Scott Patles-Richardson is the Chairman and Founder of Indigenous Financial Solutions (IFS), a consulting company founded to advance the financial capacity, strategic vision and management of Indigenous communities and organizations. It also acts as a private equity fund to invest in Indigenous projects and companies.

A seasoned senior executive, Scott has over 20 years-experience in finance, corporate development and leadership roles gained from a career in corporate banking and executive positions in several private companies. Scott has extensive leadership experience in negotiation, mediation and finance, specifically in the areas of corporate finance, land claims and resource deals (IBA’s) in the mining, energy and oil and gas sectors.

Scott has led teams on a national basis to grow business units and worked on brand management to drive sales and growth. His leadership has attracted and retained some of the top-quality professionals in the industry’s he’s worked in. He built an Indigenous engagement strategy and team for TCPL on the Energy East project, comprised of nearly 180 Indigenous communities along the pipeline corridor from Quebec to Nova Scotia to engage in fair and transparent consultation for an $11 billion national project.

In 2019, IFS became also became a private equity investor and acquired the majority of the shares in the Masha Krupp Translation Group; the largest privately-owned translation company in Canada with over 130 staff and subcontractors and translating close to 50 million words per year for many of Canada’s largest federal departments. Scott acts as executive Chairman and is looking forward to increasing Indigenous languages and opportunities as part of their corporate mandate and has changed the name to Nations Translation Group. The firm has translated the federal budget for many years and top secret documents.

As CEO of the private equity fund, Infinity Investments, one of the investments Scott currently oversees is Brightroof Solar LP as representing the majority shareholder and also acts as a director in this LP that is the largest holder of solar contracts (over 60) in Ontario’s Feed-in- Tariff program representing in excess of $85 million in capital investment.

Scott’s background working with Indigenous communities has fueled a passion for developing a robust Indigenous economy that leverages opportunities to balance a socio-economic vision with a business-oriented foundation. Proper governance, efficient structures devoid of political interference and an opportunity to balance dividend distribution with long-term growth, Scott has worked with shareholders on a long-term vision that will ensure success for years to come.
Scott’s passion for Indigenous economic development and his influence working with such diverse stakeholder groups has afforded him many opportunities to sit at the negotiating table for multiple land claims and Impact Benefit Agreements (IBA’s) with industry and government.

Scott’s passion for building bridges through business and commerce has seen a number of successfully negotiated agreements along with the operational implementation of these agreements. His work with First Nation and Metis communities across Canada has yielded substantial results and allowed Scott to be a visionary heading up over a dozen different corporate entities representing collectively over 90 different communities over his career. These companies have yielded millions of dollars that have benefited Indigenous communities toward employment creation, wealth generation and self-sufficiency.

It is Scott’s goal to see Indigenous communities and individuals participate in the economy in a meaningful way, and his current mandate overseeing a significant portfolio of investments has allowed him to make a major impact.