Apr 2, 2015 2 min read

TORONTO – Canadian financial company Canaccord Genuity said Thursday its president and chief executive, Paul Reynolds, died in Hawaii after a medical emergency during a triathlon competition. He was 52.

Reynolds led Canaccord Genuity as it was transformed from a Canadian brokerage business to an independent global investment bank.

He competed Sunday in the Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, which includes a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run. According to media reports, he ran into problems during the swim and was pulled from the water and rushed to a hospital.

Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., one of Canada’s largest investment and capital markets firms, said Thursday its chairman, David Kassie, has been appointed to fill the chief executive’s role immediately. He will help with a search for a permanent successor.

“This is a difficult day for everyone at Canaccord Genuity,” Kassie said in statement. “As the architect of our firm’s global transformation, Paul’s distinct style of partnership, friendship and respect over three decades of commitment is just part of the legacy he leaves us all.”

The company said it wasn’t planning further comment at this time. It also said the family had requested privacy.

Reynolds is survived by his wife and four children. He is the son of John Reynolds, a former member of Canada’s Parliament.