MACDEV FINANCIAL GROUP - Key Persons
Alana Drouin started her successful career as a financial entrepreneur in the banking world 15 years ago where she immediately discovered her love of systems, structures and the life cycles of business, banking and wealth building. She became immediately impassioned about educating and empowering others with these life-changing strategies
With that in mind, Alana works with her clients to grow their wealth using the Bank On Yourself method, despite what stage of life they're at. Her proven methodology is getting to know her clients by digging deep to find out a person's financial pain points. Alana likes to take the "disorganization" out of her client's financial affairs and put in order and control. She accomplishes this by mentoring and educating people on the wide variety of options to support personal goals. Alana gets great satisfaction when a client reaches the point when they have their financial affairs in order and have a disciplined system to achieve their life goals. Alana says, "People have to get out of their comfort zone when it comes to wealth security, but I know I can help them accomplish their dreams."
As a colleague of Alana's, I can tell you she is passionate about her profession and is thorough in everything she does. Alana thrives on professional development and works tirelessly to keep her skills up to date. Having current and relevant industry knowledge is of utmost importance to her because it benefits her clients. Alana is great at what she does - her passion and heart drive her to do well and succeed.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Colleen Wannamaker joined MacDev Financial in early 2017 and oversees client relations and executive and corporate administrative operations as the company's Executive Services Manager. Prior to joining MacDev Financial, Colleen worked at the Super Valu in Gibsons, BC for nearly two decades. Colleen has always seized an opportunity when it was presented to her through hard work and determination and prides herself as both a self innovator and a self-starter.
Starting as a cashier at Super Valu in 2004, through the years she held various positions in different departments, learning all aspects of the business and continually taking on more responsibility until she was promoted to Office and Store Manager. She has been able to capitalize on this managerial experience in her current position with MacDev Financial, proving to be an invaluable asset to the company and clients alike.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Kelly-Erin Ketchen became a Licensed Life Insurance Broker (LLQP)and a Bank On Yourself® Professional in 2013 and shortly thereafter, joined the MacDev Financial team. Having experienced the financial flexibility the Bank On Yourself method provides firsthand, Kelly now teaches and empowers her clients on how to implement Bank On Yourself in their own lives so they can gain financial control and create a safe and secure nest egg for later years.
When Kelly is not highlighting the benefits of the BOY method to potential clients, she works in direct partnership with mortgage brokers and real estate agents to educate new homeowners on the use of life insurance, disability insurance, and critical illness insurance as a replacement for mortgage insurance sold through the banks.
Kelly is a past Vice President of the ESS English Students Society at the University of British Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Michele Platje Devlin leads the premier company in Canada for wealth building strategies based on the secure and dynamic principals of whole life policies as CEO and CCO of MacDev Financial Group Corp.-a company she co-founded with her husband, Stephen Devlin. MacDev Financial further secured this distinction through Michele's proficiency in contracting, agreement settlement, and policy development when negotiating the exclusive rights in Canada to the Bank On Yourself® concept under SET Financial Solutions Inc.
Michele has been a consummate entrepreneur for 20 years out of the three decades she's been in the business world. She has always been ambitious and has held various executive titles over her professional career. A testament to her abilities to not only have the foresight of the macro-view, but also an innate knowledge of the details needed to understand all aspects of business operations and evolution.
Since returning full-time in 2015 following a serious illness, business has nearly doubled under her leadership. Incredibly, Michele also expanded the company nationally-now operating in every province except Quebec. With the implementation of technological growth strategies to improve business operations, Michele's vision will ensure MacDev Financial continues to be an industry leader while adding more value and efficiency for employees, agents, and clients alike.
Michele brings a distinctive balance of business acumen, education, research experience and strategic mindset to her work. Her career has afforded her unique opportunities to engage in policy planning and advisement capacities for the government, academia and corporate affairs. This made her a perfect candidate to serve as President of the Gibsons and District Chamber of Commerce, an elected position she held for three years. During her tenure, Michele and her team deployed a sustainable financial framework to create one of the most successful community-inclusive projects on the Sunshine Coast-a visitor information park to greet travelers upon their arrival to the area.
"I'm highly perceptive so I easily identify patterns and inconsistencies-which from a compliance and policy perspective is crucial. This, along with a keen sense of logic, makes me particularly skilled at negotiations and project management. These are essential components of business development and operations.
My aptitude for problem-solving and generating ideas has given me the reputation as the go-to-person when looking for answers. I acquire knowledge in the pursuit and it builds on my relationship with my team. I have a situational leadership style. Everyone has their strengths, so I'll step back to let team members shine and will step in when needed. Their successes are my successes. I'm not a CEO without them."
Early in her career, she held a prestigious research associate position with the Department of Economics at Simon Fraser University where she truly realized her passion for research, policy, and business. Ultimately, this led to her contribution to the book Economic Transformations: General Purpose Technologies and Long-Term Economic Growth with Dr. Richard Lipsey; as well as several academic white papers on science and technology policy.
A scholarship award sent Michele to study abroad, garnering her accreditation in the Strategic Management of Technology in a Global Environment from the Politecnico di Milano and in Strategic Management of Telecommunications in a Global Environment from the Helsinki University of Technology. Both compliment her degree in Communication and Geography from Simon Fraser University.
Michele shares homes in Vancouver and on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia with her husband and business partner, Stephen Devlin, and their teenage son. Her passion-project is educating women on successful strategies to overcome adversity, especially when it comes to finances, and is an Amazon Best-Selling Author of two books; Simple Success Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs and her latest, Shine II-Inspirational Stories of Choosing Success Over Adversity.
In her downtime, you'll find her on the water or in the mountains with her family-though her favourite place really is anywhere they are. Michele is an avid boater and she also enjoys reading, traveling, and outdoor activities such as kayaking, skiing, hiking or walking along a beach. She has a natural curiosity about life, the environment, and the experiences that shape modern society. She is an active life-long learner.
In his spare time, Mike is a member on the Richmond Hill Board of Trade in Richmond Hill, Ontario where he lives. He is presently working towards completing his designation as a Professional Financial Advisor (PFA) through Advocis Canada with the end goal of eventually getting his Certified Financial Planner (CFA) designation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executives Team
Tess Zevenbergen has been with MacDev Financial since January 2015. As Marketing Communications Manager, she oversees internal and external communications, social media, content creation, advertising, corporate branding and digital and offline marketing strategy.
While working at MacDev Financial, Tess has had an opportunity to learn much about finances. This experience has been life-changing, introducing her to a new way of thinking about money. For anyone facing financial challenges, she recommends reading Garret Gunderson's book, Killing Sacred Cows.
"This book taught me that true value doesn't come from what you own or even money, but from what you produce and share with the world. Therefore, the greatest investment you can make is in yourself-you are the greatest asset you own," she says.
This is a belief Tess has always firmly put in to practice. Over the years, she has continually invested in her education to learn and gain new skills. She holds a Bachelor in Applied Science (Communications and English) from Simon Fraser University (SFU) as well as an Associate Certificate in Public Relations from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). More recently, she has taken classes in digital marketing and social media.
"What makes a great communications professional is the ability to turn everyday content into a story that entertains, inspires, informs, motivates and influences the reader. As I have learned, how the story gets told always determines if anyone will listen and if action is taken. Storytelling isn't just what I do, it's who I am."
Some of her career highlights include interning at Working Mother magazine in New York and producing more than 250 career articles for Industry Canada's online labour market news portal Skillnet.ca Today as a freelance writer. In 2008, she was hired as one of four Social Media Project writers by the global auctioneer giant, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, to develop a one-of-a-kind, equipment wiki tailored to the construction, forestry, mining, and transportation industries and highlighted in BC Business magazine as an internet innovation. She was later promoted to a Communications Specialist, where she served another four years specializing in public relations and corporate communications.
When it comes to her professional skill set and experience, Tess views herself as a "generalist" with a strong organizational background as a result of years working in the corporate sector at large companies. This has also provided her with a strategic mindset, a keen understanding of business operations, best practices and objectives, and an ability to see the big picture and plan ahead. Such attributes have proven to be invaluable to the growth of MacDev Financial as a company.
Tess currently resides in Richmond, BC with her teen son Jasper Chu. Her personal philosophy is to make the most of every day, appreciate the small stuff, and see life as a big adventure. In her downtime, she enjoys watching TV and going to movies, cycling, weight lifting and travelling.
Job Titles:
- LegalShield™ Independent Associate, Small Business and Group Benefits Specialist
- Licensed Life Insurance Broker
- Life Insurance Broker / Life Insurance Assistant, Financial Coach
Valentin is now a Licensed Life Insurance Broker, a financial coach and a Bank On Yourself® Professional. He holds a full Life Insurance Qualification Program(LLQP) license and has been a broker with MacDev Financial since 2011, primarily serving clients and supporting operations out of the company's Toronto branch office.
Valentin is also a LegalShield™ Independent Associate, Small Business and Group Benefits Specialist. Through LegalShield™, he assists individuals, families and businesses in obtaining legal advice and legal services at a fraction of the traditional cost. Through IDShield™, an add-on from LegalShield™, he offers identity theft restoration services, which is significantly better than identity theft protection offered by competitors in the field.