I am an Albertan, born and raised.  Born in Fort McMurray, my family relocated to an acreage east of Edmonton when I was young. My father is from London, England, and my mother from Waterford, Ireland.  Land ownership in Europe isn’t affordable, so when they immigrated to Canada they were set on owning an acreage. Over the years we had chickens, ducks, rabbits, a trout pond and stabled the occasional horse for neighbours. It was a great place to grow up.

Education was important to my family, so I attended a French immersion school and eventually completed a Bilingual Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. After graduation, I pursued additional professional development and I hold the Chartered Professional Accountant (“CPA”), Certified Management Accountant (“CMA”), and Certified Financial Planner (“CFP”) designations.  I firmly believe that a person should never stop learning, and where possible do some teaching.

To that end, I donate my time to Junior Achievement where I help deliver financial literacy programs to youth in the public-school system. Through Junior Achievement, I’m able to help prepare the next crop of young leaders and entrepreneurs for success. It’s very rewarding.

My career has included roles as a Controller and General Manager in industries ranging from real estate development and oilfield services to software development and digital marketing. In 2013, I co-founded Red Seal Financial Ltd. with my partner, Dawn Vader.

Why?

Over the years I have worked for many business owners, not all successful. I have watched first-hand as two of my employers failed. The bankruptcy & receivership process is not kind to shareholders, suppliers, customers and employees alike. Through these experiences I learned a lot about what not to do in business. This knowledge comes from lessons that aren’t taught in school and from life experience you can’t buy, at least not deliberately.

In my practice at Red Seal Financial Ltd. I enjoy working with individuals, families, professionals and business owners to help them plan for success. I help my clients understand their current financial situation, identify where they want to go, and develop a plan to get there. With my background and experience, I’m uniquely well suited to help them avoid the kinds of mistakes that can cause major setbacks, both financially and in life.

Life is about contrast. You can’t enjoy good times without having had bad times to compare them to. And in business, success is measured by its relative distance from failure. Having seen both success and failure, I assist my clients in identifying what success means to them, and I then act as a personal guide to help achieve that success. It’s a blast!