Home - West Oak Family Office - Family. Lifestyle. Legacy.

Have confidence that someone is managing and coordinating all the moving parts of your family’s wealth.

We chose to be independent, which gives us the ability to sit on the same side of the table as our families, and be an advocate for them.

Every family is unique. Being unconstrained allows us to be objective and unbiased, leading to better outcomes specific to each one of our
families.

Privacy is paramount to us and our families, and our independence exists to ensure their lives remain as private as they choose.

“…We have the utmost trust and confidence in the team, and truly
appreciate being able to rely on them for their guidance.”

Brian & Brenda MacNeill, Retired Executive Family
Member of the Order of Canada

I attended Western University obtaining a degree in Finance and began working in the investment management industry soon after graduating. My role with West Oak Family Office is to support our team and ensure our clients’ needs are fully met, by growing with our current and future families.

Born in Penticton and moved to Calgary at a young age. I competed in professional sport as a ski racer for over 10 years internationally. Competing at this level has provided me with a competitive and team focused mindset that I now bring into my professional life. When I am not at the office you can find me either skiing, golfing, biking, travelling, or finding new restaurants to enjoy.

I am fortunate to have spent over 15 years working within the wealth management industry. Over that time I have become passionate about getting to know our families and providing the unique and personalized service that they deserve. As an associate at West Oak Family Office, I am here to support you and your family in any way I can. Whether that be to provide clarity on your financial future, help you navigate a complex situation or simply a friendly contact for all things administrative. If I am unable to help, I will certainly find the expert who can.

I live in Bragg Creek with my husband and two young children. We made the small town move in hopes to foster a love for all things adventure in our kids and spend all of our free time exploring the outdoors. In the rare moments I can sneak away you can find me mountain biking, trail running or cross country skiing on the trails in West Bragg Creek or at our home away from home, in Fernie.

I am a born and raised Calgarian, with a degree in Communications and a minor in Economics from the U of C. My main responsibilities at West Oak are to support our team and our clients on the administrative front, but also to build relationships with the families we serve so we can be proactive for them and make their lives easier.

Sports are important to me, and after competing nationally for 7 years in synchronized swimming, I now share my passion through coaching a competitive 10 & under team. I also really enjoy travelling, and was fortunate to spend a winter abroad in India and South-East Asia after University. When I am home in Canada, I enjoy spending time in the mountains snowboarding and golfing!

I am fortunate to have a background in Finance and years of experience working at a large Canadian bank in the investment management industry. My role at West Oak Family Office is to manage the operational logistics of a busy team, while also handling client inquiries and supporting the implementation of unique strategies and solutions we provide to our families.

Born and raised in Calgary, I was a competitive ski racer and played multiple sports growing up, which fostered the competitive and enthusiastic energy I have to this day. I’ve continued my passion for exercise and wellness with a disciplined workout and mindfulness routine through a wholistic approach to health, while also raising three amazing kids. My family and I enjoy spending our weekends on the ski hills or skating rinks in the winter, and my husband and I love to find new restaurants and listen to live music with friends.

B.Sc., International Business

My role on the team is to act as a liaison and main point of contact for our families, anticipating and addressing client requests and implementing quality solutions in a timely and proactive fashion. Understanding our families as well as their goals and challenges is very important to me. Bringing an upbeat perspective, a competitive edge and a kind nature to my job, I am passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of others.

I grew up playing sports at an international level and attribute my sense of teamwork and strong work ethic to my athletic experiences. A golf scholarship led me to attend a Division I university in North Carolina, where I graduated summa cum laude with an International Business degree.

In my spare time, I can be found at trendy restaurants around the city sampling new and exciting flavours. I continue to enjoy a variety of sports, including golf, tennis and skiing and love to travel to different countries, learning about other cultures – and of course, trying the food!

Portfolio Trader and Analyst

My role in the team as a Trader & Portfolio Analyst is to assist the investment committee with research and development of equity/fixed income models. I also help with quarterly rebalancing trades for the quantitative models as well as daily client trades based on capital inflows/outflows. Additionally, I assist with data analysis, research and creating client presentations. I am a keen follower of financial markets and have developed a passion for investing. I enjoy studying and analysing businesses, understanding micro & macro economic factors affecting them and making informed investing decisions based on them. I recently graduated with a Master of Finance following an undergrad degree in Industrial Engineering. Prior to joining West Oak, I worked at a large investment management firm in Atlantic Canada, helping with equity trading and trading operations. I also have experience as a Refined Metals Trader on the copper desk for one of the largest commodities traders in the world, as well as internship experience at a small private equity shop in Calgary. I am enrolled in the CFA program, and I am currently preparing for my Level I.

Born and raised in India, I have played soccer ever since I was 10 years old and went on to represent my school and university at the highest level. I am passionate about sports, and believe they have helped me develop qualities like confidence, perseverance, and courage. I continue to rely on those qualities today as I look forward to learning, developing, and growing as a professional.

I live with my family (including a cat-Jiggy) in the suburbs of Calgary. I enjoy biking or taking a stroll on the ridge or along the river while enjoying the view of the Canadian Rockies and listening to my favourite podcasts or music.

I am a Chartered Accountant with over two decades of tax experience including expatriate taxation, executive compensation, estates and trusts, and working with private corporations and their shareholders. Needless to say, I bring a depth of experience to help our families navigate the tax landscape and to structure their affairs to protect and preserve capital. I enjoy getting to know our families, find practical solutions that resonate with them and ultimately provide the outcomes they would like to achieve. I am excited to be a part of West Oak family office where we help integrate all the moving pieces of our clients’ lives, and to make their lives easier.

Both of my parents are from Finland (and I do speak Finnish!) but I was born and raised in Calgary. I am married and have three kids fairly close to being launched! We love spending time outdoors including skiing, hiking, camping and daily walks with our dog.

Senior Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor

My role on the team is twofold: building and deepening new and existing relationships with high-net-worth families and helping manage West Oak’s investment management platform. What I enjoy most about working with the West Oak team is applying my 15 years of experience as both an institutional and retail portfolio manager to meet the specific objectives of each family that we serve. Investment management and capital markets are my passion. After earning my Chartered Financial Analyst ® designation, I became Lead Portfolio Manager for two mandates within a Calgary-based institutional asset management firm, and most recently was the Chief Investment Strategist for a large wealth management team at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions.

Being from northern Alberta, I grew up with small-town values including integrity, hard work and a growth mindset. My parents instilled these values and believed that education was the best path to future prosperity and a fulfilling life of growth and opportunities. Along with these values, having played high-level sports all my life, including through university, I’ve been primed to become a life-long learner and always look for ways to improve personally and professionally.

I am married to an entrepreneur, and we have two young, vibrant children and a small dog called Piper. I am an avid reader, love to try new foods and wines, travel, and spend time with our families who are in BC, Alberta, and Arizona. I also enjoy giving back to the community through several not-for-profit engagements. These commitments have included formerly acting Treasurer for Jewish Family Services Calgary (JFSC) and fundraising for various impactful organizations such as St. Mary’s University, the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, the YWCA, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Since 2012, I have been an active founding member of the CFA Society Calgary Investment Committee where I help with investment management oversight of the society’s capital reserves so our industry continues to set the bar higher in meeting investors’ needs.

Senior Wealth Advisor & Portfolio Manager

My role on the team is to work exclusively for our families. I want to get to know them, and to be able to have a discussion around ideas we both have on ways to save tax, protect capital, and ultimately to ensure a smooth transition of wealth to subsequent generations. Once we have an idea, I personally ensure it is implemented, and then monitored over the years to be certain this structure still fits with legislation and the family dynamics, as both change.

I am from Swift Current and moved to Calgary in 1997 to article with Ernst & Young, and subsequently earned my Chartered Accounting designation. My dad was a private business owner and my mom a nurse, so I was “fortunate” to hear about risk, government spending, and ultimately hard work from a really young age. This propelled me into wanting to learn more about tax and what our governments do with this scarce resource – and specifically if it is possible to keep more in your pocket to spend how you want versus how a higher power chooses.

I’m married to another Chartered Accountant, we have 3 kids, and we love to downhill ski, golf and try new restaurants where we can find the time to be together! I love what I do, and hope I can continue to be in this industry for another 20 years.

Senior Wealth Advisor & Portfolio Manager

I take responsibility for the operations of our family office, as well as the lead for portfolio allocation decisions, and oversight and direction of our quantitative investment management platform. The largest and most enjoyable part of my role is really getting to know our families, and helping create a platform that accomplishes whatever unique outcomes each family is trying to achieve. I am proud of the family office our team has built for the benefit of the families that we serve, and I am incredibly grateful for the amazing group of individuals I have the benefit of working with day-in and day-out.

I am a native Calgarian, and still live in the same neighbourhood I grew up in. I am married with a son and a daughter, both in their latter teenage years. I have too many things I enjoy doing and not enough time to do them, including skiing, golf, fitness, cooking, fishing, reading, and being outdoors. Neat fact, I am a third generation Calgarian, my grandfather was born in Calgary after his parents immigrated from Scotland after the first world war

family.
lifestyle.
legacy.

UNCONSTRAINED, OBJECTIVE, AND UNBIASED

Collin Hulley-Taylor

Tanjou Bell

Jocelyn Smith

Courtney Pavicic

Haleigh Petersen

Garvit Chaudhary

Eeva Harrop

Justin G. Charbonneau

Kelly Demo

Andrew McQuiston

family. lifestyle. legacy.