A People-First Approach to Financial Planning
Photos by Darren Hull
For Tanya Wilson, the heart of her work is about people first. Behind the financial strategies and professional milestones is a woman who has built her career on connection, resilience, and a passion for helping others. While her title—Senior Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager at Gold Seal Financial Group, Wellington-Altus Private Wealth—and credentials (BBA, CFP®, CIM, FCSI) may appear intimidating, she is known for her warmth, accessibility, and ability to make complex financial concepts feel clear.
“I am fulfilled in the knowledge that I’m making a meaningful difference in my clients’ financial lives. I treat every client as a friend and an extended part of my family, and my clients feel it,” she shared. This belief has been the cornerstone of Tanya’s career, one that spans two decades across advisory, portfolio management, and practice leadership.
Co-founding the Gold Seal Financial Group team allowed her to channel this expertise into a team-based practice serving the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland, with an additional Kelowna office for long-time clients who retired to the valley. Her clientele includes families, business owners, and professionals, many with complex retirement income and cross-border needs.
“I built Gold Seal Financial Group around a simple premise: sophisticated wealth management belongs in real life. That means planning first, coordinated execution, and a team accountable for the whole picture,” said Tanya.
Early in her career, Tanya often faced the “old boys’ club” perception, where her role was mistaken for support staff rather than a licensed advisor. Instead of discouraging her, these moments fuelled her determination to prove herself client by client.
In 2016, she left the bank channel for an independent platform, and in 2021, she moved her practice to Wellington-Altus. The decision was strategic: she sought independence, access to the full marketplace of investment solutions, and an advisor-supportive culture. “For me, independence means I can focus entirely on what’s right for the client, without a company agenda in the background. The fewer built-in conflicts, the cleaner the advice,” said Tanya.
Her leadership reflects this client-first mindset, one that has earned recognition from Wealth Professional, including being named one of the “5-Star Leading Women in Wealth” in 2022 and inclusion on the “5-Star Advisory Teams” list in 2024.
What sets Tanya and her team apart is a disciplined approach to planning. Every relationship begins with a goals-based plan that drives portfolio design and keeps clients grounded when markets are volatile. The practice integrates tax, legal, and estate strategies, ensuring no part of a client’s financial life operates in isolation.
Her discretionary mandates, the Serenity Portfolios, deliver institutional-grade strategies tailored to families, business owners, and multi-generational clients. These portfolios blend global equities, diversified credit, and alternatives, with a disciplined quarterly process and client-level customization.
“It’s about turning big, institutional strategies into something that gives families confidence, including smoother returns, better tax outcomes and a clear legacy plan,” she explained.
Tanya’s impact extends beyond financial services. She is an active fundraiser and participant in cycling charity events, supporting causes such as BC Cancer, Mamas for Mamas, and the Willis Family Foundation. Her role as Treasurer on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior highlights her commitment to youth and community development.
She is equally dedicated to education advocacy, helping women make pivotal financial decisions and encouraging healthy money habits for children. “Bias in our industry is often quiet and procedural. It rarely stops driven women from succeeding, but it can stop them from starting,” said Tanya. She mentors women exploring careers in wealth management, offering knowledge, confidence, and real opportunities.
Clients describe Tanya’s style as direct, detail-driven, and calm in the moments that matter most. Her work is hands-on, educational, and personal. She provides clarity in an often-overwhelming financial landscape, breaking down decisions so families and entrepreneurs can move forward with confidence.
At the heart of Tanya’s philosophy is a belief in the importance of a written financial plan. By creating “safety nets” and optimizing strategies for tax efficiency, she ensures her clients’ lifestyles remain secure, even in uncertain markets. “Every financial goal, aspiration, and investment need is unique to each client, and their wealth plan should reflect that,” she emphasized.
Tanya Wilson’s career embodies resilience, innovation, and compassion. From breaking through gender biases to shaping an advisory model built on integrity, her journey reflects both professional excellence and personal conviction.
The Gold Seal Difference is more than a business model—it is a promise of thoughtful planning, accountability, and authentic care. Tanya’s legacy is defined not only by financial success, but by the lives she has enriched through her practice, mentorship, and philanthropic work.
“What inspires me each day is making the financial part of life simpler, so clients can spend their time and energy on what gives them joy and meaning,” said Tanya.