We will dearly miss Ross McMaster
With the passing of Ross McMaster, Bay Street has lost one of its best institutional salesmen.
I worked with Ross for the better part of 5 years at Orion Securities. He as one of the key Institutional Salesmen and me as the lowly investment banker. He approached every equity offering with the highest of intensity. He wanted to meet management, he wanted to understand the story, and he wanted to appreciate why the company would hit the ball out of the park.
When things worked out, he was quick to pat folks on the back. When others might want to protect their domain, he would take you to lunch with his buyside clients so that they could get a sense of your gravitas; it was the i-bankers, after all, who carried the due diligence burden in many deals.
When Orion beat every other dealer in North America to lead a $50 million bought deal for Certicom in 2001, Ross made sure that worked (and the deal was 11 or 12x oversubscribed as a result). When Ruby Osten pounded us each week over why Spectra Securities Software hadn’t raised its US$15 million fast enough, Ross sat there with Shawn and I at 5:30 pm each Friday night and took it with us.
There wasn’t once that he didn’t give the firm, his colleagues and his clients his all. On the phone, he could cover most topics with abandon. He even cared about politics, going so far as to raise money for favourite causes.
When I switched to Wellington Financial on a fulltime basis in 2004, Ross (now a leader at Thomas Weisel Partners) was always one of the first to call and congratulate us on good news. Raising a new fund, closing a new deal, enjoying an exit. He wouldn’t miss the chance.
The zero sum world of Bay Street rarely encourages such behaviour, but Ross never fell into that trap.
He joined Don, Gerry and I for the annual trip to Casino Niagara, and of course he hit “the point” five times in one roll sequence during his inaugural game of Craps. At golf, he’d admit to hitting the ball a long way off the tee “for a little guy”. As a husband and father, brother and son, he was generous and involved.
His passing makes one well-up. We will dearly miss Ross.
MRM
Mark
Thanks for starting this off and in so doing, for giving us all an opportunity to record our affection for a very special person. I too had the pleasure of working with Ross up until last year at Westwind, and I am honored to be able to call him my friend. Friendship meant something special to Ross and no favour was too small for him to lend a hand. If you cared..he cared and he would go out of his way to help, with no expectation of thanks or acknowledgement. As you said, not a common thing for Bay Street.
I know that I am just one of many who are better for having known him and we will all miss him greatly.
Dear Ross,
We will sadly miss your wit, good cheer, energy, wonderfully quick mind and friendship. You were always one of the most positive, optimistic and “can-do” people that I have ever had the privilege of working with or knowing. You were instrumental in the growth of Westwind Partners. It has been an honour to know you since the legendary TDSI/ Gordon Capital partnership over 20 years ago.
You were clearly one of the best institutional salesmen on the Street, but more so you were a tremendous character that comes along once in a lifetime and will be sorely missed at the firm, on the Street and in your community as coach, volunteer, athlete and friend.
Mark and George articulate well many of your wonderful characteristics and I am delighted to echo the feelings and more. We would all like to be able to thank you in person for making our lives richer, more fun, more interesting and for helping us accomplish more as a team than we ever imagined with your spirit, sense of humour, integrity, drive, spirit and perseverance.
You were an incredible example of discipline, hard work and determination to us all. It is with great sadness that I write this today, but a joy to celebrate your wonderful spirit, character and personality. You will be sadly missed by us all and our hearts, prayers and thoughts reach out to Heather, Liam, Hope and Susan.
Your friend and colleague,
David
Hard to put into words how sad it is to hear of Ross’ passing. As a colleague and a friend, he never failed to be entertaining and engaged, witty yet sympathetic. A great guy. My heart goes out to his family and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him. He will be missed.
As someone who met Ross in the last five years (as part of the growth of Westwind), I share in the impressions expressed by others. Ross was one of the most enjoyable people I have worked with in this business. Beyond his great wit and market savvy, there was a warmth of character that made him truly engaging. I will miss him greatly and best wishes to his family.
I have known Ross for 15 years at the Summit Golf Club, When I first met him and Earle on the first tee, these two were class acts. Our boys played baseball this year in Leaside. Heather and the girls were a treat to hang out with. Ross, we will all miss you.
Ross was our head of sales at Yorkton (later Orion) when I joined this business in 2000. He perfectly demonstrated that you can be great at what you do while enjoying life and enjoying the people in your life. Ross was the brightest smile in the office. I was lucky to know him.
I met Ross in the summer of 2004 when he joined Westwind, and like everyone else the one thing that stands out to me above all was how Ross treated everyone the same no matter whom you were. A newbie in the business like me just starting out was in the same boat as the rainmakers in Ross’ eyes and that’s how he lived his life and his legacy will forever be honoured by that. To Heather, Liam, Susan and Hope you have much to be proud of. Ben
I had the pleasure of working with Ross on two IPOs back when he was an I-banker at TD and another after he moved to sales at Yorkton. Despite the pressure that always accompanies such deals, Ross was always in good spirits. He was one of a kind.
My condolences to his family.
Craig
Ross was a remarkable guy, truly one-of-a-kind with an amazing wit (he was the best guy to have at a long syndicate meeting), untold enthusiasm, great compassion and sense of fair play (so rare in this business), keen business sense and wonderful manner. I had the pleasure to work alongside him for several years, and they were some of the best years of my life due in part to his contribution. He will be greatly missed. Deepest condolences to Heather and the children, as well as Earle and the entire family. A tragic loss.
I had the privilege of Ross’ (and his brother Earle’s) friendship through most all our schooling and working years. And now I can see, especially upon reflection, how little I truly appreciated Ross’ zest for life – he literally attacked every day! Ross was an excellent athelete, a vibrant businessman, a true friend, and most clearly, a caring and giving family man – what a great example for the rest of us. Well lived Rossco.
I just found out of his passing and it is such a shock. I had the honour of meeting Ross. My heart goes out to his family. He was indeed a wonderful person and treated everyone in the same manner no matter whom you were. This world lost a wonderful person. My deepest sympathy to Heather and the children.
Ross was and will always be my big brother. I wake up every day and can’t believe he is gone. He made every day a great day for all of us.
It was great to read all of your kind words and I can’t agree more.
He was one of a kind and full of life.
We were blessed with Ross for a short time, but he will live on in our hearts.
I think of him everyday, and what he meant to me.
Never more than now.
I love you Ross, we all love you and miss you.
Zee Bee