Our Team
Dave Watson
Founder & President
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Dave Watson started his career in the Financial Services Industry in 1992. He spent his first eight years as a representative and manager with a top Canadian life insurer. Dave’s primary focus is to implement wealth-building and estate-planning strategies for individuals, farmers, business owners, and high-net-worth clients.
Dave qualified numerous times for the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table “Top of the Table” ranking him amongst the top 4% of the world’s leading financial services professionals.
In his free time, Dave enjoys fishing, boating and spending time out at the cabin with his family.
Mike Sterling
Partner
Over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry provides Mike with expertise and knowledge that only time can give. Preparing for life’s different stages takes the planning and foresight of a knowledgeable experienced professional.
Mike helps our clients create personalized plans to ensure they make informed choices to grow their savings and protect what they’ve already built. Awarded his Certificate in Financial Planning from Advocis, the largest professional membership association of financial advisors in Canada, being a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT) and having worked at several of Canada’s leading Life Insurers and Mutual Fund providers gives Mike a broad education and background in financial services.
Spending time in our Winnipeg, Brandon and Vancouver Island offices allows for communication and connection with WFS clients that span Western Canada.
Lise Watson B.N. (Hons)
Executive Vice President
At WFS Wealth & Financial Strategies, Lise provides leadership with objectives and strategy for targeted markets, while setting current and long-term goals for the internal team.
Lise received her Bachelor of Nursing degree with Honours in 2006 from the University of Manitoba. She had various important roles throughout her nursing career mainly as a Public Health Nurse. Her leadership and ability to help create, implement and manage care plans, in complex client and family dynamics, makes her transition into management very fitting.
Lise enjoys traveling, spending time with her family at the cabin and walking her two dogs.
Martin Herscovitch
Vice President, Client Relations
Martin’s role at WFS Wealth & Financial Strategies is to provide top-notch service to our clients by ensuring all their needs are looked after. Whether it’s responding to client inquiries and requests, working with our insurance and investment partners, or working with the client’s other tax and legal advisors, Martin always ensures our clients are consistently taken care of.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Martin Herscovitch started his career in the Financial Services industry in 1993 and has worked as an advisor and client services manager for several top Canadian investment and insurance firms. Since 2003, Martin has worked with Dave Watson as a client services and compliance manager. In 2017, Martin became the Vice President of Client Services for WFS and continues to work with the team to make sure all clients’ needs are taken care of.
When Martin is off the clock, he spends his time travelling with his family, watching movies at home and hanging out with his wife, kids, and two dogs.
Jason Pusiewich
Vice President, Family Office & Corporate Finance
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Jason started his career in the Financial Services Industry back in 1998. His post-university journey began working alongside both Dave & Mike at one of Canada’s top Life Insurers.
He later migrated to banking, spending the next 23 years of his finance career doing progressively more complex lending & credit structuring at two of Canada’s big 5 banks. Working with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, Jason has developed a skill set honed over time by structuring debt for both commercial enterprises and family holding companies.
In his free time, Jason enjoys travelling, trying to keep pace with his teenage daughters, watching Winnipeg’s sports teams, and spending time at the cabin with family and friends.
Terry Bialek, C.I.P., C.R.M.
Insurance Specialist
Licensed as a life insurance broker since 1979, Terry has been providing clients with risk management advice for over 40 years.
Terry enjoys meeting with people to talk about their goals and dreams and help them to guarantee that even if something happens to them, those goals and dreams can be completed. Delivering a cheque to someone who has lost a spouse and seeing the relief on their face that financially they will be alright is very emotional. We don’t just sell a piece of paper; we sell a promise to deliver money when it is most needed. Money that can be used to pay off the mortgage, provide educational funds for children and maintain the lifestyle of the family in a time of loss. The first claim cheque Terry delivered in 1999 proved how important proper planning really is. Every claim cheque he’s delivered since continues to reinforce the importance of what we do for our clients.
In his free time, Terry is an avid sports fan who enjoys watching the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Winnipeg Jets and going for long bike rides.
Krista Arklie
Advisor
Krista has recently joined the WFS team, after completing her LLQP insurance exams and enrolling in the CFP program. Krista’s role at WFS Wealth and Financial Strategies is to analyze clients’ needs and provide financial strategies to protect wealth and ensure loved ones are taken care of. Krista will be working closely with the team’s partners to deliver solutions to complex situations.
After obtaining her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance, Krista began her career as a financial advisor in 1995, working for a large financial institution. She returned to academia, earning her Bachelor of Education in Mathematics and Business in 2006, and began a rewarding career teaching high school Mathematics and Accounting.
In her downtime, Krista enjoys attending Jets games with her friends and family and travelling the world.
Chantal Deacon
Client Services Manager
Chantal’s role at WFS Wealth & Financial Strategies is to provide top-notch service to our clients in Brandon and the Westman area by ensuring all their needs are looked after. Whether it’s responding to client inquiries and requests, working with our insurance and investment partners, or working with the client’s other tax and legal advisors, Chantal always ensures our clients’ needs are taken care of.
Chantal Deacon started her career in the Financial Services industry in 1999 as a client service assistant to Sun Life advisors in Brandon, Manitoba. For over 20 years, Chantal has worked with Dave Watson as a client services assistant to our Brandon and Westman Area clients in our Brandon office.
Chantal enjoys her free time with her kids, her husband, and spending time with their friends and family.
Paul Collins
Client Services Manager
In his role as Client Services Manager with WFS Wealth & Financial Strategies, Paul ensures that our clients receive consistent, best-in-class service resolving all client inquiries in a timely and efficient manner, whether it’s responding to client inquiries and requests, working with our insurance and investment partners, or working with the client’s other tax and legal advisors.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Paul started his career in the investment industry in 1997 as a marketing assistant and has held associate and administrative support roles with some of the top Canadian investment and insurance firms.
In his spare time Paul is an amateur military historian and he has had articles published in FlyPast magazine and the Royal Canadian Air Force Journal.
Paul studied Classics at the University of Manitoba, and you will often find him shouting at his television when the Winnipeg Jets or Blue Bombers are playing.