The magic ingredients behind top advisory team

“If it’s bringing on board a new technology that you wouldn’t be able to do as an independent, we’ve got the backing,” he said, noting that National was already doing that before the pandemic. “We’ve got a best practices department and team management that we find invaluable. If we need help with processes, National Bank is there for us. It also has our back. If there are things that are going on in the industry that we need help with or we feel we should bring up, we can advocate for that and the firm will do it on our behalf. It also brings in advisors from all over the country to share best ideas, so we really have this huge network when working at a bank-owned firm. There really is strength in numbers.

“National Bank Financial has a big goal for continuing to grow its wealth management side of things, so it’s investing a lot of money in wealth management and it sees that as a big part of the future of the bank. So, I certainly wouldn’t want to not be a part of what we’re doing right now.”

Di Brita credited the team’s win against stiff competition to the underpinnings that it’s laid. It has long had a “PILLARS” philosophy with P standing for passion for excellence, I for integrity, L for lifelong learning, L for lead by example, A for accountability, R for respect for others, and S for success with work, community, and life harmony.

While National Bank Financial provides the team with an open architecture on products, so that it can provide clients with the best recommendation, Di Brita also enjoys his team’s multi-generational approach to its clients. It has an advisor for each generation, with him taking the lead with millennials. Many clients have also been with them for decades.

“Our hope is that we’ll be able to keep doing that generation after generation,” he said. “There’s no better situation than to have your advisor or advisory firm know your family history because it’s been working with your family for generations. When you have a question about why something was done some way, we were there. We were there for the tough times, the good times, the bad times, and we’re hopefully going to be able to continue to help the next generation because of the groundwork that their grandparents or parents have laid for them.”