Identifying Opportunities
Developing Solutions
Taking Action

The Midnight Sun business model:

1. Find opportunities in the financial world by looking for inefficiencies, unserved markets and other “gaps”
2. Develop solutions that respond to the opportunities
3. Take action to monetize the solutions

In pursuing its business model Midnight Sun integrates the expertise of best-in-class capital markets, legal, and financial professionals.

Midnight Sun is guided by its Core Values through which we are PRIMED for success: Principled, Real, Inventive, Meticulous, Energized, Dynamic. Midnight Sun commenced operations on October 1, 2016 and has expanded to a team of more than fifteen professionals with offices in Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary.

Our Story

Midnight Sun began when John and Richard were lawyers, but also entrepreneurs in their own right as investors in private businesses. Together they were partners in a forward swap foreign exchange trading business.

They began to develop strategies that achieved unique economic returns. These strategies are the foundation upon which the Midnight Sun securities and derivatives were designed.

Our Team

Richard Kirby

President & Co-Founder

Richard is a co-founder of Midnight Sun with John Burghardt. Richard is a lawyer and holds an MBA from Cornell University. In 2011 Richard was named one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40, and in 2013 Richard was named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 community leaders by Avenue Edmonton.

John Burghardt

CEO & Co-Founder

Before co-founding Midnight Sun with Richard Kirby, John practiced as a lawyer and a Chartered Accountant. John's practice has focused on developing innovative tax and financing strategies. In 2007 John was named one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40. In 2013 John was named Lawyer of the Year for tax law in Calgary by Best Lawyers.

Jackie Colville

Chief Financial Advisor

Jackie is a CPA, CA with extensive experience in financial management, business leadership and directing strategy. Her prior leadership experiences include CFO of Alberta Investment Management Corporation and of Champion Petfoods. Jackie also holds the ICD.D designation and gives back to her community through her involvement with several not-for-profit boards.

James Niosi

Vice President, Capital Markets

James is a senior executive with over 23 years of experience in Capital Markets. He has held senior management positions, most recently as global head of trading at a top 4 Pension Fund with assets in excess of $120 Billion. His expertise spans multiple asset classes including global equities, equity derivatives and foreign exchange. James has also held positions as Senior Vice President of a mid-tier broker responsible for their Quantitative Strategy Trading group, and Vice President at one of the top 5 Canadian Banks as head of Prime Brokerage.

Margaret Paproski

General Counsel

Margaret is a lawyer, CPA, CMA and finance professional with over 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Midnight Sun, Margaret practiced tax law with a focus on corporate reorganizations, acquisitions and divestitures. Margaret also spent five years of her career as an investment banker at a bulge bracket investment bank in the US after completing her MBA (with Distinction) at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.