Her devotion and hard work have served her well as she rose from immigrant co-op student to president at Carte Wealth
Even as she embraces her new role as president of Carte Wealth Management, Maria Jose Flores carries the same passion and openness to learning with which she arrived in Canada 14 years ago.
In an interview with Wealth Professional, Flores said, “I’ve learned through experience. If the opportunity is placed in front of me, I’m not going to say no. I’m going to take it and then figure out how it’s going to work. I don’t know if you want to call me a risk-taker. But if you tell me it’s time to jump, I will go without thinking twice and just do it.”
Flores attributes her adventurous journey to her parents. She was a 19-year-old economics student at a university in Ecuador when her family moved to Canada in 2005. After completing her education at Ryerson University and Humber College, she joined Carte as a co-op student.
“I have a good foundation as far as knowing the inside and out of the company,” Flores said, commenting on why she believed she is the best fit for the position of president.
Since she first joined Carte, she has worked closely with Kirk Purai, the firm’s founder, allowing her to earn his trust while gaining perspective into advisors’ experience.
Flores transitioned from being Carte’s co-op student to becoming one of its advisors. She subsequently went up the corporate ladder to become its chief compliance officer, from which she advanced to become president.
Flores may now hold Carte's highest position, but she isn't done seizing opportunities.
“All these accomplishments come after hard work and dedication, and always keeping in mind what is important – which, for us, is to continue serving our advisors, and keeping our employees happy,” she said, “it’s going to be a great honor to carry on in this new role.”
To read Flores’s story, as told exclusively by WP through an interactive digital feature, click here.
