ABOUT TIPPING FRONTIER

All systems have a coping capacity and a tipping point. Because systems are interconnected, impacts on one system can cascade to other systems. Together, the boundary that leads to systemic failures is called the Tipping Frontier.

We bridge the gap between cascading systemic risk modelling and financial resilience investment

Tipping Frontier models the cascading impacts from climate, pandemic, and conflict risk (CPC risk). We use cutting-edge and scientifically rigorous models (e.g. global equilibrium, coupled and agent-based models) to generate impacts on key macroeconomic variables from CPC risk, and stress test them with Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis. Tipping Frontier uses this modelling to assess resilient interventions, and develop financial products (such as municipal impact bonds to help fund resilient infrastructure) to mitigate CPC risks.

Tipping Frontier works with a wide variety of world-class modellers, climate risk experts, financial product structurers, and other relevant stakeholders to develop bespoke risk models and financial products.

Leadership Team

Philip Chen

Co-founder, CEO

Modelled COVID-19 interventions for US governors, horizon scanned COVID’s impact on the global food system, and analysed the systemic effects of food shocks on systems
Selected by the Next 36 as one of Canada’s top 36 entrepreneurs, where he started a venture-backed company that was named CIX Top 20 companies in Canada
Graduated from the University of Toronto in Financial Engineering, Math and Statistics

Sahil Shah

Co-founder

Is a Honorary research fellow at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, working in the food/energy/water nexus, and a fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC
Sits on the World Bank’s Famine Action Mechanism Technical Working Group and the Chatham House Food and Land Use round table
Holds a MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge, has spent several years working on modelling the economic impact of disasters, and has previously fed into country-level National Adaption Plans

Advisory Board

Jing Chen

Professor of Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto

Expertise: Specializes in physical geography, remote sensing, hydrology, climate-modelling and ecosystem modeling.
Academic Contributions: Canada Research Chair, Tier I and Fellow of Royal Society of Canada. Top 10 scientist in remote sensing.

Edward (Ed) Baker

Senior Managing Director at Mesirow Financial International UK Limited

Expertise: Extensive experience in investment management, an early adopter of ESG principles, focused on risk modeling and management.
Past roles: Chief Investment Officer of Emerging Markets Growth Equities, Chairman of the Board for Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Executive Chairman of Cambridge Strategy.

Aled Jones

Professor and Director of the Global Sustainability Institute

Expertise: Focuses on finance risks and opportunities, geopolitics of global resources such as food, energy, and biodiversity.
Additional Roles: Chaired the Capital Markets Climate Initiative working group for the UK Minister for Climate Change; Member of the UKUS Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food Resilience.

Maarten Ooms

Director at NatureFin Advisors Limited

Expertise: Extensive experience in structured financing solutions, expert in food and agriculture value chains, sustainable food production, advisor on nature-based solutions projects.
Past roles: Managing Director of Rabobank, Origination of Channel Capital Advisors.

Uwe Schillhorn

Chief Investment Officer of the Cook County Pension Fund, Chicago

Expertise: Over 20 years in investment leadership roles in developed and emerging markets.
Past Roles: Head of Emerging Markets Debt and Global Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at UBS Global Asset Management.