Sam Brown is responsible for overseeing the overall strategic direction of CMLS. He is responsible for the company’s commercial business and shares in the oversight of corporate functions. Mr. Brown has 20 years of experience in the real estate industry.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2011, Mr. Brown spent 3 years with a commercial real estate asset manager based in London, UK.  He also worked with a leading audit, tax and advisory services company in their real estate assurance practice in both Vancouver and London. Mr. Brown is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia.

Sandeep Manak works alongside CMLS leaders to optimize the business units within CMLS, spanning across commercial, residential and fund management. He also leads specific functions within the finance team.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2023, Sandeep held roles across the real estate spectrum, including asset management and development, in private and public capital markets with exposure to different geographies including Canada and Europe. Mr. Manak is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.

As National Head of CMLS Advisory, Pierre Bergevin is focused on the expansion and scope of services offered to our clients. Mr. Bergevin brings over 30 years of experience in real estate advisory across all aspects of the business both in domestic and international markets. After a decade of production at a global real estate brokerage, Mr. Bergevin moved into leadership and developed numerous business lines prior to serving as Canadian CEO.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2020, Mr. Bergevin held a key leadership position at a global real estate investment bank, focused on institutional coverage. Mr. Bergevin split his time between New York and Toronto while supporting the growth and development of other international markets. Pierre holds a BSc from The University of Western and Honours in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Pierre is a former member of the Board of the YMCA of Greater Toronto and is a former Board Member of REALPAC.

As a member of the CMLS leadership team Steve Bryant oversees commercial origination activities and lending programs across Canada. Steve’s client and financing experiences span real estate asset classes and project types - strategic planning, new development, acquisitions, and refinancing – with a specific focus on Seniors Housing.

Mr. Bryant spent 9 years as a Principal at IC Funding prior to its acquisition by CMLS Financial in 2019. Steve’s career includes a diversified set of experiences in client service, marketing, operations and management. Steve was the Vice-President of Sales and Customer Service for a regional telecommunications company and spent 13 years at a global consulting firm working with Fortune 500 companies in business strategy, customer relationship management and process engineering. Steve received his Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University and later completed the Advanced Business Management Program at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Dan Putnam is responsible for executing on a sales strategy designed to drive mortgage broker originated business. He is also responsible for residential marketing. Mr. Putnam has more than 25 years of experience in the Canadian residential mortgage industry.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2012, Mr. Putnam owned and operated a large regional mortgage brokerage, served as President of two national mortgage brokerage operations, and served as President of Originations for a national residential mortgage lender. In 2015, Mr. Putnam served as the Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP), now known as Mortgage Professionals Canada.

Andrew Gilmour is responsible for capital markets and residential operations. In his role, he provides strategic direction, leadership, and oversight for residential lending functions. This includes business strategies, investor relations, compliance activities and mortgage funding which includes managing interest rate risk, trading, securitization and loan sales.

Andrew has more than 15 years of experience in the mortgage industry. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a degree in Economics. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Jennifer Froment oversees the commercial servicing division. She is responsible for the strategic direction of the team and all aspects of commercial servicing operations. She has more than 15 years of experience in audit, accounting and financial services.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2011, Ms. Froment built her career at large international audit firms in Vancouver and abroad. She worked in the hedge fund administration industry and held a controllership role prior to joining CMLS. Ms. Froment holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and is a designated Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst.

Mark Adams is responsible for CMLS’ commercial lending activities, specifically conventional and high yield mortgages, and manages the commercial funding group. Mr. Adams has over 35 years of experience in commercial real estate, including sales, lending and property management.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2012, Mr. Adams’ worked at major financial institutions where he was involved in the origination, underwriting and securitization of commercial mortgages and asset management of non-performing commercial mortgages/properties and corporate loan portfolios across Canada.

Franca R. Cerqueti leads a team that specializes in providing creative and unique credit structures for commercial real estate financing on a variety of asset classes for privately owned development and real estate investment companies. Ms. Cerqueti oversees commercial origination activities across Western Canada. She has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate financing and has extensive background in construction, development, bridge and long term financing for mid-large developers and investors.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2018, Ms. Cerqueti served as Director in commercial real estate divisions for some of Canada’s largest financial institution and Credit Unions, with a keen focus on partnering and syndicating complex real estate transactions. Franca holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Finance and Accounting from University of Manitoba.

Greg is responsible for overseeing the construction activities of CMLS across Canada.  He has more than 30 years of experience in the commercial mortgage industry.

Prior to joining CMLS in 2015, Mr. Russell held key senior management positions at institutional and non-institutional lenders. He has extensive experience in the enhanced yield sector of the market. Mr. Russell was a key member of a private lending platform that was built from the ground up. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba.

Manpreet Batoo is responsible for leading Human Resources at CMLS. Ms. Batoo has over 15 years of experience developing, supporting and executing strategies, programs and initiatives across a broad range of Human Resources domains.

Prior to joining in 2019, Manpreet held various HR roles for a prominent publicly traded real estate firm. Ms. Batoo holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation through the Ontario Human Resources Professionals Association and completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Guelph.