About

Bringing over 25 years of leadership experience in Wealth Management and Retail Branch Banking, Elmar partners with Credit Union business leaders to energize and elevate their Wealth Management divisions. With a diverse background spanning multiple industries and functional disciplines, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of the strategy and structure required to successfully grow this critical line of business.

Elmar began his career with one of Canada’s leading banks, where he held several executive roles in retail banking, sales structure, operations, and service fulfillment. He later joined a national independent financial planning and advisory firm, where he collaborated with key stakeholders and top advisors to design programs that boosted productivity, improved advisor effectiveness, and enhanced profitability.

Transitioning to the Credit Union sector, Elmar joined Qtrade Financial Group, a leading Credit Union service provider, where he played a pivotal role in designing and delivering an industry-leading wealth management platform. As the executive responsible for Distribution and Partner Relations, he worked closely with Credit Union leaders nationwide to shape strategy, validate capabilities, and support deployment needs.

Recognizing the growing need for more personalized, integrated, and implementable solutions within the Credit Union system, Elmar founded WM Gateway, a consultancy dedicated to helping Credit Union executives and Wealth Management leaders unlock the full potential of their divisions. Through WM Gateway, Elmar partners directly with each Credit Union to understand their unique culture, assess existing capabilities, and implement tailored solutions that drive growth, advisor engagement, and member value.

Key Highlights

• 25+ years of executive leadership across Wealth Management and Retail Banking
• Proven track record of building high-performance platforms, programs, and teams
• Deep expertise in strategic planning, advisor enablement, and operational excellence
• Recognized for transforming wealth divisions and delivering sustainable business growth

John Finnie — Principal

With over 35 years in financial services and 25 years building and leading high-performance teams, John is dedicated to enhancing the potential of front-line advisors by building confidence and unlocking capabilities. An accomplished coach, he has a proven track record of helping trusted advisors reach their full potential.

John has held senior executive roles in both the banking and credit union industries. He began his career as a trusted advisor to retail, commercial, and private banking clients, before moving into leadership roles spanning wealth management, commercial banking, retail banking, and insurance. Throughout his career, he has consistently built client-first teams with a trusted-advisor mindset. Notably, John led the transformation of one of Canada’s largest credit unions’ wealth management division from a transactional, product-focused model to a client-centric, holistic, advice-based offering, which delivered exponential growth.

In recent years, John has provided management consulting services, supporting organizations with strategy development and execution, sales leadership and coaching, and operational effectiveness. In addition to credit unions his clients have included businesses within the insurance advisory space, where he has applied his expertise in change management and sales transformation.

John’s passion lies in change management, sales leadership, and strategy implementation within financial services. His alignment with the WM Gateway vision began many years ago in early conversations with Elmar. While he pursued other opportunities in the interim, his interest in WM Gateway never wavered — and he now brings his experience and passion to the business.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration from the Ivey Business School.

Key Highlights

• 35+ years in financial services, including 25 years in executive leadership
• Senior executive experience across banking and credit union sectors
• Led the transformation of one of Canada’s largest credit unions into a client-centric, advice-based model, driving exponential growth
• Proven track record of building high-performance teams across wealth, retail, commercial, and insurance
• Experienced coach and consultant, specializing in sales leadership, change management, and strategy execution
• Provided management consulting for strategy, sales, and operational effectiveness
• BA, University of Western Ontario; MBA, Ivey Business School