Two Vancouver-based financial-services firms, which were each separately owned by Ontario's Novacord Corp., have merged and rebranded as Waypoint Benefits & Financial Services.
Dehoney Financial Group (DFG) and Arbutus Financial Services (AFS) will carry that new moniker and are under the Waypoint umbrella, which also includes Waypoint Insurance.
Novacord Corp. is Canada’s third-largest insurance brokerage and it plans to continue to own the entities. The Waypoint banner now includes more than 800 employees and more than $1 billion in assets under management.
“Our firms share the same values and client-first approach that leads to the highest level of professional service and personalized, trusted advice,” said Waypoint Benefits & Financial Services's vice-president of financial services Neil Menzies, who was formerly AFS' president.
“Aligning this new partnership under the Waypoint brand enables us to achieve our goals, while providing the best opportunities and outcomes for the future of our employees, clients, partners, and the communities we serve.”
The two companies' employees had already been collaborating, said Erin Gunn, who had been president at DFG and is now president at Waypoint Benefits & Financial Services.
"We recognized the next important step in our respective evolutions was to join forces," Gunn said.
"By coming together, we provide our valued clients with unparalleled advice and risk management services."