40 under 40 — Dave Fortin

Alpha Psi, 2011 — Recognized in: 2018

Like so many others on this list, Dave Fortin has a list of accomplishments so impressive that one would expect it from someone twice his age. With regard to his professional life, Dave is the chief operating officer and chief compliance officer at Tactex Asset Management, a large and successful asset management firm in Montreal. Additionally, he has taken a hands-on role in the development of a start up called Mylo (https://mylo.ai/about/), which rounds up user purchases and automatically saves and invests the rounding.

During his time at McGill, Dave flourished as he focused his efforts on improving the McGill community as president of the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS). The university recognized his achievements and awarded him the Scarlet Key, which is an exclusive club for those McGill students who make exceptional contributions to campus life (Scarlet Key website: https://bit.ly/2x4rI3h). His involvement on campus also extended to the Alpha Psi chapter, which ultimately played a big role in his success in these other areas.

“From the moment I became a brother, I felt I was part of something much larger than myself. Our chapter had been growing at an unprecedented rate in the preceding year or two, and that growth continued during my time as an active and culminated in a dynasty of chapter awards, including the McElroy Order of Excellence.

When I decided to get involved in student politics, I found mentors within the chapter to guide me and received generous support from brothers helping me get the vote out. This was key in me winning the position of vice president and becoming president of the Management Undergraduate Society the following year. I have done my best to pay it forward to the younger generation whenever I have had the opportunity, as I have seen the impact first hand. I remain involved with Alpha Psi by serving on our elder board. For several years I served as Beta Pi and currently serve as elder Phi.”

Despite some extremely trying circumstances over the years, Dave has flourished both personally and professionally. A bastion of strength for his fraternity, his community, and his wife, Dave continues to push his own personal limits of creativity and innovation.

“A few years ago I started working on an innovative side project in the financial technology space. We worked for many months with our regulators just to get the business model approved. We then set about frantically building our product, and figuring out or inventing processes along the way to make it work. Earlier this year, our app Mylo (mylo.ai) launched in Canada, and our user base is growing rapidly. Seeing this come to life after years of planning and setbacks has made me incredibly proud to have been part of the initial team that made it happen. I could not have predicted how my career would evolve over time, and only in looking back does it truly make sense that it would lead me here. I have learned that while meeting your goals in life is important, you also need to leave space for opportunity and inspiration.”