Jeff Lucyk joined Hamilton ETFs in January. His new job gives him the flexibility to also pursue his addiction and mental health counselling work.Supplied
On the Move is Globe Advisor’s roundup of recent hires and departures across Canada’s financial services industry.
Feature Move: Jeff Lucyk, head of sales at Hamilton Capital Partners Inc. (Hamilton ETFs)
When Jeff Lucyk left his job as head of sales at Global X Investments Canada Inc. 14 months ago, he wanted to start a new career as a counsellor specializing in addiction and mental health.
For Mr. Lucyk, it was a vocation in which he could help others based on his own experiences with addiction and burnout.
“I’ve always had a passion for helping people who are struggling,” says Mr. Lucyk, 53, who’s 20 years sober.
When he left the financial services industry at the end of 2024, it was largely because of severe burnout that affected his physical and mental health.
“The longer we go in our careers, the more and more pressure we put on ourselves to try to do everything. That can be great for a while, but we can only handle so much,” he says.
Mr. Lucyk, who lives in Caledon, Ont., enrolled in a one-year addictions and mental health graduate certificate program at Humber Polytechnic, which included two semesters of in-class learning and a work placement at a treatment community.
“I saw that I was able to help people. It felt good, and I enjoyed it,” he says.
A few months before his graduation in December, Mr. Lucyk was approached by Toronto-based Hamilton ETFs to become its head of sales – a new position at the firm.
“They were familiar with me and my story. I was honest with them about everything,” he says. “The plan was to do only the recovery work after graduation, but when speaking with Hamilton ETFs, it was too good an opportunity to turn down.”
A big reason he took the job was the flexibility and time to also pursue his counselling work.
Mr. Lucyk’s other project is counselling professionals struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He’s also partnered with the founders of a new St. Catharines, Ont.-based addiction treatment facility, Freeport Recovery, at which he will help with both counselling and business development support.
Since he started at Hamilton ETFs on Jan. 5, Mr. Lucyk says he’s been enjoying the blend of his new and old careers, including the “energy” of being back on Bay Street.
“It’s been great. I missed the industry and being part of the team and connecting with financial advisors,” he says.
Mr. Lucyk may expand his counselling career down the road, perhaps after eventually retiring from the financial services industry.
“I don’t want to just sit around and do nothing in retirement, so having this plan of something I can do afterwards is great,” he says.
His advice for anyone considering a job or career change – or even those staying in their current role – is to enjoy the journey.
“We always want to work, work, work until it’s done, but then sometimes we look around and say, ‘Now what?’ Make sure it’s something you enjoy and gives you some balance in life as well.”
Other recent industry moves
Gagan Bhatia joined Purpose Investments Inc. as vice-president and head of investment funds. Mr. Bhatia arrives at Purpose after almost a decade at Deloitte, at which he was a strategy leader in the firm’s wealth and asset management division.
“Through the years of advising clients, I have spent a great deal of time working with organizations – helping Canadians get better advice for investing their money. Now, I get to influence that path myself,” he said in a recent LinkedIn post.
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Our Family Office Inc. in Toronto hired Trevor Hunt as head of client engagement and portfolio manager. Mr. Hunt was most recently at Northwood Family Office and, before that, held senior positions with BloombergSen Investment Partners, Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel, BNY Mellon Wealth Management and Stanhope Capital LLP in London, England.
The firm also hired Susan McAssey as senior relationship and portfolio manager. Ms. McAssey has held positions at Fiera Capital Inc., BMO Global Asset Management, and RBC Wealth Management.
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Herman Chan recently launched Crimson Financial, a planning-first wealth management firm focused on medical professionals and real estate investors. He previously held leadership roles during the past 15 years under various Canada Life banners and served as an RBC Insurance branch manager.
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David Christianson, senior wealth advisor and portfolio manager with Christianson Wealth Advisors at National Bank Financial Wealth Management, recently announced his retirement after four decades in the industry.
“I am grateful for all the things those clients taught me, much of which I was able to pass on to other clients, and use myself. Thank you all for the privilege,” he wrote in a recent LinkedIn post.
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Recently switched firms? Got a big promotion? Left to start your own firm? Or retired to start that side hustle (even if in another sector)? Send the details to: bbouw @globeandmail.com and put “On the Move” in the subject line. We look forward to hearing about your next chapter.