Morgan Stanley Appoints Montréal Senior Executive Sophia Bennaceur to Lead its Montréal Office

Key focus on talent growth and development, broadening connectivity with academia and the tech community

MONTRÉAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morgan Stanley today announced that Montréal Senior Executive Sophia Bennaceur will assume the role of Regional Head of Morgan Stanley Montréal and Technology Montréal. Sophia has lived and worked in Montréal for 20 years and is a native French speaker. She will replace Alan Vesprini, who retires after 12 years of success with the firm. With over 20 years of experience in investment banking across Operations, Finance and Information Technologies, Sophia joined Morgan Stanley in 2016 as the Chief Operating Officer for Morgan Stanley in Montréal.

“We are delighted to promote a senior executive who has been instrumental in building the culture and fabric of the Montréal office,“ said Merav Pepere, Head of International for Morgan Stanley Technology. “Sophia’s industry expertise and her deep ties to the local business and tech community played a critical role in driving the office’s success over recent years. With her leadership, we are well positioned to continue the remarkable growth, build out our relationship with academia and the local tech innovators, and further strengthen our talent development.”

“Morgan Stanley offers a fantastic corporate culture where people from all backgrounds, their passions and career aspirations are valued," said Sophia Bennaceur. “Montréal’s technology hub has tremendous momentum and there’s an incredible talent pool with high potential. I am very proud to be given that chance to help grow the city’s tech talent and invest in its future,” she added.

Morgan Stanley has been honored as a top employer in Montréal as well as one of the best employers for young people in Canada. Under Sophia Bennaceur, Morgan Stanley Montréal will continue to build out its world-class technology hub with experienced and next generation tech talent, deepen their relationship with the academic community, and remain an employer of choice.

The firm’s largest presence in Canada, the Morgan Stanley Montréal office is one of its most prominent technology hubs globally. Recruitment skyrocketed during the pandemic in the Montréal office. Today, the office houses more than 2,700 world-class IT professionals and engineers in areas such as application development, software development, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as digital technologies.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide, including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.