Team Unity

From the beginning of my working years as a teenager, I was taught to give and to save a portion of all that I earned before engaging in spending. I experienced the inherent value of starting early, setting a plan, and watching savings grow. Over time this fostered a desire to help others manage their finances. Shortly after graduating from Ivey at Western University in 2002, my wife Amy and I ventured to the great white north. We lived in Yellowknife for several years and I was afforded numerous personal and career development opportunities while working at Northwestel as a senior manager in product marketing. In 2011, Amy and I relocated with our children Madelynn, Lauren, and Owen, back to Strathroy to be closer to our extended family. This opened the door to fulfill my long-time desire to set up the financial practice now known as Unity Financial. When away from my desk, I enjoy walks with Amy and our dog Oakley, reading, dinners with friends, and watching my children participate in their extra curricular activities.

My faith, my family, and my friends are of utmost importance to me. As a mother of three, having navigated long-term health issues with our youngest, it has become increasingly evident to me that life is filled with uncertainty. When something heart-wrenching happens, the last thing we want to worry about is finances. From our first days of marriage, Mark designed a budget for our family that included three components: Giving, saving, and spending within our means. We have operated with these principles and our faith from the very beginning of our marriage and continue to experience financial peace of mind. Mark has been my life partner for almost 25 years. It is a great privilege and blessing to be his business partner as well. I believe in life-long learning and my passions are teaching and counselling, and both help me in my role at Unity Financial. I enjoy playing piano, painting, going for walks, and time doing almost anything that includes Mark and our beautiful children.

• Certified Financial Planner (2002): focusing on financial coaching and investment planning.
• Passion for writing: going beyond the headline to tell the whole story.
• Active volunteer: giving back and learning from each experience.
• Humble husband. Proud parent of three wonderful adults. Two grand-dogs and counting.
• Curling / golf / hiking / travel: hobbies my body allows me to continue, pain free, for now.
• Next bucket list item: bungee or canyon jumping. Please don’t tell my wife, or our chiropractor.

Building relationships and connecting with others is inspiring to me. I love hearing new ideas and working with others to understand different perspectives. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Western and spending several years in the restaurant industry, an exciting new venture came across my path. In 2011, I began working as a financial advisor and from the very beginning my focus has been holistic planning. I love helping my clients create a personalized financial plan that provides solutions that work within their circumstances and with their “money personality.” I especially enjoy working with local business owners. To continue serving clients to the best of my ability, I recently completed my CFP®, and I am now a Certified Financial Planner. In my downtime, you will find me scoping out a venue for good food and live music with my husband Chico, cuddling my fur baby Lucy, playing my mandolin, gardening, or participating in fitness. I appreciate warm and collaborative environments and I am thankful to be journeying alongside my clients and colleagues at Unity Financial.

I currently live in Lucan with my wife Lori and our adult daughter, Jenna. We have two other children: Jordan and his wife Jessica, and Angela; and three grandchildren: Owen, Jackson, and Raelyn. I have spent most of my life living in London, but also lived in Ilderton for twelve years. I enjoy both city life and smalltown culture and I am thankful for both experiences. I appreciate time with my family and friends at our seasonal home in Bayfield. You might also find me playing golf or attending our grandchildren’s sporting events. After graduating from Western University with a B.A. in Economics, I began my career in the financial services industry at London Life Insurance Company. In 1996, I made the decision to become a Financial Security Advisor with London Life. I haven’t looked back since, helping individuals and families with their financial security, risk management and investment planning needs for over twenty-five years. I joined Legacy Partners of London in 2007 and I am happy to now be aligned with Unity Financial.

I have enjoyed working in various roles offering service and support to clients and team members for more than thirty years. “Never Pass a Fault” is known as a motto by many of the Canadian Armed Forces and it is something I resonate with -if you see something that’s not right, do something about it. I relate this to everything from picking up a random piece of trash to helping someone in need. I learned this saying from a loved one along time ago and it has always stuck with me. I am married with four children and several grand puppies. I enjoy taking time to be in nature, golfing, and spending time with the ones I love. My passion for helping people and leaving things better has been directed to the community at Legacy Partners of London and now Unity Financial, since 2012 and I am thankful to be a part of this team.

I joined the London Life community in the Sales Division in 1974. In 2012, after working as a Senior Investment Coordinator at Great West Life for a couple of years, I jumped at the opportunity to join the Legacy team. This decision was driven by my passion for working with clients. I am energized when I am helping others and although many dear friendships developed in my other roles, I had missed serving clients. I continue to enjoy interacting with our clients at Unity Financial. I have been married for forty-three years to my husband Andy and we have two wonderful daughters, Kate, and Alison. Having raised only girls, you can imagine the learning curve involved in being Nana to my two twin grandsons Jordan and Carter. They along with their older sister Chloe add so much joy to my life and they help keep me young! Because my mom lived far away when Andy and I were raising our family, we feel most grateful that our girls and grandchildren live so close. We love experiencing everyday life with them. When I am not with my family, I enjoy cooking, catching up with my girlfriends, and training my lovely Golden Retriever, Gordy. Each day is a gift.