In Canada, and around the world, COVID-19 recovery must work to repair the economic destruction of the pandemic and deal with the lingering mental health effects of a world effectively put on hold. Though we talk about these issues in separate conversations, it is important to make the connection between financial wellness and mental health. How do our finances affect more than just our pocketbooks? And what can we do about it?
Join Canadian Club Toronto on January 21 as our expert panelists discuss the current state of financial wellness in Canada, advice on how to better understand the control we have over our finances, and how organizations can support their teams in navigating financial-influenced mental health issues. This expert panel will be moderated by Melissa Leong, Author of Happy Go Money and will feature:
Jackie Porter
Financial Planner
Jackie Porter is an award-winning financial planner who has been in the financial industry for the past 22 years serving thousands of families, established businesses, and professionals in the Greater Toronto Area. Her practice focuses on cash flow management and tax planning strategies.
Jackie is one of Canada’s most recognized financial planners. Her advice and financial strategies have been featured in top financial publications such as, Forum, Wealth Professional, Investment Executive and The Globe & Mail. Many have benefited from her sound and actionable financial advice offered at business conferences, radio interviews, podcasts and television programs such as CBC, Sun News and BNN. Jackie has also been awarded winner of the Mackenzie Investments Award for ‘Female Trailblazer of the Year’ category in the 2019 Wealth Professionals awards.
Jackie co-authored “Single by Choice or Chance, the smart woman’s guide to living longer better”.
Raised by a single mom who passed away when Jackie was in her teens led Jackie to learn important lessons about becoming financially independent very early in her life. Since she had to become financially independent at such a young age she was hungry to learn the principles of real wealth and saw the profession as her golden opportunity.
Jackie now shares her journey on how she created a 7-figure net worth out of very humble beginnings. She shares insights and real-life stories on how to build a financial fortress in this age of uncertainty by learning the basic principles of real wealth.
Bruce Sellery
Personal Finance Journalist, Cityline and Bestselling Author, Moolala
Bruce Sellery is a personal finance expert and the author of the Globe & Mail bestseller, Moolala: Why smart people do dumb things with money (and what you can do about it).
He is the Money columnist for CBC Radio and the national lifestyle TV show Cityline, and hosts Moolala: Money Made Simple, a weekly radio show on SiriusXM. Bruce was the host of Million Dollar Neighbourhood on the Oprah Winfrey Network and spent a decade as an anchor and New York Bureau Chief for BNN Bloomberg.
Bruce is a graduate of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and sits on the school’s Advisory Board. He is also an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.
Idan Shlesinger
President, Retirement Solutions and Executive Vice President, Morneau Shepell
Idan Shlesinger is President, Retirement Solutions and Executive Vice President. In this role, Mr. Shlesinger provides leadership and guidance for Morneau Shepell’s Retirement Solutions, Asset and Risk Management and Financial Wellbeing businesses. Mr. Shlesinger joined Morneau Shepell in 2007 as a senior consulting actuary. Since then he has played various roles, most recently as the leader of Morneau Shepell’s DC Solutions business, in which he oversaw Morneau Shepell’s growth as one of Canada’s largest providers of DC services. He has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic advisory services to corporate and public sector organizations.
Mr. Shlesinger has a passion for creative problem solving and innovation in the retirement and financial wellbeing space. He has a particular interest in the application of actuarial and pension concepts in non-traditional areas to improve financial outcomes, and has been a frequent speaker and writer on these topics.
He grew up in South Africa and commenced his actuarial studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He immigrated to Canada in 1994 and completed his studies at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and of the Society of Actuaries.
Shannon Lee Simmons
Founder, The New School of Finance
Shannon Lee Simmons is an award winning Certified Financial Planner, speaker, Chartered Investment Manager, national best selling author and founder of the New School of Finance. She is a personal finance writer for the Globe and Mail as well as CBC Radio’s Metro Morning money columnist and financial expert on The Marilyn Denis Show.
Melissa Leong
Author, Happy Go Money
Melissa Leong is a sought-after speaker, national media personality, best-selling author and award-winning writer. She’s the author of the feel-good finance guide, Happy Go Money and is the resident money expert on Canada’s leading daytime talk show, The Social on CTV. She’s the host of the podcast, Money Moves: Conversations about Investing by The Globe and Mail’s Content Studio. Her articles have appeared in newspapers across the country, including as the personal finance writer for the Financial Post. She’s also a go-to money expert for radio and television programs, appearing on BNN, CBC Radio, Breakfast Television, CP24, Global News, Your Morning and Newstalk 1010 to name a few.
