2006 CIFPs National Conference > Speaker Biographies

Mr. Stephen Lewis Don Johnston, FCA, Retiring President of the FPSC Peter G. Volpé, CFP, Incoming Chair of FPSC Dave Wahl, B.A, MBA Senior Vice President National Sales, TD Asset Management Geoff Davey, CEO FinaMetrica Pty Limited Patrick Longhurst, CFP, FCIA Barry LaValley William (Bill) Hill, Vice-President Advisor Channel, RBC Asset Management Inc. Jill Hewlett Debble Hartzman, CFP, CLU, CDFA Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Salim Hajee, B. Math, CFP Robert Camp, F.S.A., F.C.I.A James K. Whittaker, Senior Insurance Specialist Investors Group Wally Kusters, CFA, MBA, Managing Director, Barrantagh Investment Director Marcia Mantell, BA., B.ED., EPC., CFP - Fidelity Investments Mark Smigel, BA., B. ED., EPC., CFP Senior Marketing Representative, Western Region, AIG Life of Canada Gil J. Korn, B.A., LL.B., M.B.A. AVP, Tax & Estate Planning Group - Manulife Financial Linda J. Murray, LL.B., CFE Ken Parker, CA., B.Com. John W. Murray, BA, LLB, LLM, CD, Senior Vice President, Policy & Corporate Affairs, The Investment Funds Institute of Canada Christopher S. Reynolds, President, Investment Planning Counsel Inc. Brad Offman, AVP Strategic Philanthropy, Tax and Estate Planning - Mackenzie Investments Thomas E. Junkin, Senior Vice President, Fiduciary Trust Co. of Canada Ian Thomson, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Ifigenia Fasogiannis, Human Resources & Social Development Canada North Shore Service Canada Centre Amin Mawani, PHD., CMA, CFP Paul W. Chan, CFP, CA(M), FCIS, FCCA, ChFC, FTII, CLU Cary List, CA, CFP Executive VP Standards & COO Financial Planners Standards Council James A. Barnash, CFP Kevin O'Brien, CFP Don Nilson, BCom, MSc(Bus Admin), CMA, FCMA, CFP Principal Nilson & Company, AFT TRIVEST Management Inc. Tim Cestnick, FCA, CPA, CFP, TEP Principal, The WaterStreet Group Inc. Author and Columnist Linda Caisley, CFP John Boukouris Roxanne Eszes, P. Eng., CFP Bruce Kirkby, Adventurer, Writer and Photographer
Mr. Stephen Lewis
Mr. Stephen Lewis is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, a post he’s held since June 2001. He is a Commissioner for the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Mr. Lewis is also a Senior Advisor to the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and a Senior Advisor for Health and Human Rights to the Harvard School of Public Health. Mr. Lewis serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), and is the chair of the board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Mr. Lewis’ work with the UN has shaped the past two decades of his career. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Lewis was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization’s global headquarters in New York. In 1997, in addition to his work at UNICEF, Mr. Lewis was appointed by the Organization of African Unity to a Panel of Eminent Personalities to Investigate the Genocide in Rwanda. The ‘Rwanda Report’ was issued in June of 2000. In 1993, Mr. Lewis became coordinator for the international study - known as the Graça Machel study - on the "Consequences of Armed Conflict on Children". The report was tabled in the United Nations in 1996. From 1984 through 1988, Stephen Lewis was Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. In this capacity, he chaired the Committee that drafted the Five-Year UN Programme on African Economic Recovery. He also chaired the first International Conference on Climate Change, which drew up the first comprehensive policy on global warming. Mr. Lewis holds 24 honorary degrees from Canadian universities and is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In May 2003, in recognition of outstanding contributions to public health, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health honoured Mr. Lewis with the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Lewis was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honour for lifetime achievement, in 2003. The same year, Maclean’s magazine honoured Mr. Lewis as their inaugural “Canadian of the Year.” In April 2005, TIME magazine listed Stephen Lewis as one of the ‘100 most influential people in the world’. The same year, the International Council of Nurses awarded Mr. Lewis their prestigious Health and Human Rights Award, which is awarded quadrennially for outstanding contributions to international health and human rights. Stephen Lewis’ best-selling book, Race Against Time was short listed for the Writers’ Trust Award, the Trillium Book Award, and is nominated for the Canadian Booksellers Association’s CBA Libris Award for non-fiction book of the year.
Don Johnston, FCA, Retiring President of the FPSC
In 1995, Don brought a traditionally disparate group of key players in the Canadian financial services industry together in a cooperative effort that forged Financial Planners Standards Council into existence. Under Don's leadership, the CFP certification program in Canada has secured, in 10 years, tremendous industry and consumer recognition as the foundation of professionalism in financial planning.
Peter G. Volpé, CFP, Incoming Chair of FPSC
Peter G. Volpé has been successfully advising Canadians on Financial Planning and Investment matters for more than 20 years. Early in his career he realized the demand for personal financial planning, and immediately joined the Canadian Association of Financial Planners (CAFP). He became involved with the development of the Association and sat on their National Board for six years. During that time, he served as both President and Chairman of the CAFP. He was among the first to receive his Chartered Financial Planner designation in 1983, his Registered Financial Planner designation in 1987 and the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada in 1996. He is also a member of the International Association for Financial Planning - Practitioner Division and a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI). He is a Partner and Senior Vice-President of Integra Capital Financial Corporation, where he devotes his time to the Private Investment Management team. He advises corporate executives, professionals and those approaching retirement on personal financial management ensuring they stay on course to meet their investment & financial objectives. Peter has designed and delivered many investment and retirement workshops, and remains a popular speaker at trade shows and conventions across the country. He appears frequently on television and radio, often writes articles on personal finance for publication, and, is quoted regularly in the financial press. Peter has served as a technical editor of several books including the bestseller "Balancing Act" by Joanne Thomas Yaccato (1994/99/04), "How to Get What You Want from Your Bank" by Douglas Goold (1994), and "Personal Finance for Dummies" by Tony Martin (1995/2000/2005). Recognizing the industry's need for continued development, Mr. Volpé has been active in several advisory boards and committees over his career. He served on the Ontario Securities Commission task force on Industry Standards & Practices, the Advisory board of the "Investor Learning Centre of Canada", and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada.
Dave Wahl, B.A, MBA Senior Vice President National Sales, TD Asset Management
Senior Vice President National Sales, TD Asset Management, holds a BA in Economics and MBA from the University of Western Ontario. He began his career as a broker and financial advisor before joining TD Asset Management and has a PFP designation. He has been part of TD Asset Management since 2001 and currently works with advisors and wholesalers to assist both in building their businesses.
Geoff Davey, CEO, FinaMetrica Pty Limited
Is one of a handful of people who pioneered financial planning in Australia. Following a post-university period as an IBM systems engineer, he entered financial services in 1972 as an insurance, tax, finance and investment advisor to newly graduated health professionals. In 1975, he and his colleagues at Davey & Associates introduced “personal financial planning” as the centrepiece of the firm’s services. By 1989, when he retired, the firm was a national partnership, with 100 staff, which provided a fully comprehensive personal financial management service, including accounting and practice management, to high-income earning, self-employed doctors, dentists and lawyers. After a three-year sabbatical Geoff re-entered the industry as a consultant and in 1995 joined forces with Paul Resnik, another industry veteran, to form ProQuest (now FinaMetrica). The FinaMetrica system, launched in October 1998, is now being used by leading advisors in seven countries, including the US from 2002 and the UK from 2004. For the past decade, Geoff has focused on the behavioural aspects of financial decision-making. He has played a key role, internationally, in advancing best practice with regard to risk tolerance. He is a sought-after speaker and writer. He has been an invited speaker at financial planning association conventions in the US, the UK and New Zealand. Recent publications include the micro-behavioural finance chapter in the 2004 Bloomberg Press book, “Investment Think Tank”, edited by Harold Evensky and Deena Katz and “Insights from Psychology and Psychometrics on Measuring Risk Tolerance”, , which was co-written with two US academic experts, and published in the April edition of the US FPA’s Journal of Financial Planning.
Patrick Longhurst, CFP, FCIA
Following a thirty year period as a consulting actuary in Toronto, Patrick Longhurst obtained his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in August 2003. He has spent the last two years establishing his own company, Patrick Longhurst Advisory Services Inc. (PLASI), and developing approaches to provide retirement education and financial planning to individuals and groups. During his consulting career Patrick specialized in the design, funding and communication of major private and public sector pension plans. He was also active in the design and implementation of many defined contribution plans. Most recently, Patrick was a senior consultant at Watson Wyatt. Patrick is a frequent speaker on retirement topics, and has served as Chair of the Association of Canadian Pension Management, and a member of the editorial advisory board of The Benefits and Pensions Monitor. He was joint author, with Rose Marie Earle, of Looking After the Future - The Complete Guide to Pension Planning in Canada, subsequently reissued as Your Pension. Patrick is currently writing a regular column on "The New Retirement" for the Canadian Moneysaver Magazine. In recent months he has worked with many public and private sector plan members to help them make their own financial planning decisions. He is a firm believer that lifestyle issues are as important as financial considerations when planning your future.
Barry LaValley
Is a twenty-five year veteran of the Canadian Financial Services Industry. In that time he has been a speaker, writer, investment advisor, senior mutual funds executive and educator. Barry is a founding member of the Canadian Initiative for Elder Planning Studies and currently is a faculty member for The Canadian Academy of Senior Advisors (CSA). Barry consults with a number of major investment firms in both Canada and the United States on implementation of the Wealth Advisory Approach to Financial Planning. He was a contributing author in 2002 to the book "Your Clients for Life" with Mitch Anthony and wrote "Put the Life into Your Practice" in 2005. In addition, Barry is on the advisory board for The Canadian Securities Institute and has written extensively for their Wealth Management designation program. Barry is President of the Retirement LifestyleCenter, a research and education company focusing on the issues associated with today's retirement. He is also a partner in the LifeFirst Approach, a communications and marketing company providing tools for North American financial advisors on the life planning approach to financial planning.
William (Bill) Hill, Vice-President Advisor Channel, RBC Asset Management Inc.
Bill leads a team of regional managers who service the country coast to coast. He has been in the industry for 30 years. Bill completed the CFP designation in 1992. He is a father of three (all boys).
Jill Hewlett
Is a Wholistic Lifestyle Expert and nationally recognized Speaker, Trainer and Television Host. Over the last ten years of her career and life journey, Jill has built the foundation of her "Learn ~ Live ~ Lead" philosophy and message. Jill is the producer and host of the well-respected Body, Mind and Spirit television program aired on Aurora Cable. She has interviewed over four hundred experts from around the world in the health, wellness and personal growth fields. Jill and her work have been credited in numerous books including: Entrepreneurial Spirits, Abundance With Ease, Get the Most Out of Life. Deep In Thought and Covered in Crumbs and The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO. Having facilitated hundreds of workshops and individual sessions, over the years, Jill has first hand experience with the issues people face in their personal and professional lives. Whether it's in the areas of relationship, health or career, Jill holds a safe and inspired space for deep and meaningful growth. The essence of her work comes from the premise of her teachings, which is: "Fulfilling relationships, successful careers and physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are the gifts we give back to the world in gratitude for being alive!"
Debble Hartzman, CFP, CLU, CDFA Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
As a passionate, caring individual, Debbie has developed a process to help people come to fair and equitable solutions when faced with the stress of dealing with a marital breakdown. Debbie joined Professional Investments in 1996. For the past ten years as a Certified Financial Planner, she has helped many families establish and reach their financial goals. During this period she realized the need for information when clients where going through a period of transition, particularly divorce. Teaming up with the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts in the US., she helped write and develop the course to teach other financial planners how to understand the issues surrounding Divorce and Separation. For the past four years she has trained many Certified Financial Planners to become Certified Divorce Financial Analysts. She has re-written the Canadian Training Manual and helped develop Divorce Pro, specialized software used in the planning process. She is presently doing a Webnar for the Ontario Association of Family Mediation and will be presenting at the National Conference. Also, she is in the process of writing a book outlining the issues and processes of Separation and Divorce in Canada, and how to protect yourself from the pitfalls associated with the Litigation process. Several articles have been published in the Lawyers Weekly Journal and for CCH Canada. Her practice has been written about in Canadian Living Magazine, Toronto Star and the Financial Post. She has an active financial planning practice specializing in helping people through every type of life transition. Her work in the field of divorce/separation has moved her to developing a unique process when helping people through this type of transition. The documentation and presentation of projections has taken years to develop. Strategic alliances with lawyers, mediators and mental health professionals have helped to complete the service she offers to her clients. Divorce Resolution Planning Group Inc. is a unique blend of professionals working toward a specific goal in the best interest of their clients. This process offers an alternative approach to the client who is looking to preserve their emotions and equity in the process of divorce/separation. Other professionals such as pension valuators, mortgage brokers, and real estate sales people are also available to aid in the process. As a Certified Financial Planner, Debbie is able to continue to work with her clients once the divorce/separation process is complete, please visit www.debbiehartzman.com to see the benefits of a Written Financial Plan. Debbie has lived and worked in the Kingston area for 28 years with her husband Michael. They have raised two children who now reside in Toronto. Her work with the Heart and Stroke foundation, Brain Cancer Research Foundation, H'art Studio, has helped her form a compassion for people moving through life transitions.
Salim Hajee, B. Math, CFP
Salim Hajee has been a pension consultant, since 1985, at two of the larger human resources consulting firms in Canada before striking out on his own in 2003. Salim provided consulting advice with respect to the funding, expensing and administration of pension and other retirement benefit plans, including IPPs, and continues to do so. Salim also has experience in the funding of flexible pension plans, executive benefit plans, and in estimating loss of income for expert witness testimonials. Salim also served short stints (on contract) at the Financial Services Commission of Ontario in both the Actuarial Division as well as the Pension Plans Branch in order to round out his experience from both sides of the coin. Salim co-authored an article in Benefits Canada on how Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs) can be tailored to meet a company's objectives as well as authored a 2-part series on SERPS in CCH Canada. Salim has been very active doing community work and has sat on a number of Boards, including the Board of Trustees of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (now merged into The Centre for Addiction & Mental Health). Salim is also, currently, a board member of the CIFPs. Salim received his Bachelor of Math from the University of Waterloo and is also an accredited Chartered Financial Planner.
Robert Camp, F.S.A., F.C.I.A
Bob was born in Vancouver and attended UBC where he graduated with a BA. in Math and Economics. He joined Excelsior Life (later renamed Aetna Life of Canada) in Toronto upon graduation and gained his actuarial degrees (FSA and FCIA) in 1972. After advancing to the position of Group Pension Officer at Aetna, he entered into the pension consulting field and has just retired from Mercer Human Resource Consulting after twenty five years of consulting to all types of defined benefit pension plans. His post-employment plans include becoming more involved in personal insurance consulting and and the development of a superior pension administration product with his co-presenter. He has seen IPPs from their beginnings prior to 1968, the "open door" of 1980, and was one of the architects of the current breed of plans arising from the work done at Sedgwick in the mid-to-late 1980s. Bob is married (and has been for over 40 years to the same woman) and is very proud of his son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.
James K. Whittaker, Senior Insurance Specialist Investors Group
Jim specializes in areas of business continuation, succession and estate planning using strategies to maximize estate effectiveness and minimize taxation. Jim currently is responsible for providing some of the top financial planners in the country and their clients with comprehensive solutions in the areas of Insurance and Estate Planning. Jim joined Investors Group in 1998 as a consultant in the Barrie Region in Ontario. In July of 1999, he took on the position as Insurance Manager in the Barrie and Markham regions. In April of 2001, Jim spearheaded a pilot project to offer face to face service and support to a select group of Senior Consultants across the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) as a Senior Insurance Specialist. Jim has been the top producing Insurance specialist across the country for the last five years running, qualifying as a Platinum Star Performer 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005. Jim obtained a degree in Economics from Cornell University in 1976; afterwards he worked for many years in the Grocery Retail industry. From 1988-1992, he studied at St. Augustine Seminary in Toronto where in June of 1992, he was ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. In 1995 he began his career in the financial services industry with Prudential of America which was bought up by London Life. Later he worked for a short time with Manulife Financial. In 1996, he obtained his Mutual Fund License. In 1997, through the end of 1999, Jim took advance courses in scripture theology from the Franciscan University in Stubenville, Ohio. In 1999, he obtained his Level II insurance license and completed the CSC course and is currently pursuing his CLU designation. Jim and his wife Janice have been happily married for 30 years and have 3 children. They live in Burlington, Ontario.
Wally Kusters, CFA, MBA, Managing Director, Barrantagh Investment Director
Mr. Kuster's background includes research and analysis for the management of equity assets for Mutual Life (now Clarica Life), and the active management of the Noranda Inc. pension plan. Wally was also a Chief Investment Officer for a major Canadian mutual fund company. His value-oriented management style led to top-quartile performance by both Canadian balanced and Canadian equity mutual funds.
Marcia Mantell, BA., B.ED., EPC., CFP - Fidelity Investments
After 13 years building retirement products and marketing campaigns at Fidelity Investments, Marcia Mantell established her own consulting firm; m.a. mantell retirement consulting. Leveraging her extensive knowledge of retirement opportunities and issues for both advisors and investors, she is focusing on helping financial advisors build their business capabilities for retirement accumulation and retirement distribution. A former Vice President and retirement leader within Fidelity Investments, Mrs. Mantell developed extensive marketing programs and campaigns for advisors and consumers. Most recently, she developed the innovative new program, Fidelity Advisor Retirement Income Services, specifically for advisors to capture the business generated by retiring Baby Boomers. She was a member of Fidelity's cross-company team that launched the successful retirement income program into the marketplace, and introduced the program to thousands of advisors through highly-rated presentations across the country. For many years, Mrs. Mantell was responsible for product management, development and marketing of IRAs and Small Business products. She served as Fidelity's subject matter expert and spokesperson for these products to the broad media, and has been heard on many radio programs and quoted in national and regional consumer and advisor print media. Her articles were published on Fidelity.com and in Research Magazine. She is a guest lecturer at Bentley College, where she helps educate future advisors and financial planners about various retirement plans. She has also met with members of Congress and the IRS to discuss retirement planning solutions for small business owners. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, in Rochester, NY, and continues her retirement technical education at the PenServ Academy each year. She and her husband are raising two daughters in the suburbs of Boston.
Mark Smigel, BA., B. ED., EPC., CFP Senior Marketing Representative Western Region AIG Life of Canada
Is a former teacher and vice principal in Vancouver, bringing his love of teaching and learning to the financial services industry. He has been a guest speaker for Advocis conventions, the Peel Institute of Applied Finance, and numerous radio programs across western Canada. Mark joined the industry in 1997 with a career agency before becoming an independent broker in 1999. He is in his 5th year as AIG's western regional marketing representative and his focus is in assisting producers with product comparisons, sales concepts within the financial planning process, and practice management ideas. AIG Life Of Canada is a member company of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). AIG is the world's leading international insurance and financial services organization with operations in approximately 130 countries and jurisdictions. Member companies underwrite a wide range of general insurance, personal and life insurance products worldwide. AIG's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones and stock exchanges in London, Paris, Switzerland and Tokyo.
Gil J. Korn, B.A., LL.B., M.B.A. AVP, Tax & Estate Planning Group Manulife Financial
Having attained an undergraduate degree in math and economics from McGill University, Gil Korn went on to study law and business at Dalhousie University in Halifax, gaining admission to the B.C. Bar in August of 1996. Prior to joining Manulife Financial, he worked in Vancouver at Ernst & Young, as a member of its tax practice. More recently he was a tax associate at the local law firm of Owen-Bird where he continued his tax specialization while also doing work in the corporate/commercial areas. He has gained experience in both personal and corporate income tax matters, including trusts and partnerships, in both the domestic and international/non-resident areas. With some exposure to commodity tax matters, he has covered much of the spectrum of business succession and estate planning in the course of his work over the years. He has co-authored articles that have been published in the Canadian Tax Journal, including a submission dealing with interspousal transfers of property. Gil enjoys his community service which has included sitting as a board member of two local charities, and tutoring the Indepth Tax course run by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. When not honing his tax skills he can be seen in runners, preparing for an upcoming marathon he hopes to complete in a personal best time.
Linda J. Murray, LL.B., CFE
Linda has been involved in the securities industry for more than 20 years and has had broad experience in regulatory, legal and brokerage firm matters. She recently established her own consulting practice, providing services to a range of clients in civil and regulatory matters, focusing on forensic fraud examination, regulatory/compliance matters, and litigation support. From 2002 to 2004, Linda served as the Senior Vice President Compliance and in house counsel for a medium-sized independent securities dealer, for both the Canadian parent and the affiliated US dealer. Prior to joining the industry, Linda was a Manager of Investigations with the BC Securities Commission, Enforcement Division, where she spent more than 10 years investigating securities breaches and market fraud issues. Linda was seconded to the Securities Fraud Office Pilot Project for three years and, as a Special Constable, was involved in the criminal investigation of securities fraud offences. Before joining the Commission, Linda was a lawyer in private practice with a focus on corporate and securities matters. Linda has held a Certified Fraud Examiner designation for more than 10 years and is the Past-President of the Vancouver Chapter, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The ACFE is a worldwide organization whose mandate is to reduce the incidence of fraud and white collar crime and to assist its members in detection and deterrence of fraud. Linda is committed to continuing education initiatives and has served on degree validation committees for forensic and fraud related courses and degrees at the Justice Institute (most recently the Securities Compliance and Supervision Training Program) and BCIT. She has been a speaker at many securities industry training sessions and individual firm continuing education training sessions. Linda has served on several securities industry committees.
Ken Parker, Ca., B.Com.
Ken Parker is a consultant, specializing in securities regulation and registrant compliance. He previously worked for the Alberta Securities Commission from 1988 to 2005. During his 11 years as Director, Capital Markets at the ASC he was responsible for registration of dealers, advisors and salespeople under the Alberta Securities Act, and he established the ASC’s compliance review program for registrants. Ken was chair of the Canadian Securities Administrators Information Technology Committee when that committee started the National Registration Database project, and was a member of the NRD Steering Committee throughout the development and implementation of the NRD. He was a member of the CSA committee that developed the National Registration System and was chair of the CSA Registrant Regulation Committee when the CSA implemented the NRS. Ken was also in charge of the corporate finance department at the ASC, which reviews prospectuses for the sales of securities by mutual funds and public companies, for 12 years. He established the ASC’s continuous disclosure review program to review the filings of public companies for compliance with securities laws and accounting and oil and gas disclosure standards. In 1999, he established the CSA Continuous Disclosure Review Committee to harmonize the review process across Canada to ensure equivalent treatment of all Canadian public companies. He represented the ASC throughout the development and implementation of both the SEDAR and SEDI filing systems. Ken is currently working on the CSA Registration Reform Project (http://www.rrp-info.ca) which has a goal of streamlining, modernizing and harmonizing all aspects of the registration regime in Canada. He is also an advisor to GovernanceGlobal Corp. (http://www.governanceglobal.com), which provides on-demand governance and compliance support for public and private companies. Ken received his Chartered Accountant designation in 1987 and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. He is currently a member of the Education Committee of the Alliance for Excellence in Information Technology of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Brad Offman, AVP Strategic Philanthropy, Tax and Estate Planning - Mackenzie Investments
Brad Offman is Assistant Vice President, Tax and Estate Planning at Mackenzie Financial Services in Toronto. Prior to joining Mackenzie, Brad served as Vice President, Development and Donor Services at the Toronto Community Foundation, and as Manager, Planned Giving at the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation. He spent over seven years working in the estate and trust practice of one of Canada's largest financial institutions where he was responsible for several product development initiatives and large-scale change management projects. Brad is past Chair of the Leave A Legacy Program for the Greater Toronto Area and serves on the Executive of the Toronto Roundtable of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. He is also an active member of the Scarborough Estate and Financial Planning Council, Ontario Bar Association and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Brad is one of the founding members of Aptus Consulting, a firm specializing in capacity building, business strategy, marketing and business operations. He is also the former Campaign Chair of Canada Trust's United Way Campaign. He holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from McGill University in Montreal.
John W. Murray, BA, LLB, LLM, CD Senior Vice President, Policy & Corporate Affairs The Investment Funds Institute of Canada
Mr. Murray is Senior Vice-President, Policy & Corporate Affairs of The Investment Funds Institute of Canada, the trade association representing the Canadian mutual fund industry. He received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree in history from University College, University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor and a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School. Mr. Murray is a member of the Bar of the Province of Ontario, Canada, and practised corporate and securities law in Toronto, prior to joining The Investment Funds Institute of Canada as Corporate Secretary, Staff Counsel in August of 1993. Mr. Murray became a Vice President of the Institute in 1995, and since then, has held a variety of portfolios. In 2003, Mr. Murray assumed responsibility for the Institute’s Policy Department, overseeing the Institute’s very active regulatory policy review and key government relations functions. In addition to his responsibilities at the Institute, Mr. Murray is currently chair of the Canadian advisory committee participating in the development of a new ISO standard for personal financial planning services and is President and Chairman of the Board of Credit Counselling Services of Toronto.
Christopher S. Reynolds President, Investment Planning Counsel Inc.
A 16-year veteran in the financial industry, Mr. Reynolds began his career as a financial advisor before becoming a branch manager and, ultimately, co-founder and President of Investment Planning Counsel Inc. (“IPC”) with partner Steve Meehan. IPC is a full-service financial planning and asset management firm with more than 500 financial planners in 170 offices, over $9 billion in managed assets under administration, and $1.8 billion of assets under management. IPC is majority owned by IGM Financial Inc., a TSX listed company and a member of the Power Financial group of companies. 2005 was a banner year for IPC: the company was named to Profit Magazine’s list of Fastest Growing Companies and received a Canadian Investment Award for best marketing campaign. IPC also finished second in the best new innovation category. Over the years, Mr. Reynolds has found creative ways to penetrate the financial industry and lend his strong opinions and advice to thousands of Canadian investors. He has hosted several radio talk shows including the national “Investment Planning Show” which aired on 10 major radio stations across Canada from 1998 to 2001. He has contributed to two books on financial planning: “My Kids Are Going to be Rich” and “Wealth Creation – A Canadian Guide to Financial Independence”. He regularly contributed articles to the Bottom Line which is a magazine geared towards Canada’s Accounting Professionals. He has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Advisors Edge, Investment Executive and many other high profile industry publications. A well-known financial speaker with a highly energetic and engaging personality, Mr. Reynolds has spoken at numerous national conferences including Advocis and the Canadian Association of Financial Planning. He has taught courses and held workshops on financial planning, retirement planning, tax strategies and portfolio development to many of the largest corporations and organizations in Canada, including Goodyear, Nabisco, the Federal Government, Monsanto and Sun Microsystems. You can contact Mr. Reynolds at his e-mail address – creynolds@ipcc.ca or visit the Investment Planning Counsel Inc. Web site www.ipcc.ca.
Thomas E. Junkin, Senior Vice President, Fiduciary Trust Co. of Canada
Mr. Junkin joined Franklin Templeton Investments in September 2003. He is currently Senior Vice President, Personal Trust Services and Operations for Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada. Mr. Junkin also chairs the Operations Committee and the Personal Trust Committee. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton Investments, Mr. Junkin spent 21 years with a major Canadian trust company where he was Vice President and Director of Personal Trust Services. In this role Mr. Junkin was responsible for business development, client service and operations for estate, trust and agency services in Western Canada. Mr. Junkin has lectured extensively on the subject of estate and trust planning, and has served as an expert witness in trust litigation in both Canada and the United States.
Ian Thomson, Senior Vice President & Managing Director
Ifigenia Fasogiannis, Human Resources & Social Development Canada
Ifigenia has worked with the Department in various capacities for over 26 years. Throughout her career, whether Supervising the Department's Call Centre, or Managing the Client Service Offices in the Fraser Valley, her experiences made it easier for her to switch to a different role. She presently is working as an Outreach Officer for the Department. Human Resources and Social Development Canada Outreach raises awareness about the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Programs. She works with organizations and individuals alike to inform and educate all Canadians about the benefits they might be eligible for, and with community partners to provide information and services tailored to clients' needs. Partners include Financial Advisors, local Social Service Agencies, Employers and Unions, Seniors' groups, Ethnic and First Nation Organizations, and other levels of Government. It is important for Canadians to prepare for times when their income might be reduced, such as when they retire or if death or disability touches their family. Knowledge of Canada's Public Pensions plays an important role in these preparations, and she is very proud to be part of their learning process.
Amin Mawani, PHD., CMA, CFP Associate Professor - Schylich School of Business at York University
Amin Mawani is an Associate Professor of Taxation at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. He holds a Ph.D in Taxation from the University of Waterloo, LL.M in Taxation from OsgoodeHall Law School at York, and his MA in Economics from the University of Toronto. Amin is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Professor Mawani has published widely in the field of taxation, including educational materials for the Canadian Securities Institute and the Institute of Canadian Bankers. His articles have been published in the Canadian Tax Journal, CA Magazine and CMA Magazine. Amin’s research has been cited in The Globe and Mail and The Financial Post, and he has been interviewed on CBC TV and CBC Radio. Amin currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Financial Planners Standards Council, and has served on the Boards of CMA-BC and Canadian Crossroads International.
Paul W. Chan, CFP, CA(M), FCIS, FCCA, ChFC, FTII, CLU
Paul W. Chan is a Founding Board Member of the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia, and has served in various capacities, including being its Vice President and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Certification & Standards. He is widely regarded as the initiator of the CFP mark in Malaysia. Paul’s experience spans over 25 years in Pubic Accounting, Corporate and Financial Advisory services, extending to offer financial planning and wealth management advice to the business-owners community and selected clients. He is the CEO of S&P NetWorth Advisors Sdn Bhd, a financial planning and wealth management advisory entity. He pioneered the 1st Fee-Only Financial Planners Network in Malaysia – the Independent Financial Planners Network (or IFPN) for practitioners who wish to serve clients on a Fee-Only practice model. Paul is the Chairman of ISO/TC 222 Committee for Malaysia in development of a Global Personal Financial Planning Standard, which was published in December 2005. He was Chairman of the Asia Pacific Geographic Focus Group of FPA, USA, and is a Member of its Global Advisory Council. A frequent speaker, he has addressed international conferences, seminars and talks in Hong Kong, USA, Singapore, South Africa, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, among others. He also facilitates FP-related programs for the Securities Commission. Paul is an Independent Director of a Publicly Listed Company, serving as Chairman of the Risk Management Committee. He serves on the Board of Governors of MICG (Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance) as its Secretary-General, an EXCO Member of FPLC (Federation of Public Listed Companies) and a Council Member of MIA (Malaysian Institute of Accountants.) He was the Past President of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Malaysia and MAICSA (Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators). He also serves in the International ICSA Council as Chairman of its Strategic Think Tank Task Force.
Cary List, CA, CFP Executive VP Standards & COO Financial Planners Standards Council
In his role as Executive VP Standards & COO for Financial Planners Standards Council, Cary oversees the organization's operations, including standards development and enforcement, so as to ensure CFP certification continues to live up to its reputation as financial planning's gold standard. He represents FPSC on the Council of the international Financial Planning Standards Board, and is Canada’s representative to the ISO technical committee for international financial planning standards. Cary has over 20 years of experience as a financial professional, combined with over ten years in standards-setting. He has been a frequent presenter at both domestic and international industry conferences on the topics of professional practice standards, competency-based certification, and on building a profession. Cary has developed and delivered hundreds of workshops and courses to corporate employees in both the public and private sector.
James A. Barnash, CFP
James A. Barnash currently is the Managing Director for the Midwest Regional Planning Group for Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. His duties are to assist the Midwest RPG and its financial planners to achieve high quality growth through talent acquisition, practice development, wealth management and training. No longer a practitioner, Barnash's clients are the LFA planners. The Midwest RPG supports over 166 financial planners and 250 brokers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota and Indiana. James A. Barnash began his career with The Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1977. He worked as an employee benefits counselor and consultant in the early 1980's. In 1986 Barnash established his own private practice in the financial planning, employee benefits, and insurance areas, concentrating on working with the small business owner and corporate executive. Barnash is a former adjunct faculty member for the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado and currently teaches CFP instructional courses for his alma mater, DePaul University. Jim is a memberof the DePaul's College of LiberalArts and Sciences Advisory Council. In addition, he has done professional training in sales and financial planning for some of Chicago's largest financial institutions and he has designed training and educational courses. James A. Barnash is a sought after speaker by professional associations and consumers groups. Active in the financial planning profession and its association, Barnash is currently serving as chair on the National Board for the Financial Planning Association. Barnash served as president of the Association in 2005. Barnash was named to the Investment Advisor magazine's 25 most Influential People (IA 25) in and around financial planning in 2005 and Financial Planning magazine's Movers and Shakers in 2006. He has been a Board member of the Chicago Society of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners and served as their president in 1998 as well as other offices in the years prior and since. Barnash held a seat on the Financial Planning Association's Chapter Advisory Council prior to his National Board selection. Barnash received his Bachelor's degree in History from DePaul University in 1977 and his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification in 1992. Barnash has been in the financial services industry since April of 1977 as a producer, manager, instructor, mentor and coach.
Kevin O'Brien, CFP
Born and raised in the Hamilton area, Kevin O’Brien resides in Ancaster with his wife Stephanie and their four children. Kevin received his diploma in Industrial Engineering from Mohawk College in 1977. After graduating with honors, he accepted a position with Dofasco Steel. Through a family tragedy, he became involved in estate planning issues and probate fees. This compelled him to seek a career as a financial planner. Having completed the necessary courses and industry education requirements, Kevin left the steel industry in 1988 to start his own company Kevin O’Brien and Associates. Kevin has obtained his CFP designation and is persistent in upgrading his professional qualifications through continued education and advanced courses on retirement and estate planning. Kevin has earned numerous awards and merits of distinction throughout his financial planning career. Kevin is a Paul Harris recipient from the Rotary Club of Hamilton Mountain and is instrumental in organizing and running the annual Cancer Assistance Program’s Classic Golf Tournament. Kevin also serves as an officer for the RCAC and is a reserve officer for the RCAF. Kevin promotes aviation through his involvement with the local air cadets’ squadron the 779 Black Knights. Although this is Kevin’s first book, he is no stranger to writing articles for the financial planning industry and for his company’s quarterly newsletter. Kevin’s practice is geared towards the fifty age group with investment assets in excess of $250,000. Kevin prefers to work with people who wish to have a written financial plan and are interested in conserving assets and minimizing taxes. Kevin has successfully grown Kevin O’Brien & Associates into Canada’s leading retirement and estate planning provider.
Don Nilson, BCom, MSc(Bus Admin), CMA, FCMA, CFP Principal, Nilson & Company, AFT TRIVEST Management Inc.
After completing a B. Comm. with an accounting major at UBC in 1976, Don articled with a large international accounting firm before starting Nilson & Company in 1979. During his articling period, he gained experience auditing large, sophisticated accounting systems as well as smaller private businesses. Don returned to university in 1980 to complete a Master's degree. His 100 page thesis, entitled "Income Taxation of the Small Business Sector in Canada" provided a valuable insight to taxation in Canada and other countries. Don attained his professional accounting qualification in 1981 and his financial planning designation in 1998. He is registered as a Portfolio Manager with the BC Securities Commission. Since 1980, Don has lectured in accounting and tax topics for the University of BC, the Society of Management Accountants of BC, the BC Real Estate Association and the Certified General Accountants Association of BC. He presently is the Team Leader for the delivery of the Taxation 1 course on the Internet across Canada and internationally for the Certified General Accountants. He has been involved in developing national exams and curricula for the professional accounting bodies. Don delivers seminars on practice management and taxation issues within the profession and across Canada. He received the 2005 President's Award for Education from CGA-BC for his career contributions to education in the accounting profession.Don recently served on the National Board of the Financial Planners' Standards Council. He also has served as treasurer of various charitable organizations. He has also served on the Provincial Board of his accounting body and chaired a provincial committee which oversees the adherence to professional standards in public accounting. In 2005, he was named a Fellow of the Certified Management Accountants of Canada for his career contributions to the accounting profession. Don has participated in the Press lock-ups of the federal and provincial budgets and appeared in numerous articles in the business press over the years. He edits two quarterly publications on taxation, financial planning and investment management, as well as the educational websites www.nilsonco.com and www.investoru.ca.
Tim Cestnick, FCA, CPA, CFP, TEP Principal, The WaterStreet Group Inc. Author and Columnist
Tim Cestnick enjoys a reputation as one of Canada's most respected experts and public speakers in the area of tax and personal finance. Widely recognized for his in-depth knowledge, dynamic speaking style, common sense approach and extensive national media exposure, Tim successfully combines business experience, professional credentials and a unique sense of humour to entertain and inform his many audiences. After obtaining his Chartered Accountant designation with the national accounting firm, Deloitte, Tim became a tax partner with a local accounting firm in Burlington, Ontario. In 1997 he founded a firm specializing in tax education and consulting, which merged with investment counsel firm AIC Limited in 2000. In 2005, Tim left AIC to create one of Canada's first, and largest, Multiple Family Office firms - The WaterStreet Group Inc. Tim consults and speaks in all areas of personal finance. He has completed the CICA's In-Depth Tax Course, the Canadian Securities Course, and is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Tim shares his knowledge as a member of the teaching faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. In 2003, Tim was inducted as a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants - a rare honour - for raising the profile of, and bringing distinction to, his profession. In addition to his CA designation, he is a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). Tim's national speaking profile is confirmed by his position as tax columnist for the Globe & Mail's Report on Business, Canada's national newspaper. As a prolific author, Tim has written the Canadian best-sellers Winning The Tax Game - a book that is updated annually - Winning The Estate Planning Game, and The Tax Freedom Zone. He has also authored Winning The Education Savings Game, co-authored Death and Taxes and Your Family's Money, and is editor of Taxes Tips for Canadians for Dummies. In addition to print media, Tim is a regular contributor and on-air personality on radio and television. He appears regularly on Canada AM, CBC Newsworld, ROB TV, and the best-known money programs in the country.
Linda Caisley, CFP
As the President of Foundation Management Services Inc., Linda Caisley helps public and private foundations with their administrative, granting and management issues. In her previous position as Director of Development and Donor Services for Vancouver Foundation, Linda helped individuals, corporations, non-profits and government departments create endowment funds. Prior to her work at Vancouver Foundation, Linda spent eight years as a Wills and Estates paralegal at Davis & Company. Linda has a certified financial planning designation, a certificate (Hons.) in Financial Management from BCIT, and has successfully passed the Canadian Securities Course in addition to her Masters in Music in Performance from the University of Toronto. Foundation Management Services Inc.'s current clients include both private and public foundations, and various partnering and supporting relationships with trust companies and financial institutions. In addition to supporting these clients and stakeholders, Linda is in the process of creating a philanthropic angels' forum for donors and foundations who want to work together to leverage their granting dollars. Foundation Management Services Inc. provides a wide range of services to foundations, from specialized individual tasks such as creating a website for a foundation or creating a funding guidelines or granting application process, to full-service packages for those foundations which would like more comprehensive support. Linda has written a number of articles for trade magazines such as the Scrivener, the Vancouver Sun, and for newsletters produced by foundations for their donors such as the Dance Centre Foundation and BC Technology Social Venture Partners. She has also conducted extensive research into the nature of the philanthropic sector in BC, and has written several analysis documents on private and public foundations in BC, including ranking all private and public foundations by asset size, dollars granted out, donations received and management expenses.In addition to numerous presentations to boards and organizations on various foundation issues, Linda has also been asked to present to the National Conference of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia, and the fundraising courses at BCIT.
John Boukouris
John has been an active part of the Group Plans business for the past 12 years. He's worked closely with advisors to win both large plans and small. In addition, he actively supports advisors ongoing efforts to service their existing group business. He has worked for several major fund companies and joined Mackenzie in September 2005 to work further in the group marketplace. He has extensive experience in the sales process, including: proposal development, plan design, implementation, as well as employee education. John is also well versed in the CAP guidelines, which came into effect December 31st, 2005. His goal is to be a key resource in helping advisors effectively use Group Plans to successfully grow their business. John has a bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Western Ontario. Mackenzie is the largest mutual fund company in Canada to offer group plans through financial advisors. It is a business that we have been dedicated to serving since 1988 and currently manage over $1 billion in assets on behalf of more than 4,000 companies/organizations with 2,700 advisors.
Roxanne Eszes, P. Eng., CFP
Roxanne Eszes of Cleartech Documentation and Training Guelph ON is a technical writer and trainer, specializing in the financial services field. She obtained her CFP designation in 1998 and became a CIFPs member when the organization was first launched in 2003. Roxanne has been writing course materials for aspiring CFP candidates since 1996, and has written extensively for CIFP’s CFP program of study, including materials on income tax planning, retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and estate planning. Apart from her work with CIFP and CIFPs, she has helped develop and deliver study aids and exam preparation courses for CFP candidates across the country, and authored users’ guides for professional financial planning software. Roxanne has contributed to numerous continuing education courses for CFP licensees, including many of those distributed by CIFPs. She is the author of the Financial Planning Practitioner’s Guide, as well as the 2006 edition of Current Trends and Issues in Financial Planning, continuing education course that will be released at this year’s conference.
Bruce Kirkby, Adventurer, Writer and Photographer
Bruce Kirkby lives a life of adventure and exploration that the majority of us only dream of. From the depths of the Blue Nile Gorge in Africa to the high Arctic; from the Himalayas to Arabia, Bruce Kirkby's journeys have taken him to the farthest corners of the globe. Sharing those adventures with others is his passion. Bruce is the Editor-at-Large at Outpost Magazine. His writing has appeared in TIME, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post. His first book, Sand Dance, spent 14 weeks on the National Bestseller List. The photographs you will see are stunning. Bruce's work has appeared in Outside Magazine, American Photo, Explore, and Maclean's. National Geographic Television produced three documentaries featuring Bruce's adventures, and they recently selected his images from Arabia as some of the most riveting photographs of the past decade. Bruce is dedicated to aiding children's education. He regularly visits local classrooms. An online study program he designed received five million hits, from students in more than twenty countries. The Globe and Mail honoured Bruce as one of the young Canadians expected to make a difference in the future of Canada. His latest book,The Dolphin's Tooth: A Decade in Search of Adventure, begins with Bruce quitting his comfortable, but boring, engineering job at the age of 22 to bicycle across Northern Pakistan. The Dolphin's Tooth, recently published in the fall of 2005, is a reminiscence of 15 years (and counting) of excitement, doubts and insights that come with a life lived on the edge.