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Les Wares

CFP, FCSI, FMA, RRC, BA (Hons) Economics, CIM, Investment Advisor, Portfolio Manager, CIBC Wood Gundy

Les has been involved in the financial services industry since 1989, providing comprehensive financial solutions for his clients. Prior to joining CIBC in 1998, he worked for firms in the mutual fund, insurance and financial planning sectors, gaining valuable investment advisory experience.

Since graduating from McGill University with a Bachelor's degree (Economics), Les has maintained his commitment to learning by successfully completing the following courses through the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI):

  • Canadian Securities Course (Honours)
  • Conduct and Practices Handbook (Honours)
  • Estate Planning (Honours)
  • Professional Financial Planning (Silver Medal)
  • Branch Managers' Examination (Honours)
  • Wealth Management Techniques (Honours)
  • Portfolio Management Techniques
  • Investment Management Techniques
  • Hedge Fund Essentials
  • Registered Retirement Consultant

Not only has Les has fulfilled the requirements to attain the Financial Management Advisor (FMA) and the Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) designations, but he has also earned the CIM, FCSI and CFP designations. The Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) is earned by advisors who have successfully completed various courses in investment and portfolio management and is a requirement for Portfolio Managers who run discretionary money management services. The Fellow of the CSI (FCSI) is the highest honour in Canadian financial services and is reserved for an exclusive group of financial professionals who demonstrate unparalleled leadership, integrity commitment and dedication to their clients and the industry; only 3500 of Canada's 700,000 financial service professionals hold this pinnacle credential, placing them amongst the industry's finest. The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation is the mark of a true financial professional. To put this in perspective, the majority of the thousands of financial planners currently working in Canada have not met the challenging requirements of the CFP designation. Furthermore, Les is a recipient of the Canadian Securities Institute's Silver Award for exceptional academic achievement in the Professional Financial Planning Course, ranking second in Canada.

From 2010 through 2013, prior to moving over to CIBC Wood Gundy, Les was a 4-time member of CIBC Financial Planning's President's Club, ranking #1 nationally in 2010. He was also a member of CIBC Wood Gundy's President Council in 2016 and nominated to Wood Gundy's Executive Council in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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