Board of Directors' Biographies
Gregory Powell, CFP, CHS, CD, BA – Surrey – Chair
Greg Powell was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. and is a graduate of Simon Fraser University with a Double Major (Psychology and Criminology). A 13-year Canadian military career as a combat engineer included duties such as providing leadership during aid-to-civil power missions (e.g., ice storms, floods and forest fires), participating in international military operations and the training of Canadian, British, U.S., German, Nepalese, Argentinean and Soviet Forces. Greg is a seven-time decorated veteran, including the prestigious Governor General of Canada Commendation for his involvement in the Battle of Medak in the Bosnian War 1992-1993. Greg retired a sergeant commanding 32 soldiers.
Prior to joining Clarica, Greg was the co-creator and president of a successful sales selection, training and public speaking company with operations in Canada and Australia from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, he began as a financial advisor in the Surrey, B.C. branch. After six months, Greg was selected for the Manager Training Program and, working with a successful team, he rotated through the roles of training manager and recruiting manager. He was appointed associate manager in November 2006.
Greg was approached by the regional VP for a regional manager position and began in the role at the beginning of 2007. Over 18 months, Greg worked with more than 400 advisors and 40 managers covering the B.C. province. In June of 2008, Greg was offered the position of branch manager and he asked to return to his original office in Surrey, B.C.
Greg is the 2009 president of the national board for GAMA International Canada. GAMA works with leaders and managers in the financial services industry addressing subjects such as recruiting, production and leadership. He is a regular contributor to FORUM magazine and monthly national GAMA Canada newsletters.
Greg is married to Julie Cook, another long-time industry manager, and he enjoys scuba diving, public speaking, volunteering for local charities and writing a non-fiction book for Trafford Publishers based on his military experiences overseas. Having travelled by foot across the Arctic Circle in 1989, he hopes to travel to Antarctica one day to complete his pole-to-pole experience.
Rob Popazzi - Waterloo – First Vice President
Rob started his career in the fall of 1992 as an advisor with MetLife in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario. Since that time, he has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility at MetLife, Clarica and Sun Life; these roles have included Sales Manager, Regional Training Consultant, Regional Manager, Financial Centre Manager, Regional Vice President and over the past year, his current position of Assistant Vice-President for Manager and Experienced Advisor Development.
Rob holds a degree in Economics from Queen’s University and is also a Chartered Life Underwriter. A student of the leadership aspect of the insurance business, he reads extensively and is actively involved in several study groups.
Recently married, Rob and his wife Heather enjoy their free time in eastern Ontario at their cottage. Rob also has travelled a fair bit, having visited over 20 different countries with more to come. Rob and Heather can also be found riding his motorcycle, running and enjoying other sports as the season permits.
Jim Ruta, B.A., RHU – Burlington– Secretary/Treasurer
From “the street” to “the executive suite,” Jim Ruta has done it all. Starting as a life insurance agent in Winnipeg, he ended up leading a multi-million dollar agency on Bay Street.
Jim began with Mutual Life in 1977 after graduating from the University of Manitoba. In 1979, he opened “IAP – Insurance and Annuity Planning.” His successful marketing, training and management career spanned three companies and more than two decades. He went on to help create two successful managing general agencies.
Jim served on LUAC and LIMAC executives in Waterloo and Toronto. He moderated LUATC and AMTC courses. He’s been on every Advocis school programs and at the AGM. He was one of Canada’s first Registered Health Underwriters.
Today, Jim is a business coach for top financial advisors, managers and executives. He is a national media commentator on consumer advisor issues. His unique “you first” copywriting helps advisors create marketing that makes people pay attention. His “Million Dollar Training Camp™” and “The Re-EnergizeHour” calls help everyone focus, sell and achieve more.
Jim’s regular column in Canada’s Insurance Journal and segment on Investment Executive’s IE:TV are subscriber favourites. His magazine articles have appeared in MDRT’s Round the Table and Life Insurance Selling in the U.S. His three books, Expert Identity Marketing, Master Your Money Management and How to Win Sales and Increase Profits create better advisors through better thinking. His insider blog at TheReEnergizer.com keeps the industry talking.
Jim’s passion, humour and plain talk have inspired, educated and entertained many thousands worldwide. These include the Main Platform of the Million Dollar Round Table Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebrations at Great Eastern Life in Singapore.
Jim serves on the board of two Catholic charities and is very involved in his church. He is a licensed private pilot, an avid golfer and is the father of three. He and his wife Rhonda make their home in Burlington, Ont.
J.W. (Joe) Flynn, BSc, CFP, RHU – Markham – Past President
Joe joined London Life as an employee benefits group representative in Halifax, N.S.
Following the acquisition by Great-West Life, Joe transitioned to GWL Selectpac account manager. In the summer of 1998, he became one of the first London Life investment and insurance product managers, supporting financial centres throughout N.B. and P.E.I.
In the fall of 1999, Joe made the move to development manager in Moncton, N.B. and began coaching a team of new advisors.
With the announcement of Freedom 55 Financial in July 2000, Joe moved to home office in London, Ont. as the professional development manager, primarily responsible for recruiting and sales management support.
In early 2002, Joe joined the Toronto East management team as a director and helped develop a number of leading financial advisors. Late in 2006, Joe was named the regional manager of the York North Financial Centre.
Joe graduated from St Francis Xavier University in 1996, completed his CFP in 2004 and gained his RHU designation in 2007. As an active member and past president of GAMA International Canada, Joe enjoys developing his management team and aspires to helping them achieve top spot in their respective roles.
He is happily married to the love of his life Amy and has a daughter, Hannah (6), and a son, Sam (3), and they live in Western Toronto.
Carla Ayles, Moncton
In the year the Netherlands got colour TV, Johnny Cash and June Carter got married and the Appollo 7 returned to earth, Carla Ayles was born. She was born and spent a few years in Campbellton, N.B. before her father took the family on a series of career transfers that she believes somewhat shaped who she is today. The transfers developed her social skills, through a need to constantly create new friends, her love of travel and exploring new places, and her passion for an ambitious career because she soon realized the perks it could provide.
Carla pursued education at Dalhousie University where she majored in English and minored in Political Science. She graduated with a BA and entered directly into the insurance world. She soon fell in love with a business world she knew nothing about, but a world she knew she could develop and grow in. Carla spent the first 15 years of her career at The Co-operators. She enjoyed roles in underwriting, claims and as a financial analyst when she realized the world of sales suited her personality. During her years in the corporate world, she moved between Moncton, N.B. and Guelph, Ont. Residing back in Moncton, N.B., Carla decided to leave the corporate world behind and enter into personal lines and life insurance sales. There, she combined her love of the corporate business world and her love of the sales world and, in 2007, became a sales manager for Sun Life Financial.
Outside of her work life, Carla is a board member for GAMA Canada, is involved in her local church and enjoys continuing education. She is married to Barry and they are proud of their two sons, Sam and Nathan. They reside in a country home in Elgin, N.B.
Shawn Bellefeuille, CFP, CHS – Ottawa
Shawn started his career as an advisor with Clarica in Ottawa in 2002. In his first year he was awarded the rookie of the year in his region. In 2006 he joined Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network as an associate advisor qualifying for his firm’s Sales Conference that year. In 2008 Shawn was promoted to Sales Manager at the Ottawa Financial Centre. In that first year Shawn qualified for Sales Conference as a sales manager. In 2011 Shawn was promoted to Associate Branch Manager. Shawn has helped recruit and develop one of the top young team of advisors in the country, with five advisors qualifying for our firms prestigious Recruits Conference and one MDRT qualifier in his first year of business. The management team was rewarded in 2010 when they were named Financial Centre of the year across Canada.
Shawn obtained his CFP designation in 2008 and his RHU (now CHS) in 2009.
Shawn has a degree in funeral service education from College Boreal in Sudbury. He uses the important skills he learnt in his previous career to help people in their time of need.
Shawn is married to Kim and has 4 children. He enjoys coaching his kid`s hockey teams and is on the executive board of his local hockey association. In his spare time he enjoys playing sports and reading.
David A. Gray, B. Comm, CFP, CLU, CH.F.C. – Toronto
David, a native of Toronto, earned an undergraduate degree in commerce at St. Mary's University in Halifax, N. S.
David started his career at Prudential of America as an agent in 1975. He was promoted to sales management in 1977.
He developed and delivered management training programs as a training consultant with Crown Life from 1981 through 1987. In 1987, he moved back to field management and started a scratch agency, which he cultivated and grew to be in the top 10 per cent of the agencies over the next four years. He moved to the independent distribution channel in 1991 and worked as an MGA. He was appointed vice-president of marketing at AFLAC Canada in 1993, where he helped introduce critical illness and long-term care products to the Canadian market. He joined the national accounts channel as vice-president at Maritime Life in 1996, which was a startup operation, and helped grow the channel to be an integral part of distribution. David joined Sun Life Financial in 2005 as vice-president, wholesale distribution responsible for sales through their partnership with MGAs, national accounts and Intercorporate Alliance Power Group.
David is past president of GAMA International Canada (formerly LIMAC/MAFAC) and he currently serves on the board of directors.
Marian Mocanu, CFP – St. Albert
Marian Mocanu was born in Romania and raised in Edmonton, Alta., and is a 2005 graduate of the JR Shaw School of Business from the Northern Albert Institute of Technology with a major in finance. Marian began his career as an independent financial advisor with Shelemey Financial in St. Albert, Alta. He is dually licensed in both insurance and mutual funds and holds the CFP designation. Marian has taken a more hands-on managerial role in the firm with running many of their marketing campaigns throughout the four provinces they do business in.
Marian has served on the local Advocis Edmonton chapter first as program chair then as membership chair and now as vice-president. He also serves as chair of the membership committee of the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce.
Ejaz Nadeem, CFP, CLU – Hamilton
Ejaz Nadeem is currently the Managing Director of FirstOntario Wealth at FirstOntario Credit Union in Hamilton, Ontario. Ejaz has over 21 years experience in the Wealth Management Industry. Ejaz is very passionate about wealth management business. He specializes in developing successful sales and distribution channels and managing strategic relationships.
Ejaz entered the life insurance business in 1990 through London Life’s University Training Program in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1993, joined Prudential of America as a Sales Manager in the Edmonton office. He also served on the board of directors of Edmonton Life Underwriters Association from 1991-1994 where he was the Editor of ELUA magazine.
In 1995, Ejaz moved to Saskatchewan to help credit unions establish their wealth management distribution system, including life insurance, mutual funds and securities, through Credential Financial Inc., a credit union system owned wealth management dealer. Ejaz’ success in Saskatchewan resulted in his appointment and move to Ontario in 2001 as the Regional Vice President, Sales and Distribution for Ontario and Eastern Canada.
Ejaz left Credential Financial in 2009 and joined FirstOntario Credit Union, the third largest credit union in Ontario, as Managing Director, FirstOntario Wealth.
Besides a masters degree in Economics from the University of Alberta, Ejaz is a level III CFA candidate and holds CFP and CLU designations. He also holds life, A&S, Mutual Funds and Securities licenses. Ejaz is an Advocis member for over 21 years and lives in Ancaster, Ontario with his wife, Rukhsana, and three daughters.