Teaching clients to be smarter with their money
Name: Sabrina DiFederico, CFA, CPA, CA, MBA Age: 36 Position: Independent financial adviser with my own wealth management practice
Job description: I help clients maximize their savings and minimize their taxes.
Is this the job you thought you’d be doing? No. I had a co-op placement in my MBA with the RCMP — Integrated Market Enforcement Team investigating white collar crime. I loved everything about that placement. The camaraderie among employees was something I think is only possible in places where co-workers are literally trained to rely on each other in life-or-death situations. On my first day, my supervisor gave me a picture of Al Capone with the caption “Only an accountant could catch Al Capone,” and on that day, I decided to become an accountant. I thought I’d specialize in forensic accounting with the intention of eventually getting back to working with the RCMP, but I soon learned that the roads we travel are seldom straight.
Advice to others on launching a career: No matter what you are doing — paid or unpaid — exceed expectations. Every job can teach you something and even if it isn’t in the area where you wish to pursue a career, the people you work with or for can pop up in unexpected places. If you have proven skills like integrity, dedication and a strong work ethic, then you may find yesterday’s boss becoming tomorrow’s client.
Roots: Homegrown. I was born at St. Joe’s. Earned my undergraduate degree and my MBA at McMaster University.
iPhone, Android or BB? iPhone
Favourite restaurant in the downtown: M& N Desserts in Effort Square
Best feature of life in Hamilton: The mix of nature and city. I think it’s great that I can enjoy a patio in the downtown core where people are buzzing with energy, and then walk for 10 minutes and be in Cootes Paradise or on the Bruce Trail and appreciate the serenity of nature.
What would make Hamilton a better city: More business in the downtown core.
Contacts: sabrina@managedwealth.net
Quote: Chance favours the prepared mind. — Louis Pasteur
If you know a Hamilton Professional who would make a good candidate for this profile series, send an email to shenderson@thespec.com.