2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
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2008
Diverging path: Gillian Kunza’s track to independent wealth management
The Canadian wealth management industry has long been dominated by large institutions. Unfortunately, the industry is shifting away from independence. While many advisors are seeking greater control over their business and client relationships, independent brokers that permit them to do that are becoming harder to find.
Gillian Kunza, co-founder and CEO of Designed Securities, has built her career – and her dealer – around the idea that advisors shouldn’t have to compromise between autonomy and support. With a background spanning accounting, finance, compliance, and operations, Kunza has built a firm that offers advisors an infrastructure free from conflicts of interest, allowing them to serve clients without corporate influence.
Kunza’s entry into wealth management was not part of a meticulously planned career path. Originally trained as an accountant, she found herself pulled into the investment world while handling the books for a CIRO investment dealer. Her role soon expanded into operations, compliance, and
client service, giving her a rare full-spectrum understanding of how the wealth management business truly operates.
“At a certain point, I had to choose,” she recalls. “Do I stay on the traditional accounting path, or do I lean into the wealth management world where I had developed a unique skill set? I chose the latter.”
That decision set off a chain of professional evolutions. She climbed the ranks, eventually becoming chief compliance officer at Aligned Capital Partners, where she played a pivotal role in shaping regulatory and operational frameworks. But when the firm was acquired by a public company, Kunza found herself at yet another inflection point.
“The acquisition meant changes,” she says. “I could stay the course or take a leap. And I’ve never been one to ignore a good leap.”
For Kunza and her co-founder, Michael Konopaski, the goal was to create a firm where advisors could operate with complete autonomy, without pressure to push certain products or fit within rigid corporate structures. But the road to legitimacy wasn’t easy.
“The biggest challenge was that no one knew who we were,” she explains. “You can’t advertise yourself as an investment dealer until you’re officially approved. That meant close to nine months of waiting, unable to recruit or market to prospective advisors. We just had to trust that once we got the green light, advisors would see the value in what we were building.”
When Designed Securities received regulatory approval in 2021, the real work began. Convincing advisors to take a chance on an unknown dealer required patience and persistence. But Kunza understood that independent-minded professionals were out there – advisors who wanted freedom from corporate conflicts, and a supportive platform to build their businesses their way.
Beyond leading Designed Securities, Kunza is an active participant in industry policy discussions and regulatory working groups, ensuring that independent firms have a voice in shaping the future of wealth management in Canada. She serves on CIRO’s Regional Council, participates in IFIC working committees, and chairs CIRO’s Conduct, Compliance, and Legal Advisory Section – roles that allow her to engage directly in policy discussions that affect independent dealers. Additionally, she is an elected member of the CPA Ontario Council and serves as chair of the CPA Ontario Risk Committee.
“This industry is designed to be self-governed, meaning dealers have a responsibility to participate in shaping the regulatory framework they operate under,” she explains. “If you’re not at the table, decisions get made without your input.”
Kunza emphasizes the importance of new and smaller dealers being involved in these discussions, particularly as consolidation trends continue to reshape the market.
Kunza’s leadership approach is shaped by her multidisciplinary experience of working in finance, compliance, operations, and client service. This broad expertise enables her to make decisions that balance advisor autonomy with regulatory and operational efficiency.
“Having worked in different areas of the business, I understand the operational challenges that advisors face,” she says. “Strong leadership in this industry is about ensuring that strategy is functional across all levels of the firm, not just from a high-level perspective.”
Kunza’s entrepreneurial instincts extend beyond finance. She is active in local theatre, has published a children’s book, and has sung and produced music – from classical to country – as well as being involved in various creative ventures, all of which she believes contribute to her approach to leadership.
“Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses,” she says. “It’s about learning how to execute ideas, take risks, and pivot when necessary. Those same principles apply whether you’re launching a wealth management firm or publishing a book.”
For Kunza, creative pursuits are more than just hobbies – they are essential to maintaining the energy and perspective required to lead.
“People do their best work when they feel fulfilled beyond their jobs,” she says. “That’s why we encourage it at Designed Securities, because engaged, balanced people make better leaders, better advisors, and better decision-makers.”
Within the firm, Kunza prioritizes creating a workplace that supports long-term career sustainability. This includes fostering an environment in which employees are encouraged to maintain a work-life balance that enhances their overall effectiveness.
As Designed Securities continues to expand, Kunza remains focused on maintaining the integrity of its independence-first model. She sees a growing demand for independent firms that allow advisors to operate without conflicts, particularly as corporate consolidation continues to change the wealth management landscape.
“The independent dealer space in Canada is still developing, but it’s gaining traction,” she says. “Advisors recognize that they can build and scale their businesses more effectively when they have control over their own decisions.”
Unlike firms focused on rapid expansion, Designed Securities prioritizes measured growth, ensuring that the dealer remains a sustainable option for advisors seeking long-term independence.
“Our goal is not to be the biggest dealer in the market,” Kunza says. “Our goal is to be the best option for advisors who want to operate independently with the right level of support.”
Spotlight
Leaving the stability of an established wealth management firm, with global ownership, to launch a new dealer from scratch was not a decision Kunza made lightly. Designed Securities began with no existing advisors, no portfolio of assets, no brand recognition, and no pipeline.
“Independence is a worn-out cliché in this industry,” Kunza says. “Virtually all of our competitors claim it, but when you look deeper, most of them operate with conflicts, whether it’s proprietary products, pressure from external shareholders, or compensation structures that prioritize corporate interests over client needs.”
Designed Wealth Management is Canada’s fastest organically growing investment dealer. Through its outstanding culture and its commitment to collaboration and customization, it has become the advisor’s dealer. With maximum flexibility and support, Designed attracts advisors who want a dealer that allows them to be free to be themselves. Designed is dedicated to working with advisors and understanding the needs of the clients they serve. It is a dealer where advisors can enjoy their work with clients and bring their best ideas forward across a variety of needs.
Company Profile
13
Provinces and territories firm is registered in
30+
Employees
7
Advisory board members
$5B
Assets under administration
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Media
Accolades
Company Profile
Key achievemenT
Co-founded Designed Wealth Management – Canada’s first dual-registered investment dealer post-merger of IIROC and MFDA and the fastest organically growing investment dealer in the country today
In Kunza’s wordS
“The currency of creativity and confidence is the ultimate in wealth”
Surprising fact
“I’ve published a children’s book and am a trained classical soprano singer, having performed for many years”
Gillian Kunza
CEO at Designed Securities
How the Designed Securities CEO is carving out a new model for advisor autonomy in Canada’s investment industry
Read on
“Independence is a worn-out cliché in this industry. Virtually all of our competitors claim it, but when you look deeper, most of them operate with conflicts, whether it’s proprietary products, pressure from external shareholders, or compensation structures”
Gillian Kunza,
Designed Securities
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Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2021
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2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2021
KEY ACHIEVEMENT
Co-founded Designed Wealth Management – Canada’s first dual-registered investment dealer post-merger of IIROC and MFDA and the fastest organically growing investment dealer in the country today
IN KUNZA’S WORDS
“The currency of creativity and confidence is the ultimate in wealth”
surprising fact
“I’ve published a children’s book and am a trained classical soprano singer, having performed for many years”
Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
Share
Share
Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2021
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2021
KEY ACHIEVEMENT
Co-founded Designed Wealth Management – Canada’s first dual-registered investment dealer post-merger of IIROC and MFDA and the fastest organically growing investment dealer in the country today
In kunza's words
“The currency of creativity and confidence is the ultimate in wealth”
SURPRISING FACT
“I’ve published a children’s book and am a trained classical soprano singer, having performed for many years”
Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Career highlight
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
IN Partnership with
In Partnership with
In Partnership with
2008
2010
2021
2023
2019
2024
Graduates with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Trent University
2008
Obtains CPA designation
2010
Co-founds Designed Wealth Management
2021
Named to WPC’s Top 50 Leading Women in Wealth list
2023
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2019
Recognised as one of WPC’s Top 40 Under 40 Rising Stars | Completes an MBA at the Rotman School of Management
2024
Milestones
Building a firm from the ground up
Engaging in industry policy and regulatory leadership
Published March 24, 2025
Find out more
Find out more
“Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses. It’s about learning how to execute ideas, take risks, and pivot when necessary. Those same principles apply whether you’re launching a wealth management firm or publishing a book”
Gillian Kunza,
Designed Securities
A leadership approach focused on perspective and balance
“New firms don’t emerge in this industry very often, which means their perspectives are underrepresented,” she points out. “Being dual registered as both a mutual fund and investment dealer is also uncommon, so it’s important for us to contribute insights based on our experience operating in both spaces.”
These regulatory engagements also have a collaborative function among competitors, allowing firms to identify common challenges and exchange solutions outside of direct market competition.
“There’s real value in bringing firms together to discuss regulatory pressures, operational inefficiencies, and broader industry trends,” Kunza says.
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Copyright © 1996-2025 KM Business Information Canada Ltd.