White Star Capital expands its Canadian presence

International venture investor White Star Capital announced it has opened an office in Toronto and added to its team in Montreal.

Among the personnel changes, CFO Julie Plouffe was promoted to general partner and named chief people officer in the Montreal office. She’s been with the firm for more than two years.

Also in Montreal, the firm hired Jonathan Brun as an associate, joining the firm after five years with Scotiabank.

Elsewhere, White Star said the new Toronto office will be staffed by Sanjay Zimmermann, who joined the firm in 2017 and was promoted to principal. Joining him in Toronto is Tandis Azarbad, who the firm hired as vice president of finance.

The firm said general partner Christophe Bourque will split his time between Montreal and Toronto as he continues to lead the firm’s Canadian efforts.

White Star Capital, which invests in North America, Europe and Asia, opened its first Canadian office in 2014 in Montreal. It has overall invested in 10 Canadian start-ups, including Ludia (acquired), Mnubo (acquired), Drop Loyalty, Dialogue, Vention, and Borrowell.

Source: White Star Capital