Ian Collins
Ian Collins is the founder and CEO of The Collins Group. He has been active in investment banking, mergers & acquisitions, project financing, and capital market consulting for 40 years after graduating with a BA (Honors) in Economics & Political Science. Ian is the quarterback of the TCG Team and has an extensive background in:
- Arranging corporate financings and financing for acquisitions.
- Sourcing US and European venture capital and private equity investors for technology companies.
- Capital market advisory services to private and public companies.
- Initiating M&A transactions.
- Preparing project business plans and arranging project financing.
In the early years of TCG, Ian was involved in a number of “firsts” in the investment business:
- Conceived and initiated Canada’s first public issue of an off-shore investment fund. The fund, sponsored and managed by the Bank of Bermuda was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange after its IPO.
- Arranged all financing aspects for nine full length motion pictures, including the first and second nationally filed movie IPO’s in Canada.
- Through the Montreal Stock Exchange, initiated the effort that resulted in the formation of the Trans Canada Options Exchange – the first medium in Canada for exchanged traded options.
- Ian acted as chief consultant to the Canadian stock exchanges, and was Secretary General of “Committee for a Canada Wide Securities Market System”, the attempt by the Canadian stock exchanges and the Investment dealers Association of Canada to create a single Canada-wide integrated market for all Canadian stocks and bonds.
- Prior to founding The Collins Group Inc. in 1975, Ian held senior positions with a Canadian investment bank where he was responsible for block trading, investment research, asset management, and equity underwriting.