What was the pivotal moment in your life that has influenced who you are as a financial professional?

“It was early in my career when a friend passed away with no life insurance, no will and no financial plan and his family had to struggle to make ends meet thereafter. I helped his wife put together a financial plan and a budget to get her going. She was fortunate that she had a strong friends and family network that helped her take care of her young family while she worked hard to generate income. I always remember how if my friend had better planned for such a better event his wife and family could have been in a much better situation. They ended up getting through it all but not without a struggle.”

Do you remember something unexpected that happened in the early days of your business or a specific challenge that you had to overcome?

“In this business, you have to realize that even with great credentials people aren’t going to trust you right away with their financial planning and advisory needs. That is why we offer to meet and gather information first, and then put a proposed financial plan together with no obligations from the potential clients to continue with us. We know we have to prove ourselves first and gain their confidence to gain their trust. We work very hard to do just that.”

When did You first discover that you have a knack or passion for what you do now?

“I have always had a passion for helping people. There was not one moment that I discovered I had a passion for providing financial advice and guidance. However, as I gained more knowledge and experience I have developed the skills to more effectively help people in this area and that is what really excites me and what I find so rewarding.”

How did you get into the business and why?

“I am trained as an actuary and have held senior executive positions at major financial institutions in North America. I helped design many insurance and investment programs and over the years have seen how these solutions could be better deployed to meet clients’ needs. As a financial advisor I can help families put solid financial plans together that deploy the proper solutions for their particular needs so that they have greater assurance that their financial goals can be met whether they are raising a young family, approaching retirement or actually in retirement. There are solutions for everyone and there is no greater satisfaction for me than seeing my clients have a proper plan put in place that can be executed on.”