Beta Plus Alpha: CIBC GAM's Blueprint for Canada's Fastest Growing ETF Shelf

November 10, 2026

2 minute read

Listen on The Move

What happens when a late mover in Canadian ETFs builds its shelf from first principles, and one all-equity fund passes the billion-dollar mark in months?

Episode Summary

Pierre Daillie sits down with Greg Gipson, Managing Director and Head of ETFs at CIBC Global Asset Management, to go inside the build behind what has become one of Canada's fastest growing ETF suites. Greg traces a 27-year journey from institutional quant research and a decade in Tokyo to a blank sheet of paper at CIBC.

Along the way, he explains the thinking behind two high-profile partnerships, how advisors can judge whether an active or factor-driven strategy earns its fee, and when a single-ticket solution gives way to its building blocks. The conversation closes with a look at how AI, tokenization and the blurring line between funds and ETFs may reshape the advisor's day.

Chapters

0:00 Why CIBC's momentum matters
1:30 Greg's background and the quant roots
3:00 A decade in Tokyo and a global lens
7:00 Joining CIBC and the moment to move
8:30 Three pillars of the ETF shelf
10:30 The Avantis Investors and Counterpoint Global alliances
13:30 ETFs as portfolio building blocks
16:30 Active vs. passive, dispersion and factor tilts
19:30 Judging alpha net of fees
24:30 Growth, income and first principles
27:00 Inside CAGE: the all-equity all-in-one
29:30 The whole pizza or the ingredients
31:30 Funds, ETFs, AI and the next decade
35:00 What advisors do with the time they gain
36:00 Building a team that outlasts you