Vinay Sarin received a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from McGill University, following a Bachelor of Arts with honors in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Subsequently he received an honorary Masters of Arts from Cambridge University, and a Juris Doctor in law from the University of Toronto. Following the latter, he was called to the Ontario Bar in 2010.
Vinay has 30 years of experience in financial management and business strategy. He retired from a senior position at the Bank of Montreal, where he held the position of Senior Vice President, Financial Projects. Prior to that (in reverse chronological order): Senior Vice President, Financial Strategy; Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller; Vice President, Capital Funding; and various other Senior Manager positions. He was also a Senior Manager, Financial Analysis at Canadian National Railway Co.
Vinay had many accomplishments in his financial career with BMO including being a key member of teams that negotiated: a merger agreement with Royal Bank in 1998, BMO’s acquisition of a 20% stake in Bancomer, one of Mexico’s leading banks, and Harris Bank’s acquisition of Suburban Bank in 1994, which led to BMO’s stock being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He introduced new and innovative features in response to regulatory and tax rules and market requirements as well as revamped BMO’s capital management policies and processes to the point where regulators often considered BMO an exemplar.
Following retirement from BMO and while pursuing his studies in law, Vinay served as a research assistant to an international law professor, in research related to the permitted ‘use of force’ and ‘self-defense’ in international law. Vinay practices in association with Baker Law Firm covering various aspects of civil and commercial law and immigration including appeals to the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court.
Vinay has participated in many volunteer activities. He served on the Board of Trustees of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, including two years as Chair. During this period, he oversaw a number of significant developments: settling a legal dispute between the Hospital and one of its foundations, becoming affiliated to the University of Toronto, constructing a new facility with a budget of around $100 million and maintaining close to breakeven annual financial results. Vinay also served on the Board of JUMP Math, including three years as chair, and on the Canada committee of Human Rights Watch. Vinay is currently a Member of the Board of Directors of State Bank of India (Canada).
