John Rikhtegar

John participates in the origination, evaluation and monitoring activities for Northleaf’s venture capital and growth equity investments. 

Prior to joining Northleaf in 2026, John was a Director at The Royal Bank of Canada (RBCx) where he led RBCx’s North American venture capital strategy, overseeing the firm’s primary commitment program, VC product development (equity and debt) and partnerships. Previously, John was Chief of Staff & VP, Strategic Operations at Kognitiv in London, UK and Toronto, where he served as a member of the senior leadership team, leading cross-functional initiatives. John started his career as Head of Commerce Revenue, EMEA at VaynerMedia. 

John received his H.B.A. from the Ivey Business School at Western University and also holds an Executive Leadership - Leading with Finance certificate from Harvard Business School.