JENNIFER LEE-OWE, Consultant, IG Wealth Management, Investors Group Financial Services Inc, Calgary, AB
JENNIFER LEE-OWE
"Connection is the heart of lasting client relationships"
Jennifer Lee-Owe, Consultant with IG Wealth Management believes that honesty and connection are the heart of successful and lasting client relationships. When first meeting with a prospective client, Jennifer actively listens, ensuring she understands not only the needs and goals of the client but also who they are.
What she most treasures is the network and client relationships that she has built throughout her career. Many of the clients, whom she now calls friends, have followed her throughout her journey, starting with her at Scotiabank, during her tenure in the insurance industry, and now to IG Wealth Management.
“A good Advisor is not just a financial resource for a client, but also a support system. It isn’t just about business, it’s about camaraderie, allyship, and understanding.”
Determination and Purpose
Jennifer knew that starting her own financial practice with two beautiful young daughters at home wasn’t going to be easy. But she has always been a person of strong resolve and character, willing to take chances, and not being afraid to fail. It is something her parents inspired in her.
“My parents were and continue to be supportive. They would tell me; to stay positive and to always try my best; because if I do, it will always work out, even if it isn’t always apparent at the time.”
“Failure is a part of life,” they’d go on to say, “it is where you learn, how you grow, and how you become better. There’s always a lesson worth learning.”
She hopes to pass this wisdom on to her daughters. She wants to lead by example and show them “that the future is something you create for yourself. Be curious, explore, and don’t let life get in the way of your dreams.
They are still young, but Jennifer wants to instill in her daughters a desire to do their best and confront every challenge with an open mind and heart. It’s something she’s been doing all her life and it’s something she wants to pass on to them.
When Jennifer was young, she idolized her older sister Melinda. One of the things she wanted more than anything in the world was for them to go to school together. Melinda, however, wasn’t anxious to have her little sister tag along, so she told Jennifer that she couldn’t come along because she wasn’t able to ride a two-wheeler bike.
Melinda’s plan didn’t exactly work out. Not as she intended, at least.
Jennifer realized that her sister was right – she couldn’t ride a two-wheeler…but there wasn’t any reason why she couldn’t learn to ride one. So, she took her training wheels off and spent an entire weekend practicing.
When she fell, and it was often, she picked herself right back up again. Eventually, and with a few bruises to show for it, Jennifer got the hang of it and was able to ride her bike without help. Needless to say, Melinda was very surprised.
She still approaches challenges in the same thoughtful way, today, and tries to empower clients to do the same with their financial future.
Planning and A Front Row Seat to Success
Financial planning is not an event; it is a process. It happens over time. Jennifer builds a client’s financial plan methodically, using each meeting to learn more and more about the clients, their financial situation, and their goals. She is curious, asks questions, takes her time getting to know the clients, and actively listens to their stories before plotting numbers into a spreadsheet. She doesn’t rush it.
She allows clients time to get comfortable with her and instills in them the confidence that she is charting the best course forwards to meet their needs.
Jennifer fully embraces IG Wealth Management’s client-centric culture, ensuring every client has a holistic and personalized financial plan. The IG Living PlanTM is a powerful tool that combines a variety of different tools such as fintech, artificial intelligence, and human knowledge. It is one of the best financial planning tools available in Canada offering fully customized plans that consider a wealth of detailed information when devising a plan, including goals, concerns, and even “what-if” scenarios.
The plan is the one thing that Jennifer can control. There’s a lot she can’t: market fluctuations, economic conditions, job loss, and health- just to name a few. “I can’t guarantee market performance - but no matter the situation, I will always work as hard as I can and consider multiple strategies to position your finances in the best way possible, using the best tools at my disposal.”
There isn’t a one-size fits all approach to Jennifer’s business, but there is one rule: the client always comes first.
Going above and beyond
Jennifer prides herself on her customer service. She is responsive and deeply caring. She often talks to clients regularly, and sometimes not even about business.
A client with whom Jennifer had worked since the start of her career would call her every few weeks; they’d talk business, and they’d catch up; it was a pleasant experience all around for both of them. She looked forward to the conversation.
Recently though, a few weeks went by, and the client didn’t call. It was odd, but Jennifer understood that people get busy. After the third week, Jennifer called him.
She was concerned.
When Jennifer got the client on the phone, it turns out he’d be struggling with a serious illness. They chatted for a while, and after they hung up, she decided she was going to build him a care package to support his recovery. The basket was filled with cough drops, soup, books, and more.
When she dropped it off, the client was so happy. He followed up with her afterward and he was so thankful saying, “This is something I didn’t know I needed.”
It was a compliment that describes Jennifer perfectly. She’s the ally that people don’t know they need.
Simply Put
The tools aren’t Jennifer’s only asset; so are her depth and wealth of knowledge. Jennifer has both her Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) and Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) certifications. They are more than letters – they represent a vast understanding of the complexities of financial planning.
The thing about Jennifer is that she has a unique ability to explain things that are complex, simply. She presents intricate financial concepts in ways that are easy to understand. She knows that financial literacy is the backbone of good financial decisions and when clients are knowledgeable and informed, they can make good decisions, which leads to better financial outcomes for them, overall.
Every client is different, not every client needs the same level of support, and how she plans for them is just as unique. “It’s about building a system that works for them, in a way that works for them.”
Jennifer’s focus is on what’s best for the client.
She starts by asking clients what they are hoping to achieve. What are their goals and dreams?
She encourages open candor and wants to hear from clients. “I want clients to know that they can call me anytime because things change. If something happens, I want to hear about it. Talking about money is hard, but I work just as hard to build a connection with clients so that they’re willing to have those difficult conversations with me. I want them to know I’m here to help.”
Better than you were
Constant improvement is Jennifer’s mission in life and in business. Whether it’s achieving better results than last year or better results than yesterday, forward is the direction she is heading and she wants to take her clients with her. “Things can always get better. Today may be difficult but together we can make tomorrow better. There’s always a silver lining, even during the heaviest storms. I try to look for it, even though it’s difficult sometimes.
When asked what she values most in her role, what gets her up in the morning on her own hard days her answer was swift, “I want to make a difference. To be a part of client success as they are such an integral part of mine.”
Jennifer’s aim is to help people and positivity is infectious. When speaking with her, it’s hard not to see all the possibilities.
Jennifer lives in Calgary with her husband Travis, and two daughters, aged 4 and 6.
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.”
Jennifer Lee-Owe Consultant
IG Wealth Management
100, 37 Richard Way SW,
Calgary, AB T3E 7M8
Mobile: (403) 803-8962
Office: (403) 242-6068 ext. 2296