The Canadian Wealth Management Perspective: One-on-One with the CEO of $35B Wellington-Altus

About this episode…

This marks a first for our podcast series.

Our content focus has traditionally been on the wealth management industry in the US. However, in this episode, we’re heading across our northern border to gain a first-hand view of building a wealth management business in Canada.

For perspective, Statista reported that in 2024, assets under management by Canada’s wealth management firms exceeded a staggering 1.95 trillion US dollars. That’s nearly equal to the country’s annual GDP of 2.1 trillion US dollars.

To learn more about the industry, the similarities to the US, and the differences, we asked the Founder and CEO of one of the most successful independent Canadian firms, $35B+ Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, to join us.

Shaun Hauser built a career as an investment advisor in Winnipeg before founding Wellington-Altus in 2017. With a knack for focusing on the long term, he was ultimately motivated to launch the independent firm and later take on a private equity partner.

In this episode with Louis Diamond, Shaun does a deep dive into his firm and the Canadian wealth management space, including:

• The Canadian financial advisory industry—and how it compares to the US, including the opportunities and challenges.
• Being at the epicenter of the nascent Canadian breakaway movement—and how Wellington-Altus became the hottest firm in Canada in less than 10 years.
• Building an independent firm—and the decision to take on a private equity partner.
• Differentiating in the Canadian market—and what Wellington-Altus does to stand apart.
• The value of scaling an idea—and how Canadians learn from US trends.

It’s a conversation that offers a fresh perspective on how our northern neighbors view the wealth management industry, with valuable takeaways for advisors and business owners alike.

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