Valitas Appreciation Event with Peter MacKay

Peter MacKay with Susan Fulford, Jacoline Loewen and Debbie Dimoff

"Boats are safe in the harbor, but that is not what they are built to do," said Peter MacKay, Vice-Chairman of Valitas advisory board.  Speaking at the Valitas event at The Spoke Club, Peter shared a few war stories about how he seen the corporate finance mandates achieved by Valitas and the challenges of undertaking corporate finance deals. He also made a few light comments about his political background and said he would not start discussing taxes.

Peter's words certainly inspired the room of entrepreneurs and Bay Street's finest - lawyers and wealth managers.

Paris Aden, founder of Valitas, also spoke about the success of the firm and the passion of the team. "Thank you to Peter MacKay for his commitment and contribution to Valitas".

@jacolineloewen

Author of Money Magnet.

 Jacoline Loewen, author of Money Magnet, Attract Investors to Your Business

Meet William, the youngest reader of Money Magnet

One of the fine women I mentored sent me an uplifting email and photograph featuring the latest addition to her family, sweet William.
William's mother is Farrah Ahmad Solly who is a Rotman graduate close to my heart.  I met Farrah when she was the marketing expert in her group project. The team went on to win the overall competition and Farrah contributed the lion's share to their success. I was impressed with Farrah then and now and I'm now impressed with her dedication to her family.

William Solly, son of Farrah Ahmad Solly

Wiley has a good summary about Money Magnet, It is still being used by Ivey and Ryerson. I get emails from entrepreneurs who used it as their blueprint to access private equity.

More about Money Magnet

The number-one issue for every entrepreneur is Money—getting money, raising money, convincing investors to give you money. Whether you are a start up, a family business, or a $100-million company, your biggest issue is always money.

 

Money Magnet is the solution to your money worries. It's the complete how-to guide to attracting private investors—debt and private equity—for business founders and owners. It reveals what private investment is and how it works, the benefits and pitfalls, how and where to find it, and how to be successful in attracting it.

 

Praise for Money Magnet

 

"Every ambitious private business owner should understand the role of investors and how to attract them. Money Magnet is an indispensible guide to the process."
—Austen Beutel, Chairman and CEO, Oakwest Corporation Ltd.

 

"Don't put another nickel into your business until you have read this book. Money Magnet is Financing 101 for entrepreneurs and owners who want to grow their business."
—Greig Clark, Entrepreneur (College Pro Painters and Arxx Building Products) and Venture Capitalist (Horatio Enterprise Fund)

 

"Money Magnet begins with a startling proposition: some businesses succeed more than others simply because they know how to raise money. By sharing these processes, tools and secrets, Loewen is daring Canadian entrepreneurs to dream bigger than they've ever dreamed before."
—Rick Spence, Entrepreneurship Columnist for the National Post and PROFIT Magazine

Follow on Twitter @jacolineloewen
Money Magnet, by Jacoline Loewen, published by Wiley.

Billionaires share one characteristic: They were not born billionaires.

The following is an excerpt from the Bloomberg Markets article titled How UBS Became Home to Half the World’s Billionaires

By Elisa Martinuzzi and Joel Weber | October 3, 2017

BLOOMBERG MARKETS: Almost half the world’s billionaires bank with you. That’s a distinct set of clients. What have you learned from them?

SERGIO ERMOTTI, CEO of UBS Bank: It’s always fascinating to hear how they became so successful. When you look at billionaires, many of them share one characteristic: They were not born billionaires. I was in Asia recently, where I met a few, and they have quite impressive stories. It feels like the American dream, only it’s no longer just in America. The main lesson for me is that with passion, focus, vision, determination, you can do a lot.

BM Which trait most stands out?

SE You see a lot of passion for what they do. And the same level of focus. It’s quite clear that it’s not all about money. Of course some people care about that, but at the end of the day, they enjoy what they do.

BM How much time do you actually spend with clients?

SE Not as much as I would like. The most interesting discussions are actually when we are fortunate enough to bring them together. We organize events where our clients can get together. It’s also a way for them to foster a level of cooperation, of getting to know each other—which is important for business regardless of UBS being involved or not.

BM You’re like Tinder?

SE At these events we are a kind of sophisticated speed-­dating organizer, sure. It adds value for our clients. Take Art Basel. The idea is that people attend because they share a common interest, a passion. And while attending the events, maybe they start to talk about other issues or opportunities.

BM What did you think of UBS before you got here?

SE I thought it was an incredible franchise with almost 150 years of history that had survived a dramatic moment. My predecessors had stabilized things, but it was not clear yet what the path was going to look like going forward. I’ve always been impressed by the fact that, as bad as things got here, only 2 percent of clients closed their accounts. I figured the franchise and the quality of the people who are able to retain the clients during such a crisis must be extremely high. My view was, I want to be a part of this.
Bloomberg Markets: How would you describe your business today?

SE We are the undisputed global leader in wealth management. We think that this is a huge advantage. It’s a very fragmented market still. And if I look at our position and the growth expectations of wealth creation, which is expected to be twice as high as GDP, we should stay focused on doing this. Sell-side analysts, rating agencies, and the media still consider us an investment bank. I find it totally ridiculous. If you look at where our business comes from, we are basically the world’s most expensive investment bank and its cheapest asset manager.
BM What advice did you get when you arrived here?



Jacoline Loewen and team

SE Some competitors were telling me, “Shut down the investment bank; we’ll serve you.” They wanted to grab flows and build out their business. People also told me to sell Wealth Management Americas. My popularity would have soared, especially in Switzerland; UBS wouldn’t be where it is today; and I doubt I’d still be here. That was a defining moment—to say, These are businesses we can turn around. It was a good reminder that the consensus is not necessarily the right thing to do.

BM Was there a company, maybe even outside your industry, that you looked to for inspiration?

SE Not for strategy. But when I joined, I said I wanted UBS to be the Apple or the IBM of the financial-services industry: from glory, to near-death, and then back to glory.

Read Full article here
Follow on Twitter @Jacolineloewen

Fintech challenge finalists announced - 5 Canadian companies out of 11 finalists

Thank you again to all who applied to the UBS Future of Finance Challenge 2017. Please read the full Media Report here with links to all the global finalists.

Jacoline Loewen and team for FinTech

After careful consideration and collaboration, those listed below are the applicants who we feel currently have the highest potential to partner with UBS in one or more of our businesses globally.

We would like to extend our thanks again to all applicants, and remind you that although your application might not have been chosen this time, this does not preclude you from applying to any future Challenges.

Finalists from the Americas

1. Wondereur, Toronto
2. Inpher
3. Overbond, Toronto
4. Veriday, Toronto
5. Decipher Finance
6. Elsen
7. MindBridge Analytics, Toronto
8. Catalytic
9. Authomate
10. FinMason (FinRiver)
11. Global Regulation, Toronto

Twitter: @jacolineloewen
LinkedIn:

5 Canadian FinTech companies selected as Finalists out of 11

Jacoline B. Loewen, Disruptive Technology in Fintech

From TechFest happening in Vancouver to the Waterloo Innovation Summit and Elevate Toronto, it was the week of innovation and entrepreneurs.

During the same week, I got an amazing phone call from Switzerland. Our UBS Global Fintech Challenge was done.  UBS was now releasing the details about the finalists selected to go to New York.

The eleven finalist companies will receive mentoring about their technology and brain storm about how they could work with our UBS information technology team members.

The finalists will spend several days in New York And hang out with the UBS key players and decision makers for UBS Bank around the world. This is worth more than the prize money for both the startups but also for UBS. It is an amazing way to engage with the best, most disruptive and the most relevant innovative fintech companies from around the world.

The 11 finalists will then be helped to prep and then to present their Pitch Deck to the judges. One winner will be selected to get the investment capital award. Probably the mentoring and networking is of far greater value but someone has to won the podium. This is all coming up in November, 2017.

I must say, I was stunned to hear the numbers behind the competition and how much the Canadian FinTech is hitting above its weight. For your interest, here is a quick numbers break down:

• 1,000 applicants across the globe.
• 125 were looked at closely
• Out of the 11 finalists in the Americas going to New York - a whopping 5 are Canadian.
• 2 of these Fintech companies are female founded and led.

It would be amazing if a Canadian won. I will keep you posted!

Self-made billionaire reveals his number one secret to success

The Billionaire, Ray Dalio, one of the world's largest and best-performing hedge funds has published his autobiography which I recommend. A true entrepreneurial success story, Dalio started his company in a tiny apartment. He was a self-described poor student. Forty years after starting his company, Dalio decided to share his success secrets in his new book,Principles.

Ray says the most important chapter that reveals the number one roadblock to success that is so engrained in the human experience, and in our DNA, it's difficult to overcome. But those who recognize it and take steps to knock down the barrier will be in a much stronger position to get what they want out of life.

Dalio's advice: Be radically open-minded

Good decisions aren't necessarily the ones that stroke your ego. A good decision is what's best for you and your company. To make good decisions, argues Dalio, a person must have the ability to explore different points of view and different possibilities, regardless of whether it hurts your ego.

Ask any of your friends or any entrepreneur if he or she is open-minded, and most--if not all--will say they are. But are they? Are you? According to Dalio, here are some cues that will tell if you are truly open-minded.

• Close-minded people don't want their ideas challenged; open-minded people are not angry when someone disagrees.
• Close-minded people are more likely to make statements than ask questions; open-minded people genuinely believe they could be wrong.
• Close-minded people focus much more on being understood than on understanding others; open-minded people always feel compelled to see things through others' eyes.
• Close-minded people lack a deep sense of humility; open-minded people approach everything with a deep-seated fear that they may be wrong.

Dalio believes that recognizing these traits in yourself is just the first step. The second step is recognizing them in others. Once you do, "surround yourself with the open-minded ones," he says.

Imagine a trustworthy world of money - imagine blockchain and crypto-currency

Imagine a world where everyone was perfectly honest and trustworthy when it came to money.  This is where banks arose to help trusted intermediaries to able to protect and transact with money. Now, imagine a world with a single, universal, absolutely trustworthy and completely indestructible financial ledger. This is where blockchain is arising. It is to create a simplified, single ledger for transfer of value.

Jacoline Loewen at the Blockchain and Crypto-Currency Event, 2017

With these points in mind, I put together an event discussing these themes and how blockchain is gaining in achieving this lofty vision. Crypto-currencies and blockchain technologies are attracting tremendous interest from new and traditional participants across all sectors, and banks are at the forefront of understanding the potential applications of these technologies - which will change how banks operate at an organizational level, not just at a technology level.
Efforts like UBS's Blockchain and Innovation Lab in London, UK will drive innovation through unique partnerships with fintechs and other large banks as blockchain technologies are better understood by regulators and clients and industry standards emerge.
In 2015, UBS started a pathfinding journey to explore, harness and share the potential of blockchain. As a leading financial organization, it is our duty to understand the technology and its implications, to share the knowledge and benefits with clients, the financial industry and the wider society, and become ready for blockchain in production in 2018.Thank you to our expert speaker, Peter Stephens, Head of UBS Blockchain and Innovation Lab in London, UK. A special thank you to Andre Perey, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), who hosted the fireside chat with Peter. Andre is also a director on the board of UBS Bank (Canada).If you would like more information about the Exploring Blockchain and Crypto-Currencies event held by UBS Bank (Canada) in August, 2017, or for UBS reports on blockchain and cryptocurrencies, please contact me for details.


Jacoline Loewen: 416-332-7012
You can follow me on Twitter @jacolineloewen

The Atmospheric Fund Board

I was pleased to be invited to serve for a third term on the board of directors of The Atmospheric Fund.
Being on the Investment Committee means real input into private equity investing and sustainable investing.

TAF is governed by a 12-member board. Five of these members are City Councillors and seven are citizen members appointed through the City of Toronto’s public appointments process. TAF has been fortunate to have attracted a wide range of experience and expertise to our board, including investment specialists, energy experts and community engagement professionals. The board meets five times a year and board meetings are open to the public (but may include in-camera sessions).

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee oversees both management of TAF’s endowment and mandate-related investments (loans and equity investments in enterprises that can deliver emission reductions). The committee members have a wealth of investment and legal expertise and provide recommendations to the TAF board on all investment decisions.

Members:

• Rob A. Roberti (Chair), Principal at Verde Finance
• John Campbell, City Councillor
• Bill Crossland, President and CEO at Thermal Energy International Inc.
• Jason Kotler, Entrepreneur
• Hyewon Kong, Associate Portfolio Manager at AGF Investments Inc.
• Matthew Z. Leibowitz, Partner at Plazacorp Ventures
• Jacoline Loewen, Director at UBS Bank (Canada) Wealth Management
• Graham McBride, Independent Investor and Strategist
• Bill Tapscott, Managing Director at Era2 Productions Inc.
• Terry Vaughan, Senior Consultant at Prime Quadrant

The committee’s responsibilities include:

• Selecting the investment manager(s) and any other agents or advisors needed to prudently manage the endowment
• Formulating and amending when necessary the Statement of Investment Objectives and Principles (SIOP), with consideration to TAF’s mandate and purpose of advancing solutions to climate change and air pollution, and reviewing the SIOP at least once per year
• Preparing and maintaining a Prohibited Securities List of companies whose securities cannot be held in the portfolio in keeping with the mandate and beliefs expressed in the SIOP
• Monitoring the investment manager(s) and any other agents or advisors with respect to investment performance and compliance with the SIOP
• Reviewing and advising on impact/direct investments and providing recommendations on those investments to the board
• Providing quarterly reports to the board on the performance of the endowment and any other aspects of asset management, which the Investment Committee deems appropriate or as requested by the board

How to build wealth fast

We all know that automating a monthly deposit to our nest egg bank account is a proven method to build wealth. It's fairly painless as you do not notice the withdrawals and you rapidly adjust your lifestyle. Pretty quickly, your wealth does grow, particularly if you choose lower risk investments with a decent interest rate?
How about something more specific?
I like the table below that shows monthly savings rate with interest earned. It is over a 25 year period which my not serve your needs but will be good to show your adult children to inspire them to at least start with the automatic monthly savings to their TFSA.

Toronto Triathlon Festival 2017

The UBS Bank (Canada) team showed their true grit at the Toronto Triathlon Festival 2017.
It was a great experience to be with my team on the weekend and to see the competitive spirit of all of them.

Thank you for the great day

Jacoline Loewen, Toronto Triathlon Festival