About
Our team
Thames Valley was built by people who’d spent careers watching retirement security drift further out of reach for working Canadians, and decided to do something about it. The team that started the company is the team running it.
Leadership and board
The people building it
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Joel is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and co-founder of TVF, where he brings a first-principles mindset to the challenge of building real retirement security for Canadians. He has practiced in the Canadian life insurance industry since 2012 and holds an Honours Degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.
“Pure mathematics is as much art as it is science; equal parts beauty and logic.”
Joel is an innovator driven by possibility rather than convention.
“I’m less concerned with what is or isn’t and more interested in what could be.”
His vision for TVF is to bring both new and time-tested solutions to the life insurance and pension industries. Colleagues describe him as calm, thoughtful, and of sound character; qualities that anchor his commitment to long-term thinking in an industry built on it.
“I want to work with people who understand the transformative power of risk transfer.”
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Corey Yednoroz is a co-founder of Thames Valley Financial and serves as COO & Head of Retirement. He is a qualified actuary and also serves on the board.
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Brad Smith is the Head of Strategy & Partnerships for Thames Valley Financial.
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George has spent four decades working as an IT professional and as leader in small startups and large established organisations. He’s a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI), has a first-class honours degree in Computer & Management Studies from the University of Technology (Jamaica) and a MBA from Nova Southeastern University (Florida). George has enthusiastically embraced the rapid changes in technology and methodologies to remain relevant and forward executing as business strategies have shifted during periods of challenges or to maximise opportunities.
George has held various executive IT roles supporting life insurance, wealth management, group benefits and group pensions. As Vice President of Digital Technology at one of Canada’s largest insurance companies, he focused on designing & implementing results-oriented strategies while leading with a people-centric expert-guided mindset to leverage compute power and deliver technology-enabled transformative initiatives. George was responsible for business initiatives that powered operations and satisfied challenging stakeholders’ expectations. At Thames Valley Financial (TVF) his passion as a biz-tech leader aligns with the corporate vision. George brings a commitment to the optimal operationalisation of TVF’s mission through technology innovations, anchored in the use of data science, AI and agile product delivery.
This is fertile ground (IT green field) and a happy home, for Secured Retirement
, he says of TVF, eyes gleaming.George is passionate about helping others grow and has previously shared knowledge as Adjunct Faculty at two universities, plus informally through coaching and mentoring. Outside work, you’ll find an avid sports, aviation enthusiast, and an active philanthropist and volunteer with the Kiwanis Club of Forest City – London.
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Jacques is an actuary with a 38-year career in the Canadian life insurance industry. He holds an Honours Degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Western Ontario (1983).
Over the course of his career, Jacques served for 10 years as Appointed Actuary of a mid-sized insurer and developed deep expertise in risk management and financial oversight. He was responsible for Financial Condition Testing for more than a decade at a very large life insurer and held senior responsibilities across key functions including pricing and policy administration. His work has been characterised by analytical rigour, disciplined judgement, and a strong commitment to the fiduciary responsibilities of insurers.
As Co-Founder of Thames Valley, Jacques brings his actuarial and leadership experience to advancing solutions in the retirement space. He is driven by a recognition that significant gaps exist in the current landscape and is focused on developing approaches that are sustainable, transparent, and aligned with the long-term needs of individuals and organisations.
Outside of his professional work, Jacques enjoys spending time with family, music, and chess. He remains active in public affairs and is particularly interested in economic freedom and the long-term health of Canadian institutions.
Our board of directors
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Gary Vander Laan serves as chair of the board for Thames Valley Financial.
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Pat Johnston serves as an independent director for Thames Valley Financial.
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Jamie Newland serves as an independent director for Thames Valley Financial.
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Dr. Kannoo Ravindran serves as an independent director for Thames Valley Financial.
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Joel is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and co-founder of TVF, where he brings a first-principles mindset to the challenge of building real retirement security for Canadians. He has practiced in the Canadian life insurance industry since 2012 and holds an Honours Degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.
“Pure mathematics is as much art as it is science; equal parts beauty and logic.”
Joel is an innovator driven by possibility rather than convention.
“I’m less concerned with what is or isn’t and more interested in what could be.”
His vision for TVF is to bring both new and time-tested solutions to the life insurance and pension industries. Colleagues describe him as calm, thoughtful, and of sound character; qualities that anchor his commitment to long-term thinking in an industry built on it.
“I want to work with people who understand the transformative power of risk transfer.”
-
Corey Yednoroz is a co-founder of Thames Valley Financial and serves as COO & Head of Retirement. He is a qualified actuary and also serves on the board.
-
Jacques is an actuary with a 38-year career in the Canadian life insurance industry. He holds an Honours Degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Western Ontario (1983).
Over the course of his career, Jacques served for 10 years as Appointed Actuary of a mid-sized insurer and developed deep expertise in risk management and financial oversight. He was responsible for Financial Condition Testing for more than a decade at a very large life insurer and held senior responsibilities across key functions including pricing and policy administration. His work has been characterised by analytical rigour, disciplined judgement, and a strong commitment to the fiduciary responsibilities of insurers.
As Co-Founder of Thames Valley, Jacques brings his actuarial and leadership experience to advancing solutions in the retirement space. He is driven by a recognition that significant gaps exist in the current landscape and is focused on developing approaches that are sustainable, transparent, and aligned with the long-term needs of individuals and organisations.
Outside of his professional work, Jacques enjoys spending time with family, music, and chess. He remains active in public affairs and is particularly interested in economic freedom and the long-term health of Canadian institutions.