We're pleased to announce that Kenneth MacQueen, Managing Partner of SBW Wealth Management, has officially been approved as a Portfolio Manager with QWealth Partners. This achievement represents not just a personal milestone but a significant advancement in our firm's ability to serve our clients with the highest standards of professionalism and fiduciary responsibility.
Understanding the Portfolio Manager Designation
The Portfolio Manager (PM) designation stands as the pinnacle of investment management credentials in Canada. Unlike other financial designations, the PM license requires:
- Extensive regulatory scrutiny and approval from provincial securities commissions
- Demonstrated experience managing client portfolios
- Comprehensive understanding of securities law and compliance
- Ongoing commitment to the highest fiduciary standards
- The ability to make investment decisions in the best interests of clients
For our clients, this means working with a professional who has met the most rigorous standards in the industry.
The Journey to Portfolio Manager
Kenneth's path to this designation reflects a career built on continuous learning and client advocacy:
Early Foundations (2008-2010)
Kenneth entered financial services in 2008, during one of the most challenging periods in modern financial history. The global financial crisis provided immediate, real-world lessons about risk management, market volatility, and the importance of disciplined investment strategies. By 2010, he had earned his Certified Financial Planner® designation, establishing a foundation in comprehensive financial planning that goes beyond investment management to encompass tax planning, estate planning, and retirement strategies.
Academic Excellence Meets Practical Application (2018-2020)
While managing client portfolios, Kenneth pursued his MBA at Dalhousie University. It was during this program that he encountered the groundbreaking work of Nobel laureates Eugene Fama and William Sharpe, along with Kenneth French and others. Their research on efficient markets and factor-based investing wasn't just academic theory — it provided empirical validation for the investment approach he believed would best serve clients.
"Discovering the work of Fama, French, and Sharpe was a pivotal moment," Kenneth reflects. "It confirmed that successful investing isn't about picking winners or timing markets — it's about systematic exposure to factors that have historically driven returns, implemented with discipline and low costs."
Building Expertise (2020-2025)
Following his MBA, Kenneth continued to deepen his expertise:
- 2022: Earned the Chartered Investment Manager® designation, one of Canada's most respected investment credentials
- 2023-2025: Served as Associate Portfolio Manager, gaining additional experience in portfolio construction and management
- 2025: Achieved Portfolio Manager designation, the culmination of years of preparation and demonstrated competence
SBW Wealth Management: Our Evolution and Philosophy
The QWealth Partnership: Best of Both Worlds
In 2021, SBW Wealth Management made a strategic decision that would transform our ability to serve clients: we became a partner and owner in QWealth Partners. This wasn't just a business arrangement — it was a carefully considered move to provide our clients with institutional-level resources while maintaining our boutique, personalized approach.
QWealth Partners represents a unique structure in Canadian wealth management. Twenty-three independent firms across Canada have come together as partners and owners of QWealth. Each firm maintains its independence, investment philosophy, and client relationships, while benefiting from:
- Shared compliance and regulatory infrastructure
- Institutional-level trading capabilities
- Collaborative expertise from successful firms nationwide
- Enhanced technology and operational resources
- Regulatory oversight that ensures the highest standards
For SBW clients, this means you continue to work with the same team you know and trust, while benefiting from the resources and oversight of a larger organization.
Our Growing Team: Strength in Expertise
Kenneth's achievement comes at a time of strategic growth for SBW Wealth Management. In April 2025, we welcomed Dakota Lund-Cornish as Associate Advisor, joining us from RBC. Dakota brings fresh perspectives and additional capacity to serve our clients, ensuring that as we grow, we maintain the responsive, personalized service that defines SBW.
Our team approach means that while Kenneth provides portfolio management expertise and strategic direction, you benefit from the collective knowledge and support of our entire team. This collaborative model ensures continuity of service and multiple perspectives on your financial well-being.
What This Means for Our Clients
A Commitment to Quality Over Quantity
Since partnering with QWealth in 2021, we've doubled our assets under management. This growth is gratifying, but not because of size for its own sake. Rather, it reflects the trust clients place in our approach and our ability to deliver results while maintaining our high service standards.
To preserve the quality of service our clients deserve, we've made the decision to accept new clients by referral only. This ensures that we can continue to provide the attention and customized strategies that each client relationship requires.
Looking Forward: Innovation Grounded in Principles
As we celebrate this milestone, we're also looking ahead. The wealth management industry continues to evolve with new technologies, changing regulations, and shifting market dynamics. Kenneth's Portfolio Manager designation positions SBW to navigate these changes while remaining true to our core principles:
- Fiduciary Responsibility: Always acting in our clients' best interests
- Evidence-Based Decisions: Letting research, not speculation, guide our strategies
- Transparent Communication: Ensuring you understand what we're doing and why
- Continuous Improvement: Always seeking ways to better serve our clients
- Personal Relationships: Technology enhances but never replaces human connection
Beyond Investment Management: Comprehensive Wealth Planning
While Kenneth's Portfolio Manager designation relates specifically to investment management, it's important to remember that SBW's services extend far beyond portfolio construction. We continue to provide comprehensive wealth planning including:
- Retirement planning and income strategies
- Tax-efficient wealth transfer
- Estate planning coordination
- Risk management and insurance review
- Charitable giving strategies
- Business succession planning
The Portfolio Manager designation enhances our ability to integrate investment management seamlessly with these broader planning considerations.
A Personal Note from Kenneth
Achieving the Portfolio Manager designation is certainly a professional milestone, but it's meaningful to me primarily because of what it represents for our clients. Every credential, every hour of study, every regulatory requirement — they all serve a single purpose: ensuring we can provide the highest level of service and fiduciary care to the families and individuals who trust us with their financial futures.
When I discovered the academic work on factor-based investing during my MBA, it crystallized something I had long believed: successful wealth management isn't about being the smartest person in the room or having a crystal ball. It's about discipline, evidence, and putting client interests first. This designation is simply another tool that helps us deliver on that promise.
To our existing clients: thank you for your trust and partnership. To those considering SBW: while we're now accepting new clients by referral only, we'd be honored to discuss how our approach might benefit you."
Conclusion: A Milestone in Service of a Mission
Kenneth's achievement as a Portfolio Manager represents more than a professional accomplishment — it's a reflection of SBW Wealth Management's ongoing commitment to excellence. As we continue to grow and evolve, our mission remains constant: to help you live confidently, plan strategically, and invest with purpose.
This milestone reminds us that behind every designation, every partnership, and every strategic decision is a simple truth: our success is measured not in credentials or assets under management, but in the confidence and security our clients feel about their financial futures.
Thank you for being part of the SBW family. We look forward to continuing this journey together.
