2017 Hot List Recipient

2020 Hot List Recipient

2021 CEO of the Year

Accolades

Media

How an advisor found his true calling

“Get up early, get your work done, then the rest of the day is yours.” This simple quote is one that has guided Alan O’Brien, one of Nicola Wealth’s wealth advisors, throughout his career. “I learned at a young age that you have to wake up and complete the tasks at hand – there just wasn't the option not to do the work,” he said. It was this hard-work ethos – coupled with a little bad timing and some fortuitous luck – that helped O’Brien navigate a career interrupted by the global financial crisis to find his true calling in a new country, on a new career path. Growing up in rural Ireland working on farms, O’Brien always dreamed of being an investment banker. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he believed

he'd won the golden ticket – a place in CitiBank’s graduate banking program in London, England. However, the universe had other plans, and the 2008 financial crisis hit, taking the golden opportunity with it. Not one to give up easily, O’Brien pursued a master’s degree before taking a back-office job at another big bank. “I had a Sliding Doors moment,” he said, referring to the 1998 romcom that explores how simply missing a train can change a person’s life. “I was 22 and was speaking with an older colleague. This colleague said, ‘If you work hard, in 10 years you could have what I have,’ and I remember being terrified that that was what I could become – working 14 hours a day in a job that paid well but wasn’t fulfilling.” Noticing he wasn’t happy, O'Brien’s girlfriend suggested a change. Together they decided to move to Canada, and, with backpacks and a little money in the bank, they made the move. Like many newcomers, O’Brien was initially turned down for a series of jobs despite an impressive resume, so he took a job stocking grocery store shelves before finally landing a temp job at a financial firm. It wasn’t long before his work ethic brought him to the attention of a colleague who recommended he apply at Nicola Wealth. At Nicola Wealth, he found a career with more purpose. Starting on the trading desk, he ultimately decided to retrain and focus on two things he had always enjoyed – financial planning and helping people. He credits a lot of his success in wealth management to the mentorship and support he received from Nicola Wealth’s CEO, John Nicola. Working directly with him, O'Brien took every learning opportunity he could get. “To get the chance to work directly with a firm’s senior partners or chief executives is practically unheard of in our industry. There’s no way I would be here if I hadn’t met John. I don’t know what I would be doing, but I wouldn’t be working in finance.”

Wealth has doubled in both assets under management and headcount in the last three years. John Nicola credits this success not just to the firm’s investment model, but also to its client and staff retention rates as the business continues to build a culture of giving back with employees, clients, and the community.

“At Nicola Wealth, we’re more focused on supporting people and building a team than an obsession with metrics, like assets under management,” says O’Brien. “With incentives like profit sharing and the opportunity to be a shareholder in the firm, everyone can succeed together, and I think you create a certain culture in that environment. It’s no secret that we believe culture breeds performance, and to succeed as an organization, you must have a group of people who strive for what’s possible while having aligned values that propel the business forward. You really have that feeling that we’re all in this together.” When asked about his proudest moment, O’Brien remembers working with a client who had had a heart attack and experienced insurance issues during his recovery. “He was the kindest person, who just had some unfortunate things happen. We spent a lot of time helping him, got his insurance sorted – and at the end, he was in tears thanking us. We were

there for him and his family in their time of need. We didn’t do much, but it’s just caring for people that means the most.” This value system has also built a culture of giving back, encouraging staff to take time to be a part of the charities and causes they care about, and sees the firm donating a percentage of profits to charitable organizations. “It’s essential to share the culture, vision, and values of your firm – that can’t be forced or faked,” says O'Brien. “Together, we’re working to build the gold standard for asset management and financial planning in Canada, and that means sharing our success with everyone around us to achieve a stronger outcome.”

Spotlight

Nicola Wealth works to attract entrepreneurial advisors with a desire to build a business collectively; many who have become frustrated with being a cog in a machine have found success at Nicola Wealth. O’Brien’s drive to learn continuously and find new ways to better serve his clients and the community was a perfect fit. “If you want to build your book and grow your business, the firm will provide the support and the opportunity to get there. On the other hand, if you want to pursue management or switch careers, like I did, moving from trading to advisory, they will also support you and provide training and mentorship to help you reach your goals. You just have to be motivated and put in the work,” says O'Brien. “There’s always a pathway to where you want to go, and Nicola Wealth will try its best to get you there.” As one of Canada’s fastest-growing independent wealth-management firms, Nicola

Nicola Wealth is an independent wealth-management firm dedicated to serving the needs of high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs, institutions, and accomplished individuals of all professions. The firm services clients across Canada, with offices in BC and Ontario, and is responsible for over $12.7 billion in AUM, investing in a range of asset classes including hard-asset real estate, private equity, private debt, and commercial mortgages. It has been recognized as one of Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies (Platinum Member), Canada’s Top 100 SME Employers, BC’s Top Employers, and was named Employer of Choice 2022 by Wealth Professional. For more information, visit www.nicolawealth.com

Company Profile

55%

Proportion of women in leadership

99%

Client retention rate

Years as winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies

Advisors in Wealth Professional’s Top 50 Advisors 2022

Years as winner of Canada’s Top Employers

Bio

Spotlight

Milestones

Media

Accolades

Company Profile

Years of Experience

12 years

Tenure at current position

5 years in current position as a wealth advisor and 3.5 years as a portfolio trader at Nicola Wealth

Favourite quote

“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own”

Alan O’Brien

wealth advisor and client relationship manager at Nicola Wealth

A “Sliding Doors moment,” and a willingness to put people first, led Alan O’Brien of Nicola Wealth to a thriving new career in a new country

Read on

“There’s no way I would be here if I hadn’t met John. I don’t know what I would be doing, but I wouldn’t be working in finance”

Alan O’Brien, Nicola Wealth

“This colleague said, ‘If you work hard, in 10 years you could have what I have,’ and I remember being terrified that that was what I could become”

Alan O’Brien, Nicola Wealth

IN Partnership with

1994

2011

2015

2020

2021

2022

Nicola Wealth Management is founded, with six people and $80 million in assets under management

1994

Becomes fastest-growing investment counsel firm in Canada, with asset growth over 39% (Strategic Insights) and CEO John Nicola Wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Financial Professional Service, Pacific Region)

2011

Wins Canada’s Best Managed Companies award from Deloitte and CEO John Nicola wins Business in Vancouver, BC CEO of the Year Award

2015

Wins Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers award for fourth year in a row, secures Gold Status among Canada’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte, and has five advisors among Wealth Professional’s Top 50 Advisors

2020

Acquires Blackwood Real Estate Partners and wins Canada’s Best Managed Companies award from Deloitte, Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers, and Wealth Professional’s 5-Star Brokerage

2021

Acquires Levine Financial Group, wins Platinum Status among Canada’s Best Managed Companies from Deloitte, and CEO John Nicola wins Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award

2022

Milestones

– Bruce Lee

Companies

About us

Privacy

RSS

People

Newsletter

Authors

External contributors

News

Your Practice

iNVESTMENTS

bEST IN WEALTH

Resources