Moez Kassam

Background

Moez Kassam was born on August 27, 1980, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended Bayview Glen School, a Toronto independent school whose educational program combines academic study with co-curricular and community activities. Kassam's early interest in financial markets was connected with his school's participation in the TD Stock Portfolio Challenge, in which his class placed among Ontario's top three schools.

His professional and philanthropic life has remained centered in Toronto, where he developed a career in investment management while supporting educational, cultural, health, food, and sporting initiatives. He has described his philanthropic work as being informed by the immigrant experience and directed toward reducing barriers affecting diverse and underserved communities.

Education

Kassam attended Bayview Glen School in Toronto and completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Ontario in 2002. The University of Western Ontario, now known as Western University, is a major Canadian research university in London, Ontario, with a long-established tradition in liberal arts, business, and professional education.

He later received an MBA in Finance from London Business School in 2010. London Business School is a graduate institution of the University of London known for management and finance education, with an international program that included instruction in Dubai during the period of Kassam's studies.

Career

Kassam began his investment career in Toronto and co-founded Anson Group, now operating as Anson Funds, in 2007. Anson is a privately held alternative asset management firm established in 2003 with offices in Toronto and Dallas. Its investment activities include long positions, short positions, activist strategies, structured financing, and opportunistic investments in publicly traded securities.

As chairman and chief investment officer, Kassam leads the firm's investment management and serves as a portfolio manager for the Anson Investments Master Fund. The fund has been described as using multi-strategy and market-neutral approaches, combining fundamental research with positions intended to manage exposure to broad market movements. Under his leadership, Anson funds received recognition in performance rankings and financial publications, including Bloomberg, Barron's, the Financial Times, Reuters, and BarclayHedge.

Kassam has also pursued entrepreneurial and creative projects. Since 2011, he has been associated with Moringa Media Limited as an executive producer; the company works in multimedia and film and television production. He has additionally been involved in food and hospitality initiatives, including service as chief food officer of Dîner en Blanc, judging Canada's 100 Best Restaurants, and co-creating Assembly Chef's Hall in Toronto.

Achievements

• Kassam co-founded Anson Funds in 2007 and became its chairman and chief investment officer, leading a multi-strategy alternative asset manager focused on publicly traded equity and debt securities.

• Anson Investments Master Fund received recognition in hedge-fund performance rankings, including a ninth-place position on a BarclayHedge list for the period from February 2010 through June 2012 and recognition among Bloomberg's top-performing mid-sized funds for 2014 and 2015.

• Kassam was named to Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2018, an honor recognizing emerging Canadian leaders under the age of 40.

• Through the Moez & Marissa Kassam Foundation, Kassam has supported initiatives in health care, education, food security, sport, poverty reduction, and inclusion, including a $1-million contribution to the Canadian Olympic Foundation's Level the Playing Field initiative.

Views

Kassam's documented philanthropic work reflects a commitment to expanding opportunity and reducing barriers affecting immigrants, marginalized communities, and young people. Through the Moez & Marissa Kassam Foundation and related initiatives, he has supported access to food, health care, education, sport, and cultural participation.

His public investment philosophy at Anson emphasizes challenging conventional assumptions, combining long and short strategies, and seeking returns with controlled volatility and limited correlation to broad market indexes. These principles describe the firm's documented investment approach rather than a general personal philosophy beyond his professional work.

Membership

Kassam has participated in professional, educational, charitable, and community organizations. His board and advisory work has included the Canadian Olympic Foundation, the Toronto Public Library Foundation, the Immigrant Access Fund, Bayview Glen School, and other organizations connected with education, food, youth development, and social service.

These organizations serve different public purposes: the Canadian Olympic Foundation raises support for Canadian athletes and coaches, while library, school, immigration, and youth organizations broaden access to education, opportunity, and community resources. Kassam's memberships and board roles extend his professional activities into philanthropy and civic engagement.

• Director

  Canadian Olympic Foundation , Canada

  2020 - present

• Board member

  Toronto Public Library Foundation , Canada

• Advisory council member

  Immigrant Access Fund , Canada

• Member

  Young Presidents' Organization , Canada

• Alumni board member

  Bayview Glen School , Canada

• Board member

  Midas Safety Incorporated , Canada

• Board member

  Kids Cook to Care , Canada

• Committee member

  Toronto Taste Steering Committee , Canada

Personality

Public descriptions of Kassam emphasize entrepreneurial energy, competitiveness, and an interest in applying business resources to community initiatives. His documented public activities combine investment management with philanthropy, food, sport, education, and media projects.

Quotes from others about the person

• The Canadian Olympic Foundation described Kassam as bringing investment-management, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic experience to its board. In accepting the board appointment, Kassam said that sport and athletic competition play an important role in Canadian life and that he wanted to support Canadian athletes and the Olympic movement.

Interests

• Kassam has a documented interest in food and restaurants. He has served as chief food officer of Dîner en Blanc, judged Canada's 100 Best Restaurants, participated in food-related charitable events, and been involved in Toronto hospitality projects.

• Sport & Clubs

  Kassam has supported Canadian sport through the Canadian Olympic Foundation and has expressed interest in the role of athletic competition in Canadian public life.

Connections

Kassam co-founded the Moez & Marissa Kassam Foundation with Marissa Kassam. Established in 2016, the foundation supports initiatives involving health care, food security, education, sport, poverty reduction, women, and newcomer and diverse communities.

He has also worked with charitable and community organizations in Toronto, including the University of Toronto, Victoria University, Toronto Rehab Foundation, Better Together, and organizations supporting children affected by cancer. In 2023, the foundation committed $1 million to the Canadian Olympic Foundation's Level the Playing Field initiative for youth from newcomer and marginalized communities.

Wife:

Marissa Kassam

Co-founder of the Moez & Marissa Kassam Foundation and partner in its philanthropic initiatives.

References

• Anson Funds: Moez Kassam Official profile describing Kassam as co-founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of Anson Funds, and outlining his education and philanthropic work.
• Canadian Olympic Foundation welcomes Brian Gallant and Moez Kassam to its Board of Directors Canadian Olympic Foundation announcement of Kassam's appointment to its board and description of the foundation's mission to support Canadian athletes and coaches.
  2020
• Canadian Olympic Foundation Announces Gift from Marissa and Moez Kassam to Launch Level the Playing Field Initiative Announcement documenting the Kassams' $1-million gift for grassroots sport programs serving newcomer and marginalized youth.
  2023
• Past Honorary Doctorates Toronto Metropolitan University's official list records Moez Kassam as a 2025 recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws.
• Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Honourees Announced Official honouree announcement listing Moez Kassam as a principal of Anson Funds.
  2018
• Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund Foundation website describing Kassam's philanthropic priorities, board and advisory involvement, and the fund's focus on food, health care, education, sport, and equity.