DANY GUILLEMETTE, CIM®, Investment Advisor, CIBC Wood Gundy, Québec, QC
- GARY MILAKOVIC
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
DANY GUILLEMETTE
Matching words with action
Dany Guillemette, CIM®, Investment Advisor, CIBC Wood Gundy, has been in the financial services industry for nearly 30 years, and in that time has learned a lot about finance and people. He’s passionate about expanding financial literacy and focused on superior client service.
When you meet Dany, the first thing you’re struck by is what a skilled communicator he is. It’s effortless; and that’s really his secret. That, and ensuring he keeps a small, but robust client list, that is.
“I’m truly focused on the client experience, and I can’t deliver that well if I have a large number of clients. By staying focused, I can ensure I’m doing what I say I’m going to do, following up on issues or questions, and being ready to respond when needed. Being responsive is my most important job.”
For Dany, it’s about building a strong foundation of trust and dedicating himself to a client’s needs and goals. That allows him to check in regularly, and ensure he’s asking the right questions, too. Are wills being updated with major life events? Is the right insurance in place to account for changes in health challenges? Have needs and goals remained the same in response to employment challenges or unexpected inheritance? Dany has structured his practice to ensure he’s ready to ask these questions and more and deliver the level of service clients deserve.
Caring is core to success
Dany knows what it’s like to face hardship. As a youngster, his home life was difficult, and he ended up leaving when he was 16. His parents split up, and he felt left behind; with his mother needing to focus on his much-younger brother, and his father fixated on the loss of his family. Dany took on a part-time job as a bus boy (amongst other things) after school, which stood in stark contrast to the lives his friends were living. The support of their parents was near unconditional. Seeing that contrast could have set him down a dark path, but it didn’t. Rather, his past has fueled his present and paved the pathway for his success.
“My childhood wasn’t easy, but I learned so many lessons. Those early challenges were fundamental to how I developed my philosophy on focus. Trying to be everything to everyone just burns you out. You can’t walk in more than one direction at once, so just take your time. I share my experiences with clients because I want them to understand where I’m coming from and provide a good view of where I want to help them get to. Of course, I want clients to achieve financial freedom, but also, I want them to feel fulfilled.”
There’s an old saying of which Dany is fond that goes something like “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” He is deeply fond of clients. He knows their kids, what they are hoping to achieve, their fears; it’s genuine, and shines through in every interaction. For Dany, it isn’t a slogan, it’s how he lives his life and runs his business.
Staying the course
In finance, it’s easy for emotions to get out of hand. After all, clients are bombarded with “advice” from social media, pop-up ads; you name it, there’s noise coming through it. Dany knows the constant racket can take its toll on people. This can play on their fears and may force them off the path they set through their financial plan.
In the moment, it can feel like the world is crashing down, but after a while, the dust settles. Things return to normal. Not giving into those emotions is key.
“People are all wired the same; we get scared. It’s natural. But it’s my job to try and help clients remain calm and remind them why we built their plan in the first place. Think about it. We had Y2K; the September 11th terrorist attacks; the 2008 housing crisis in the US; COVID-19; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we are bombarded with information that tells us the sky is falling. If we reacted every time, no one would ever be able to stick to their plan. After a while you realize: there’s always going to be something. It’s my job to remind clients of that; to remind them that the needs and goals they identified are important, and to achieve them, relentless focus is required. Of course, things change, and we can change with them – but we can’t change just for change’s sake. Helping clients work through these challenges is a big part of what I do.”
Genuine gratitude
When Dany looks back on where he came from, he feels truly grateful.
The success he’s achieved feels so far away from the kitchen where he washed dishes as a kid.
Today, when he goes out on the boat with his children, and sees the belugas play in the waves he feels truly fulfilled. It’s exactly the feeling he wants clients to have.
“True wealth is having the freedom to be who you are. It’s the moments you’ll remember forever. I am completely committed to working with clients to build them a plan that, hopefully, gets them to where they want to go; wherever that may be.”
DANY GUILLEMETTE, CIM®,
Investment Advisor,
CIBC Wood Gundy
1000-2828 Boul Laurier,
Québec QC G1V 0B9
418 - 627--6535
Gary Milakovic is a veteran writer with more than a decade in the public sector and corporate communications. He has covered a wide spectrum of topics and his work has been featured by large and small organizations across Canada. Gary is passionate about communication, his writing often focuses on uncovering the “story behind the story.”