10/30/2026
It was a privilege to be invited to PPI’s Leadership Forum in Vancouver, an invite-only event bringing together some of Canada’s top independent insurance advisors.
The opportunity to spend three days learning alongside accomplished advisors from across the country was just as valuable as the sessions themselves.
The sessions covered several areas that are increasingly important in our profession:
• Preparing the next generation for business and family succession
• Beneficiary designations and legacy planning
• Tax, compliance, and high-net-worth insurance considerations
• How leading advisory practices are evolving
• The growing influence of AI on consumer behaviour
One of the personal highlights was hearing from James Lawrence, the “Iron Cowboy,” whose message explored the mindset, discipline, ex*****on, and resilience required to consistently perform at a high level and push beyond conventional limits. Check out his documentary on Amazon Prime or his books. He managed to do 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days!!!
That message had a little extra meaning when I decided to tackle Vancouver’s Grouse Grind during the trip.
Thank you to PPI for the invitation and for bringing together such a strong group of advisors and industry leaders from across Canada.
Have you ever hiked the Grouse Grind? It's a worthy physical challenge!
On a personal note, I was also given a picture with the late Bob Aggio who passed away a few months ago. It's a small world sometimes, the first time I met Bob in 2023 I asked him if he was in any way related to Mark Aggio one of my former hockey teammates that we shared the same billet in Napanee, Ontario in 1997-98. His response with his big smile “Oh yeah...he's my cousin...let's take a picture so I can send it to him”! RIP Bob you left a mark on anyone you met with your great smile and personality.
