Ashton College offers financial services licensing courses designed to help you start or further your career in the industry. The Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC), Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP), equip you with the licensing requirements to establish yourself as a financial services professional and gain the qualifications that employers in the industry are demanding.
Increase your knowledge, skills and industry standing with Ashton's Financial Services courses and programs, designed to help students jump-start or accelerate their careers in the financial industry.
For those who want a career in financial planning, our CFP® Certification Education Program will provide you with the skills required to step into this dynamic career. Our CFP® Certification Education Program consists of the Core Curriculum courses, and we also offer the CFP® Certification Education Program Capstone Course for those wishing to continue building their technical knowledge and skills after completing the Financial Planning Examination Level 1.
Graduates of our Financial Services department will have a strong foundation in areas such as investment products, investment planning, and personal financial management. Specific learning outcomes will vary by program, but all Ashton College Financial Services graduates will benefit from the increased prestige associated with financial designations and certifications.
The Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) provides students with in-depth knowledge of mutual funds. This course is delivered in partnership with the IFSE Institute.
The CSC, or Canadian Securities Course, is the perfect preparation for writing the CSC exam and attaining your CSC designation. The Canadian Securities Course at Ashton is also fully accredited by the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI).
The CFP® Certification Education Program is designed to help professionals in the financial services industry learn the fundamentals of building a comprehensive financial plan.
The Life License Qualification Program (LLQP) is the first step to applying for a life insurance license. The LLQP at Ashton College allows you to learn from industry professionals with years of experience in their field.
The thing that really enhanced my Ashton experience was the Program Advisers. Having someone who sees the bigger picture and can advise you on how to proceed with your career is very important and valuable, and I would recommend anyone considering Ashton to talk to your Program Adviser as much as you can.
Alexei Schwartzman – Life Licence Qualification Program, 2009
The program at Ashton appealed to me because the flexibility meant I could continue working. The courses I took at Ashton were extremely relevant to what I’m doing now – the financial planning foundation I learnt through Ashton College is something I use now in my own day-to-day work.
Wesley Fong – Certified Financial Planner, 2012
Ji brings over twelve years of experience in the financial services and asset management industries to his role as CEO of UBX ABC LLC, a quantitative assets management firm operating in the USA, Cayman Islands, and Canada.
Ji started his career by working at management positions at various financial services and brokerage institutions. In 2013, Ji was handpicked to found and lead Manulife’s new high-networth division, Manulife Private Wealth, in Vancouver. In 2016, Ji was headhunted by Sun Life, the largest asset management firm by AUM in Canada, to oversee regional sales as Wealth Sales
Director and lead the newly formed Asian Strategy Team in Western Canada. Ji has worked at many different roles in the financial services and asset management industries and brings in a
wealth of experience in full discretionary investment management, retail distribution, private banking, insurance, and business coaching.
Ji has been well known in the Vancouver financial services circle to be an innovative leader specialized in building start-up operations. He has serviced more than one thousand investment
advisors and financial services professionals in his career so far.
Ji is a Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, and Chartered Investment Manager. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University.
David Dalton has been a wealth management professional since 1997, as both an institutional advisor and an independent financial planner. He holds the CFP, CLU, CHS, and CPCA designations. Besides instructing for Ashton College since 2006, he has presented at dozens of community engagements for non-profit groups, government agencies, trade shows, and consumer groups on topics from socially responsible investing, all the way to taxation and estate planning. Financial literacy is near and dear to him and educating and training those who advise others is particularly fulfilling.
Jason Wong has extensive knowledge in the wealth management industry, and has been practising financial planning since 2001. Jason started his career through the financial advisory channel in one of the major banks. He then moved on to the independent channel to assist his individual and business clients to achieve their financial goals through comprehensive financial planning. Jason is also a consultant supporting financial advisers providing wealth management solutions to their clients.
Jason holds several industry accreditations: Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Management Advisor (FMA) and Derivative Market Specialist (DMS). He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Manchester, which is consistently ranked as one of the top global business schools under the Financial Times Global MBA rankings.
Bryan Dar Santos is a financial educator and investment specialist with nearly two decades of industry experience. Bryan has spent years training and supporting hundreds of financial advisors across Canada and is the founder of FDI Financial Diagnostics Inc., an independent investment analysis firm for advisors and retail clients.
Bryan is passionate about helping Canadians understand the financial industry, specializing in explaining complex financial concepts in simple terms. From 2012 to 2014 he published FinanceWorks.ca a national consumer magazine that connected finance to our everyday lives and helped Canadians to earn, grow, save and protect their money.
Peter Labrie is a finance expert who has been practising for over 20 years. Peter has global experience in the financial services industry, having worked in countries such as France, China, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States. Peter is educated in finance and industrial psychology and is knowledgeable in business development, process improvement, managing a corporate treasury, and negotiating large-scale business deals.
Rhona Konnelly is an accomplished Insurance and Estate Planning Consultant with over 28 years of diverse financial and estate planning experience. She has served for many years in senior specialist and directorship roles with many of Canada’s leading financial services organizations, including Investors Group, Nesbitt Burns Financial Services Inc., Berkshire Insurance Services Inc., Canada Life Assurance Company, and Foresters.
Rhona earned her Chartered Life Underwriter’s designation (CLU) in financial services and estate planning from the Canadian Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CAIFA) in 1998. In 2005, Rhona received the Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) designation through the Canadian Initiative for Elder Planning Studies and the Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA) designation through the Society of Certified Senior Advisors. Rhona is also the President of the North Shore Vancouver Chapter for CARP (Canada’s Association for the over-fifties).
Ian Whiting obtained his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation in 1987 while completing his Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) qualification. He completed his Fellowship in the Life Management Institute with a specialty in Financial Services in 1988. In 1989, Ian completed qualifications for his Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC) designation. In 1992, he qualified as an Associate of the Academy of Life Underwriters and in 1993 he completed his Associate, Customer Service designation program through LOMA.
In 1997, Ian qualified as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and also completed his courses and exams to obtain the Associate, Insurance Agency Administration designation. In 1999, he completed the study and examinations to qualify as a Trading Officer, Partner and Director for Mutual Funds with the BC Securities Commission. As a result, he is also qualified as both a Branch Compliance Manager and Head Office/Provincial Compliance Officer.
Although Sam Sharma began his career in the sciences, earning himself a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Materials Chemistry from the University of Jamia in New Delhi, India, he made the leap to the world of finance a few years later when he graduated with a Master of Business Administration (Finance) from the University of New England in Australia in 1996. Launching his career in the financial services industry, Sam has worked mostly for banks, earning himself awards and recognition for his achievements.
Sam teaches Ashton College students about mutual funds in the Canadian Investment Funds course.
Byron Boone has nearly three decades of financial sales and management experience. A believer in continuous learning, Byron holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of British Columbia, an Executive Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University, and a Certificate in Financial Management from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Byron also has more than a dozen finance-specific licences and designations, including the Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
Becky graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba prior to entering the financial services field. Being a true believer in continuous learning and formal education, Becky has continued to earn a wide variety of accreditations including the Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Financial Management Advisor (FMA), and Elder Planning Council (EPC). In addition, she has an extensive financial background at senior levels that encompass over three decades in banking, insurance, and investments.
Becky has been teaching with Ashton College since 2004. She has her own financial planning practice and is also a contributing editor for Canadian MoneySaver Magazine and the technical editor for the Personal Finance For Canadians for Dummies.
