Employee spotlights
Aftab Ladhar
Senior Money Advisor
Aftab Ladhar immigrated to Canada in 2014 and completed his undergrad degree in economics at Simon Fraser University. Not long after completing university, and following a short stint in retail, Aftab landed a position as a Money Advisor at G&F’s North Burnaby Branch. In 2019, he transferred to the New Westminster Branch and in 2021, Aftab was promoted to Senior Money Advisor at the Nordel Branch.
"G&F is the place to be if you love working in a team. G&F is a family-oriented company. The co-workers are always uplifting and help you in all aspects. My manager is always there for us and helps all of us to grow. Everything is very transparent. Senior management is very easy to reach and talk to if we have any questions.
HR does a really good job suggesting which branch we should work in."
Aftab is in the early stages of his career in finance and he is taking advantage of the education benefits provided by G&F. When he’s not working as a Senior Money Advisor, he is studying Canadian financial security courses and working towards certification as a financial planner. He talks about his interest in joining G&F’s wealth management team and is exploring financial planning courses that can help him achieve that goal.
In his day-to-day work, Aftab enjoys spending time talking about savings and tax strategies with members – helping them make better financial decisions and achieve financial independence. He works closely with the Branch Manager, handles lending requests, and finds opportunities to build rapport with each member as they come through the door.
"I feel like just asking a question and being curious makes a big difference. It’s the team at G&F, we are really curious, we like to ask questions of our members. Members will come back to meet with me or my co-workers. It’s a really direct relationship with members. I love it.
It’s more about member service, less about transactions."
What do you enjoy most about working at G&F Financial Group?
I love working with my team. We work as a family. My manager is super nice, always helping. It’s fun to have a work family.
What opportunities has G&F given you so far?
I have gained a lot of knowledge from G&F regarding making financial decisions. I have had an opportunity to be a part of Ignite and participate in Dragon’s Den, which gave me the opportunity to work with other employees and formulate our ideas for a [service] update we can recommend to G&F.
I like meeting management, [Co-CEOs] Bill and Jeff, and like-minded people.
I have gained a lot of confidence working in the finance industry.
What is one piece of career advice you would give to those looking to work at a branch?
Never stop being curious. Never be afraid to ask. At G&F, we always ask our members, what is the next big thing you want to do in your life?
How would you sum up your experience so far at G&F in one word?
Flourishing. I think I have become a better person, with more knowledge, more confidence.