Jim Probert

Jim Probert is the Chief Financial Officer of Clearspring Capital Partners, a Toronto-based private equity firm focused exclusively on Canada's mid-market. He joined the firm in 2013 and is responsible for the firm's finance and accounting function rather than deal origination. Note: while a stub record classified him under "Angel Investors / Seed Round," the evidence indicates he is a finance executive at a control-buyout private equity firm, not a personal angel investor writing seed checks.

Probert is a Chartered Accountant, having earned his CA designation in 1995 during his tenure at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He spent roughly fifteen years at PwC as a senior member of the Private Company Services Group, delivering audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, including acquisitions due diligence for private companies. Before joining Clearspring, he served as Director of Finance at CARGO Cosmetics Corp., where he led financial operations, budgeting, planning and reporting. He holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto (University of Toronto Scarborough).

Clearspring Capital Partners, which operates the cscap.ca domain, is led by Managing Director Lawrence (Larry) Stevenson, with partners including John Veitch and Milap Choksey and senior advisors such as Joseph Shlesinger. The firm reports approximately 29% gross returns and a 3.0x gross multiple of invested capital on fully realized investments, with roughly 20% average annual EBITDA growth across its portfolio companies during ownership.

• Invests in Canadian mid-market companies through control transactions — buyouts, growth financings, going-private deals, industry consolidations, restructurings and recapitalizations (this is a PE mandate, not angel/seed investing)
• Targets companies with at least ~$5 million in EBITDA, resilient financial performance across economic cycles, and defensible competitive positions "with limited exposure to outsourcing, technology disruption, or commodity pricing risks"
• Looks for exceptional, incentive-aligned management teams and businesses that can serve as a "growth platform" for add-on acquisitions or geographic/product-line expansion
• Positions itself as an active partner, not passive capital — begins "value creation planning" before deals close and applies a proprietary ClearPower5™ framework alongside management
• As CFO, Probert's role centers on the firm's financial management, fund reporting, and deal financial diligence rather than sourcing or leading investments