Don brings over 30 years of financial industry experience to Fraser Mackenzie Private Credit in the areas of mezzanine debt lending, private equity investment and investment banking. Don is the firm’s founder and runs its mezzanine debt business, including Navigate Private Yield Fund LP III.

Prior to launching FMPC as the manager for Navigate Private Yield Fund, Don spent the last 25 years managing mezzanine debt funds and private equity funds in the lower mid market, including playing the lead role in managing Fraser Mackenzie Merchant Capital’s Private Yield Funds I and II, where he was a co-founder.   Prior to Fraser Mackenzie Don was a partner and member of the investment committee at Fulcrum Capital Partners (formerly HSBC Capital (Canada)). During Don’s tenure, Fulcrum/HSBC Capital managed over $700 million with a mandate to provide mezzanine financing as well as private equity to mid-sized businesses.  Don also co-founded Latitude Partners, where he raised and managed Canada’s first buyout fund aimed specifically at the technology industry.  Through his activities with Fulcrum, Fraser Mackenzie and Latitude Partners, Don has considerable Board experience with companies across a wide range of industries.

Don started his Bay Street career in investment banking with Lancaster Financial (acquired by TD Securities), and has executed over 100 M&A and financing assignments with dozens of companies including Cisco, LSI Logic, MacDonald Dettwiler, COM DEV (now part of  Honeywell International), Blackberry and Open Text, as well as smaller entrepreneurial firms like Sandvine, Zoomit (now Microsoft Active Directory) and Janna Systems (now part of Oracle).

Don is a CA, CPA (gold medalist for Nova Scotia), KPMG alumnus and a graduate of Mount Allison University. He is also a former Mentor with MaRS Discovery District’s INFRONT Global Fund Manager Mentorship Program, and currently sits on the investment committee of the Endowment Fund at University King’s College.