Working with the O'Hanlon Wealth Management Team of RBC Dominion Securities for two consecutive summers is an experience I will never be able to express enough gratitude for.
The rags-to-riches story of Frank O'Dea, the founder of Second Cup Coffee, sparked my initial curiosity about entrepreneurs and business. O'Dea's story inspired me to educate myself about financial markets and industry by reading Bloomberg and CNBC.
In high school, my curiosity motivated me to take every business course offered. In grade ten, my accounting teacher challenged our class to invest money in a program that simulated the market. I managed to craft a portfolio of stocks that outperformed my peers. In grade twelve, I started an initiative where I interviewed female industry leaders who shared stories about finding their passions to inspire two hundred middle school students. The first woman interviewed had worked in finance for over twenty years. During the summer of 2022, after my first year of business school, I was given the unbelievable opportunity to work at RBC Dominion Securities. I was elated when I received the call that Alan O'Hanlon, someone I knew to be a great investor and caring wealth manager, would take me on as an intern.
During my first summer, I worked closely with Jessica Ngo, the team's associate wealth advisor, and learned what goes into creating a financial plan and how to advise clients on building wealth.
Brendan answered my daily questions about financial markets. After I familiarized myself with holdings in client portfolios, he took the time to explain why the team held certain stocks and why asset mixes may vary from account to account to maximize a client's return.
Working with Alyssa Michaud has taught me that building a strong business results from delighting your customers time and time again. No matter the task, she handles each with a high attention to detail.
After learning so much during my first four months with the team, returning for a second year was a no-brainer and an opportunity I was grateful to have.
As my knowledge grew and the team trusted me more, I received more tasks. While watching the morning call daily and reading business news on my own time, I created morning newsletters for Peter. In the letter, I highlighted specific news items, such as the prices of essential commodities and earning reports for companies held in client portfolios. Writing Peter his morning note was one of my favourite assignments.
When I first joined the team, I was excited just to read RBC research and learn about financial markets from some of the best in the industry—but I learned so much more. While working with the O'Hanlon Wealth Management Team, I saw how collaboration, merit, thoughtfulness, and intelligence could translate into generating long-term returns for families and businesses. As a woman interested in finance, I was, and will always be, incredibly thankful for my experience with the O'Hanlon team.