WaterStreet Family Wealth Counsel is building on its capabilities through the addition of John Hamilton, Susan Van Der Hout, and Michael Lee-Chin as advisors and ambassadors for the firm.

John Hamilton joins WaterStreet as executive vice president He brings 20 years of experience in business leadership, corporate development and corporate finance. He works extensively in private equity and business advisory services for a select group of Canadian families to help maximize shareholder value through the various stages of business development and to execute profitable growth and liquidity events. Hamilton has also served as president of a Canadian financial institution and vice president financce for a Canadian bank.

Hamilton will provide leadership to WaterStreet’s new corporate advisory services group. The group is “committed to helping the firm’s clients make wise decisions and execute plans with precision in the areas of business growth, acquisitions, divestitures, financing, and restructuring,” says Hamilton.

“This builds on our multi-disciplinary service offering rather than being a change of direction,” says WaterStreet president & CEO, Tim Cestnick. “We are focused on being a centre of stability and influence for families, to help them grow and preserve their financial assets and family heritage. Many of the families we serve have created their wealth through private business ownership. When their biggest asset is the business, we absolutely must help them grow that asset, maximize its value, and diversify where appropriate – our clients have asked for this.”

Susan Van Der Hout joins WaterStreet as director of family engagement. For over 25 years Sue has helped families and businesses resolve disputes. She is the founding president of the Family Firm Institute Ontario Chapter and past vice-president of Women Entrepreneurs of Canada. She has practiced tax litigation for over 20 years, first with the Department of Justice, then with a major law firm in Toronto.

Also joining WaterStreet as an ambassador and stakeholder of WaterStreet is entrepreneur Michael Lee-Chin, who acquired and grew AIC Limited to a peak of $15 billion in assets under management, and sold AIC’s retail investment fund business to Manulife Financial in September 2009.

“I am a believer in the value that WaterStreet brings to the families it serves,” says Michael Lee-Chin. “The Multi-Family Office service model has proven to serve the needs of wealthy families very well in other parts of the world, and there are still too many Canadian families who have yet to gain the same benefits. I’m excited to be part of the WaterStreet community and to share the firm’s story.”

An independent family office advisory firm based in Burlington, Ont., WaterStreet’s focus is on helping families make wise decisions about their wealth and family heritage. It takes a values-based, multi-disciplined approach to advising families, integrating tax, legal, investment, risk management, philanthropic and family governance capabilities under one roof.

IE