Top Female Talent in the Canadian Financial Sector to Speak on International Women's Day
According to the World Economic Forum’s “Global Gender Gap Report 2022,” it is expected to take another 132 years to achieve global gender parity, as compounding crises have caused progress in recent years to stall. Female talent continues to be one of the most untapped business resources, and in industries like finance, this is especially true, with female representation typically declining as career levels rise. With significant headwinds facing women in finance, the question becomes – how can women position themselves to break into or advance in the industry and achieve success?
In honour of International Women’s Day, Invico Capital Corporation is pleased to host a virtual roundtable featuring leading women in finance who have and continue to break barriers in the sector. The virtual event will take place on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, and provide investment and financial advisors, students from post-secondary institutions, and other professionals across Canada with an inside look into the experiences of some of Canada’s top female Portfolio Managers, CEOs, and senior executives, including advice on how to make it to the top.
Our guest speakers are comprised of some of the leading female experts in the finance industry across Canada, including:
Geneviève Blouin (Panelist): Geneviève Blouin is based in Montreal, QC, and is the President and Founder of Altervest, an investment management firm that specializes in alternative investments for sophisticated high-net-worth individuals and family offices. She has over 28 years of experience in the financial sector and specializes in derivatives strategies. Geneviève first got her start in the industry after obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University working on the floor of the Montreal Stock Exchange as an independent focus trader. With no personal funds following her studies, she raised the initial capital required to trade on the exchange floor through a young entrepreneur's loan and borrowing from friends.
Today, in addition to her role at Altervest, Geneviève is the founder of the Emerging Managers’ Board, a non-profit organization that promotes emerging Canadian entrepreneurs in asset management. She is also involved in the financial sector as a volunteer judge for Finance et Investissement’s Top 25 in the Financial Industry and is very proud to have contributed to the addition of the independent firm category, which allows the next generation of entrepreneurs to be recognized. Geneviève has also been recognized by Premiere en Affaire magazine as one of the key women in the Quebec financial sector and is recognized for her expertise in derivatives.
Wendy Brookhouse (Panelist): Wendy Brookhouse hails from Halifax, NS, and is the CEO, Founder, and Chief Strategist of Black Star Wealth, a boutique financial planning firm that provides comprehensive financial services to entrepreneurs, professionals, and business owners across Canada. She has over 20 years of experience in the finance and consulting industries and has spent the past fifteen years leveraging her knowledge in business consulting and ownership to help clients achieve outstanding results and reach their financial goals faster and easier.
Wendy is a Certified Financial Planner and graduated from Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialty in Finance and Management, as well as with an Executive MBA. In addition to her role at Black Star Wealth, Wendy is the author of “Burn Your Budget: How to Spend Your Way to Financial Freedom,” a book that helps readers identify their One Number Solution so they can spend without guilt. She is also a media ambassador for FP Canada and the host of The Real Bottom Line, a podcast featuring entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.
Christine LaLiberte (Panelist): Christine LaLiberte is based in Surrey, BC, and is a Senior Investment and Insurance Advisor with Insightful Wealth Group, which is part of Raymond James. She has more than thirty years experience in the finance industry and began Insightful Wealth Group with the view of creating a capable and caring group of professionals united in bringing financial success and education to their clients.
Christine has been recognized as a top wealth advisor and was named one of the top 50 advisors in Canada in 2021. She has also received several advanced designations, including Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, the highest honour in the financial services industry, and Chartered Investment Manager. She first got her start in the industry as a bank teller at the age of 19 before going on to work for an MFDA and then as an IIROC advisor. She launched her own business with zero assets in 1999 and now manages a book worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, in her role at Insightful Wealth Group, Christine has successfully run the client-centric Insightful Wealth Process since 2012 and trained over 100 advisors and their assistants.
Allison Taylor (Panelist): Allison Taylor resides in Calgary, AB, and is the CEO, Co-Founder, and Portfolio Manager at Invico Capital Corporation. She has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance and founded Invico in 2005 to address a growing need in the market for alternative investment solutions. She first got her start in the industry as a Summer Associate at RBC Capital Markets after graduating from Western University with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science and Statistics and later from the University of Calgary with an MBA in Finance. While math and accounting were areas Allison naturally exceled in, it wasn’t until she met her fellow co-founder, Jason Brooks, at Ernst in Young that the idea of Invico was born and she pursued a path towards entrepreneurship.
Allison is a member of the Investment Committee at the University of Calgary and the Alberta Securities Commission Exempt Market Dealer Advisory Committee. She was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women and was the proud recipient of the Female Executive of the Year award at the Wealth Professional Women in Wealth Management Awards. She also received the prestigious Management Alumni Excellence Award from the Haskayne School of Business last year.
Neela White (Panelist): Neela White is based in Toronto, ON, and is a Portfolio Manager at 3Macs, a division of Raymond James Ltd., and has more than 25 years of experience working in the financial industry providing insight and inclusive wealth management services for a variety of clients. She is an active speaker on the subject of caregiving, the cost of aging, health care navigation, dementia, and the sandwich generation and often draws from her firsthand experience as being a caregiver to her parents for more than a decade.
Neela graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Psychology and from McMaster University with a degree in Gerontology and holds several designations specific to aging and elder planning. In addition to her role at 3Macs, she is an active member and presenter for the Canadian Securities Institute Financial Health for Senior Initiative. Due to her extensive background in the financial preparation process for elders and their families, Neela has been featured in numerous industry publications and is often invited to participate in conferences, interviews, podcasts, and educational events.
Mya Gill (Moderator): Mya resides in Calgary, AB, and is currently finishing her final semester of studies at the University of Calgary and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in Finance. Mya is very passionate about encouraging and supporting women in business, which is evident from her role as Vice President of Finance with the Women in Business student chapter. This non-profit club at the University of Calgary is dedicated to encouraging women to pursue careers in business and bringing awareness to relevant ongoing gender issues.