Vice President and Financial Consultant
Doherty & Bryant Financial Strategists, iA Investment Counsel
Age: 33
Years in industry: 11
Certifications: CFP, R.F.P
A finalist for the 2017 Wealth Professional Young Gun of the Year award, Aaron Hector now earns a spot on the 2019 Young Guns list. The 33-year-old serves as vice president and financial consultant at Doherty & Bryant Financial Strategists. As a dual citizen (Canada and US), Hector takes pride in his cross-border financial planning, helping Canadian snowbirds spending their winter in the US as well as US citizens in Canada.
For Hector, it was the draw of working with people and applying what he has learned to his own life that attracted him to the industry. “I liked the idea of being in this industry because you get to meet and establish strong relationships with people, make an impact in their lives and help them meet their goals,” he says. “I also really liked the idea that you can take what you learn and apply it to your own life. There are not many career paths where your work knowledge can directly tie into your personal plans, but financial planning is one of them.”
Hector has been able to draw on his experiences and believes that combining technical with strong interpersonal skills leads to a successful advisor. “We are in a privileged position to be able to talk to our clients about their family, careers, and estate plans, as it relates to their past, present, and future. These conversations can be difficult, and they sometimes trigger an emotional response. The best advisors are able to be supportive of the emotional side of the conversation while providing sound advice.”
While Hector has found numerous successes so far, he says his greatest is being able to identify and tackle his own weaknesses. “Years ago, I wasn’t fully comfortable talking about trust structures. I recognized this and so I became a member with STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) Canada,” he recalls. “Now I am within months of completing my TEP designation (Trust and Estate Practitioner) and am well versed in having these conversations with clients. I have taken a weakness and turned it into a strength.”
