Serge Robichaud has had a long, accomplished career as a wealth manager and financial planner. His journey has taken him from studying finance at the University of Moncton at the turn of the millennium, to holding numerous positions of high responsibility at some of Canada’s most trusted financial institutions. While at Scotiabank, he oversaw more than six hundred client accounts. He’s now been providing financial advice for clients and their families for almost two decades. This has led to a wealth of experience in tailoring personalized solutions for individuals, many of whom felt overwhelmed by the complex nature of the financial industry. Mr. Robichaud has taken some time to reflect on his journey and how rewarding it has been working with his clients to achieve their financial goals.
What made you choose a career in finance?
Serge Robichaud: I found the puzzle of finance to be very stimulating. I’ve remained passionate over the years about making sense of all the pieces. The financial world is incredibly dynamic and I love keeping up with the emerging trends from around the world.
I also recognized the kind of service that wise wealth management can provide. When done the right way, we can unlock people’s dreams and change their lives. So for me, a career in finance was a win-win. On the one hand, I could devote myself to something I’m passionate about, and that I think I have an aptitude for. And at the same time, I could be of great service to people in pursuing their goals.
I still wake up every day eager to learn more, to get better, to be ahead of the curve. There is an analogy to sports in knowing where the play is going and being able to position yourself to capitalize. I’m driven to tackle the complex problems of finance in order to best position my clients ahead of emerging trends.
What motivates you when working with client’s day to day?
Serge Robichaud: When a client invests their trust in you to handle their financial goals, they’re handing you a tremendous responsibility. I feel a sense of obligation to them to reward that faith. They’re putting their lives in my hands in a real way. They’ve worked countless hours to build their financial security, and they’re relying on me to make their money work for them. I don’t want to let them down. I work incredibly hard to exceed their expectations, because failure is not an option, for them or for me.
Along with this responsibility, I’m also just extremely enthusiastic to share a vision of a strong financial future. I think my enthusiasm can be infectious, and I love to see the look in my clients’ eyes when they begin to see that their financial goals are attainable.
The world of finance can seem so negative, especially when the industry feels chaotic and overwhelming. But I try to see more order in the chaos. I lay out opportunities for them that are easy to understand and that are clearly rooted in my years of experience of capitalizing on emerging trends. It’s exciting when those sparks of recognition are flying, we’re making solid plans and the visions they have of their future start to become a reality before my eyes.
What is the biggest challenge of your profession?
Serge Robichaud: The volatility in the financial markets and the economic cycles can wreak havoc in client investment portfolios. To use 2021/2022 as an example, interest rates skyrocketed with the 40-year high inflation rates. Most advisors would advise clients to just not panic and patiently stick to their long-term investment plans. However, I can’t continue with a status quo when the economy clearly changed the financial markets so drastically.
I created new model portfolios for many of my clients during this time to better reflect the current economic environment. There was a tremendous amount of work involved updating most of my client’s portfolios. The changes that were made prevented substantial losses for clients during a difficult period. In hindsight, this was absolutely the best strategy for my clients. Sometimes all this extra work is rewarded knowing that you’re not only increasing the value of the portfolios during good times, but also mitigating the losses during bad times.
