Ksenia Lee’s passionate approach to wealth advising
Originally born in Kazakhstan and raised in Moscow, Ksenia Lee’s path to becoming a respected wealth advisor has been filled with unexpected twists. Immigrating to Canada alone at just 17, she arrived with a dream and the financial insights shared by her mother, a skilled financial planner. At the Angus Watt Advisory Group, with National Bank Financial, she makes the world of finance feel approachable, fostering an environment of trust and understanding. We sat down with Lee and quickly discovered she is not just a financial advisor, but someone who appreciates that real wealth comes from the relationships we build and nurture.
Tell us about your role as a wealth advisor.
When people think of the finance world or the world of wealth advisory, many think of Wall Street, the stock market, and fancy parties…but that isn’t the reality. I feel I act as a therapist of sorts, but in truth, my role as an advisor is to guide people through their financial questions. This can range from, “My kids are going to go to post-secondary. Can you guide me in opening a RESP?” to “How do I go about a business succession?” or “My parents are aging, and we have started to look into retirement communities. How much can we afford?” We can discuss tax planning, succession planning, banking solutions, risk management, and estate planning. I am primarily acting as a guiding force for my clients. It can be a very demanding job because you’re working with people. We’re all humans. We all go through ups and downs and my job is to be there and help them however I can. Finances can still be such a stressful and taboo topic for some people, so I am trying to educate and provide financial literacy for the next generation. It isn’t so much about math, it’s about relationships.
How has the financial industry changed over time?
I joined the industry in 2016. At the time, everything felt more transactional. There were also not many women in the industry at the time (I recall being at an event with at least one hundred people in the room and I was one of only 5 women). It could have felt overwhelming to be one of very few women, but I found it empowering. As time has gone on, more and more women have entered the industry and that is exciting to see. As I continued growing in my role and seeing the industry evolve, there was more talk about financial planning as part of the investment world. I had an amazing mentor who was very passionate about financial planning being a strong pillar of our industry. Financial planning meant having a deeper sense of understanding about our clients—diving into retirement projection, tax planning, etc. so that we could impart better knowledge for our clients. Then Covid happened and everything changed. The first big shift in the industry was adjusting to work for home. We’re very much an in-person firm and suddenly we were all electronic and everything was from home. The other big shift was how the conversations changed. The questions shifted from “How did my portfolio do?” to “How’s your family doing? How are you parents? How are you coping? How’s homeschooling? How are you doing mentally?” It became about you as a person versus you as a portfolio. I am grateful it has become so much more personal.
What is a challenge that this career has presented to you that you didn’t anticipate?
That it is an ever-evolving industry. There is always something new to learn which is exciting. But this also means you are committed to lifelong learning and that takes time and effort, of course. Many people join this industry with high expectations, looking for easy money and an active social calendar. But it isn’t always like that. Yes, it is a demanding career, and it requires sacrifices. Sometimes it means your family is home waiting for you while you’re working late, or you need take on another designation to better position yourself for future success. At the end of the day, it is all worth it and I I love what I do.
What’s your investment philosophy?
When it comes to investment philosophy, it varies depending on the person. I believe that every individual and every story is unique. I think what is most important is to get to know the person. Our guiding beliefs at Angus Watt Advisory Group are “Trust, Clarity, and Heart”. We do believe in prosperity for all, and these pillars represent that for us. Trust is required for any relationship to flourish—whether it is a working relationship, a dating relationship, the relationship with your children, or even your dog. For me it is critical that that trust is first and foremost. The clarity piece is about making sure we are clear with our clients. The world of finance can be an intimidating place and not everyone is knowledgeable about finances. That’s why it is important to ensure that everyone involved understands what is happening, what is being discussed, and that communication is very clear. When it comes to the heart, that’s really about the passion we feel about being able to do this job. There are always good days and bad days, but I truly feel so passionate about my work. Confucius was right when he said, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
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