- President and chief executive officer, Caldwell Investment Management Ltd., Toronto
As one of the top movers and shakers in the financial services industry in North America, Brendan Caldwell, head of various divisions of Caldwell Securities, doesn't have to look far to find his inspiration.
Mr. Caldwell says his dad Tom ("who is only 64") founded the company in 1980 at age 37 — Brendan's age.
"My father is still very much engaged in our business, and has been a tremendous influence on me personally and professionally … Fathers are always a source of inspiration and competition for their sons," says Mr. Caldwell, who has four children with his wife of nearly 15 years, Sandra.
Tom Caldwell is chairman of Caldwell Financial and his younger son, Theo, is also a force in the firm, which has offices across southern Ontario and in New York City.
In a family dedicated to philanthropy and volunteer work, Brendan is passionate about his church, the Church of the Messiah, and Christian education, serving on the board of trustees at various schools.Favourite activities include sailing and tree planting.
He spent more than three years as an investment adviser at RBC Dominion Securities before joining his father's firm in 1995, when he became a chartered financial analyst. He rebranded the investment management division as Caldwell Investment Management, becoming president and CEO. He is also president of Caldwell Securities Ltd.; executive vice-president, Caldwell Financial; vice-president, Caldwell Asset Management; and founding president, Caldwell Insurance Services.
Given his early education and wide-ranging interests, however, following in his father's financial footsteps wasn't necessarily a shoo-in. He earned a BSc, majoring in biology, physics and English, from the University of Toronto's Trinity College in 1991, and a master's degree in English literary studies from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College in London, England, in 1992. He was a Christian camp counsellor and also loved playing rugby, despite suffering injuries.
He earned a BSc from University of Toronto in 1991 and a master's degree in literary studies from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College in England in 1992.
His first "real job" was a five-month stint in customer service at Mackenzie Financial in 1991. "They put me on the phone to handle calls from investors and financial sales people," he recalls.
"Phenomenal experience not only in how the mechanisms of the mutual fund industry work, but in investor psychology, and in understanding their hopes and dreams — and their fears."
Special to The Globe and Mail
