We believe in helping people make smarter decisions with their money.

Justin Thouin is the Co-Founder and CEO of LowestRates.ca. Justin started the company in 2012 following a successful career as a Senior Executive with two prominent entertainment and technology organizations. He also created a thriving Executive Consulting practice prior to founding the company. Justin holds an Honours Degree in Commerce from Queen's University.  

Justin is passionate about sports of all kinds, playing tennis competitively and coaching his two daughters in soccer.  He also enjoys investing in early stage ventures and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.  Justin has been an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist and is frequently featured in the media.

Sean Widdess is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at LowestRates.ca. He's responsible for securing and maintaining partnerships with insurance brokers, direct writers, mortgage brokers, credit card companies, lenders, banks, and other financial brands. Before joining LowestRates.ca, Sean spent 9 years as VP and National Sales Manager at VERICO Financial Group, a leading Canadian national mortgage brokerage. When Sean’s not working, he can be found spending time with his wife and kids at their many sporting events.

Gary is our Director of Development and acts as the bridge between the business team and the development team. He ensures the use of the highest software development standards and processes at LowestRates.ca. He’s also a well-rounded programmer himself. In his downtime, Gary likes to do various activities with his family and friends.

Denise is the former National President of iv3, with three years under her belt at the company and 17 years of experience in the insurance and inspection industry. Denise is certified in RIBO and CRM and brings her natural desire to protect and help to work with her. She has led national sales teams for more than 10 years. She has been nominated the past three years for IBC’s "Vendor of the Year" award by customers. Denise has an extremely diverse skill set, having worked on the broker side of the industry, as well as company/underwriting, loss control and risk management and been a head hunter/recruiter for insurance.

Jerom Yu, CPA, MBA is the Controller for LowestRates.ca. He oversees all financial and accounting processes of the company. Since graduating from the MBA Program at University of New Brunswick, Jerom has spent over ten years working in financial and accounting areas with a few different companies and obtained his CPA designation during those years. He is very passionate about the technology industry. When he is not working, Jerom likes to spend time with his family doing all kinds of fun things together.

Justin Leung is a Product Manager at LowestRates.ca and a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University. Prior to LowestRates.ca, Justin interned at an insurance quote comparison website and completed a semester abroad in Belgium.

In his free time, Justin keeps up with the Toronto Raptors.

John Shmuel is the Managing Editor and Senior Writer for LowestRates.ca. Before joining the team, he spent seven years covering investing and economics for the National Post. His reporting has taken him around the world — from a lobster fishing boat on the Bay of Fundy to a robot fitness class in Tokyo. John is a graduate of Ryerson University and a board member of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Reach him at john@lowestrates.ca.

Jayson is the Director of Automotive Division at LowestRates.ca. He’s responsible for growing and maintaining partnerships related to the automotive industry.  Before joining LowestRates.ca, he spent five years as a Senior Manager with Refresh Financial. Jayson played college and professional hockey in North America and Europe. When Jayson isn’t working, he can be found spending time with his wife and three kids hiking, camping, biking, playing hockey, and skiing. They reside in West Kelowna and live the Okanagan Lifestyle.

Aidan joined LowestRates.ca as our Senior Customer Experience Manager after spending nine years in the Financial Services sector. He has a passion for delivering a world-class customer experience to every consumer and will stop at nothing to do so. He’s also a classically trained chef and likes exploring the city with his adorable Chocolate Lab, Katie (who he secretly considers the LowestRates.ca office dog). Reach out on LinkedIn.

Alexander is a senior web developer at LowestRates.ca with over ten years of experience in the field. He keeps the website working from behind the scenes and adds new features from time to time. Web development is not only his job, but also his hobby. In his spare time, aside from web development, he also likes to play video games and draw cartoon characters.

Nor is a Product Manager at LowestRates.ca. She manages a number of verticals, among them mortgage and car loans. She is passionate about creating a great user experience and building a product that can help every Canadian with their everyday financial needs. In her free time, you’ll find her dancing, horseback riding, travelling, reading or doing something that keeps her active and continuously growing. Learn more about Nor’s professional background on LinkedIn.

Alexandra Bosanac is the Core Content Editor for LowestRates.ca. Her reporting has appeared in Canadian Business, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the CBC. Reach her at alexandra@lowestrates.ca. 

Jessica is the Associate Editor for LowestRates.ca. Before joining the team, Jessica worked as a National Online Journalist with Globalnews.ca and previously spearheaded the launch of the Business Section at one of Canada's largest technology websites, MobileSyrup. Jessica's career started at the age of 15, when she talked the editors of a local paper into giving her a monthly column. Six years later, Jessica graduated from the Ryerson School of Journalism, where she specialized in multimedia journalism and developed a passion for business and technology reporting. Reach her at jessicav@lowestrates.ca. 

Alisher worked in the QA field for 10 years before joining the LowestRates.ca team in 2016. As a certified quality assurance analyst, he makes sure that the software created by our development team is free of defects and helps keep our site running smoothly. Special skills include drawing, painting, speaking three different languages, and understanding six.

Viktor joined LowestRates.ca as a software developer. He has a passion for coding and challenging tasks. In his spare time, aside from coding, he also likes to play MMORPGs, watch sci-fi movies and do sports. He's interested in investing, stocks and healthy living.

Miriam is the Accounts Payable Specialist & HR Administrator with an Honours degree from York University.

Hanna is the Quality Assurance Analyst for LowestRates.ca. Before joining the company she worked as a hardware tester. She enjoys travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Adnan is a Business Analyst at LowestRates.ca and a graduate of Brock University. He develops technical solutions to business problems and is involved in identifying problems, needs, and opportunities for improvement at all levels of the organization. 

Lisa is a Personal Finance Writer for LowestRates.ca. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Toronto Life, Canadian Living and TVO. As a child, she diligently hoarded the $50 bills that fell out of her Christmas cards. Adult Lisa is working hard to resurrect those stockpiling tendencies. Reach her at lisa@lowestrates.ca. 

Hannah Schwab is the Accounts Receivable Specialist for LowestRates.ca. Her role involves preparing invoices, processing receivables and verifying payments from our partners. Prior to LowestRates.ca, she attended the University of Vermont where she graduated with a Finance & Marketing degree. In her spare time, you may find Hannah networking, exploring the city, travelling the world, or spending quality time with family and friends. Feel free to reach out to Hannah at hannah@lowestrates.ca

Tuni is a Front End Developer for LowestRates.ca. Before joining LowestRates she worked as a graphic designer and as a fashion designer. Tuni is really passionate about coding, loves volunteering for organizations that teach code, and enjoys attending tech events. She is a food adventurer, a theatre nerd, a terrible gamer, and proudly geek.

Preethika is a Business Analyst at LowestRates.ca. Her role involves analyzing and communicating requirements to help implement business solutions. When not working, Preethika spends her time doodling and exploring the city.

Avinash works as a Business Insights Analyst at LowestRates.ca. He helps uncover insights as it relates to customer purchasing trends and product pricing. He also ensures the database and business reporting is in a good place. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and listening to podcasts.

Margarita worked for 10 years as an equity trader on the New York Stock Exchange prior to joining LowestRates.ca as a QA Analyst. She has a Master’s degree in economics, but non the less is very passionate about IT and technology. As a manager and a Chief Finance Officer, Margarita has traveled the world for business and pleasure. She speaks four languages and can play the piano. She has competed as a professional volleyball player. Margarita enjoys watching Nat Geo WILD.

Zandile is a personal finance writer at LowestRates.ca. Before joining the team Zandile worked as the content editor for Real Estate Management Industry News. As a self-proclaimed budget warrior, Zandile dedicates most of her time to advocating for financial wellness. Reach her at zandile@lowestrates.ca.

Dennis joined LowestRates.ca as a Customer Experience Analyst after spending 12 years managing restaurants in and around Toronto. He's succeeded as a hospitality leader by ensuring every customer receives a stellar experience. Dennis is a George Brown College graduate, enjoys trying new restaurants in the city, and spending time at home with his family. Reach out to Dennis at dennis@lowestrates.ca or on LinkedIn.