“The industry is rapidly changing, from compliance to client expectations and constantly seeking ways to exceed expectations has been a challenge,” MacDonald says. “However, building it the way I believed was in the best interests of my clients and watching it grow has been the most rewarding.”
Many of the industry’s young leaders work to support advisors. Gabriel Millard has proven his leadership skills as managing partner of equity capital markets at Avenue Living, where he has helped grow the firm to over $6.5 billion in AUM since 2018. He emphasizes dilligence and perseverance in his success.
“My refusal to accept ‘We’ve always done it this way’ has been crucial. By approaching every problem from first principles and embracing the possibility of failure, I’ve been able to innovate and seize opportunities that drive my career forward,” he says.
Mustafa Bukhari, National Team Lead at Skyline Wealth Management, began his career with plans to become a portfolio manager. He found, though, that sales leadership was his calling within the industry. He maintains a competitive spirit and likens his career to the progress of an athelete.
“I like to draw parallels between the sporting world and my career. I started off as trying to be the best individual contributor – make the all-star team, then transition into a player/coach, and now leader/management,” Bukhari says.