David O’Leary, CFA, MBA, QAFP

In clichéd fashion, my life was transformed when I met a girl. I know, boy meets girl, how original! But her influence led me to take a sabbatical from my job on Bay Street to spend time overseas in Sierra Leone learning about microfinance and how it could help bring opportunity to the lives of vulnerable communities across the globe.

The trip was an emotional roller coaster that left me, at once, angry, sad, inspired, and motivated to do something about the appalling inequality I had witnessed. I didn’t realize it then, but two years later I would move to South Africa. Four years after that, I would quit my job in the institutional investment world and move home to pursue work that I felt could make a bigger social impact.

This work included co-founding a traditional financial advisory practice that integrated philanthropy with financial planning for retirement-age Canadians. It also included three years leading the impact investing division of the same INGO I had volunteered with all those years ago in Sierra Leone. During this time, I spent evenings and weekends working to get Kind Wealth off the ground.

I’m passionate about Kind Wealth because during my 20 years of working in financial services, I came to see the underbelly of the industry and the many ways in which it took advantage of clients, the very people it claims to serve. I have also built a deep understanding of how people’s money choices impact the world around us: whether it be decisions about saving, spending, investing, or donating, it all leaves a footprint, for better or worse. I’m excited to build a wealth management practice that actually lives out its values, treats clients fairly, and helps them reach their financial goals in a way they can feel good about.

On a personal note, I’m a passionate advocate for equality of all stripes but maintain a particular focus on fighting for gender equality and against wealth inequality. I have a wide set of eclectic and often incongruous interests. In what feels like a lifetime ago, I was a competitive boxer in both Canada and South Africa. As such, I spent a great many hours punching other people in the face. Yet I’ve spent even more time traveling to developing countries trying to understand the root causes of wealth inequality and how I could help tackle it.

In recent years I’ve been on a quest to simplify my life, be content with less, and stay mindful of the impact my life choices have on the world around us. I’m currently working on eating less meat and reducing my family’s consumption by purchasing or bartering for second-hand goods.