The Milken Institute has added senior executives from Microsoft, Cohere, and Australia’s Future Fund to the lineup for its first-ever Toronto conference, expanding the roster of institutional investors and business leaders set to meet with Canadian executives and government officials on Monday.
Matt Milton, president of Microsoft Canada, Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez and Hugh Murray, deputy chief investment officer of Future Fund, are among the newly confirmed speakers, according to a working draft of the agenda obtained by The Logic. TD Securities CEO Tim Wiggan, Power Sustainable CEO Bruce Heyman, AGF Management chief investment officer John Porter and Fitch Ratings global analytical head Jeremy Carter are also slated to speak.
They’ll join previously announced speakers from some of Canada’s biggest banks and financial institutions, including TD CEO Raymond Chun, whose bank is sponsoring the event; RBC CEO Dave McKay and TMX Group CEO John McKenzie. Others include AGF Management CEO Judy Goldring; Eldridge Capital Management CEO Tony Minella; Fortress Investment Group co-CEO Jack Neumark; and Hines global chief investment officer David Steinbach.
Talking Points
- The first-ever Milken Institute conference in Toronto will take place just before the Canada Investment Summit kicks off, as the federal government seeks to unlock $1 trillion in new capital, including $500 billion in private investment over five years
- One panel will discuss the migration of credit from banks to private markets and how long-term investors are aligning with businesses and limited partners
Milken Institute spokesperson Michelle Stevenson declined to comment on the guest list, saying it will “be updating the speaker page in the coming days.”
The half-day gathering comes ahead of the Canada Investment Summit, which the federal government is organizing with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board. Laura Deal Lacey, the Milken Institute’s executive vice-president of international and lead organizer of the event, previously told The Logic the timing was a “nice coincidence.”
Founded and backed by financier and philanthropist Michael Milken, the think tank holds its flagship annual gathering in Beverly Hills, Calif., and convenes international summits in other cities.
The Toronto edition will focus on financing Canadian infrastructure, energy, critical minerals and technology, as well as artificial intelligence and the growing role of private markets. It comes as the federal government pitches Canada as a prime investment destination, with a goal of unlocking $1 trillion in new capital, including $500 billion in private investment over the next five years.
A senior Canadian government official, whose identity is not listed in the working agenda, is expected to join Milken Institute CEO Richard Ditizio for the opening fireside discussion.
Future Fund’s Murray will then join TMX’s McKenzie, TD Securities’ Wiggan and Fitch Ratings’ Carter for a session on mobilizing capital for Canada’s next phase of growth. The discussion will focus on financing major projects, improving productivity and creating the conditions to attract and deploy investment at scale.
Hines’s Steinbach and Eldridge’s Minella are set to participate in a separate discussion on investment in industries like energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, defence and emerging technologies. Tim Dattels, a senior adviser to TPG Global who holds a number of board positions, including at TikTok USA, Alpine Canada, Sagard and Temasek-owned Seviora, has been invited to moderate the panel. A senior BMO executive has also been invited, while another limited-partner participant remains pending.
Artificial intelligence will be another major theme, bringing together RBC’s McKay, Microsoft Canada’s Milton and Cohere’s Gomez. AI and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon is listed as pending for the discussion, which will examine the capital, computing and energy infrastructure needed to turn Canada’s strengths in AI research and talent into successful and scalable companies.
Additionally, a session on long-term investment will discuss the credit shift from traditional banks to private markets, with panelists Fortress’s Neumark, Power Sustainable’s Heyman and AGF Management’sPorter. Temasek’s North America head Jane Atherton is invited but not yet confirmed. Canadian institutions held about $500B in private credit by the first quarter of 2026, according to the Bank of Canada.
The institute expects between 125 and 150 attendees, including representatives of Canada’s Maple 8 pension funds, major limited partners, family offices and senior executives from leading financial institutions.
The Milken Institute’s Global Dialogues Toronto will also coincide with several other investment and finance gatherings on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15, including the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association’s Canadian Global Growth Forum in Toronto and the Canada Fintech Forum in Montreal.