Responsible Investment Association

Canada's industry association for responsible investment
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Overview

RIA Members include asset managers, asset owners, advisors, and service providers who support our mandate of promoting responsible investment in Canada’s retail and institutional markets. Our institutional members collectively manage over $44 trillion in assets.

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160
organizational members
Asset Managers, Asset Owners & Service Providers
400
individual members
Advisors, Consultants & Other Professionals
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Our Mandate

The RIA has three strategic pillars for firmly entrenching Responsible Investment in Canada’s financial ecosystem. Review our progress in our 2023 annual report.

  • BUILD COMMUNITY
  • DRIVE CHANGE & INFLUENCE POLICY
  • EDUCATE & INSPIRE

History

The RIA’s predecessor, the Social Investment Organization (SIO), was established in 1990 to advance socially responsible investing (SRI) in Canada. The SIO played a central role in building and developing SRI in Canada for 23 years.

In 2013, the SIO was rebranded as the Responsible Investment Association to evolve with the industry and to encompass the broader scope of responsible investing, which incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into the selection and management of investments.

RIA in Action

The RIA runs many programs, projects, events and initiatives to deliver on its mandate of advancing responsible investment in Canada. Review the RIA's progress in our 2023 annual report.
Education & Networking Events
  • We host the annual RIA Conference to provide education on the latest issues & trends in the field of responsible investing.
  • We also host smaller events such as ESG Product Knowledge for Retail Advisors Event Series.
  • We coordinate the Fall Forum Series, collaborating with members and partners across Canada to host events throughout the fall.
Research
  • We conduct research for the annual Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report to track the growth and development of responsible investing in Canada.
  • We release quarterly reports on the performance of RI funds.
  • We also conduct the annual RIA Investor Opinion Survey to track individual investors’ interest in RI and related issues.

Our Team

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Alexandra (Allie) Chapman
Senior Manager, Member Services and Event Operations
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Patricia Fletcher,
ICD.D
Chief Executive Officer
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Ady Jonsohn
Vice President, Content Development and Delivery
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Alacia Michaud
Bilingual Education and Events Administrator
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Hanane Mohammadi
Bilingual Research Analyst
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Sukanya Natu
Bilingual Member and Partner Relations Coordinator
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Damiano Passarelli
Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist
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Glen Pichanick
Head of Advocacy and Industry Insights

Board of Directors

Melanie Adams,
Chair
*
Managing Director and Head of Responsible Investment Team
RBC Global Asset Management (GAM) Toronto, Ontario
Marie-Justine Labelle,
Vice Chair
*
Director, Active Ownership & Public Markets Sustainability
Investissements PSP
Carol Smith,
Treasurer
*
Financial Advisor, Life and Health Insurance Advisor
Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network Toronto, Ontario
Anna Murray,
Secretary
*
Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Investing
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Solène Hanquier
*
Senior Director & Head of Responsible Investment
National Bank Investments Montreal, Quebec
Jackie Ramler
*
Portfolio Manager & Branch Manager
Raymond James Ltd.
Adelaide Chiu
*
VP, Head of Responsible Investing & ESG Services
NEI Investments
Geordie Hungerford
*
Indigenous Finance Executive
Nalini Feuilloley
*
Head of Responsible Investment
BMO Global Asset Management Toronto, Ontario
Roger Beauchemin
*
President & CEO
Addenda Capital Montreal, Quebec
Barbara Zvan
President and Chief Executive Officer
University Pension Plan Ontario Toronto, Ontario
Stephen Erlichman
Partner
Fasken Toronto, Ontario
* Legend
EC Executive Committee
GPC Governance Policy Committee

In the Press

From KYC to KYP: how one advisor weaves responsible investing into his practice (Wealth Professional)
October 16th, 2023
Greener days ahead: There’s a new global standard for climate-related disclosures (Money Sense)
July 18th, 2023
Canada’s green taxonomy playbook stuck in limbo, industry group says (Globe and Mail)
June 23rd, 2023
What is ESG integration, anyway? (Investment Executive)
June 8th, 2023
Grab your slice of the growing responsible-investing pie, advisors told (Wealth Professional)
January 25th, 2023
Responsible investing: ‘This is the time to get it right’ (Toronto Star)
December 2nd, 2022
Why Interest in ‘Impact Investing’ is Taking Hold (The Globe and Mail)
September 24th, 2019
Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance Recommends Super Tax Deduction to Incentivize Green Savings (Benefits Canada)
June 19th, 2019
Expert Panel Aims to Recruit the Financial Sector into the Climate Fight (Investment Executive)
June 14th, 2019
Survey Finds Increasing Support for RI (Advisor's Edge)
April 25th, 2019
OPINION: It’s Time for Investors to Do More to Advance Reconciliation (The Chronicle Herald)
April 24th, 2019
RI Designations Growing in Popularity: RIA (Advisor's Edge)
April 17th, 2019
RI Designation Gaining Momentum Among Advisors (Wealth Professional)
April 16th, 2019
Global Sustainable Assets Hit $30.7 Trillion in 2018 – Report (Pensions & Investments)
April 1st, 2019
Global Sustainable Investments Rise 34 Percent to $30.7 Trillion (Bloomberg)
April 1st, 2019
Canadian Responsible Investments Surpass $2 Trillion (Investment Executive)
October 30th, 2018
RI Assets Growing Rapidly in Canada (Wealth Professional)
October 24th, 2018
Canadian Responsible Investments Surpass $2 Trillion AUM: Report (Benefits Canada)
October 24th, 2018
Rapid Growth in Responsible Investment Will Continue (Advisor's Edge)
October 24th, 2018
2018 RIA Conference Media Coverage
June 8th, 2018
A Major Tipping Point for RI? (Investment Executive)
January 15th, 2018
RIA Names Dustyn Lanz as New CEO (Investment Executive)
October 17th, 2017
Taking ESG Reporting to the Next Level – Benefits Canada
October 10th, 2017
RIA COO Dustyn Lanz On How Talking About Responsible Investment Pays Off (Investment Executive)
October 1st, 2017
RIA CEO Deb Abbey on Why the Glass Ceiling Needs More Cracks (Women in Business Magazine)
September 12th, 2017
Responsible Investing On The Rise (FinancialLiteracy.ca)
September 7th, 2017
The Gender Gap: Canadians Want to Put Their Money in Companies That Pay Equally (CBC News)
June 12th, 2017
Canadians Want Guidance on Responsible Investing, Study Finds (Wealth Professional)
June 2nd, 2017
Canadians want guidance on responsible investing, study finds (Wealth Professional)
June 2nd, 2017
Wide Gap Exists Between Investors’ Interest and Knowledge in Responsible Investing (Investment Executive)
June 1st, 2017
Investors Look to Support Firms with Pay Equity: Report (The Globe and Mail)
June 1st, 2017
Canadian Investors Want to See Gender Pay Equity and Women in Leadership Roles (Business Vancouver)
June 1st, 2017
Investors Lead Corporations When It Comes to Attitudes about Gender Diversity (Financial Post)
June 1st, 2017
RIA COO Dustyn Lanz Quoted in Article about Climate Risk Disclosure (ListedMag.com)
May 23rd, 2017
Responsible Investors Key to Global Sustainable Development (Investment Executive)
April 17th, 2017
RIA COO Dustyn Lanz on the Case for Responsible Investing (Financial Literacy)
March 20th, 2017
RIA Senior Director Dustyn Lanz Quoted in Article about Millennials and Responsible Investment (The Globe and Mail)
March 16th, 2017
The Need for Sustainable Business Supply Chains is Growing (Investment Executive)
February 21st, 2017
4 Drivers of Growth in Responsible Investment (Advisor.ca)
February 3rd, 2017
RI Assets Almost Double (BPM Magazine)
February 2nd, 2017
Pension Fund Assets Make Up 75% of Responsible Investing in Canada: Report – Benefits Canada
February 2nd, 2017
RI Continues to Enjoy Strong Growth – Investment Executive
February 2nd, 2017
In Canada, Pensions Funds Lead in Responsible Investment (Globe and Mail)
February 2nd, 2017
RIA Senior Director Dustyn Lanz quoted in article about responsible investing (VICE Money)
January 22nd, 2017

RIA News

Despite World Events, Retail Investors in Canada Remain Keenly Interested in Responsible Investments; Though Greenwashing Remains a Deterrent
April 10th, 2025
April 2025 Recipients of RI Credentials
April 7th, 2025
A Message from RIA CEO Patricia Fletcher (April 3, 2025)
April 3rd, 2025
New Research Initiative Provides 360-Degree Insights on Responsible Investment in Canada
March 20th, 2025
Quarterly Responsible Investment Funds Report: Highlights from Q4 2024
March 7th, 2025
February 2025 Recipients of RI Credentials
February 28th, 2025
January 2025 Recipients of RI Credentials
January 31st, 2025
A Message from RIA CEO Patricia Fletcher (December 13, 2024)
December 13th, 2024
December 2024 Recipients of RI Credentials
December 13th, 2024
November 2024 Recipients of RI Credentials
November 29th, 2024
2024 Responsible Investment Trends Report Highlights Industry Resilience and Calls for Further Standardization Amid Growing Investor Confidence
November 19th, 2024
October 2024 Recipients of RI Credentials
November 5th, 2024
September 2024 Recipients of RI Credentials
October 1st, 2024
2024 Advisor RI Insights Study: Topline Report
September 17th, 2024

Working Group

Advancing RI Through Peer Learning

The RIA serves as Secretariat for an institutional Canadian RI Working Group. The purpose of this Working Group is to leverage diverse networks and expertise to facilitate peer learning regarding responsible investment, and to help achieve the common goal of growing the RI industry. The Working Group is participant-driven and focuses on topics decided by the participants. Participants include CIOs, Portfolio Managers, Researchers, Analysts, VPs, Directors, Managers and other decision-makers from asset management firms and asset owners such as foundations and endowments.