VANCOUVER, May 31, 2016 /CNW/ - The Board of Directors of Qtrade Financial Group has appointed William (Bill) Packham as CEO. Bill has been Interim CEO of Qtrade since January 2015. He will continue as Co-Chair of Qtrade's Board of Directors, a role he has held since April 2013, when Qtrade became a Desjardins Group affiliate.
As Interim CEO, Bill reorganized Qtrade's leadership team and established a new vision to enhance and build on the company's successful businesses, which include full-service and online brokerage, mutual fund dealership, asset management, correspondent and institutional services, and insurance.
"I'm honoured and excited about the opportunity to continue working with the incredibly talented team at Qtrade," Bill said. "Their expertise, dedication to continuous innovation, and commitment to client service is inspiring. We will continue to focus on supporting and creating value for our partners who have placed their trust in us."
"Bill's familiarity with Qtrade's strategic plans and operations, along with his leadership experience in the wealth management and financial services sectors, made him a natural choice to lead the company," said John Sibley, Qtrade Board Co-Chair and Director. "Under his direction, Qtrade has won a number of significant new partners, including credit unions, insurers, and investment dealers. We have also seen strong financial results—client assets grew from $10 billion to a record level of nearly $12 billion. We have absolute confidence that Qtrade is positioned for continued success as a partner of choice in the financial services space."
"Bill has done an exceptional job over the past year of successfully navigating through a volatile and challenging period for the financial services industry," said Denis Berthiaume, Desjardins Senior Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance. "His depth of experience allowed him to effect a remarkably smooth leadership transition and establish a strategic direction to drive growth in a highly competitive sector. We are delighted to have someone with his knowledge of the industry and his vision to take Qtrade to the next level."
Bill joined Desjardins Group in March 2012. A seasoned business executive, he has held a variety of senior positions in the wealth management and financial services sectors in Canada. He previously served as President, CEO and/or Chairman as well as a Director of Rockwater Capital Corporation, Merrill Lynch Canada, Midland Walwyn Capital, Blackmont Capital and Financial Concept Group. Over the years, Bill has been actively involved in leadership positions with various financial industry bodies, and is past Chair of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada (IDA).
In addition to his CEO and Board Co-Chair roles at Qtrade Financial Group, Bill will continue as Executive Managing Director, Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, Desjardins Group, responsible for pan-Canadian business development.
About Qtrade Financial Group
Qtrade Financial Group is a national, award-winning, integrated financial services company, with close to $12 billion in assets. Qtrade Financial Group provides full-service and online brokerage services to individual investors, as well as wealth and investment management platforms and services, custodial services, introducing broker services, and insurance solutions to a national base of financial institution partners including credit unions, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, investment dealers, portfolio managers and financial planning firms. Qtrade Financial Group is an affiliate of Desjardins Group, Canada's leading and the world's sixth largest cooperative financial group.
About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada and the sixth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $255.1 billion. It has been rated one of the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Considered North America's strongest bank according to Bloomberg News, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.
SOURCE Qtrade Financial Group
Image with caption: "William (Bill) Packham (CNW Group/Qtrade Financial Group)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160531_C6274_PHOTO_EN_702580.jpg
please contact: Qtrade Financial Group, Sean Kelly, Senior Communications Specialist, 778.328.7583, [email protected]; Desjardins Group, André Chapleau, Spokesperson, 514.281.7229, [email protected]
Share this article