Associate in the Industrials group. He earned his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Guilherme is pursuing his MBA at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mikael Waraich is an accomplished Strategy & Finance professional with a track record of driving corporate growth, ensuring profitability, and championing sustainability in the Logistics industry. He earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in Accounting & Finance from Lahore University of Management Sciences. Mikael is currently pursuing the CFA Charter and his MBA at The University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.