Situated in the heart of this Nation’s capital, John Hastings provides responsible and impact investing services to both private and institutional clients. His proprietary process enables him to build investment portfolios tailored to the specific needs and wishes of all of his clients. His current client’s include Inuit organizations, foundations, non-profit organizations, high net worth families, business owners, and professional athletes.
As a former member of the Canadian National Kayak team, and an alternate on the 2012 Olympic Team, John witnessed first-hand the impact of climate change on the rivers he raced, and the communities he had the privilege to visit. John’s new passion consists in finding solutions to climate change and the many other challenges facing our society.
John earned his MBA from the Telfer School of Management, and is a CFA Charter holder. He is on the Impact Investment Committee at the Ottawa Community Foundation, a member of the Investment Committee at the Hnatyshyn Foundation, a board member for the Canadian Athletes Now Fund. He guest lectures on responsible investing at the University of Ottawa and is a student mentor at the Sprott School of Business.
I have over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba along with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designations.
Professionally, I am a member of CFA Institute and the CMT Association. My volunteer roles with CFA Institute include past president of CFA Vancouver, past President’s Council Representative (PCR) for Canada on the global Board of CFA Institute, Exam Grading, Standard Setting, the Nominating Committee and the Disciplinary Review Committee. For the CMT Association, I am a past member of the Curriculum Committee.
I was a proud volunteer for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics serving as the timer for the Figure Skating events. This role arose from a 25-year volunteer career in Figure Skating as an internationally ranked judge. In my community, I am currently a citizen member of the District of West Vancouver finance committed and a board member on the West Vancouver Community Centres Society. I am involved in volunteer activities at the school our children attend and the sports that they play.
One of the accomplishments in my life that I am most proud of is training and running a marathon in the year that I turned 50. I have always been athletic but never a runner (I am still not a runner) but was able to make a few lifestyle choices and learned how to make this happen! I am proud finisher of the New York Marathon and a few half marathons and 10K’s since then!
We believe investors should not have to sacrifice their core values to meet their financial goals, so we created the Blue Heron ESG Leader Portfolios to offer Responsible Investing to our clients.
The flexibility of our discretionary managed portfolio system has allowed us to be innovative in our thinking and launch these portfolios that focus on sustainable investing. In a dynamic, interconnected world, there is no “simply getting rid of stocks, bonds or investment funds that are unethical or morally ambiguous,” We developed tough screening criteria – our Blue Heron Investment Principles – which constitute a methodology to remove subjectivity from our Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) screening and create a reasonable, objective, and repeatable means to identify better companies and build better portfolios.
Our financial planning approach starts by listening. We want to achieve a full understanding of where you are, and where you would like to go. We work with our clients to develop a meaningful plan for them. We listen, to identify key issues and help you to understand the options available. From this we guide you through the process to make better informed decisions.
We have the scale, flexibility and independence to tailor solutions just for you.
Patrick entered the financial industry in 2011 after returning from a six-month teaching trip in London, England. As a certified teacher with a keen interest in finance, Patrick was inspired to combine his skill set. Once landed back in Canada he quickly began his journey to becoming a Financial Advisor – it was a natural fit!
Since 2012, Patrick’s main focus has been holistic financial advice for his clients – considering all aspects of their financial picture. Now a Certified Financial Planner, Patrick assists clients in making calculated steps toward their retirement, tax, and estate planning goals. And he does so in a friendly and common-sense manner that is easy to understand – he is a teacher after all!
Patrick holds an Honors BA in Social Justice & Peace Studies and Political Science from Western University, a Bachelor of Education (U of T), and is a member of the Responsible Investment Association and Rotary International.
Patrick’s dedication to social justice goes beyond the office and socially responsible investments. He has participated in various humanitarian initiatives, including free educational summer camps for children in Jamaica, a month-long food security delegation to El Salvador, among others.
When not at the office, Patrick is spending time with his wife Rita, and their children. He has the travel bug and also enjoys skiing, scuba diving, and learning new hobbies.