Trusted Partners, Proven Builders
At McCain Capital Partners, we bring patient capital and expertise to build long-term value.
McCain Capital Partners is in the business of growing businesses. We are a family-owned, Canadian investment company, and we make long-term investments alongside strong, aligned management teams to build real value in the companies we own.
We are patient investors and are not bound by short-term return expectations or liquidity requirements. Instead, we bring an entrepreneurial and flexible approach to our partnerships, providing permanent capital, strategic guidance, and operational support.
Strategy
We typically take control positions in fundamentally sound businesses with a history of stable cash flows, and which have the potential to lead their markets.
We focus exclusively on the lower-middle market in North America, and work constructively with management on the strategic agenda to drive long-term, profitable growth. We do not invest in pure commodity or real estate businesses, or in start-ups.
Team
ZAC McISAAC
Zac has more than 12 years of experience in private equity investing, M&A, and corporate finance and strategy. Prior to joining McCain Capital Partners, Zac was an investment professional at a leading Canadian mid-market private equity firm, where he was responsible for sourcing and driving value creation for investments in market-leading businesses. Zac has a Bachelor of Commerce from Mount Allison University, where he was an Academic All-Canadian and Male Athlete of the Year; he received his MBA from Queen’s School of Business, and he is a CFA charterholder.
James Dent
James joined McCain Capital Partners in 2018, prior to which he was an Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at CIBC Capital Markets where he was involved in executing M&A transactions across a wide range of sectors. James has a B.Comm., Honours and a BA (History), both from Queen’s University.
Douglas Scott
Douglas joined McCain Capital Partners in 2019, following two years as an Associate at Fengate Asset Management, where he was involved in originating and executing investments across a wide range of asset classes in the infrastructure space. Douglas began his career at Deloitte, where he was a member of the firm’s Financial Advisory practice and earned his CPA, CA designation. Douglas holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Moneca Nicols
Moneca joined McCain Capital Partners in 2020. She began her career at Grant Thornton as a management consultant before joining RE/MAX Europe as Director of Performance. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with business owners and leadership teams to identify areas of improvement within their businesses and achieve measurable results. Moneca has an Honours Business Administration degree and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Talha Zubair
Talha joined McCain Capital Partners in 2022. Prior to this, he worked at KPMG in the Deal Advisory - Transaction Services group, where he provided a combination of buy-side and sell-side advice to both private equity and corporate strategic clients. Talha's work consisted of both domestic and cross-border transactions and spanned a multitude of industries. Talha is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Advisory Committee
McCain Capital Partners is supported by an experienced advisory committee of strategic and operational experts.
Michael McCain
Mr. McCain is Executive Chair of the Board and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods. He joined the Corporation in April 1995 as President and COO, was appointed CEO in January 1999, and subsequently Executive Chair of the Board in May 2022.
Prior to joining Maple Leaf, Mr. McCain spent 16 years with McCain Foods in Canada and the United States, where he was President and Chief Executive Officer of McCain Foods USA.
He is a Director of McCain Capital and is a member of the Richard Ivey School of Business Advisory Board, the Business Council of Canada, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation. Mr. McCain is also the Honorary Chair of the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security.
Jonathan McCain
Jonathan McCain is the President of McCain Capital Inc., a privately-held investment management company.
Previously, he was the President of Northstar Scaffold Service Inc. and a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. He is a director of McCain Capital Inc., Chair-man Mills Corp., Classic Fire Protection, Northstar Scaffold Services Inc., and an investment committee member and director of McCain Capital Partners.
Mr. McCain graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario with an Honours in Business Administration degree. He has completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto and is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation. He is a current member of the Toronto chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.
Richard Lan
Richard Lan has over 30 years of experience in the global food industry, most recently as the CEO of Canada Bread Company and COO of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
In his role at Maple Leaf Foods, Richard led the restructuring and strategic growth of the bakery business, and assumed overall operating leadership for the food businesses, harvesting synergies between the meat and bakery business.
Richard received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island. He was President of Dell Products Corp., until that business was sold to McCain Foods in 1988. Richard then assumed the position of President and CEO of McCain Citrus, where he remained until he joined Maple Leaf Foods.
Bill Aziz
Bill Aziz is a senior executive and experienced director with a record of achievement in change management, corporate culture transformation and team building.
He has extensive experience in building strong management teams focused on profitability, while promoting strong and flexible strategic thinking to create solutions. Bill also has extensive, international experience in multi-party negotiations, strategic partnerships, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Through BlueTree Advisors, Bill provides advice based on his more than 30 years of turnaround and management experience. His work encompasses diverse industries including mining, financial services, softwood lumber, steel manufacturing, refrigerated warehousing, transportation, retail, telecommunications, manufacturing and media.
Bill is a director, Chair of the Compensation Committee, and member of the Audit Committee of Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure and a director, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Safety and Sustainability Committee of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Fengate Real Assets. Until the end of 2019, Bill was a director, member of the Human Resources Committee, and Chair of the Investment Committee of OMERS the $105 billion Ontario municipal employees pension plan and was a member of the Ivey School of Business Leadership Council for Cross-Enterprise Leadership at Western University.
Janice Fukakusa
Janice Fukakusa serves as a corporate director with extensive banking and financial services experience.
She previously served as RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer and a member of RBC’s Group Executive, from which she retired in January 2017 following a distinguished 31-year career. Janice is also Chancellor, Ryerson University.
Janice currently serves on the boards of corporate and not-for-profit organizations. She is a director on the Boards of Cineplex, Loblaw and Brookfield Asset Management, and Chairs the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Foundation.
In 2007, she was inducted into Canada's Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame and, in 2016 she was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker magazine for the fourth consecutive year. She was also selected as Canada's CFO of the Year by Financial Executives Canada, PwC and Robert Half in 2014.
Janice has the professional designations of Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator. She was appointed Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCPA) in 2011. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from University of Toronto and holds a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business York University and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University.
Companies
Element Event Solutions
Element Event Solutions is Canada’s premier provider of event and tent solutions, delivering more than 35,000 memorable events per year from Vancouver to Halifax. Element is the integration of nine leading event solutions companies, merging together as one exciting new entity. As Canada’s only company with the ability to offer event solutions from coast to coast across tents and structures, event rentals, furniture rentals and drapery, Element is truly Canada’s gold standard in seamless and elevated event solutions.
Classic Fire + Life Safety
Classic Fire + Life Safety (CFLS), formed by the merger of Classic Fire Protection and Forest City Fire Protection (FCFP), is a leading independent fire & life safety service provider. Along with its sister companies (APEX Fabrication & Supply, Northern Sprinkler Design and EDGE Fire Protection), the company operates from 12 branches in Canada and the southeastern United States. CFLS is home to nearly 700 fire and life safety professionals, providing the highest-quality installation, inspection and maintenance services for sprinklers, fire alarm systems, extinguishers, and security systems to more than 4,000 customers across North America in virtually all sectors of the economy.
Northstar Access
Northstar Access has been a trusted provider of scaffolding, shoring, and other access solutions in Canada for over 50 years. Northstar’s customers depend on them for high-quality products, exceptional installation services, industry-leading experience, and a dedicated focus on safety. Since 2012, Northstar has expanded from its original location in Southern Ontario, and now operates from 5 branches across Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, employing more than 250 experienced professionals.
