Justin Charbonneau

My role on the team is twofold: building and deepening new and existing relationships with high-net-worth families and helping co-manage West Oak’s investment management platform. My background and current focus include cash management, fixed income security selection, third-party investment mandates (credit, small caps, international), and due diligence including alternatives (private credit, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure).

What I enjoy most about working with the West Oak team is applying my 20 years of experience, including 15 years as both an institutional and retail portfolio manager, to meet the specific objectives of each family that we serve. Investment management and capital markets are my passion. After earning my Chartered Financial Analyst ® designation, I became Lead Portfolio Manager for two mandates within a Calgary-based institutional asset management firm, and most recently was the Chief Investment Strategist for a large wealth management team at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions. I am options and insurance licensed which helps us manage risk in our families’ portfolios and in executing tax efficient wealth transfer strategies.  I also graduated from the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business with a double major in finance and risk management.

Being from northern Alberta, I grew up with small-town values including integrity, hard work, and a growth mindset. My parents instilled these values and believed that education was the best path to future prosperity and a fulfilling life of growth and opportunities. Along with these values, having played high-level sports all my life, including through university, I’ve been primed to become a life-long learner and always look for ways to improve personally and professionally. Having played elite level collegiate volleyball at Mount Royal University (1999) also taught me the importance of team dynamics, building resilience, and work ethic.

I am married to an entrepreneur with two vibrant children and a small dog called Piper. I am an avid reader, love to try new foods and wines, travel, and spend time with our families who are in BC, Alberta, and Arizona. I also enjoy giving back to the community through several not-for-profit engagements. These commitments have included formerly acting Treasurer for Jewish Family Services Calgary (JFSC) and fundraising for various impactful organizations such as St. Mary’s University, the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, the YWCA, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. From 2012 until 2022, I was an active founding member of the CFA Society Calgary Investment Committee where I helped with investment management oversight of the society’s capital reserves and in supporting advocacy for putting investors’ interests first.