Industry moves this week

Each week, Advisor’s Edge summarizes notable personnel shifts across the financial and wealth management industry.

• Wilma Larratt-Smith, portfolio manager and investment advisor, has joined Raymond James Ltd. in Toronto. She was previously with Richardson Wealth Ltd. in the same role, for nearly nine years, and has worked with various firms and big banks throughout her decades-long career.
• Kevin Sullivan, the leader of Toronto-based advisory firm KMS Capital Ltd., was named non-executive director and chairman of the board of directors of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. (also based in Toronto) effective June 3. David Cusson, CEO of Echelon, cited in a release Sullivan’s “respected” history in the industry, which includes his many years with GMP Capital Inc., the co-founding of Richardson GMP and the facilitation of GMP’s initial public offering in 2003. In a LinkedIn post, Sullivan noted that the appointment brings him back to the independent dealer community.
• John Davidson, who worked with Winnipeg-based Canada Life Assurance Company for nearly 40 years, has come out of retirement to tackle the role of vice-president, head of origination, with Toronto-based lending and finance firm Langhaus Financial. The focus is private entities and high-net-worth individuals.
• iA Financial Group announced leadership changes for its Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions business earlier this month, citing in an email significant growth. The structure changes included the appointment of three regional vice-presidents, all of whom have worked with the company for years. Those individuals, who took the positions in May, were: Jennifer Curzon, regional VP for Canada West; Dustin Hunt, regional VP for central Canada; and Patrice Latour, regional VP for Eastern Canada.
• The Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance (CAFII) elected Peter D. Thompson as chairperson of its board on June 21. Thompson has been president and CEO of National Bank Insurance since 2018, and has been a director with CAFII since 2019 and its vice-chairperson since 2020. He succeeds Chris Lobbezoo, vice-president of Creditor Insurance at RBC Insurance.
• Deputy Governor Timothy Lane will retire from the Bank of Canada on Sept. 16. He joined in 2008 as an advisor to the governor, a release said, following 20 years with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A selection committee will help find Lane’s replacement, with the assistance of Toronto-based recruiting firm Boyden Global Executive Search.

If you know of other people moves in the financial industry and/or would like us to consider your announcement, email Katie Keir at katie@newcom.ca. 

Katie Keir

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Katie is special projects editor for Advisor.ca and has worked with the team since 2010. In 2012, she was named Best New Journalist by the Canadian Business Media Awards. Reach her at katie@newcom.ca.