Industry moves this week

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

• Bernard Letendre has left Manulife Financial Corp. after nearly 13 years at the firm, including a stint as head of wealth and asset management for Canada. He was most recently global head of transformation, global wealth and asset management. Letendre is now a partner and executive committee member at Longueuil, Que.-based business consulting firm Humance. In an emailed statement, a Manulife representative noted that Letendre’s former position at the company hasn’t been filled and that assistant vice-president of strategy Lorelle Angelo will continue the work that was underway.
• Raymond James Ltd. has tweaked its private client group leadership team, promoting Micol Haimson and David Tasker, and shifting David Burnes to a new role. Haimson — who joined the firm in 2019, and was previously senior vice-president and manager of the corporate branch in Montreal — is now the group’s national director. Tasker is now senior vice-president of correspondent services, succeeding Burnes while retaining his duties as president of Raymond James Investment Counsel. Burnes is now head of strategy and business development, reporting to Tasker. An emailed statement from the firm said the changes “ensure consistent leadership” as the company grows, and that a search is underway for Haimson’s replacement.
• Paul Wylie, who’s worked in financial services for more than 25 years, is now Canadian head of family office at BMO Private Wealth. Wylie’s industry tenure includes experience leading and managing business development, as well as sales, service and client experience, at firms such as ScotiaMcLeod, TD Wealth Private Investment Advice and, most recently, IPC Securities Corp. His new role involves supporting BMO Private Wealth channels nationally, he told IE, working on strategy plus the client relationship model.
• Also at BMO Private Wealth’s family office team, Neil Hershcovitch has been named COO and head of investment platforms, continuing his efforts to develop the platform. Hershcovitch has worked at BMO for 11 years and his industry tenure includes roles with New York-based Barclays Investment Bank and Edinburgh-based Royal Bank of Scotland Business (he worked out of London, U.K.).
• As reported last week, Mark Gordon, the longtime president and CEO of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada, stepped down from that role effective Sept. 15. He’s now the strategic advisor to the MFDA chair, with Karen McGuinness replacing him as the organization’s leader.
• Westmacott Daley Wealth Management has moved to Richardson Wealth from PWL Capital Inc. The group is comprised of Graham Westmacott and Susan Daley (both are portfolio managers and investment advisors), plus associate investment advisor Jason Primmer and assistant Mukesh Ramsurrun. Based in the Waterloo region, they work with professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees and their families.
• Jack Rando, formerly a managing director with the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC), accepted a newly created role with National Bank Financial on Sept. 1. He’s now strategic advisor for market watch, trade surveillance and compliance. A spokesperson from the bank said in an email that Rando will evaluate the impact of regulatory, technological and business developments on trading.
• Adrian Walrath, who was with IIAC for nearly 11 years, is also leaving the association to become senior legal counsel at IG Wealth Management. (The IIAC said in an emailed statement that it’s happy to see both Rando and Walrath working with members firms, though it didn’t provide detail on their successors.)

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.