Martin Wealth Council - Our team

Meet our team

We are a team of wealth advisors, dedicated to helping you achieve your financial goals and secure your financial future. Our team consists of highly qualified professionals with extensive experience in a wide range of financial planning areas, including retirement planning, investment management, estate planning, tax planning, insurance services, and more. We are committed to providing personalized, client-focused solutions that are tailored to the unique needs and goals of each family we serve. With our team of experts by your side, you can have peace of mind knowing that your financial future is in good hands.

75 years of combined experience
 
120+ clients across Canada

 

Chris Martin CIM® FEA 

Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager, Investment Advisor 

 

 

Chris Martin is the lead Wealth Advisor at Martin Wealth Council (MWC) and has acted as a Family CFO for successful business owners and families for over 15 years. Chris has been providing trustworthy insight and guidance to his client’s financial decision-making process while building meaningful relationships and supporting the growth of the business. His broad experience and knowledge base working with high net worth families has given him a reputation as a trusted advisor in identifying investment and planning opportunities suited to each client’s unique situation.

Chris is a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM ®), a professional accreditation that provides the foundation to allow him to work with clients in a discretionary investment management capacity. In 2021, Chris completed his FEA designation to has enhanced his existing technical skills with a more sophisticated level of understanding around family enterprises and their unique challenges. 

Being a native Calgarian, Chris values his personal community outreach contributions and strongly believes in the city that has granted so many opportunities for him and his family. Chris is a supporter of Mcman Calgary & Area, a charity that works to ensure that less fortunate youth is given housing, support, and a brighter future.

When not dealing with the day to day of the business, Chris spends time with his wife Stephanie and their three boys Greyson, Ezra, and Knox in the mountains of Canmore, Alberta. The Martin’s can be found at their family’s coffee shop “Beamers” enjoying a great cup of coffee. Chris enjoys skiing/snowboarding, wake surfing, hiking and family board games.

Shelby Glenn B.Sc., FMA 

Associate Investment Advisor 

 

 

Shelby joined the team in 2004 in the role of Associate Investment Advisor. In her advisory capacity, Shelby assists client families with their wealth management needs by helping to identify, guide and coordinate their advanced planning efforts to achieve their most important goals. These planning areas may include wealth enhancement through cash flow or tax strategies, estate and wealth transfer planning, wealth protection through business structures and insurance solutions, and charitable giving planning. Shelby believes that strong collaboration with a client family’s professional advisors (i.e., tax advisor, legal advisor etc.) is one of the keys to successful advance planning. In addition, Shelby has a special interest in supporting client families transitioning to retirement and takes a holistic approach to both the financial and non-financial aspects of this next chapter in life.

With almost 25 years of experience in the financial industry, Shelby brings an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the many strategies available and can assist client families with a number of complex wealth planning initiatives. After a successful five-year career as an Executive Assistant and Office Manager, Shelby took her career journey into finance and joined CIBC Wood Gundy. Prior to joining the team at Richardson Wealth, she held such positions as Associate Investment Advisor and Senior Branch Administrator.  She holds an Honours B.Sc. from the University of Calgary as well as her Financial Management Advisor (FMA) designation. 

When not a work, Shelby can be found at her other job as a mom to her two children. She is active in her local community through volunteering with her children’s ringette teams. In any spare time, Shelby loves spending time with family and friends, exploring new cuisines, perusing interior design magazines and watching design shows.

Melissa Cochrane 

Associate 

 

 

in her capacity as an Associate at Friesen Capital Management, Melissa assists the team by delivering and providing our clients with exceptional assistance. Since joining our team over 9 years ago, Melissa has exceeded in her role and is constantly evolving her role and knowledge. She has a plenitude of skills critical to our team, as well as an excellent work ethic that is admired by all team members. Melissa welcomes the opportunity to assist clients in any way possible and is heavily involved in our team’s wealth planning process.

When Melissa isn’t working or furthering her financial education, she can be found chasing after her adorable twin boys or baking something delicious. We are lucky to have a team baker!

Mark MacGillivray 

Assistant

 

 

Mark joined Martin Wealth Council in January 2024, coming from The Cooperators and Edward Jones Investment. Along with his friendly and professional qualities, Mark has a “can do” attitude and dedication to the details that makes him a valued member of the team. He strives to bring a positive work environment to all with a passion for exceptional client experience and willingness to assist the team with efficient operational processes. 

Outside of work, Mark founds and leads active Meetup groups focused on sports, outdoor adventures, and artificial intelligence. He is also an avid follower of politics and current events

Kristina Sombong-Cusi

Associate 

 

 

Kristina joined Martin Wealth Council in February 2024. With 14 years of diverse experience, Kristina has navigated the intricate landscapes of asset management firms, big banks, crown corporations, and credit unions.

Her passion lies in delivering exceptional quality experiences to every client interaction and colleague collaboration. Kristina’s insatiable curiosity drives her to deconstruct processes, streamlining them to create a seamless and positive experience for both the task executor and the client at the forefront. As a firm believer in the power of collaboration and open communication, Kristina sees these as the cornerstones of a high-achieving team—values she finds beautifully embodied at Martin Wealth Council.

When she’s not immersed in her work, Kristina enjoys tackling small home DIY projects, whipping up delectable dishes, and embarking on mountain adventures with her husband, Jan, and their delightful dog, Lulu.

Kyle Grabke

Associate 

 

 

Kyle Grabke is a dynamic financial professional dedicated to achieving personal and professional excellence. Having joined the Martin Wealth Council in April 2024, Kyle brings experience in financial planning, investment management, and client service garnered from his tenure at Scotiabank.
Kyle embodies the core principles of integrity, commitment, and compassion, blending his professional expertise with a genuine enthusiasm for life. With a fresh perspective and a strong foundation in financial principles, he adeptly navigates the complexities of wealth management, delivering tailored solutions to clients' unique needs. Devoted to creating a positive impact, Kyle assumes the role of Co-Chairman for Drive4Smiles Toronto, spearheading initiatives designed to uplift and support those facing challenges. 
Apart from his professional and philanthropic endeavors, Kyle cherishes moments shared with loved ones. He embraces an active lifestyle and participates in activities including working out, hockey, soccer, skiing, and watersports, which invigorate his enthusiasm for life and foster personal well-being.

 


 

Craig D. Basinger CFA

Chief Market Strategist, Purpose Investments

person

Craig Basinger is the Chief Market Strategist at Purpose Investments. With over 25 years of investment experience, Craig combines an educational foundation in economics & psychology with years of experience in both fundamental and quantitative research. A long term student of the markets, Craig’s thoughts and insights can be seen in Market Ethos publications and is a regular contributor on BNN. 

Craig and his team bring a transparent and cost efficient approach to investment management. The team provides asset allocation OCIO services and directly manages over $1 billion in assets. The team manages dividend mandates, quantitative risk reduction strategies and asset allocation services.

Derek Benedet CMT, CFP

Portfolio Manager, Purpose Investments

person

As a Portfolio Manager at Purpose Investments Derek plays a major role in the ongoing management and execution of the group’s investment mandates. He has worked for the past seventeen years in the investment industry with experience at Richardson Wealth, CIBC Wood Gundy, TD Wealth Management as well as GMP Securities Inc. He graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) degree with a finance concentration. Derek is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT), a designation obtained through expertise in technical analyses and is granted by the Market Technicians Association. He is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) as well as a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM).

Derek brings a specialty in trading, technical analyses and behavioral finance. His unique investment approach combines a blend of technical analysis, quantitative finance and fundamental analysis. Paying careful attention to market technicals, Derek brings a unique aspect to new idea generation and risk management in portfolio management. Derek believes that managing risk and being opportunistic given market conditions are key tenants of our achieving long-term returns.

Brett Gustafson

Portfolio Analyst, Purpose Investments

person

Brett is a Portfolio Analyst at Purpose. He is responsible for relationship management and advisor support and focuses heavily on portfolio analytics for advisors, our own proprietary models and equity research. With over nine years of experience in the investment industry, Brett began his career as an Investment Advisor at a Canadian independent asset management firm where he worked with several high-net-worth families. Brett graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He is currently pursuing his CFA designation with the goal of becoming a Portfolio Manager.

Romain Marguet

Vice President, Alternative Investments

person

Mr. Marguet joined Richardson Wealth in January 2016 and is responsible for the oversight of the alternative asset platform for the firm, as well as origination of new alternative products. A role that sees him working in various capacities with asset managers in the hedge fund, private equity, private debt and venture capital asset classes. Mr. Marguet started his career in the financial services industry in 2000 with BMO Nesbitt Burns. He has held increasingly senior positions in Canada and internationally. Prior to joining Richardson Wealth Limited, he worked for a long-standing hedge fund manager and a boutique private equity firm in Toronto and overseas. Prior to working abroad, Mr. Marguet held the position of Vice President with Raymond James, a Fortune 500 company that had recently established its presence in Canada. Mr. Marguet received an Hon. B.A. in Economics from the University of Toronto in 2003. He is currently active on various industry boards and committees and fluent in both French and English.

 

 

Our team is ready to serve you.

1. Schedule a discovery   2. Receive a plan   3. Optimize your financial world
 
SCHEDULE MY DISCOVERY