Vern is a Portfolio Manager with CIBC Wood Gundy in West Vancouver, British Columbia.  He earned his Bachelors of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan and continued his education with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Canada, the Canadian Securities Institute, the Financial Planners Standard Council and the Insurance Council of B.C. 

Vern has accumulated a wealth of experience and expertise from a number of firms he has previously been employed with national leading tax and investment firms.  He has been providing tax, estate, financial and investment advice to individuals, corporations and foundations for over 34 years. As a Portfolio Manager, Vern provides discretionary investment advice for his clients and  specializes in building high quality, investment grade portfolios that serve the financial needs of high net worth families. He believes superior long-term investment performance is grounded in disciplined security-specific selection and paying close attention to after tax returns.

Paula Sanchez joined CIBC Wood Gundy in 2014 and has over eight years of experience in the banking and investment industry. She graduated with distinction from British Columbia Institute of Technology and has a Diploma in Financial Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She also holds credentials with the Canadian Securities Institute. Paula has obtained her Qualified Associate Financial Planning designation from FP Canada and is pursuing a Certified Financial Planning Designation. Paula is devoted to a high level of customer service and enjoys helping clients reach their financial goals. When she is away from the office she enjoys spending time with her husband and daugter as well as crafting and reading.

Starting her career in the Okanagan, Lisa has been working in the financial industry for over 17 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to her role on the team as a Financial Associate. Previously, she was the Branch Administrator for Nanaimo branch for eight years, transitioning over to a Financial Associate five years ago. She is fully registered with CIRO, completing the Canadian Securities Course and Wealth Management Essentials. She earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2022 and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation in 2024. Classically trained in ballet, Lisa still enjoys taking ballet classes in her spare time.

Heather is a Client Associate with CIBC Wood Gundy, starting in the industry after completing the Applied Business Technology Administration course at Vancouver Island University. She has over 25 years of experience in the industry and in 2015 she completed the Canadian Securities Course and Conduct and Practice Handbook obtaining her registration as an Investment Representative through the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. 

Heather had held several positions throughout our office over the years helping to build her knowledge of the business. Heather's position with our team is a Client Associate with duties that consists of documentation and administration of client requests including issuing cheques, transferring funds, processing trades, scheduling client meetings, setting up and maintaining client accounts.In her spare time Heather enjoys traveling, camping and time with friends and family.