Definition ―verus [veh-rus] / adjective of latin origin meaning true, well-founded, real, and genuine.
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We are a multi-generation family business that was cultivated in 1985.
The business focuses on adding real value and real results. Our family business is directed through the basis of trust and honesty. It’s at the core of everything we do.
Our common goal and vision is determined by our values and principles. Quite simply, the client always comes first, and we never try to be all things to all people. Great companies do fewer things for fewer people. Great companies pay as much attention to what not to do or what to stop doing as what it is that they actually do.
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Having a family-run wealth management business gives us key strategic advantages. We have longevity in leadership, which ensures overall stability. The family-run business gives us a greater sense of commitment and accountability, which also furnishes us with additional strength and purpose in extremely tough economic times.
We can be flexible and adapt quickly to the ever-changing investment landscape. We collectively check our egos at the door and understand that we may be required to wear several different hats at times. Everyone is a team player; everyone’s role is valued and respected. Our team chemistry in working as a cohesive unit gives us that all competitive edge.
Most importantly, the Verus family provides us with the ability to have a long-term perspective. Thinking years or even decades ahead is a great way to foster a culture of clear strategies and decision-making throughout every aspect of our business.
Our Four Pillars
At Verus Financial, we have a true wealth management process, combined with well-founded research, that produces real results by a genuine group of dedicated professionals.
Trust and Integrity
Complete Transparency
Mutual Engagement
Discipline and Adaptability
Our team
To be a team, you must be a family.
Our team is family; quite literally. With two generations of family members working together in cohesion, we believe we are able to offer the apex in multi-generational family wealth management. Our deep-rooted understanding of families and their inter-workings from both a finance and personal standpoint have helped us create, maintain, and to grow generational wealth for our clients.
With over 40 years of experience in the field, Ken is well known for his expertise in working with affluent individuals and his unparalleled commitment to delivering integrated, sophisticated wealth management strategies to ensure growth and preservation of capital. Ken is also recognized as one of the foremost authorities on Separately Managed Accounts/Individually Managed Accounts, through his self-written books, Winning with Integrity, A Powerful Guide to Successful Investing with Individually Managed Accounts. His high levels of energy, passion, determination, professionalism, and global perspective have clearly benefited his select group of clients.
An accomplished and sought-after public speaker, Ken has addressed both industry and non-industry groups across Canada on topics relating to investing, motivation, divorce, and successful business practices. As the author of five books; Power Marketing, Tomorrow Never Lies, Winning with Integrity, The Game Plan, and most notably, Lost in the System. Ken is frequently quoted and seen on local media for his insight and strategic thinking.
Ken has achieved his Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) designation. Having gone through his own challenges with divorce, he was able to take an incredibly difficult and stressful time in his life, and turn it into a learning experience, one that he can use to help other people in similar situations. For over two decades, Ken has assisted those going through divorce. Ken’s insight and knowledge can help simplify matters for you and possibly avoid the daunting court system.
Cody is the lead portfolio manager at Verus Financial at National Bank Financial. With over a decade of industry experience, Cody helps protect, grow, and transition the legacies of affluent multigenerational families. His deep expertise in investment management combined with the diligent coordination of Verus Financials team of experts, allows him to deliver a completely holistic wealth management solution to his select family client base.
Cody is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®). He also graduated from the Beedie School of Business with a concentration in finance.
Outside of work, Cody is an active participant in many charitable organizations and events such as the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer and the Run for the Cure. Cody is also a member of the Vancouver CFA Society.
Chase started his career in wealth management in 2016 when he joined the Verus Financial Team. He began as an Associate, where he was responsible for administrative operations, which included servicing and managing client relationships on a daily basis. Eager, to advance his career, Chase completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) in 2019. Soon after, Chase became a licensed Wealth Associate and took on additional responsibility. He continued to enhance his education and build his credibility by obtaining a Certificate in Advanced Financial Advice, which allows him to provide comprehensive advice tailored to clients with varying needs, goals and objectives throughout their lifecycle. Chase is now an Associate Wealth Advisor and works closely with Ken and Cody to build personalized investment portfolios for their high-net-worth client base.
In the coming years, Chase will pursue the Chartered Investment Managers (CIM) and Chartered Financial Planning (CFP) designations.
Chase graduated in Business Management and studied International Business abroad at Tokiwa University in Japan. Chase’s disciplined manner was instilled by having competed at a high level in Kickboxing at a young age. While continuing to train for fun, he enjoys playing golf and tennis and is very involved in supporting local community events.
Carmen has been with Verus Financial since 2007. She graduated from Emily Carr University where she received a Bachelor of Design degree majoring in Communication Design and brings several years of experience as a Graphic Designer to the team. Carmen oversees marketing and also works closely with Chase and Montana to provide administrative support to the team by maintaining a smooth administrative process and providing accurate and efficient client service.
Carmen was born and raised in Vancouver and enjoys camping, playing tennis and skiing. She is also a very talented baker and spoils the team with baked goods and elaborate special occasion cakes.
Born and raised on the West Coast, Kirsten Maxwell began her career in the financial services industry 13 years ago working in Victoria, BC. Upon moving to Vancouver and subsequently into the role of a Senior Private Banker, Kirsten has maintained her dedication to helping her clients reach their financial goals by formulating tailored banking solutions and providing personalized advice.
Kirsten holds her Personal Financial Planning (PFP) designation which enables her to provide comprehensive knowledge and skills to each unique client situation. Kirsten assists her clients with reaching their goals through methods of customized credit arrangements and cash management for both short-term and long-term needs. Her clients are professionals, entrepreneurs, and the next generation of family business owners and successors.
Kirsten is also very passionate about health and fitness and moonlights as a Fitness Instructor at a top Vancouver fitness club.
Manijeh is a Senior Estate Planning Advisor with National Bank Financial Wealth Management. Having been called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1996, she has accumulated years of diverse professional experience including working at prestigious Vancouver law firms, operating her own successful law office, as well as teaching law through the Law Society of BC and Langara College. Manijeh’s philosophy is simple. She sincerely cares about her clients, their issues, and results. She provides high quality estate planning services, and acts with integrity, honesty, respect and fairness. Manijeh offers every client personal attention combined with a high level of professional integrity. This leads to estate planning solutions tailored to the specific needs of each client whether she is providing an estate consultation or an estate plan. Manijeh tackles problems using creativity and results-oriented savvy and prides herself on strategic planning coupled with insight and sound judgement to identify core issues and provide relevant information. Manijeh offers a unique combination of professional experience and business acumen with the ability to interact productively with a broad range of personalities and cultures and builds long-term business relationships, maintaining a commitment to excellence.
Carla has been providing comprehensive financial planning services to executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees and families for over 20 years. Her experience as a fee-only financial planner has provided her exposure to various planning areas, including retirement planning, tax planning, cash management and estate planning. Carla particularly enjoys the challenge of capturing the many details to be considered when making difficult financial planning decisions, and then making those decisions easy for clients to understand.
Carla is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and a member of the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners. She received the prestigious FP Canada™ Fellow distinction in 2013 in recognition of her volunteerism, in particular for her involvement in Financial Planning Standards Council’s examination development process.
Bryan brings over 27 years of industry experience to his role as Business Development Manager, Insurance.
Bryan provides education and sales support to the IA’s and their teams. He uses his expertise and experience to provide IA’s with individualized, intelligent solutions for their clients and prospects.
If the planning gets more advanced, and perhaps more challenging than the IA feels comfortable handling themselves or within their team, he will suggest involving one of our Insurance Specialists and work together to ensure that it is a cohesive and seamless transition.
Bryan is a student of the business and is always striving to enhance his knowledge through profession development courses. He currently holds a CLU(Chartered Life Underwriter) designation, a CHS(Certified Health Specialist) designation as well as the EPC(Elder Planning Counsellor) designation.
Gabriel Katzen is a Vice President in National Bank’s Middle-Market Mergers & Acquisitions group, assisting privately-held business owners as they sell all, or part, of their company, acquire another business, or raise substantial private equity or debt capital.
Based in Vancouver, Gabriel is responsible for leading the execution of M&A mandates across Canada.
He has worked on many transactions in the Canadian marketplace, across a variety of sectors – food & beverage, energy services, building products, consumer services, IT services, technology, industrial distribution, industrial engineering and manufacturing, business services, among others.
Gabriel has a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and received the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation in 2019.
At Verus Financial, we take care of an exclusive group of high-net-worth families. With less than 100 family relationships, we have the unique ability to truly offer our select client base with not only the highest quality of service, but also the apex of wealth management in Canada today. Our clients are more than just a name on a spread sheet; they are part of the Verus Family.
Key features of our client base:
Exclusive Client Base: Less than 100 ultra high to high-net-worth family relationships
Family Orientated: Multigenerational family relationships
Diverse Professions: Wealth accumulation through a multitude of different professional backgrounds
Average Assets: The family relationship ranges from $2-$50 million of investable assets
Our Clients and Families:
The majority of the affluent families we work with have already achieved a high level of financial success. Our families have a high level of investable assets, usually coupled with significant real-estate and corporate holdings. Protecting and preserving the massive accumulation of wealth for our families is usually the top priority.
That being said, we do understand that each family’s goals and objectives are vastly different. Hence why each one of our clients has a unique strategy designed specially from their families and their priorities; whatever those may be.
Diverse Professional Backgrounds:
Our select group of families have a multitude of different professional backgrounds. Some of the types of families and clients we service are as flows:
Entrepreneurs and Executives
Directors of corporations
Professional such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants
Artist, professional athletes, and other public figures
Regardless of how your wealth has been created, our uniquely tailored solutions are designed for sophisticated financial needs.
Its all about family:
Family wealth management is at the heart of what we do. We have a multi-generational approach where all members of the family are part of the process. The majority of our families now have three generations onboard with us.
Our vast experience and expertise in multi-generation wealth management gives our clients the peace of mind they deserve. If you and your family are interested in joining our select client base, contact us today. We are happy to connect to see if the relationship is a good fit for both parties.
At Verus Financial, we have an immense passion for helping others in need. We believe that we rise as a society by lifting others. From local causes in our community of Vancouver to international charities, we are proud to give back in multiple ways. Our team is dedicated to supporting many initiatives and organizations.
