WaterStreet, Canada's leading Multi-Family Office(TM) firm announces new
additions and expanded capabilities
TORONTO, April 6 /CNW/ - WaterStreet Family Wealth Counsel is building on its industry-leading capabilities through the addition of John Hamilton, Susan Van Der Hout, and Michael Lee-Chin as advisors and ambassadors for the firm, positioning WaterStreet more than ever to provide critical guidance to business owners with diverse needs.
John Hamilton joins WaterStreet as Executive Vice President, and brings 20 years of experience in business leadership, corporate development and corporate finance. He works extensively in private equity and business advisory services for a select group of Canadian families to help maximize shareholder value through the various stages of business development and to execute profitable growth and liquidity events. He has also served as President of a Canadian financial institution and VP Finance for a Canadian bank. John is an enthusiastic and innovative leader with strong project management capabilities.
"I am delighted to join WaterStreet to provide leadership to not only the firm itself, but to our new Corporate Advisory Services group - a group committed to helping the firm's clients make wise decisions and execute plans with precision in the areas of business growth, acquisitions, divestitures, financing, and restructuring," says John Hamilton.
"This builds on our multi-disciplinary service offering rather than being a change of direction," says WaterStreet President & CEO, Tim Cestnick. "We are focused on being a centre of stability and influence for families, to help them grow and preserve their financial assets and family heritage. Many of the families we serve have created their wealth through private business ownership. When their biggest asset is the business, we absolutely must help them grow that asset, maximize its value, and diversify where appropriate - our clients have asked for this. John's talents will help us do that better than ever."
Susan Van Der Hout joins WaterStreet as Director of Family Engagement. For over 25 years Sue has helped families and businesses resolve disputes to their collective advantage by building trust and applying sound judgment to empower participants to explore alternatives and craft successful and sustainable outcomes. Sue is the Founding President of the Family Firm Institute Ontario Chapter and past Vice-President of Women Entrepreneurs of Canada. Sue has an LLB and an LLM and practiced tax litigation for over 20 years, first with the Department of Justice, then with a major law firm in Toronto.
"Joining the WaterStreet team is a wonderful opportunity to work closely with some successful entrepreneurs and families to ensure they benefit fully from our broad capabilities," says Mrs. Van Der Hout. "Sue has a tremendous ability to identify issues and opportunities," says Tim Cestnick, "and our clients will better served as she seeks to ensure we are meeting their needs and expectations."
Also joining as an ambassador and stakeholder of WaterStreet, Michael Lee-Chin is one of Canada's most successful entrepreneurs, who acquired and grew AIC Limited to a peak of $15 billion in assets under management, and sold AIC's retail investment fund business to Manulife Financial in September 2009. Michael is well-known as an entrepreneur and philanthropist who owns many other business interests in various parts of the world, including the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica. Michael brings invaluable insight, experience and a broad network with some of the wealthiest families in the world. "I am a believer in the value that WaterStreet brings to the families it serves," says Michael Lee-Chin. "The Multi-Family Office(TM) service model has proven to serve the needs of wealthy families very well in other parts of the world, and there are still too many Canadian families who have yet to gain the same benefits. I'm excited to be part of the WaterStreet community and to share the firm's story."
For both 2010 and 2009, WaterStreet was awarded the top rank among independent family office service providers in Canada as voted by peers in the financial services industry in the prestigious Euromoney Private Banking and Wealth Management Survey. As a Multi-Family Office(TM) advisory firm, WaterStreet's focus is on helping families make wise decisions about their wealth and family heritage. The firm takes a values-based, multi-disciplined approach to advising families, integrating tax, legal, investment, risk management, philanthropic and family governance capabilities under one roof. The firm offers purely objective advice that is untainted by the conflicts of interest that often arise in the wealth management industry.
"Multi Family Office" is a registered trade mark of The WaterStreet Group Inc.
For further information: Kathy Stradwick, Communications, (905) 332-4455 ext. 221, [email protected]; Tim Cestnick, President & Chief Executive Officer, (905) 332-4455 ext. 222, [email protected]
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