Leap to winners | Leap to methodology
Main women
“The way forward for finance is feminine and ladies who need to lead are well-positioned to excel on this business,” are the rousing phrases from Robyn Thompson, founding father of Castlemark Wealth Administration Inc. “Girls convey a worthwhile and distinctive set of qualities to the business. Their robust communication expertise assist them clarify complicated monetary ideas in a means that purchasers can simply perceive, making them approachable and responsive.”
Wealth Skilled’s Prime 50 Main Girls in Wealth reside examples of these phrases and the torch bearers for the subsequent technology of females within the monetary business.
They’ve made an influence in each aspect of Canadian wealth administration, from monetary advisors and planners, to portfolio managers and presidents. They weren’t named on the celebrated checklist for income technology or gross sales figures, however for his or her skilled accomplishments and business contributions.
Kelly Ho, accomplice at DLD Monetary Group, shares, “For years and years, we needed to try and actually put in 120 %, whereas males can put in 80 % and nonetheless get to the identical place. However I feel that the hole is closing and most people has realized that ladies are simply as succesful, if no more succesful, in relation to our empathy and element orientation.”
Girls’s function in Canadian wealth administration
Solar Life’s World Investments knowledge reveals that in Canada:
-
Girls symbolize 15–20 % of monetary advisors.
-
Feminine traders are 2.5 instances extra comfy taking funding dangers with feminine advisors.
-
Girls occupy 21.9 % of senior management roles and 10 % of extremely paid positions.
There are elevated alternatives for feminine advisors as Mackenzie Personal Wealth has predicted that:
-
The share of Canadian monetary wealth managed by girls will improve from 37 % on the finish of 2018 to 45 % by the top of 2028.
-
Feminine purchasers will make 2.5 instances the variety of referrals in comparison with male purchasers.
“Whereas there’s a demonstrated want for better feminine involvement within the business, it must be performed in the appropriate method,” says Thompson. “To draw extra feminine purchasers, corporations first have to recruit extra feminine monetary advisors. A very good place to start out is to create a tradition the place feminine advisors can thrive. Companies that wrap themselves in a pink bow, or perpetuate outdated stereotypes about girls and cash that aren’t backed by tutorial analysis, won’t serve anybody nicely.”
Analysis included in CIBC’s report “The Altering Panorama of Girls’s Wealth,” reveals that advisors, comparable to WPC’s Prime 50 Main Girls in Wealth, are key to enabling all Canadian girls to realize monetary success.
Thompson provides, “By creating extra inclusive environments and selling feminine illustration in management roles, corporations can higher serve this rising demographic and make sure that girls’s voices are heard.”
This can be a view shared by Léony deGraaf Hastings of deGraaf Monetary Methods who highlights that the better help girls obtain, the higher the Candian finance sector might be.
“As girls are so underrepresented within the business, it’s much more necessary to hunt out our tribe and provide help to at least one one other. By cheering one another on, we’ll uplift feminine entrepreneurs to increased ranges of success,” she feedback. “Encouraging extra girls to enter and thrive in wealth administration won’t solely enhance gender equality but additionally convey new views and concepts which can be sure to drive development and innovation within the business.”
With some purchasers proven to favor feminine advisors, there may be clear proof that extra girls must be handed management roles.
“These within the C-suite can’t ignore the numbers after they see girls doing exceptionally nicely within the wealth business by with the ability to purchase enterprise and work with purchasers who belief them,” says Ho. “The numbers don’t lie, and outcomes say it’s all about how so many ladies are doing so nicely and succeeding.”
Success tales of the Prime Girls in Canadian Finance
Following in her father’s footsteps, La Gamba helps purchasers all through the Higher Toronto Space.
“The folks I need to work with are people who want steerage and recommendation. All of them have distinctive challenges based mostly on their very own constructions, circumstances and careers, they usually need somebody who’s going to grasp that,” she says.
“Girls have a unique perspective and strategy to threat and alternative. In some instances, now we have large confidence, however in areas the place we would not, that lends itself to a cautious strategy that advantages purchasers”
Sara La GambaSPM Monetary
La Gamba joined the business in 2009 with Freedom 55 Monetary and have become president of King Monetary and Advantages Inc. in 2012, earlier than transferring to SPM in 2018.
“There are distinctive qualities that I feel girls have when it comes to how they function their apply, how they work with their purchasers, how they view planning, and the way they assist purchasers obtain their objectives. What I’ve seen is that we add one thing that was lacking,” she explains.
Wolfe oversaw the corporate’s main rebranding in Could 2024, when Horizons ETFs turned World X, one of many world’s largest ETF platforms with greater than $710 billion in belongings throughout 19 international locations and markets.
“It was an enormous enterprise, and we had simply six months to do it. I’m so pleased with the workforce that we managed to ship on time,” she says.
“I imagine in giving again to girls who’re within the business and simply beginning out, via teaching and mentorship”
Stephanie WolfeWorld X Investments Canada Inc.
Wolfe beforehand held positions comparable to head of Canada advertising at BlackRock and strategic advisor, girls’s phase for BMO Personal Wealth. In 2019, she based Wolfe Collective Wealth, a agency that coaches girls and teaches them to take a position.
Booker is thought for a strategic, results-oriented strategy, persistently delivering high-impact initiatives and adept at constructing high-performing groups together with creating robust relationships with stakeholders.
Booker was headhunted by Revesco in 2023 to create a method to develop a brand new fund to $1 billion. She has constructed sturdy threat administration and compliance processes, making certain that operations are safe and environment friendly, whereas creating a complete advertising technique.
“We don’t have to do enterprise the way in which males do and we don’t have to guide an organization like they do”
Juli Ann BookerRevesco Properties
“My function has concerned facilitating fairness partnerships with 5 new corporations, broadening our community and strengthening our place within the business,” she says. “I created processes to make sure investor relations excellence and launched new applied sciences to streamline the funding course of from begin to end, sustaining top-tier communication with traders.”
Upon graduating from Wilfrid Laurier College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Zollo joined Solar Life Monetary in 2009.
“I began the advisory journey at 21. I liked it and by no means seemed again,” she says.
“It was crucial to me to all the time preserve a really skilled presence, and I feel as a result of I did that, I all the time felt like a part of the dialog”
Sara ZolloAssante Capital Administration
In 2021, Zollo moved to Assante Capital Administration, the place she works with households, professionals, and enterprise house owners to alleviate monetary stresses. She helps her purchasers assemble monetary plans and transition into retirement.
Having discovered a distinct segment of ladies managing funds on their very own, she says, “I discover they have a tendency to favor to work with a feminine advisor. So, current feminine purchasers will refer me to different girls, and that’s naturally developed my apply.”
Curpen’s father, who had moved to BC from Mauritius, based his apply with Primerica in 1990, figuring out the necessity to improve monetary literacy amongst minorities. She earned her license at age 19 and later took over the workplace. Curpen now has 27 years of expertise serving to middle-income Canadians grow to be debt-free.
“There’s an enormous want for minority girls, particularly, to have entry to frequent sense monetary literacy that wasn’t tied to a sure product,” says Curpen. “We’re not anxious about our second property or our Maserati. We’re anxious about sending our children to highschool, and retiring not beneath a bridge. That’s why I just like the monetary literacy strategy by giving folks data they usually can select what they need to do with it.”
“Folks want management, however I would like folks to need to comply with me. I don’t need to push anyone in a course”
Jennifer CurpenPrimerica
Canada’s Prime Feminine Monetary Advisors
have solid their very own path
La Gamba has created her personal street to success. Earlier in her profession, she took discover of an older advisor in his 70s and whose e book she was taking on, realizing his means of working wasn’t for her.
“His purchasers have been used to going moose looking with him. It’s a really totally different dynamic that you may have with purchasers typically, male versus feminine. I needed to actually show myself and present them they have been going to get worth working with me,” she explains. “We’re in all probability not going to go moose looking, however I can have an espresso with you and be sure you’re taken care of.”
And she or he provides, “It’s simple for ladies to have imposter syndrome, too. I feel it’s a typical trait and that’s one thing I’ve been working actually laborious to maneuver previous.”
One other of the highest monetary advisors in Canada, Booker makes a speciality of difficult herself and has earned the nickname ‘The Fixer’.
“I’m at my greatest when there isn’t a plan and I get to create one. I nonetheless do at the least three crossword puzzles a day as a result of I simply love fixing issues,” she says.
And she or he maintains the identical mindset by surrounding herself with individuals who pose a problem.
“I imagine firmly in having folks round which can be smarter than you or else you’re not going to develop,” feedback Booker. “That’s a mistake some folks make. They need to be the perfect at the whole lot. I’m actually good at taking in data and choosing it aside and determining the perfect answer as a pacesetter.”
A few of her achievements at Revesco embody:
-
creating an investor portal
-
implementing an unbiased advisory committee overseeing potential conflicts of curiosity
-
rolling out an ESG coverage encompassing asset administration and human assets
“They spotlight my capacity to drive strategic initiatives, foster innovation, and lead with a imaginative and prescient that aligns with the evolving wants of the wealth administration business,” she says.
Being on the entrance foot resonates with Curpen, one other Main Girl in Wealth. She says, “I’m very reactive to folks and if that resonates with somebody, then that’s the form of consumer I would like.”
One other space that speaks to Curpen is the state of affairs of ladies who’re unable to go away a relationship as a result of they depend on their accomplice or will not be financially literate. Nonetheless, of Canadian girls who do go away their companions, 80 % change their monetary advisor inside a 12 months.
“That market phase actually means one thing to me, as a result of whenever you don’t have monetary choices, you don’t have choices,” she provides.
For Curpen, who leads 151 staff, what makes her success extra passable is that she took over the apply within the aftermath of the 2008 market crash.
She recollects, “Every part went to hell and most of my purchasers have been all older than me, and it’s a really outdated Caucasian, male-dominated business, and so to return into it as a younger, and a very young-looking, feminine minority was actually tough.”
Wolfe additionally feels a way of accomplishment. She started working within the ETF house within the early days.
“It was very thrilling to really be part of that disruption and it’s nice to see ETFs are available in and the way they’ve advanced and grown, and simply to be part of that total channel in monetary providers,” she says.
As a board member of Girls in ETFs, which goals to help range and inclusion throughout the Canadian monetary service business via schooling and occasions, Wolfe has an fascinating tackle being a lady within the business.
“I don’t suppose it hindered me, however typically it was tough to take part in actions outdoors of labor once I had the accountability of being a caregiver, however that was purely societal and never an organization factor,” she explains.
Wolfe performed an integral function in Horizons ETFs changing into World X and was concerned in modern plans, comparable to signing monetary media character Jon Erlichman to an unique contract to broadcast on YouTube.
“‘Innovation meets investing’ is our tagline however innovation results in disruption,” she shares. “That is part of my ethos and the values set that now we have inside World X, and it’s thrilling to see what’s subsequent.”
Equally feeling a way of anticipation is Zollo, who thrives on being a pillar of energy for purchasers. Serving to folks is her motivation for staying within the business.
“From a lady’s perspective, an enormous a part of what we do is caring about our purchasers. It’s not simply in regards to the investments or the suggestions which we finally earn a residing from,” she says. “It’s about actually serving to. Folks get to essentially know and belief you, and also you’re a confidante to them. I take that very significantly.”
Together with bringing a degree of confidence, Zollo ensured her technical expertise have been on par with anybody, enabling her to counteract gender bias. “I solidified my data base, and I knew I used to be bringing worth to the dialog, so I by no means felt at an obstacle to my male counterparts.”
This forward-thinking and growth-oriented strategy, which started together with her searching for out mentors early in her profession, continues to serve Zollo.
“Even now, after 15 years within the business, I all the time know who I need to be in 5 years. It’s important to have a imaginative and prescient of the person who you need to be very clearly. I say 5 years as a result of something shorter simply comes too rapidly and it takes time to develop.”
Lifting others up
Whereas gender equality within the wealth business has improved, there may be nonetheless a distance to go.
“Girls in monetary providers usually face a spread of systemic points rooted in historic norms, biases, and constructions which have lengthy formed the business. Regardless of altering social norms, girls are nonetheless extra more likely to bear the brunt of caregiving obligations, starting from childrearing to eldercare,” says deGraaf Hastings. “By showcasing profitable feminine professionals and mentors, corporations can provide real-world examples that ladies can relate to and aspire towards.”
To encourage girls to remain within the monetary business, Wolfe created and arranged a serious occasion referred to as ‘Breaking Limitations’ in 2023.
“The purpose was to have girls networking, but additionally instilling that you may transfer to a unique a part of finance, from wealth administration to capital markets, maybe into the funds division from hedge funds. There’s plenty of alternatives as a result of now we have a novel talent set,” states Wolfe. “Girls who’re coming into monetary providers ought to hold an open thoughts to all of the alternatives out there to them.”
Zollo echoes that, as she is co-authoring a handbook to information new advisors within the early phases of their careers.
She says, “The attrition charge is excessive within the first 5 years, with 90 % of people that enter the business not staying past that. For those who keep, you’ve a fantastic likelihood of constructing a profitable profession.”
For Booker, being a lady in a management place comes with a accountability to vary outlooks, which she shares by encouraging and championing different girls.
“I acquired nice recommendation from a male mentor – it was to have a look at the positives of being a feminine chief and lean into it,” she says. “In wealth, we’re laborious lined to imagine that we should be robust and aggressive as a pacesetter, but it surely’s okay to be extra emotional and empathetic. Each time I meet a lady on this business, I give them reward for simply surviving as a result of typically you’re the one lady within the room. We have to repair one another’s crowns.”
This aligns with La Gamba, who volunteers with The Institute for Superior Monetary Schooling, and is a part of a girls advisors’ group based by one other advisor who felt there weren’t sufficient individuals who seemed like her within the business.
She says, “We met lately and there have been 18 of us, and it was such an energizing day. There have been girls who’ve been within the enterprise for 30 years, and ladies who’ve been within the enterprise for 2 years. We share views on how being a lady within the enterprise affords totally different alternatives to purchasers.”
And Curpen’s work has been acknowledged by the Black Enterprise Affiliation of BC, which named her Finest Skilled Service Supplier. She was additionally voted onto the board of the Canadian Basis for Monetary Planning, and volunteers as vp (human rights) for Carifika, a worldwide non-profit aiming to unify African and Caribbean communities by fostering financial, instructional, well being, and cultural development for future generations.
Thompson provides, “Mentorship amongst girls within the wealth administration business is a recreation changer. It creates a supportive community that helps deal with the systemic challenges girls face on this male-dominated discipline.”
- Adrienne Energy
Monetary Advisor
Edward Jones - Angelina Hung
Chief Government Officer
Monetary Tech Instruments - Anik Armand
Senior Wealth Supervisor
Desjardins Securities - Anna Dayan
Area Head Metro East and Head of TD Wealth Household Workplace
TD Financial institution - Annie Desrosiers
Advisor
BMO - Annie Sinigagliese
Chief Government Officer
Canadian Unbiased Finance and Innovation Counsel - Brittany Puglia
Regional Vice President, Advisor Distribution at TD Asset Administration
2024 Canadian Chapter of Girls in ETFs Management Crew Member - Caitlin Gubbels
Managing Director and Head of Personal Fairness Funds
CPP Investments - Carmela Marino
COO and CSO
Ferrari Group - Catherine Dangerfield
Assistant Area Head
TD Wealth - Catherine Pickard
Funding Affiliate
Clark Monetary Advisory Group with Scotia McLeod - Christina (Tina) Chow
Senior Portfolio Supervisor and Senior Wealth Advisor
Raymond James - Danielle Martin
Senior Wealth Advisor
ScotiaMcLeod - Danielle Nichol
Chief Advertising and marketing Officer
Wellington-Altus Personal Wealth - Diana Orlic
Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Supervisor, Funding Advisor
Richardson Wealth - Elizabeth Wallace
Senior Supervisor, Funding and International Alternate
Ontario Financing Authority (OFA) - Erin Griffiths
Senior Vice President, Consumer Options, Canadian Wealth Administration
Scotiabank - Erin O’Connor
EVP, Managing Director
HiFi - Han Tran
Director of Operations
Vo-Dignard Provost Group
Nationwide Financial institution Monetary - Harleen Bains
MD and Head, World Markets Institutional Gross sales
RBC Capital Markets - Izumi Miki McGruer
Regional Vice President
Canada Life - Jaclyn Nemethy BSc, CHS, CEA, CLU, CFP
Regional Director, Strategic Relationships
PPI Administration - Kait Jack
Vice President, Exterior Consumer Advisor
JP Morgan Asset Administration - Karen Kazina
Senior Funding Advisor Assistant
Tetrault Wealth Advisory Group - Kelly Trihey, CFA
Portfolio Supervisor
iA Personal Wealth - Laura Paglia
President and Chief Government Officer
Funding Trade Affiliation of Canada - Laurie Bonten
Senior Wealth Advisor
Wellington-Altus Personal Wealth - Lisa Currie
Monetary Advisor
Edward Jones - Mary Medeiros
Chief Working Officer
Harvest ETF - Robyn Thompson
Founder
Castlemark Wealth Administration/Robyn Thompson Cash - Sandra T. Giannou
Managing Director and Head, Deposit Options and Inside Securitization, World Funding and Treasury
Nationwide Financial institution - Selena Woo
VP, Advisory Providers, Associates
Nicola Wealth - Sheryl Purdy
Funding Advisor
Leede Monetary - Sophia Ito
Wealth Advisor
Nicola Wealth - Stacey Madge
Board of Administrators
Solar Life Monetary - Tania Tetrault
Funding Advisor
Tetrault Wealth Advisory Group - Tashia Batstone
Chief Government Officer
FP Canada - Wendy Chui
Senior Funding Advisor
TD Wealth Personal Funding Recommendation - Whitney Hammond
Chief Government Officer
Sovereign Wealth Administration