Sean Graham

As Regional Vice-President, Wealth Planning, Chris Thomson works  closely  with  our  high  net  worth  clients  to  identify  issues and provide complex, tactical wealth planning support that  complements  their  wealth  plans.  Chris  has  a  particular  focus   on   tax   and   estate   planning   for   business   owners,   professionals, and other affluent individuals and families. 

Chris joined CI Assante Private Client in 2008, after working in private  practice  serving  businesses  and  families  throughout  Eastern  Canada,  specializing  in  both  personal  and  business  estate  and  tax  planning.  His  overall  professional  experience  in wealth planning exceeds 25 years.  

Chris is a lawyer with a Bachelor of Law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society,  and  the  Society  of  Trust  and  Estate  Practitioners.  Chris  has  completed  both  the  CICA  In-Depth  Tax  Course  and  the  CICA  Advanced  Tax  Issues  for  the  Owner-Managed  Business course. 

As a Regional Vice-President, Estate Planning Duane Snow is well-positioned to deal with the technical aspects of our clients’ more complex situations. He works to mitigate risk, protect assets, and provide tax deferral strategies and solutions that allow a smooth transition of estate or business assets to the beneficiaries or surviving partners. He provides in-depth information on various insurance products and services that compliment the overall wealth management for our clients.

He has a diverse insurance background, having worked as a life, health and pension specialist with a major insurance company, an employee benefits consultant and an insurance company wholesaler. Prior to joining Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc. in March 2006, he has also worked as an Estate Planning Advisor with a national investment firm.

Duane has a BA Economics from the University of Western Ontario and a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has also earned the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designations. Duane is based in Halifax and services Eastern Canada. 

As  a  Regional  Wealth  Planner,  Graham  Long  facilitates  the  delivery  of  wealth  planning  reports.  Using  a  needs-based  approach, Graham works with our clients to not only gather pertinent  financial  information,  but  more  importantly,  to  identify issues and to help our clients articulate and document their goals in order to build a plan that meets their complex needs.  Working  with  the  support  of  the  wealth  planning  team,  Graham  delivers  a  plan  that  addresses  retirement  planning, cash flow management, risk management, business planning and estate planning. 

Graham became part of CI Assante Private Client in 2013. His experience in wealth planning and asset management spans over  20  years.  It  includes  holding  senior  positions  with  two  large  Canadian  asset  management  companies  and  working  with two of the major Canadian banks. Before joining us, he was  with  Atlantic  Canada’s  largest  independent  chartered  accounting firm. 

Graham  is  a  Chartered  Professional  Accountant  (CPA,  CGA)  with   a   Bachelor   of   Commerce   degree   from   Dalhousie   University. In addition, he holds both his Certified Financial Planner®  (CFP®)  and    Trust  and  Estate  Practitioner  (TEP)  designations.