VanEck has appointed Kevin Gopaul as CEO of VanEck Canada. According to the press release, Gopaul brings more than 25 years of industry experience to the newly created role. He joins from BMO Exchange Traded Funds, where he played a key role in scaling the platform past $100 billion in assets.
His experience spans portfolio management, quantitative investing, and senior leadership across global markets.
“Canada was the birthplace of the ETF and a natural fit for our solutions,” said Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck. Pointing to the need for local expertise as the firm builds out its presence, he added that Gopaul’s experience launching and growing ETF platforms made him a natural choice to lead the effort.
See more: Canadian ETF Market Observes Unprecedented Inflows
A Playbook Built on High-Conviction ETFs
In the U.S., VanEck is best known for a lineup of flagship ETFs tied to specific sectors and themes. Among them:
- VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX ), one of the largest and most actively traded funds, provides exposure to global gold mining companies. As of April 24, 2026, the fund manages just over $29 billion in assets. It carries an expense ratio of 0.51%.
- VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH ) provides targeted exposure to the global semiconductor industry. The fund manages approximately $55 billion in net assets and carries an expense ratio of 0.35%.
- VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT ) tracks an index of attractively priced U.S. companies that possess sustainable competitive advantages, as identified by Morningstar’s equity research. The fund manages approximately $12 billion in assets and carries a net expense ratio of 0.46%.
Deep Roots in Resources
In addition, the Canadian expansion also ties into VanEck’s long-standing connection to resource investing. The firm launched one of the first gold-focused mutual funds in 1968 and later introduced GDX — strategies that remain central to its identity.
Gopaul pointed to growing investor demand for ETFs — particularly those offering specialized exposures — as a key opportunity in the Canadian market.
“I look forward to building VanEck into one of the premier investment management brands in the Canadian marketplace,” he said.
The firm indicated that additional announcements related to its Canadian strategy are expected in the coming months. This appointment marks the initial step in a broader rollout.
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