Our Team

Management Talent

Our foundation is built upon academic rigor. Our CIO, Ivan Medovikov, Ph.D., is a university professor who has dedicated over a decade to applying advanced scientific research methods—specifically in statistics and data inference—to financial markets. He uniquely bridges the gap between theoretical research and institutional execution, holding a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation with over ten years of hands-on portfolio management experience. Throughout his career, Dr. Medovikov has collaborated with and been mentored by prominent leaders within the Canadian hedge fund and asset management sectors.

He is supported by a founding team of capital markets veterans with decades of expertise in alternative asset management, trading, compliance, and operations, alongside a highly specialized technical and research department.

Ivan Medovikov, Ph.D.

Chief Investment Officer

Ivan combines more than a decade of scientific research with institutional portfolio management. Before co-founding Exponential, he developed his expertise in trading and quantitative research at Polar Asset Management Partners and the Bank of Canada. A specialist in the intersection of data and markets, Ivan holds a Ph.D. in Financial Econometrics from Western University and is a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.

Lekan Temidire, MFIN, CFA

Chief Executive Officer

Lekan has over 15 years of Capital Markets experience in structured finance, restructuring, and portfolio management. He has guided companies to their maximum potential in connection with operational efficiency, risk management, growth financings and other corporate transactions. Lekan holds a Master of Finance from the Smith School of Business (Queen’s University), a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa, and he is also a CFA Charterholder.

Scott Miller, MBA

Head of Distribution & Product

Scott brings 25 years of capital markets expertise across portfolio management, product development, and institutional distribution. Over the course of his career, he has successfully raised more than $4B for alternative investment strategies and previously managed Tangerine Bank’s $12B global ETF portfolios. Having collaborated with leading global firms, Scott holds an Economics degree from Warwick Business School and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.

Scientific and Technical Talent

Artem Kultyshev

Head of Research

Artem holds a graduate degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo and is currently completing a Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence at Southbank University. He integrates this advanced technical foundation with over a decade of portfolio management and proprietary trading experience. This unique dual-expertise drives the firm's ongoing innovation and ensures the seamless adoption of emerging technologies across our systematic trading strategies.

Anton Shishkin

Chief Technology Officer

Anton provides over a decade of specialized IT systems engineering experience within the asset management sector, supported by advanced Microsoft certifications. He implements institution-grade solutions across cybersecurity, cloud architecture, and data infrastructure. Anton oversees the firm’s full-stack systems engineering and platform maintenance, ensuring the integrity and high-performance of our day-to-day technical operations.

Varvara Soboleva

Head of Machine Learning

Varvara combines a research pedigree from a prestigious European applied mathematics institute with deep industry expertise in architecting large-scale data and automation systems. She directs the firm’s machine learning framework—overseeing feature discovery, engineering, cloud-scale computation, and predictive modeling. Her work provides critical analytical support across the firm, ensuring our systematic strategies are backed by rigorous data science.