Our Team

With close to 40 years of experience as a senior executive in both banking and private businesses, Derral brings a wealth of knowledge and connections to the Shaughnessy Group. 

Prior to joining our firm, he was Senior Vice President, Business Development for Western Canada for BMO Financial Group, and he previously held senior executive roles in commercial banking, corporate finance, retail banking, national strategy development and national sales leadership.

Derral has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto and completed executive development programs at the Kellogg School of Business in Chicago, the University of Western Ontario and the Banff School of Management. 

His board and committee experience is extensive. Derral has been inducted into the Order of St. John and currently serves as Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 39 Signal Regiment in Vancouver.

Karl is an Advisor to entrepreneurs and executives desiring to sell their business, grow through acquisition, or raise capital.

The founding member of five privately-owned start-ups, two start-up business units within the public company environment, led turnarounds of 3 Canadian and 1 European subsidiary of a public company.

Led the growth of business-to-business technology, specialty finance, warranty, and creditor insurance organizations through digital transformation into leading national brands and platforms that scaled 80X assets 25X revenues and 18X earnings.

Fostered cultures and teams that achieved Growth 500 status for 5 consecutive years and Top 100 Small & Medium Enterprise Employer honors for 2 consecutive years.

A Mentor to business school students and newly immigrated Canadians on their personal and professional growth. Volunteer on not-for-profit boards.

An investor, entrepreneur, and performance enhancement professional. 

Bernie is a big four trained corporate finance and restructuring professional. A founding member of one start-up, Bernie’s experience has led him to serially redesign processes and systems within publicly listed and private companies. Bernie has experience analyzing seed stage companies for the second largest angel group in Canada. Most recently, Bernie has created investment companies and an investment fund.

Nick is an accomplished Senior Financial Professional with an excellent track record of success with a  Canadian chartered bank and other financial service organizations.  

Using innovation and data science he has helped create billion-dollar portfolios. Throughout his career he has striven to achieve optimal effectiveness and efficiency in order to enhance stakeholder value.  Having worked in both Eastern and Western Canada, Nick has broad range of experience which includes; commercial and consumer lending, discount brokerage, real estate and agriculture.

In addition to a B.Com and  MBA, he has Diploma in Urban Land Economics and has completed course work for a Master of Economics degree. 

Karen Grant is seriously committed to the angel investing space. She has launched 4 angel groups, invested in a number of companies, and has served in various capacities on non-profit and privately held company boards.

Karen is entrepreneurial in spirit and deed. She has founded companies, launched investment funds and has worked in the commercialization field with FedNor, FedDev, Ontario Centres of Excellence and most of the Regional Innovation Centres and universities around Ontario.  Earlier in her career she led and grew the Toronto Venture Group, working with most of the venture capital firms in Canada and hundreds of companies that were seeking capital. Karen’s corporate experience includes 12 years with IBM Canada where she had various roles in sales, marketing and communications.

Karen is passionate about early-stage companies and when she is not coaching, cajoling or congratulating founders, she enjoys the outdoors, some creative pursuits, cooking and entertaining. She and her husband of 30+ years still enjoy each other’s company and travel together as often as possible.

Tom is a Strategic Advisor. Some of the critical company decisions and issues he has assisted with include:

Hiring and exiting C-Suite executives, Merging three companies, Divesting lines of business, Turning around a business losing customers, losing money, and with poor customer service, Determining decision-making among: the Board of Directors, the CEO and executives, Defining joint-venture objectives and shareholders agreements, Establishing the governance required for an IPO, Acquisition analysis and due diligence, Establishing a new organization structure and long-term evolution path, Turning around enterprise-wide change programs; and Determining the value proposition and business model for a large startup company.

Tom has advised a broad range of leaders, from the largest organizations in the world to startup founders.

Tom’s professional and volunteer affiliations include Angel One Investor Network: Member. Computer Aid Inc. (Private Company): Board director, gBeta Accelerator: Mentor. Institute of Corporate Directors: Member. Odette Cancer Centre: Patient Family Advisory Council, member. Rotman Business School: MBA student mentor University of Toronto, Entrepreneurship Hatchery: Mentor.

Tom has two purposes for his professional life; Helping business leaders have a positive impact on society, helping business leaders (current and emerging) succeed.

Peter Vukanovich is President and Owner of PMV Consulting Inc. Peter has 30+ years of leadership and governance experience in Canada and around the world. From 1997-2012, Peter served as the business leader for GE Capital Mortgage Insurance, which became Genworth Canada upon the initial public offering of Genworth Financial in May 2004. Since leaving his role as President of Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada, Peter has served as Chief Commercial Officer for Canadian Title Loans Inc. (non-prime auto lending) and Chief Executive Officer and President of CFF Bank, now a subsidiary of Home Trust Company. Peter recently concluded his role as Teranet Inc.'s Senior Vice President Commercial Solutions where Peter successfully led the division's growth in revenues, product development and data capabilities. Peter is broadly focused, strategically minded, and technologically savvy with excellent board, government relations and communications skills. Currently Peter is Director of Real Matters Inc. (REAL:TSX) a publicly-traded appraisal management company and non-executive Chair of Euro Sun Mining Inc. (ESM:TSX). Peter served as a founding board member for Edgefront Realty Corp. (Now Nexus Real Estate Investment Trust (NXR.UN.TSX)). Previously, Peter advised many not-for-profit entities such as Habitat for Humanity Toronto and the University of Toronto Mississauga. Peter also was a long term board member and President of the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP). Peter is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto.