FEATURES
COVER STORY: WOMEN OF INFLUENCE Joanna Rotenberg Head of personal wealth management BMO Financial Group Joanna Rotenberg leads BMO’s personal wealth businesses – BMO Nesbitt Burns, BMO InvestorLine and Private Banking in Canada, the US and Asia – where she’s responsible for delivering a strategy that advances BMO through a focus on high-growth opportunities, strong collaboration, disciplined risk and regulatory adherence, and a consistently exceptional client experience. She also oversees BMO’s enterprise wealth planning capability. She took on her current role in 2015; prior to that, she served as BMO Financial Group’s chief marketing officer and head of strategy.
Amani Sawaya Executive director and head of private banking, Eastern region CIBC Private Wealth Management In charge of CIBC’s private banking arm for Eastern Canada, Amani Sawaya is responsible for building and implementing strategies such as cash management, credit, investment solutions, trust services and financial planning. With more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Sawaya supports the needs of affluent individuals and families to help grow, preserve and transition their wealth.
Catherine M. Chamberlain Head of legal and compliance Vanguard Investments Canada Catherine Chamberlain joined Vanguard as head of legal and compliance in September 2011. Prior to that, she held senior positions at BMO Financial Group, most recently as vice president of compliance for BMO’s Private Client Group, where she served as legal and policy counsel. In addition to her duties at Vanguard, she is a member of the Registrant Advisory Committee established by the Ontario Securities Commission and a member of the Canadian ETF Association’s Policy Committee.
Michèle Bourque President and CEO Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Michèle Bourque was appointed president and CEO of Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation [CDIC] in 2010, following a career with CDIC that has spanned more than two decades. Under Bourque’s leadership, CDIC has made critical strides toward becoming a global leader in deposit insurance and resolution, including the development of the resolution framework for Canada’s domestic systemically important banks.
32
www.wealthprofessional.ca
Janet Bride Associate Investment Advisor HollisWealth Janet Bride took an unorthodox path into the industry. She spent five years taking courses and getting designations before she ever worked at a wealth management firm. “It was a challenge just to get through the courses without having industry experience,” she says. “But I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I think a lot of people get in the industry and then do the courses, but I did it the other way around, which worked really well for me.” Looking for a job away from the city, she partnered with Dave Sweeney in Squamish, BC. She’s been with him 10 years and recently became his business partner. While the investment knowledge she’s gained along the way is important, Bride says the relationships with her clients are paramount. “I love the knowledge of financial planning,” she says, “but it comes down to dealing with people, getting their trust and helping families follow their dreams.” Are you seeing any improvements in gender diversity in the industry? It’s still skewed – there are still more men in the industry, for sure. But I think there are more women willing to come in and get involved, and I think a lot more women are going to enter the industry in the near future. The average age of planners is around 58. Some people will be retiring in the next few years, and I think there are a lot of opportunities for women to partner with, learn from and mentor their peers. What advice would you give the next generation of female advisors? Get a foundation through education – that worked well for me. But more importantly, love what you do, and do it with a purpose.