The role: Accelerates growth by leading development, prioritization and commercial mobilization of Wealth-specific growth programs, including referral and lead ecosystems, advisor recruitment and onboarding, practice modernization, and specialized distribution channels. Accountable for expanding advisor capacity, improving business-development effectiveness, deepening member relationships, and supporting sustainable growth in assets under administration, insurance revenue, advice penetration and advisor productivity. This role owns the what and why of Wealth growth: growth priorities, distribution strategy, advisor capacity, practice-model evolution, business requirements and targeted commercial outcomes.
Key ResponsibilitiesGrowth strategy, referrals and segment expansion - 25%- Lead the development and execution of Wealth growth strategies by identifying, evaluating and prioritizing growth opportunities through analysis of market trends, competitive positioning, member needs and channel performance, ensuring resources and investments are aligned to the highest-value business outcomes.
- Define and govern Wealth requirements for referral ecosystems, campaigns, lead management and segment strategies for mass affluent and high-net-worth members, leveraging data and performance insights to optimize conversion, advisor effectiveness, member engagement and long-term growth result.
- Define and maintain a multi-year Wealth distribution and growth roadmap, translating enterprise strategy, market opportunities and member needs into prioritized initiatives, investment requirements and measurable commercial outcomes.
Distribution channels and strategic partners - 20%- Set strategic direction and growth priorities for the Wealth Advice Centre, Insurance Advisory, IPC, planning specialization and emerging advisory models.
- Define the role, value proposition, target segments and growth expectations of each Wealth distribution channel, ensuring channel strategies are differentiated, complementary and aligned with member needs.
- Lead the evaluation and development of emerging advisory and distribution models that extend market reach, improve access to advice and create scalable growth opportunities.
- Champion collaboration with enterprise and external wealth partners.
Advisor capacity, recruitment and onboarding - 20%- Own advisor capacity strategy, recruitment requirements, and onboarding standards, including the target experience, business outcomes and measures for time to productivity.
- Establish frameworks that accelerate early productivity, strengthen retention and align coverage to member demand and growth opportunities.
- Develop multi-year advisor capacity and workforce plans using member demand, market potential, advisor productivity, attrition, succession risk and geographic coverage to determine future capability and recruitment requirements.
Advisor practice models and productivity - 20%- Advance advisor practice model considerations, retirement and book-transition programs, book optimization and acquisition, and scalable service models.
- Lead the evolution of advisor capabilities, productivity, and service delivery, measuring performance through advisor productivity, member outcomes, revenue growth and referral effectiveness.
Governance, leadership and risk discipline- Lead strategic growth governance through the Wealth Operating Council.
- Drive cross-functional delivery, clarify decision rights, manage dependencies, escalate material funding or risk issues, and lead assigned teams with clear accountability.
- Lead and develop a team of specialized professionals and leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Build succession depth across Wealth distribution functions through coaching, talent development and workforce planning.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Expertise in wealth distribution, growth strategy, advisor productivity, referral ecosystems and business development.
- Strong knowledge of virtual and in-person advisor practice models, capacity planning, recruitment, onboarding and succession.
- Demonstrated ability to develop enterprise growth strategies, commercial business cases and multi-year distribution roadmaps.
- Strong understanding of distribution economics, investment prioritization, financial modelling and value-realization measurement.
- Ability to translate enterprise opportunities into scalable Wealth requirements, operating routines and measurable outcomes.
- Advanced analytical, financial and performance-management skills, including interpretation of growth, capacity and conversion data.
- Strong executive communication, ability to influence results across indirect reporting structures, negotiation, stakeholder management and governance skills.
- Knowledge of wealth operations, regulatory and conduct expectations, member experience, marketing activation, CRM and digital enablement.
- Proven people leadership and ability to lead through matrix relationships, councils and cross-functional working groups.
- Comfort learning and adopting new digital tools, with an openness to using AI-enabled technology to enhance productivity, accuracy, and the Member experience.
Education, Work Experience, and Professional Designations/Certifications- Undergraduate degree in business, finance, economics or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Fourteen plus years (14+) of significant progressive experience in wealth management, distribution strategy, sales leadership, practice management or business transformation.
- Demonstrated experience leading growth programs, advisor-capacity initiatives, cross-functional delivery and people teams.
- Relevant wealth, financial-planning, insurance or investment-industry designation is preferred.
- Experience operating in a regulated financial services environment and working with external wealth partners is preferred.
This posting is for a newly created position. Internal candidates are being considered.
Salary Range: $123,400.00 to $185,200.00 CAD
Compensation for this role is based on a combination of skills, experience, and internal equity. Candidates with stronger alignment to the role's requirements may be placed higher within the range. Your recruiter will share more information about our total rewards package during the hiring process.
Office Location: Toronto Corporate Office with the ability to travel to our St. Catharines office as needed. This is a hybrid work opportunity.
Meridian has a remote work policy that allows flexibility for employees to work remotely but also requires a minimum of one day per week in the office for purposeful meetings to collaborate, innovate, and build effective relationships with your team, your colleagues, and your leader, which is important to us.
What's in it for you? - We have an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages teamwork, creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success.
- We provide you with the tools and technology needed to delight your candidates and clients.
- You will get to work with and learn from diverse industry leaders and colleagues, who have hailed from top organizations.
- Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate, and build relationships with your colleagues.
- This is not your typical "corporate" job. We work hard and we have fun!
