Groupe Financier Signature has entered into a distribution partnership with Sentinel Financial Group. Under this agreement, Groupe Financier Signature, an MGA affiliated with Groupe AgenZ, will have exclusive rights to recruit advisors interested in joining the mutual fund dealer and exempt market dealer, Sentinel Financial Management.
The partnership focuses on the distribution of mutual funds and exempt market products in Quebec.
Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Sentinel Financial Group also operates as an MGA affiliated with Financière Hub through Sentinel Life Management, as well as a group insurance broker through Sentinel Group Benefits. Sentinel Financial Group was previously affiliated with BridgeForce, which was acquired by Financière Hub in February 2023.
Christopher Blair, Managing Director of Sentinel Financial Group, took over leadership of the organization in September 2019. In addition to Saskatchewan, Sentinel then began recruiting more advisors in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, Mr. Blair explained in an interview with the Insurance Portal.
Segregated Fund
In 2022, Sentinel Financial Group established a presence in Quebec with five mutual fund representatives. Christopher Blair realized that the company needed a partner to go further in the province. “We needed more exposure in French. We do have French-speaking staff at our head office to work with existing advisors, but to grow the business, we needed someone based in Quebec who is focused on developing business in the province,” he explained.
Christopher Blair reached out to Louis-Xavier Savard, President and Founder of Groupe Financier Signature.
“We began discussions with Louis-Xavier in 2024 about a partnership. We decided to move forward,” Mr. Blair said.
Rapid Growth
Sentinel Financial Group works with about 125 life insurance advisors. According to Mr. Blair, around 65 of them also hold licenses for mutual funds and exempt market products. He revealed that Sentinel Financial Management has approximately one billion dollars in assets under management.
For his part, Louis-Xavier Savard says he is experiencing very rapid growth.
“We were looking for a partner for our advisors who want to sell mutual funds or exempt market products,” he explained to the Insurance Portal, adding that he did not wish to create his own mutual fund dealer.
Advisors recruited for their interest in these mutual fund market segments will be affiliated with Sentinel Financial Management, Mr. Savard explained. Financial security advisors at Groupe Financier Signature who hold a mutual fund license will also have this opportunity.
Groupe Financier Signature works with 180 advisors. It has begun recruiting representatives in mutual funds and the exempt market.
Mr. Savard revealed that he has recruited about ten so far. “Our recruitment was initially focused on advisors holding only a financial security advisor license. We are now looking to broaden our recruitment options. Many of our financial security advisors intend to, or are in the process of, obtaining their licenses,” he said.
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