Gary Tong
For over 12 years, Gary Tong has had the pleasure and privilege of providing holistic wealth strategies to clients who entrust him with their family’s financial well-being. As a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Health Specialist and Chartered Life Underwriter, he utilizes his knowledge and experience and enlists the expertise of tax, legal and other industry professionals as required to help clients achieve their financial and personal goals in the areas of wealth, tax, and estate planning. Although Gary serves a diverse client base, his practice has gravitated to serve two unique segments: young families and soon-to-be retirees. Each of these groups come with their own set of financial challenges, but both appreciate his absolute attention to detail (which probably stems from his previous career as an Analytical Chemist) and his ability to explain financial concepts in a comprehensible manner.
When not crafting financial recommendations and meeting with clients, Gary enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters.
Ivy Woo John
Ivy Woo John serves as the Manager of Insurance & Risk Management to ensure that our clients protect their ability to earn money as well as mitigate and outsource financial risk to insurance providers.
Ivy has over 15 years experience in finance, insurance, employee benefits and margin lending under private wealth management. Her global work experience includes working in New York, Hong Kong and Vancouver for; Goldman Sachs, UBS, Morneau Shepell, Great West Life and Doctors of BC wherein she spent 4 years guiding doctors through the myriad of insurance options available to them. She holds an MBA from Baruch College CUNY & Chinese University of Hong Kong and a BA from UBC. She has had many roles but her favorite roles are being a wife to her husband Derek and loving mom to her son Alexander and daughter Isabel.
Lewis Chan
Lewis has been with the Financial Literacy Counsel since 2012 and is an integral part of the operations and client service management team. With his EPC designation, his client focus is on young working professionals, healthcare practitioners (including dieticians, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists) and aspiring and professional athletes. More recently, Lewis has contributed tremendously in supporting and advising athletes with the Canadian Sport Institute.
Lewis prides himself on being a good listener, and creating a positive impact on his client’s lives. He genuinely wants to help people become more financially literate, one person at a time.
Lewis has been featured in the Advocis Forum Magazine and Wealth Professional Canada publications. In his free time, Lewis is an ice hockey goalie and enjoys staying physically active. Other recreational activities include volleyball, biking and volunteering at Mission Institution and Tenth Church.
Patrick Chee
Patrick Chee joined the Financial Literacy Counsel Inc. in 2010 as an integral part of the operations and client service management team. Patrick believes in a holistic approach to customer care by having open conversations to listen and understand the needs of his clients beyond just the numbers. He has been working with Canadian Sports Institute Athletes since 2013 and helps many athletes to formulate “financial game plans” to act as a roadmap, helping them reach personal and financial goals today and in the future.
Winnie Wu
Since joining Financial Literacy Counsel in 2013, Winnie has perfected her strategy with clients to integrate different investment and insurance options so that their goals are achieved sooner. Winnie has a passion for numbers and is most satisfied by helping to make a difference in people’s lives. One of her key pieces of advice to clients, is to invest in capital preservation with long term growth. With Winnie’s dedication and expertise, clients will start building towards this foundation by creating a strong core in their portfolio.
Whether clients need advice on buying a new home, planning for retirement, or passing on a legacy, Winnie is your expert to support you on your personal journey. She prides herself on ensuring that her clients are financially sound, so that they can spend more time focusing on other areas of importance instead. In addition, Winnie also offers advice on legal and tax implication areas.
Winnie has a Bachelor of Science degree with a joint major in Finance from SFU. Aside from work, she loves being in the outdoors including hiking, biking and paddle boarding. And while Vancouver will always be home, she enjoys traveling to different places and learning about people, culture and food.