At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Having joined MSC in 1996, Ian became a firm principal in 2000. His role revolves around enhancing our client experience by helping families find financial clarity in a dynamic world. “I thrive on demystifying the numbers, and identifying the best solutions for our clients’ complex financial challenges,” says Ian. 

Ian also often contributes content and commentary to the financial press, including The Globe & Mail, National Post, Advisor’s Edge, among other financial publications.

Experience

After moving to Vancouver in 1989 from his home town of Kelowna, BC, Ian combined his career goals with a bit of good luck. While he was working on his financial planner designation, one of our co-founders happened to be among his instructors. Plus, Ian was employed as a personal banker across the street from our offices. One thing led to another, and Ian soon crossed the street to join our firm. 

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Associate Certificate in Financial Planning, British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP Canada)
• Bachelor of Commerce, University of British Columbia

Community Involvement

When his children were younger, he was the family’s go-to soccer and baseball coach. “I may not have generated any professional talent during my tenure,” says Ian, “But I greatly enjoyed spending time with my kids and our community.” 

Personal Interests

Ian is a big fan of podcasts and documentaries, and is always on the prowl for recommendations on that front. He also moonlights as a short-order cook for his family. Specialties include a variety of weekend breakfast treats, including a breakfast pasta, which his son has declared a “must try.”

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Keith joined MSC in 2004 to apply his experience and passion for financial planning and deal with clients on a fee only basis. He became a principal of Macdonald, Shymko & Company Ltd. (MSC) in 2009.

Experience

Keith grew up in Vancouver and graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1989 with a B.A. He has worked in Financial Services since graduation, and has held a variety of financial planning and management positions with a national Trust company.

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM®) certification
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• Completed Level 1 of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Program
• B.A., University of British Columbia

Community Involvement

In his ongoing commitment to the profession, Keith joined the Board of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP) in 2016, and has served in the roles of Practice Management and Treasurer. The IAFP administers the R.F.P. designation, with a group of professional members dedicated to providing comprehensive financial planning across Canada. 

Personal Interests

Outside of work, Keith enjoys travel, cycling, and spending time with his family and friends.

Ngoc Day, CFP®, CIM®, R.F.P., TEP 

Financial Advisor | Joined: 2006

NDAY@MSC-FEEONLY.COM | 604-687-7966

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

With a thirst for “learning something new every day,” Ngoc brings her experience, enthusiasm, and intellectual curiosity to her role as a member of our fee-only financial advisor team. Having joined MSC in 2006, she was named a firm principal in 2013.

Experience 

Born in Viet Nam, Ngoc immigrated to British Columbia in 1980. Her early career was in food science, before she decided to apply her rational mindset to financial planning and investment advice. In 2015, she was named a First Runner-Up in the 2015 Plan Plus Global Financial Planning Awards, honoring “financial planners who create extraordinary value for their clients.”

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM^®) certification
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP Canada)
• Member of the Financial Planning Association of Canada
• BSc. in Microbiology, MSc. in Food Science

Community Involvement

Ngoc is passionate about advancing economic security for women. She supports two Nepalese charities providing shelter, rehabilitation, education, and vocational training for impoverished women and girls, and human trafficking victims. 

Personal Interests

Ngoc loves traveling “off the beaten path,” immersing herself in different cultures. She once crossed 7 international borders in 20 days! At home, her kitchen is a culinary laboratory, where she experiments with ethnic cuisines. Ngoc describes a perfect day as one that includes swimming, yoga, music, and sharing delicious family meals. 

Larry Jacobson, MBA, R.F.P.

Financial Advisor | Joined: 1975

LJACOBSON@MSC-FEEONLY.COM | 604-687-7966

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Having joined MSC in 1975, and becoming a firm principal in 1976, Larry has been a strong advocate for our distinct, fee only financial advisor model since its earliest days. With his global perspective and an MBA in international business management, Larry also has been instrumental in our ability to serve expat U.S. citizens in Canada, as well as Canadians with foreign domiciles.  

Experience and Honors

Larry’s passion for fee only financial advice was in part driven by his having been groomed to become a traditional Wall Street stock broker prior to joining MSC. After considering the alternative, he opted for a career path he could better embrace as a good fit for his clients and himself.  Larry also has helped advance financial planning as a profession. He was a long-standing member of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners (CAFP), serving in several leadership roles, including national vice president, and president of the British Columbia Chapter. Larry also served on the Board of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP) in a variety of leadership roles and ultimately being elected as President in 2006; in 2010, he was elected to its Board of Regents.

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• MBA in international management, Asia Pacific International School of Management
• Technology degree in Finance, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Personal Interests

An enthusiastic lifelong learner, Larry was proud to return to college after a 20-year hiatus to earn his MBA at age 45. He’s also a baseball afficionado, and is working toward becoming a bridge master. That said, spending time with his family trumps all else

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Since he and David Shymko co-founded MSC in 1972, full retirement is one of the few career goals Doug has yet to achieve. These days, Doug’s hands-on duties are light. But his visionary leadership in our firm and across Canada continues to shape our best practices as a fee only financial advisor to our clients. Whenever big, new ideas are being discussed, Doug is rarely more than a call away. He still says, “I’m not sure what I’ll do as work when I grow up; the past 49 years has just been fun.”

Experience and Honors

Like many other remarkable adventures, MSC grew out of a series of brainstorming sessions at a local bar in 1972. At the time, providing people with quality financial advice in a dedicated, fee only relationship was essentially unheard of as a distinct profession. Neither Doug nor David could understand why that was, so they decided to create a new practice from scratch. They modeled it after the level of care an attorney or accountant offers their clients. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Throughout his stellar career Doug has advocated tirelessly tirelessly for fee-only financial advice as a profession, for a fiduciary relationship between advisor and clients and remains a respected mentor to many advisors across Canada. He was Canada’s first member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He also served as inaugural-year chairperson for the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP), becoming among the country’s first with its R.F.P. professional designation. 

Doug’s past and current leadership roles and recognitions include:

• Canadian Association of Financial Planners (CAFP), 1984–2002: Pacific chapter director and president; national director, president, chairperson, and Board of Regents chairperson; “Member of the Year,” 1992. 
• Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (CAFP’s successor organization), 2002–2010: Board of Regents chairperson. 
• Advisor’s Edge Career Achievement Award, 2006. 
• Canadian Wealth Professional Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016. 
• The Institute of Advanced Financial Planners in 2018 created an annual award recognizing those who contribute to the profession and named it the Ian Douglas Macdonald Award of Excellence. 

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (Retired)
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) (Retired)
• MBA in finance and marketing, University of British Columbia
• B. in Economics, University of Victoria

Community Involvement

Like father, like son. Both Doug and his son Hamish have served on the Vancouver Curling Club Board of Directors for multiple terms and held the executive positions of Vice-President and Treasurer. 

Personal Interests

Most summers, Doug and his wife Lynda can be found on their island on the Lake of the Woods, Kenora, Ontario. He also enjoys the occasional round of golf when the weather is fair, and curling in the winter months. Year-round, he can be seen walking his dogs, and savoring quality time with his wife, children and grandchildren.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Joining MSC in 1997, Brinsley has played a pivotal role in ensuring our firm’s early ideals have remained relevant through evolving financial best practices and regulatory requirements. A firm principal since 2000, he is a financial advisor and portfolio manager, as well as our Chief Compliance Officer. 

Experience

Besides youthful gigs delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun and skate sharpener at a local sporting goods store, Brinsley knew he was destined to become a financial professional from early on. After receiving his financial degree, he joined MSC, and has never looked back. 

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM®) certification
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• Member of the Financial Planning Association of Canada
• B.B.A. in Finance, Simon Fraser University 

Community Involvement

Brinsley gives back to our community as a board member of Greater Vancouver Youth Unlimited (GVYU). He is particularly engaged in the group’s Elevation Project, which focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty among Canadian and Rwandan youth through education and leadership opportunities.  He also coached his children at various points during their time playing youth hockey and soccer.

Personal Interests

Brinsley relaxes by tending to his vegetable garden and playing hockey. Among his favorite travel memories is heading to the U.K. to cheer on the Southampton Saints (English Premiership) live. This was a significant improvement over having to catch his favorite team on television, in the wee hours of the weekend.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

When David and Doug Macdonald co-founded MSC in 1972, the firm operated out of David’s modest apartment; his cat Patches was the office greeter. At the time, he and Doug shared the high hopes of two grad students pursuing a groundbreaking ideal: providing objective, fee only financial advice, set apart from the conflicts of interest inherent in more typical, sales-oriented “advice.” With David’s interest in science (as a geophysicist) and finance, he brought a fresh perspective to developing a new kind of financial practice – grounded in evidence, guided by process, and driven by a client-first level of care. Still an active voice in the firm’s future, David has been advancing these ideals ever since. 

Experience and Honors

David was a long-standing member of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners (CAFP), serving in many capacities, including its national president from 1991–1993. He remains a member of CAFP’s successor organization, the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP), and also is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and the international Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Throughout his career, the local and national financial press has turned to him for insights and commentary on a variety of issues.

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP Canada)
• MBA in finance, University of British Columbia
• BSc. in geophysics, University of British Columbia

Personal Interests

Having grown up in the mountains, David has climbed many of the peaks in the Rockies, and he continues to enjoy a periodic hike. As a seasoned world traveler and armchair history buff, he feels his experiences have provided him with life perspective and an appreciation for being Canadian. He hopes to pass these same sentiments on to his heirs. 

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Having focused his long- and near-term career aspirations on excellence in financial planning, Denny is a natural fit here at MSC. As an Advisor, his aim is to promote and advance prudent financial planning by supporting our mission to help families achieve their personal financial goals. 

Experience 

Before and after Denny joined the MSC team, he has been honing his financial planning credentials. 2019 was an especially busy year for him, as he earned his Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), and R.F.P. (Registered Financial Planner) designations. Earlier in his career, Denny was a scientist, before pursuing his greater goal of becoming a financial professional.

Degrees and Credentials

• Registered Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM®) certification
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• BSc. in Food, Nutrition & Health, University of British Columbia; post-graduate degree in financial planning, Douglas College

Community Involvement

Denny has a strong sense of giving back to the community, and has been involved as leader and volunteer in local hospitals, churches and post-secondary schools. 

Personal Interests

A sports enthusiast, Denny was once one of the top 4 high-school badminton players in Orange County, California. Denny enjoys outdoor running and hiking with Rocky Point Trail being one of his favorite spots. Although he is a millennial, he would rather skip the avocado toast for the regular bacon & eggs.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

From assisting with financial planning prep work to portfolio implementation and reinvestment, David’s strategic mindset and attention to detail helps ensure client reports, trade requests, and similar essential services flow along in a smooth and timely basis. While employed at MSC, David also has achieved his CFP® and CIM® certifications, and is working on his Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.) credentials.

Experience

David’s earliest employment was as a library assistant while attending school. His career transitioned into developing and supporting online education programming, and then he gained financial experience while employed at multiple chartered banks before joining the MSC team.

Degrees and Credentials

• Associate Portfolio Manager at MSC
• Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM®) certification
• Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.), Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
• B.A. in History, University of British Columbia

Personal Interests

An avid curler, David has served as director and treasurer at his local club to perpetuate “this most noble of Canadian sports.” When he’s not curling, he’s often found reading a good book, chasing his cat around the garden, or planning his next trip with his partner.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

With a strong interest in analytics and problem-solving, Tiah is tasked with a variety of responsibilities. She supports our advisors in providing high level client service, investment and financial planning analysis. She works to deliver efficient and effective results to MSC’s clients.

Experience

In the early stages of her career, Tiah was given the opportunity to excel in client service (with an emphasis on client comfortability) and continues to hold that title. She looks forward to furthering her education within the field, providing the experience required to maintain and retain business and client relationships.

Degrees and Credentials

Diploma of Finance, British Columbia Institution of Technology 

Community Involvement

Tiah is an active member of the BCIT Finance Association. She was inspired by the efforts that other industry professionals took to help develop and guide finance students like herself. She has been involved in the organization of panels and networking events within the Association – and continues to contribute when she can. In addition to serving the Association, she was a volunteer representative of her finance program, playing a “crucial role in fostering a collaborative environment” for her peers.

Personal Interests

With her ambitious and optimistic outlook on life, one may find Tiah in the gym or exploring nature’s wonders at her family cabin in the Okanagan. As of recently, Tiah has taken up golf; after hours of lessons and days at the range, she remains passionate on improving her skills.  Nevertheless, in the company of family and friends, she is happy no matter what she is doing!

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

As Portfolio Administrator, Alvine’s main responsibility is to ensure the correct processing of various types of financial trades which involves coordinating and assisting the Financial Advisors and interacting with fund custodian to ensure the quarterly clients reports are correct and complete.

Experience

Prior to joining MSC in 2019, Alvine was a Fixed Income Trader from the Philippines’ top bank where he was a career banker up to 2014. Upon arrival in Canada, Alvine focused on continuing his career in the Banking and Finance Industry having worked for several Canadian financial institutions to gain knowledge and experience which led him to his current role in MSC.

Degrees and Credentials

• Canadian Securities Course (CSC)
• B.Sc. in Business Administration, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

Personal Interests

Alvine loves travelling with his wife to different places both domestically and internationally. He enjoys playing badminton and has recently taken up crabbing as a hobby. He also likes to relax at home watching movies and listening to music.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

Donna joined Macdonald, Shymko & Company Ltd. in 1995 as the accounting manager and is responsible for the management and administration of all company accounting and payroll functions. She is the longest serving employee of MSC outside the founders. 

Experience

Donna brought years of experience in accounting and administration from her time working in a number of  diverse industries (importing, insurance, commercial-service) within the Lower Mainland.  

Personal Interests

In her leisure time, Donna enjoys taking long walks, reading, travelling, cooking, sampling the various ethnic cuisines that our beautiful city has to offer and most importantly, spending time with family.

At Macdonald Shymko & Co. (MSC)

With strong organizational skills and a passion for efficient process, Sandra ensures our office operations flow smoothly, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere for client visits, whether in person or online. 

Experience

With 17 years of experience as a speakers bureau account coordinator in the meetings & convention industry, Sandra has been an excellent fit for MSC, where effective communication is central to our advisory practice. Sandra also has extensive client care experience through a variety of positions, including helping her parents in their local café as a teenager.   

Personal Interests

Sandra is a native of Vancouver who enjoys adventures in gastronomy, photography, camping, fishing, reading, Sudoku puzzles, and spending time with her husband and dogs.  A perfect day would be “a leisurely scenic road trip with my husband, sightseeing and discovering local dining somewhere off the beaten path.” One of her most thrilling experiences was learning to race her Mustang GT at Mission Raceway Park and qualifying for her Novice Racing License in the process.