Zayla Saunders
Vice President, Direct Distribution, BMO ETFs
BMO Global Asset Management
Current Podcasts
In this encore episode, Darim Abdullah joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to examine the differences in U.S. equity exposure — from the concentration risks of market-cap-weighted indices to how equal weighting can broaden a portfolio’s return drivers and reduce reliance on a handful of mega-cap names. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Darim Abdullah, Director of ETFs and Portfolio Consulting at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on June 1, 2026.
From chasing last year’s winners to sitting in cash too long, small decisions can work against long-term results. Zayla Saunders, Hilly Cutler and Erika Toth break down common ETF investing mistakes and practical ways to avoid them. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM). She is joined by Erika Toth, Director and Head of ETF and Portfolio Consulting at BMO GAM, and Hilly Cutler, Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. The episode was recorded live on Monday, August 31, 2026.
What’s the difference between yield and distribution rate — and why does it matter? In this episode, hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler sit down with Kiran Navaratnam to unpack how covered call strategies generate yield, how that yield differs from what a fund actually distributes, and why total return can provide a more complete picture than headline numbers alone. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Kiran Navaratnam, Non-Linear Solutions Vice President & Portfolio Manager at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, August 24, 2026.
Canadian investors are increasingly turning to passive investing as their portfolio foundation of choice. In this episode, special guest Erin Allen and host Zayla Saunders dig into why this trend continues to gain ground, from the evolving DIY investing landscape and the rise of hybrid advice models to the increasing pull of social media on next-gen investors. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Erin Allen is Director, Direct Distribution at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Two ETFs can track the same asset class and still deliver very different results. In this episode, hosts Hilly Cutler and Zayla Saunders unpack how major indices—from the S&P 500 and Russell to MSCI and FTSE—are actually constructed, the different methodologies at play, and how they shape portfolio construction, from large-cap overlap to overlooked emerging market exposure. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, August 10, 2026.
When it comes to accessing international equity, Canadian investors have options. In this episode, special guest Stephanie Ng joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs) — what they are, how they work, and why they’re a uniquely Canadian approach to global investing. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Stephanie Ng, Senior Associate, Specialized Sales at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, June 15, 2026.
Behind every ETF trade is a market structure that most investors never see. In this episode, special guest Roy Dimitrov takes hosts Hilly Cutler and Zayla Saunders into the engine room to explain what market makers really do, bust some of the biggest myths around ETF trading, and unpack why active ETFs may be the industry’s next big growth story. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Roy Dimitriv, Vice President, ETF Sales and Trading at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, July 27, 2026.
With headlines flying and AI valuations under the microscope, how do you know what actually matters for your portfolio? In this episode, special guest Sadiq Adatia joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to share the framework his team uses to separate short-term noise from real shifts — and where he’s finding opportunity as markets weigh strong earnings against growing uncertainty. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Sadiq Adatia, Chief Investment Officer at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, July 20, 2026.
From record ETF inflows to a broadening AI story reshaping global equity markets, the investment landscape continues to evolve. In this episode, special guest Bipan Rai joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack his quarterly portfolio strategy, and what it all means for investor positioning as Q3 gets underway. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Bipan Rai, Head of ETF Strategy, Exchange Traded Funds at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, July 06, 2026.