Felicia Lee

BASc, MBA, CFP®, CKA®, CLU®, FEA, CEPA

Principal

Clarity Planning Inc.

Category: Ethics - Making Choices II

Before becoming a financial planner, Felicia spent 6 years as a business coach to over 200 business owners who grossed between $200K – $5M. This gave her a front-row seat to noticing how making money doesn’t always translate to keeping the money.

She watched many smart people generate good revenue, while on the flip side, not being strategic about what to do with the money they were making, to live the flexible future that they most wanted.

She got into financial planning because she noticed that as her client’s finances grew and they were working harder, they weren’t sure they were gaining ground financially to meet the future that they envisioned for themselves.

Her approach to financial planning may look different from your typical financial planner. For starters, her insight as a business coach and the tested ability to navigate the complexities of growing a business or practice is married with financial planning competencies.

With her engineering background, her left brain is trained to analyze, evaluate, and create solutions, while her right brain is seasoned from years of coaching to help clients clarify and navigate to the big picture.

Akua Carmichael

LL.B, J.D.

Director, Tax and Estate Planning

Empire Life

Category: Estate PLANNING

Akua is a lawyer and subject matter expert in tax and estate planning. Her estate planning expertise includes, tax and probate planning, corporate reorganizations, cross-border will and trust planning, charitable giving, planning for special needs beneficiaries, estate planning for pets, and incapacity planning. Akua’s experience includes working with owner-managers, entrepreneurs, professionals, seniors and parents of young families. Akua regularly provides tax and estate planning advice and opinions to advisors from various financial institutions and their clients.

Akua is a frequent speaker and presenter on estate and trust issues and has written published articles as an estate law contributor to Advisors Edge Report as well as other publications. She is also an estate law tutor with the Law Society of Ontario. Akua has appeared on local television to discuss wills and estates, estate planning for the business owner, and powers of attorney. Additionally, she is the author My Lifeprint, an estate planning manual and workbook.

Prior to joining Empire Life, Akua worked as a Senior Associate in the Estate Planning and Administration department of a law firm in Toronto. Akua holds a Bachelors of Laws degree (LL.B) from the University of Windsor and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Detroit Mercy. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Estate Planning Council of Toronto, the Ontario Bar Association (Trusts and Estates Section), and the Christian Legal Fellowship. Akua is also fluent in French and Spanish.

Brenda McEachern

B.Comm, LL.B

VICE-PRESIDENT, INSURANCE,
TRUST AND ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES

RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.

Category: Insurance PLANNING

Brenda brings a unique skill set to RBC. Her 30-year career spans law, insurance and philanthropy. As an estate and trust lawyer she developed an expertise in charitable giving. As an estate and tax consultant with Canada Life, she acquired an intimate understanding of insurance as a tax effective estate planning tool.

Brenda uses a creative multidisciplinary approach to helping affluent clients define and craft their financial legacy. She applies her specialized knowledge of insurance and trusts to customize solutions for each client’s individual circumstances.

Brenda received her B.Comm. and LL.B from the University of B.C. She
is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She is a frequent lecturer on succession planning and charitable giving.

Chris Venn

ORSC.C., M.NLP, CHt.

Head of Advanced Markets

Financial Horizons Group

Category: Best PracticeS

Chris Venn is the Head of Advanced Markets at Financial Horizons and works with advisors on a daily basis to help them move directly toward the success they’ve defined and are pursuing. Before entering business 25 years ago, Chris was trained by former members of the British SAS to protect heads of state, royalty and other high-ranking individuals who were at great risk. At the core of that work was the recognition that success invariably requires a different kind of skillset and a different kind of mindset than one’s competition; this applies equally well in business.

Combining the discipline and experiences of startups, growth, acquisitions, business sales and franchising of his own firms has given Chris a practical, actionable, and success-focused platform to help advisors grow. He has spent the last 16 years dedicated to working with highly successful advisors and advisory firms in the US and Canada, and continues to develop and deliver transformative programs to help advisors create the success they want.

Tom Kelly

BSc, CFP®, CIM, FCSI

Principal & Portfolio Manager

Manulife Securities Incorporated

Category: Investment Panel 

I have been in the wealth advisory business since 1997. I began my career doing research for a top institutional money manager. I then pursued personal financial planning at 2 of Canada's largest banks. In 2002 I joined Dynamic Funds as a Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in BC. 

I joined the Granville West Group in 2007 and have been using the best practices of over 1500 financial advisors to bring the best service and advice to my clients. Our team is one of the most experienced and hard working wealth advisory groups in Vancouver. Our goal is simply to do great work for great people.

Our team specializes in the integration of all aspects of your financial life. Together with our trusted professional partner network we can help with investments, wills and estate planning, borrowing needs, insurance and real estate strategies.

Matthew Evans

CIM®, CFP®

Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager

Westmount Wealth Management Inc.

Category: Investment Panel 

Matthew is the principal driver behind Westmount Wealth’s investment management. His focus within the practice is the design, execution, and monitoring of our model portfolios. Matthew was named as a 2019 Young Gun by Wealth Professional Magazine, which recognizes the top 20 investment professionals in Canada under age 40. With over a decade in the industry, he is a Chartered Investment Manager and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional. His disciplined investment process and calm deliberation avoids performance chasing and sets up clients for success.

An outdoor and workout enthusiast, he lives in Vancouver with his wife Jessica and son Henry.

Justin Truong

CFA

Senior Manager, Investment Strategy

Mackenzie Investments

Category: Investment Panel 

Justin is responsible for contributing to Mackenzie’s macro “house view”. He is the author of the Weekly Market Snapshot and Monthly Market Matters commentaries, which offer timely insights into capital markets. Prior to joining Mackenzie, he was a member of the Global Multi-Asset Strategy team at GLC Asset Management, which oversaw the firm’s balanced, target-date and target-risk asset allocation portfolios.

Justin has an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Finance) from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a CFA charterholder.

Jacqueline Knoblauch

CFP® CLU®

Insurance Planning Specialist

Raymond James

Category: Advocacy

Born and raised in the lower mainland, Jacqueline graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2009 and has been working in the financial services industry ever since.

Currently she works as the Insurance Planning Specialist for Raymond James Financial Planning managing over 700 clients throughout BC, Alberta and Ontario, primarily working with incorporated business owners to address their risk and tax planning needs through insurance. Jacqueline currently sits on the board of the Vancouver Chapter of Advocis as their Advocacy Chair, encouraging and educating other advisors on how best to support our efforts of title protection in British Columbia.

Saskia Vermeulen

CHS, CFP®

Senior Advisor

Southlands Financial

Category: Membership

Saskia Vermeulen is a third-generation insurance broker specializing in health and life insurance and employee benefits. She completed her BA (Major/minor) at the University of British Columbia. After a successful career in marketing, she moved into the insurance and financial services industry. In 2016, she launched her own practice, Southlands Financial. She is proud to provide high levels of service to her group and individual clients. Saskia has high ethical standards and the needs of her clients are her top priority. By carefully researching and identifying financial goals and objectives she helps clients set up, implement and review their personal financial plans on an ongoing basis. She is committed to continuing education and has earned her Certified Health Specialist (CHS) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations. Saskia is passionate about giving back to the financial services industry and serves as membership chair on Advocis’ Greater Vancouver Chapter board. She is also involved with a charity which helps raise money for women’s education. 

BeiChen Lin

CFA, CPA

Investment Strategy Analyst

Russell Investments

Category: ECONOMIC UPDATE

BeiChen Lin is a core member of the Investment Strategy Team at Russell Investments. He analyzes financial market trends, provides market commentary, and develops investment recommendations. He builds and maintain a wide variety of financial, macroeconomic, and behavioral finance models across numerous asset classes and regions. He advises portfolio managers and clients on key risks, macroeconomic data, and market events. 

BeiChen serves as a thought leader for Russell Investments and has authored several articles on behalf of the firm. His report on the state of the housing market across developed market economies (Canada, US, UK, and Australia) was featured in a “Most Popular email for ThinkTank”—an email publication distributed to approximately 65,000 financial advisors. 

In addition, BeiChen is a regular commentator on Russell Investments’ Market Week in Review, providing insight on topics ranging from revised capital requirements for Canadian financial institutions to interpretation and analysis of key macroeconomic data. 

BeiChen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business (Finance and Accounting) and a Master’s degree in Accounting, both from New York University Stern School of Business. He is also a CFA charterholder. Additionally, BeiChen is a CPA licensed in the states of Washington and New York.

Steve Fooks

CHS, CFP®

Advance Case Consultant - Insurance

Canada Life

Category: Immediate FinancING Arrangements

Steve works alongside financial advisors in British Columbia as their subject matter expert for Life Insurance. His focus is on Estate Planning and Corporate insurance planning where he combines his product design and people skills to create custom solutions for Clients.

Steve began his career as a financial advisor with London Life in 1992 after graduating with a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. After successfully building his practice for several years in Ontario, Steve moved to Vancouver to become Vice-President of a technology company. After eight years of working in the technology industry, Steve returned to the financial services sector as a Training Manager with Freedom 55 Financial. In 2013, he moved into an Insurance Sales Consultant role at Great West Life which allowed him to set the ground work for his role today.

Steve is a (CFP) Certified Financial Planner and a Certified Health Insurance Specialist (CHS) as well as a Certified Executive Coach from Royal Roads University. When he’s not at work, Steve likes to spend time at his cottage with his wife and 2 daughters.

Irvin Lim

Private Banker

Scotia Private Banking

Category: Immediate FinancinG Arrangements

Irvin is currently a Private Banker with Scotia Wealth Management and was most recently with BMO as a Senior Private Banker for over 4 years and previously worked for over 5 years at Manulife Private Wealth as a Director of Wealth Banking. There, he found success working with independent financial advisors in the MGA and National Account channels.

In addition, Irvin also brings over 21 years of experience in the banking industry (over 9 years in IFAs), working in the high net worth and health care professional space.

Irvin is currently studying for his MBA (International Finance) at the Edinburgh School of Business.

Wai-Ke Kim

CFP®, CLU®, CEA, CPCA

Regional Director

Manulife Securities Advisory Services

Wai-Ke Kim is the Regional Director for Manulife Securities Advisory Services in British Columbia. She thrives on solving unusual puzzles and takes a consultative approach to supporting Brokers with their practice management, recruiting and business development. Prior to joining Manulife, she was with BMO Life Assurance Company specializing in corporate life insurance analysis and solutions. She began her financial services career over 18 years ago as an entrepreneur building a vibrant financial planning practice in Toronto. She is a passionate advocate for Women in Wealth and takes a keen interest in mentoring and networking with young women starting a career in finance. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University, and holds a CFP, CLU, CPCA and CEA designations. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University. She is also a classically trained pianist, loves to bake cookies and is a proud mother to two boys. 

Mehul Gandhi

CFP®, CLU®, TEP 

Managing Director, Senior Insurance Advisor

Westmount Wealth Planning Inc.

Mehul Gandhi is a financial planning professional with Westmount Wealth Planning, a division of the Westmount Wealth Group. He specializes in advanced tax and estate planning for business owners and high net worth families. He is also a senior life insurance advisor, with expertise in creative insurance planning for incorporated individuals.

Mehul is very active with Advocis, and as well as volunteering on the FPS committee, he currently serves as the Program Chair for the Vancouver chapter of Advocis.

Mehul is the 2018 recipient of the Leslie W. Dunstall Award, presented to candidates who achieved the highest examination marks for all CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter) course subjects. He is a golfing enthusiast, and also enjoys skiing and cycling with his wife, Maira.

Jeny Yeung

CFP®, EPC

Senior Director, Business Development

Individual Life Products

Jeny currently holds a role as Senior Director, Business Development with Beneva. She has solid experience in the life insurance and financial services sector. She was previously Sales Director for another large Canadian carrier where she had forged many strong relationships, working with MGAs and advisors identifying opportunities to grow and develop their business. 

Her career started in financial services working for one of Canada’s top 5 banks, eventually leading to a position in Personal Lending. Before returning to school, Jeny took a position with a full service brokerage firm which has expanded her knowledge of the agent side of finance. Jeny graduated from the Marketing Management program at British Columbia Institute of Technology. Jeny has obtained her Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) and Certified Financial Planner Designation (CFP). She is currently working on obtaining her Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.

Patrick Cziolek

BCom, CFP®, CLU®, TEP, CHS

Estate Planning Specialist

RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.

Patrick Cziolek is an Estate Planning Specialist at RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc. He joined the industry in 2003 working as an independent insurance advisor in Edmonton Alberta where he also obtained his Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He also holds a CFP, CLU, TEP, MFA-P, and CHS designation. He currently specializes in life insurance solutions supporting advisors in both the corporate and family markets. Patrick also volunteers his time for Advocis as Past-President of the Vancouver Chapter and Chair of the Financial Planning Summit. Besides working Patrick loves to play tennis and of course spend time with his family.