Leadership letter: A new strategic vision

With the beginning of spring underway, it’s hard to believe we’re more than a quarter of the way through 2022. We’ve started the year with strong momentum, and while markets have had their challenges, we are confident in the team’s ability to manage our strategies actively and cautiously through this new cycle.

This past quarter we saw inflation continue to take centre stage, prompting global central banks to continue to unwind quantitative easing measures and begin to raise their key lending rates from historical lows. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February further roiled markets, contributing to significant volatility and pushing commodity process higher on a global scale.

It remains to be seen whether the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve will cool inflationary pressure in time without disrupting the delicate balance of our uneven, post-pandemic economic recovery. As we observe the landscape, risk assessment is front-and-centre for our investment team as we continue to position our strategies prudently while looking for opportunities to emerge.

New strategic vision

Since joining the firm three months ago, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with the various teams across Gluskin Sheff and Onex. Along with my leadership team, I’ve been listening, learning and working collaboratively to ensure our evolution is not only comprehensive, but that we have a clear vision of where we’re heading. We continue to work diligently on establishing our priorities and laying the groundwork for our new growth trajectory with the goal of sharpening the value we provide to our clients.

What has become clear to me is that Gluskin Sheff in an incredible place with incredible people. Our teams across the board hold an immense amount of experience, talent and commitment. There is a sense of shared values and a team-based, collaborative culture that with the right supports in place, will only get stronger as we evolve. Culture matters. And having an engaged employee base is directly correlated to the broader success of a business and how well we can support our clients in achieving their goals. This has always been a strength at Gluskin Sheff and will continue to be a crucial element of our future.

Through our partnership with Onex, we can provide our clients with a differentiated offering and experience – one that is unmatched in the market. We have the ability for direct collaboration, which harnesses the best insight and expertise of both Gluskin Sheff and Onex, in turn allowing for the customization of portfolio strategies to anticipate and meet our client’s needs.

Our foundation is strong and rooted in more than 35-years of client service and excellence. That said, we need to ensure we have the right tools in place to strengthen and support our evolution. The financial legacy we seek to help each of our clients achieve is not created overnight – it is a long-term endeavor. While many of the opportunities we’ve identified are already underway, these too will take time.

While there is work ahead, I am excited about the wealth management firm we can build together. On behalf of the entire team at Gluskin Sheff, we thank you for your continued patronage, trust and support in our business.