Nesto Group Board of Directors

Susan Kudzman joined Nesto Group’s Board of Directors in 2025. A highly respected leader in risk management, governance, and financial services, Ms. Kudzman brings a wealth of experience to help guide Nesto Group in realizing its vision of becoming a Canadian champion by building the mortgage ecosystem of the future. With an extensive career spanning executive leadership roles in financial services, she has held key positions including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Laurentian Bank. She has also contributed her expertise as a board member for prominent companies across various sectors, including Transat, Yellow Pages, and PSP Investments.

Marlene Lenarduzzi serves as the Bank’s interim President and Chief Executive Officer. She has more than 25 years of experience in risk management and banking strategy development, regulatory affairs, risk quantification, operations, and execution. Prior to joining Equitable, Marlene was the Head of Counterparty Credit Risk Management at the Bank of Montreal. Previously, Marlene served as Interim CRO for BMO Ireland, lending critical strategic advice and oversight as operations grew because of Brexit. She also served as the Head, Model Validation, where she was instrumental in transforming the Model Risk Management frameworks to better enable teams to make sound decisions. Marlene is deeply committed to giving back to the community and holds several prestigious board positions. She currently serves as President of the Toronto Chapter of the Risk Management Association and is an active board member of the Young People’s Theatre as well as the Dean’s Advisory Board for the faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. Marlene graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, earned a Master of Applied Science from the University of Ottawa, and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

Melanie Dunn has over 20 years of experience in business management and marketing communications. She is the CEO of Cossette and President of Plus Company Canada, a holding company with an extensive portfolio of communications and technology firms in North America, Europe, and Asia. Melanie also contributes to several professional and community organizations, serving on the board of directors of Cascades, Nesto, and Stingray. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Marketing certificate from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and completed the Chartered Director program from Université Laval.

Sam Brown is responsible for overseeing the overall strategic direction of CMLS Financial’s Commercial division, bringing over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. Prior to Nesto Group’s acquisition of CMLS Group in 2024, Sam was CEO of CMLS Group. He also spent three years at a commercial real estate asset manager in London, UK, and worked with a leading audit, tax, and advisory firm in their real estate assurance practice in Vancouver and London. Sam is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia.

Jean-Francois Blais has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, having served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AXA Canada and, more recently, President of Intact Assurance. His expertise spans operations management, value creation, technology platform implementation, organizational development, and data and risk management. He currently sits on the Boards of Directors of Nesto Inc. and Loto-Québec, where he chairs the Audit and Risk Management Committee. Previously, he chaired the Risk Management Committee at Desjardins Financial Security and was Chairman of the Board of the Insurance Institute of Canada. Mr. Blais holds a Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science from Université Laval and is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS). He was appointed to the Investment and Risk Management and Audit Committees on May 20, 2020.

Paul Desmarais III is the Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm active in venture capital, private equity, credit, and real estate, which he has led since 2016. Within the Sagard ecosystem, he is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage (fintech & financial services investing) and the Chairman and Co-Founder of Diagram (venture builder). His deep understanding of financial markets and investment strategies is crucial for Nesto Group’s long-term success and market positioning. He is also involved in various boards and initiatives, including Empower, the Black Wealth Club, and the Indigenous Leadership Circle.

François Lafortune co-founded Diagram and has served as its Managing Partner and CEO since 2016. He is responsible for overseeing Diagram’s strategy to co-create new companies in financial services, insurance, and healthcare. Within the investment portfolio, François was previously Chairman of Dialogue (IPO) for its first three years, Chairman of Collage (Sold to PeopleCorp), and currently serves as Chairman of Nesto. He is a member of Sagard’s Executive Committee and is based in Montreal, Canada. Prior to founding Diagram, François co-led the Canadian Business Technology practice at McKinsey & Company. Before that, he was an entrepreneur and investor, with over 15 years of experience in building businesses in the financial technology sector. François holds a B.Eng. from McGill University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). He is a member of the Board of Directors of Hydro-Québec and sits on the Minister of Finance’s advisory committee on Open Banking.

Malik Yacoubi is the co-founder and CEO of Nesto Group, leading the company’s mission to revolutionize the mortgage industry through technology and innovation. Established in May 2018 with his partner Karim Benabdallah, Nesto Group is their fourth venture, and it has experienced rapid growth, expanding its reach across Canada. He has shared insights on disrupting Canada’s mortgage industry, emphasizing Nesto’s focus on speed, trust-building, and innovation. His vision drives the strategic direction and growth of Nesto Group as a Canadian champion in financial services, providing seamless and efficient mortgage solutions.