Natalie Jamison Wealth advisor and associate director of wealth management The Jamison Group Scotia Wealth Management Natalie Jamison was ahead of the curve. While many in the industry are hastily trying to adopt a holistic approach as CRM2 comes into effect, Jamison was offering that to clients 20 years ago. “I think what women investors value that I bring to the table is a slightly different approach than the traditional old-school stockbroker,” Jamison says. “I really focus a lot on conversations about their life and their dreams and their family, so we’re not just having discussions about stocks and asset allocation. The key to my success is that I didn’t start doing this last year. I started doing it 20 years ago.” Starting out in the industry at a time when most advisors were primarily stock pickers, it would have been easy to simply follow the norm, but “I immediately said it’s not how I’m going to do things,” Jamison says. “I put myself in the shoes of my clients. How would I want to have a conversation about my finances? I just always approached it that way.” Are you seeing any improvements in gender diversity in the industry? Absolutely, I’m seeing improvements. I’m super thrilled that women graduating university today are seeing wealth management as a viable career choice. Even more exciting is that the industry is embracing them. What we’ve seen are wealth management firms recognizing there are benefits to having gender diversity, and those benefits are to both our clients and the bottom line. It’s slow – it’s maybe slower than we might wish. But we are going in the right direction, and it’s exciting. What advice would you give the next generation of female advisors? First, they need to hone their networking skills and practice public speaking. If you can’t do those two things, I don’t think you’ll do well in this industry. The second thing is to invest in yourself, your business and your brand. I’ve always been a proponent of hiring help. Don’t hesitate to hire a business coach to help with branding or website creation or your social media profile. I would also advise them to have an investment philosophy and to stick to it and to be able to clearly explain that philosophy to clients. Only take on clients you actually enjoy working with and who match your ideal profile. If you take a client you don’t enjoy or who doesn’t actually match your profile, you will end up regretting it, and nobody wants to be in a position where they have to fire a client.
Darcie Crowe Senior investment advisor and portfolio manager Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management For Darcie Crowe, it’s all about the big picture. “I think putting a much greater focus on what clients want to do with their wealth in the long-term enables advisors to develop a much more meaningful and impactful financial and investment plan for their clients,” she says. That approach has put Crowe on track to become one of the top financial advisors at Canaccord Genuity – she was recognized as a member of the 2014 President’s Club and 2015 Chairman’s Club. She’s also made an effort to include more women in the planning process to move beyond the days when advisors deferred to men for financial decisions. “Women in general have been very unsatisfied with the financial services industry and feel like they’re being a little bit underserved and not understood as well,” Crowe says. “They want an authentic partnership with their financial advisor and a more comprehensive strategy and process. That’s something I’ve put a lot of focus into.” Why do you think there aren’t many women in the financial industry? I think there is the historical mentality that the industry was built by men, for men, but it’s come a long way even in the 12 years I’ve been in the industry. I think there have been a lot of strides made in various areas that have made it a very comfortable and supportive work environment. To be honest, I think it provides a great work-life balance and flexibility for my life. What advice would you give the next generation of female advisors? [Wealth management] provides a fantastic career opportunity for both men and women, and I truly believe that it’s an opportunity many more women should take a look at. It certainly is a challenging environment, but it’s also very rewarding. You can really shape your career in serving the clients who are meaningful to you. If you have passion for the business, it can certainly provide a very rewarding career in many aspects.
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