THE CDA MENTOR NETWORK

The CDA Mentor Network offers CDA clients access to a diverse group of former scholar-athletes who have not only accomplished great things on campus, but also in life. Being connected to people who have successfully navigated the student-athlete journey and translated their experience into success off the field-of-play, ensures our clients are well positioned for a life after hockey.

CDA Mentors have diverse backgrounds and experiences that will benefit our clients by assisting them with career advice and facilitate connections for the next phase of one’s life.

Our roster of mentors is outlined below.

“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life.

I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way.

A mentor.”

— Denzel Washington

Peter Clark, Dartmouth, ‘93

Nicole Ruta, Dartmouth ‘08

Matt Ocken, Dartmouth ‘92

HOCKEY. BETTER.

Peter has over 30 years of experience in venture investing, corporate development, transaction execution, business planning and treasury with public and private companies in Canada and the United States. Peter currently serves as the CFO of Smart Skin Technologies, Inc., a venture-backed industrial software tech company.  following his positions as Director of Pelorus Venture Capital Limited and CEO of GrowthWorks Atlantic Limited. Prior to his role as a venture capital investment professional, Peter served as VP Finance and Corporate Development with Xplornet, Inc., Canada’s leading wireless broadband Internet service provider, and VP Corporate Development with TeleTech Holdings, Inc., a NASDAQ listed provider of outsourced customer management services.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He is the President of the Fredericton YMCA Endowment Fund Board of Directors. Peter formerly served as Chair of the Fredericton Community Foundation and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Fredericton Playhouse Inc. and as a member of the Advisory Board of the Huntsman Marine Science Center.

Peter was the team captain at Dartmouth and played his prep school hockey at Hotchkiss. Prior to Hotchkiss, Peter was a fixture on the AAA teams in his home town of Fredericton, NB.

Peter and his wife Kari live in Fredericton, NB and have two sons, Owen & Griffin.

Matt Ocken is a seasoned executive search professional with more than 20 years of experience in building world-class leadership teams for high-growth technology companies. As the co-founder and Managing Director of Kindred Partners, a retained executive search firm, Matt specializes in recruiting CXO-level talent for leading SaaS, Internet Services, and emerging FinTech companies.

Prior to founding Kindred Partners in 2001, Matt was a Partner at Ramsey Beirne Associates, where he played a key role in developing executive search practices for emerging technology firms.  His career also includes experience in the Institutional Equity Group at Brown Brothers Harriman.

A graduate of Dartmouth College where he played varsity hockey, Matt and his wife Rachel (Dartmouth ‘92) live in Connecticut and have two sons; Jack (Yale Lacrosse) & Wiley (Hamilton College Lacrosse). Matt remains active through his passion for fly fishing and is a mostly-retired (and often injured) hockey player.

Quincy Gregg brings a unique blend of experience in finance, business strategy, and sports leadership. He is currently a Senior Consultant in Ernst & Young's Forensic and Integrity Services team, where he specializes in Anti-Money Laundering, Government Contracts, Insurance & Federal Claims and Investigations. Quincy also leads initiatives to expand EY's presence in the sports sector. 

Quincy is pursuing his MBA from UNC Chapel Hill, with concentrations in finance, marketing, strategy & consulting, and management & leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International and American Government from Wesleyan University, where he was an accomplished student-athlete. As a member of the Wesleyan hockey team, he helped lead the program to its first NESCAC championship in school history. Before Wesleyan, he attended the Salisbury School, where he won three prep school elite 8 hockey championships. 

Outside of his professional endeavors, Quincy is passionate about inspiring the next generation of leaders and fostering connections across cultures. He has traveled extensively, embracing diverse experiences and cuisines in countries all around the world, which inspired him to embark on a unique project—writing a coffee table book titled The Blind Order. The book chronicles his 1,000-day streak of dining without looking at menus, celebrating the joy of discovery and the universality of food to connect people.

Quincy Gregg, Wesleyan ‘20

Ryan Chieduch, Queen’s University ‘05

Greg Chapman is a seasoned executive at Avalara, a leading provider of tax compliance automation software. With over 25 years of diverse experience in technology and retail, Greg has established himself as an expert in driving innovation and growth within dynamic environments. His extensive background equips him with a unique perspective on the challenges businesses face in navigating the complexities of tax compliance.

 At Avalara, Greg plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic direction. He is dedicated to enhancing customer satisfaction and streamlining operations. Under his leadership, Avalara has expanded its offerings, integrating advanced technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve accuracy and efficiency in tax compliance.

Before joining Avalara, Greg held key positions at Amazon and Onyx Software. He was instrumental in launching innovative products that transformed the way businesses approach tax compliance and financial management. Greg's deep understanding of the intricacies of channel management, product management and sales has made him a trusted advisor to businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, helping them navigate the ever-changing landscape of taxation.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Greg is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders in the technology sector. He dedicates time to coaching young professionals and promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry.  

Greg holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College where he played 4 years of Varsity Hockey.

For most, graduation is a time to dip our toes in the industries we’d only ever learned about in theory. For Ryan, it was more like a starter’s pistol. In his early 20s, with an economics degree and an affection for finance, geopolitics, psychology, and people, Ryan set out to build his very own wealth practice. At the time, he wondered, “Who is going to trust a guy my age?” What he found was that trust wasn’t a matter of age as much as attitude and action.

“If I could go back, I wouldn’t have started any other way.” That blend of energy and work ethic our team was built upon is now our most important differentiator.

In addition to an Honours Bachelor degree in Applied Economics, Ryan has earned the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Fellowship of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI) designations. He is an avid reader and remains constantly in pursuit of ongoing education.

Ryan and his wife, Theresa, and their four children lead a busy, active life.

A competitive hockey player in his early life for the Prince George Cougars of the WHL and Queen’s University, Ryan remains passionate about sports and fitness. He’s competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, the Boston Marathon and remains an avid cyclist. Ryan and his family support local charitable causes both on an organizational and financial level. “I have a lot of gratitude for the position I’ve found myself in, so giving back and helping to uplift my community is important to me.

Robin in a seasoned capital markets and alternative investment professional with almost 25 years of experience.  He is a partner and the Head of the Private Wealth Solutions group at Sagard, a global multi-strategy alternative asset management firm with active in venture capital, private equity, private credit, and real estate.  At Sagard, Robin is in charge of designing investment products based on private assets that are distributed through wealth management platforms and large scale retail distribution networks.  Prior to Sagard, Robin was a Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets in the Cross-Asset Solutions team for 14 years.  Before that, he was an Executive Director at CIBC Capital Markets for eight years.  Prior to his time in capital markets, Robin practised as a corporate lawyer and partner at Davies Ward & Beck (now Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP).  

Robin holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College, a LL.B. from Queen's University and is a CFA charterholder. While at Dartmouth, Robin played Varsity Hockey.