About Our Team
Garry Stratychuk, FEA
President, Senior Financial Advisor
Garry has been a financial security advisor since 1988 with a vast knowledge in individual and corporate planning. Garry provides investment, tax and insurance solutions to his clients across Canada. He’s the founding partner of ITI Financial Inc.
Raised and educated in Saskatchewan, Garry moved to Manitoba in 1978. Married with five children gives him plenty of opportunity for family life that he thoroughly enjoys.
An entrepreneurial background has been a great foundation for his financial business. Focusing on his client’s discipline, Garry has been able to structure tax efficiency and predictable returns for them.
He was awarded the FEA designation as a candidate who understands clear and consistent understanding of both content and application of a Family Enterprise Advisor. The program is a rigorous and challenging process for those that illustrate outstanding competence and practice in the field.
As a CPCA (Certified Professional Consultant on Aging), Garry has a vast understanding of the issues facing seniors. He understands the aging process and how it influences the health, social and financial considerations of aging Canadians and their families.
Garry is a member in good standing of The Financial Advisors Association of Canada (Advocis) and The Conference for Advanced Underwriters (CALU).
Jeremy Cooper, BA (Hons), CLU
Partner, Financial Advisor
Jeremy is a financial advisor with responsibility for client planning, which covers the full range of investment, tax, & insurance solutions. He has a special affinity for seeing Canadian families and their businesses prosper for more than one generation. He joined ITI Financial Inc in 2007 after a storied pursuit of business and entrepreneurship following university. He officially became a Partner in 2018. He is currently located in Southern Alberta where he enjoys experiencing and celebrating the growth of his family, a lovely wife and five children.
He received his Bachelor of Arts Honours from the University of Regina, Campion College, and is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Canada’s premier wealth transfer and estate planning designation. He is also licenced as an Exempt Market Dealing Representative with Accilent Capital Management.
Jeremy is a member of the Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting (CALU), the Canadian Institute of Certified Executor Advisors (CICEA), and The Financial Advisors Association of Canada (Advocis). He is the former President of the Advocis Medicine Hat chapter and currently sits on the CALU Issue Group on Life Insurance, which focuses on income tax concerns dealing with both the taxation of life insurance as well as the tax aspects related to the use of life insurance in the marketplace.
Jonathan Dixon, BA
Partner, Financial Advisor
Having been born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba into an entrepreneurial family has given Jon his interest in business and finances. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, he has also completed his LLQP and most recently his EMD, giving him a firm foundation for insurance, tax and investment planning. Jon is currently studying for his CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst).
With a high regard for continuing education and the regulations affecting financial advisors Jon serves on the Winnipeg Advocis (The Financial Advisors Association of Canada) board as the Advocacy Chair. It is his goal is to serve the people of Manitoba, staying informed of changes in our realm and raise the bar professionally for our industry.
Jon is happily married to his loving wife Kimberly. They have four beautiful children who certainly keeps them busy. Traveling has been a passion for them but they always look forward coming back home to Manitoba. Closing in on a decade of financial planning Jon continues to look forward to solving unique problems and serving clients.
Wendall Kerr, CPCA
Financial Advisor
Wendall was born and raised in Manitoba on the family farm followed by eight years managing a country grain elevator. His agriculture background gave Wendall a great foundation for his financial practice, with a keen interest in serving farm families. He and his wife moved their family to Medicine Hat, where they raised their two children.
After twenty-nine years of providing investment, tax and insurance solutions to his clients across the prairies, Wendall began collaborating with the ITI Financial team in 2016, making the full transition to team member in 2020.
Continuing Education is an important part of Wendall's practice. Holding his CPCA (Certified Professional Consultant on Aging), his EPC (Elder Planning Counselor) and CAFA (Certified Agricultural Farm Advisor) provides a vast understanding of the issues facing seniors, family business and farm families alike. He understands the aging process and how it influences the health, social and financial concerns of aging Canadians and their families.
Wendall supports his industry by serving as president of the local chapter of "The Financial Advisors Association of Canada" (Advocis). Plus, he is a member in good standing with The Conference for Advanced Life Underwriters (CALU), the Age-Friendly Business Academy, the Elder Planning Counsel, and the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors.
Rhona Stanislaus, CPA, CGA, MBA
Financial Security Advisor
Rhona joined ITI in October 2018 and brings with her diverse leadership experience in the public and private sectors. Rhona has 20 years of progressive financial leadership experience within the financial services and accounting industries, with a large multi-national mining company, and government. In addition, she holds a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian Unversity, a Chartered Professional Accounting Designation (CGA) and an Ungergraduate Degree in Accounting from the University of Calgary.
She has earned her life insurance, accident and sickness (LLQP) license, part of the Canadian licensing regime for life insurance agents and is a member of Advocis. Rhona values continuing education and is currently studying for her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Designation.
After spending 22 years as a resident of the north, Rhona is now based out of Kelowna, BC. She enjoys travel and spending time and creating memories with her son, family and friends.
Leighton Loeppky
Financial Security Advisor
Leighton recently joined ITI Financial bringing first-hand entrepreneurial and business experience to the team. Having grown up in the family business, Leighton understands the unique challenges of small business owners.
Leighton went on to pursue a career in finance, working as a loans officer at the Credit Union. Over 10 years in business and finance gives Leighton an understanding of the unique challenges his clients face.
Committed to ongoing education, Leighton graduated from Red River College with a diploma in business administration with a major in accounting. He recently earned his life insurance, accident and sickness (LLQP) license, and is a member of Advocis.
Leighton is a newlywed, marrying his beautiful wife, Cassidy in 2017. They love the Manitoba summers, enjoying them at the lake whenever they can. If not at the lake, then at home with friends and family.
Aaron Sabasch, BA
Financial Security Advisor
Aaron recently joined ITI as a Financial Security Advisor. Prior to joining the firm Aaron worked as a Financial Advisor for 4 years; a portion of which was spent at a large national insurance company. Before moving into finance, Aaron ran multiple businesses.
Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Aaron moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.
In the summer of 2019, Aaron married his partner of many years, Brooke on a beautiful Winnipeg summer day. Aaron and Brooke are both busy running their respective businesses and share a passion for entrepreneurship and local business.
Aaron has been Life and Accident & Sickness licensed since 2016 and is a member of Advocis. He is currently studying for his CLU.
Andrea Dempster, QAFP
Financial Security Advisor
Andrea excitedly joined the ITI team as a Financial Security Advisor, bringing with her 4 years of advisory experience and almost 10 years of industry experience. Her favourite part of her job is connecting with people and creating long lasting client relationships built on trust, mutual respect, and friendship.
Andrea attended Red River College and received her Business Administration diploma with a double major. In addition to holding a Life and Accident & Sickness license (LLQP), Andrea holds her Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) designation through the Financial Planning Standards Council of Canada.
Happily married to her husband, Chris, they share two young daughters who keep them busy and on their toes. Andrea enjoys being in the kitchen and wants her daughters to always remember the delicious smell of her cooking and sound of music playing when they come home from school!
Ruth Braun
Director of Operations, Partner
Ruth brings a comprehensive business background to the team, including 7 years of Credit Union experience, bookkeeping and administration skills. She has a value for excellence and attention to detail.
Ruth is Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance (LLQP) licensed and has her CPCA certification. She has a desire to see people come to a greater confidence and peace about their own personal financial plan.
Besides enjoying her position at ITI Financial she enjoys various hobbies such as scrapbooking, golfing and dancing. One very fulfilling personal accomplishment is having written a family heritage book honoring her parents.
With a great value for family life, Ruth and her husband enjoy spending time with their four grown children, their spouses and the grandkids. Never a dull moment.
Adrienne Wiebe
Business Manager, Partner
Adrienne is a seasoned administrator with diverse experience. Having held positions in various fields from medical, legal, non profit and business, she has applied that experience to her career in the financial industry over the past 10 years.
Adrienne is Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance (LLQP) licensed and is a member of Advocis.
Outside the office, together with her husband, Adrienne enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, as well as puttering in her flower garden. She is also active in the local arts community.
Blessing Stephen
Administrative Associate
Blessing recently joined the ITI Team as an Administrative Associate. She began her business career as a Customer Service Representative with a leading financial company. She values education and is pleased to help the ITI team care for what our clients care about. Currently she is studying for her Life Office Management Association (LOMA) certification.
Prior to joining ITI, Blessing moved from Nigeria to Winnipeg where she graduated as a Business Administrative Assistant at the Manitoba Institute of Trade & Technology. She is also certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist Expert in Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
Blessing has received commendations in the financial industry, working administrative duties close to 4 years. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, dancing, travelling & podcasting.
Chelsea Bartman-Sawatzky
Administrative Associater
Chelsea joined ITI with a strong marketing and admin background within the financial services industry. Her ultimate goal is to become a full-time advisor with ITI. Chelsea believes one of the best ways to serve her clients is to have a solid understanding of ITI’s unique and comprehensive admin practices, so she is building this foundation first.
She is currently studying for her LLQP and hopes to assist her clients in becoming confident in their personal and corporate financial goals.
Chelsea was born and raised in the GTA in Ontario but recently moved to Manitoba. She and her husband Corey have 4 girls between them in their blended family who reside in a small town just outside of Winnipeg.
In her downtime, Chelsea enjoys cooking, gardening, DIY projects, reading and is up for any adventure with her family and two dogs.
Sarah Cooper
Administrative Associate
Sarah recently joined ITI Financial as an administrative assistant. She finds joy in supporting the ITI team and their clients.
Sarah’s roots are in the Saskatchewan prairies. After attaining her degree in Education at the University of Regina, she and her husband moved to Alberta to raise their growing family.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time with family wherever that may be - on the ski hill, at the beach, in the garden, playing board games. She also enjoys cross-country skiing and playing the piano.