Associates of First York:
Sean Warburton, Rob Polci, Doug Burton, and Paul Butters
SEAN WARBURTON:
Financial Services Associate
Sean Warburton, First York's specialist in living benefits, has eight years experience as an entrepreneur and 13 years in the insurance industry. He specializes in working with his clients to develop a strategy for managing the risks that are important to them.
The home services company that Sean started when he was 19 taught him the ropes of operating a business. As owner-operator, he learned to deal with employees, meet payrolls and handle risks. Most of all, he learned the importance of listening to customers. After studying kinesiology at York University, he began marketing life insurance, then moved to First York in 1998.
His expertise in the fields of living benefits and the nuances and subtleties of life, disability, long term care, and critical illness insurance are available to all of First York's clients.
Sean's approach to working with a client begins with listening. That's the only way to discover what the client values most. Protecting what is important becomes the guide to developing an overall policy that meets the client's vital needs.
Once Sean and the client agree on the overall goal, Sean presents alternative strategies and options for achieving those ends. He works with his clients to set priorities and implement the plans, negotiating contracts with insurers and reinsurers to ensure that the client gets the best package available from the insurance products available. He meets yearly with his clients to review the overall strategy and to explore possibilities that new insurance products present.
A competitive swimmer, Sean has participated in World Masters Meets as a freestyle sprinter and has won many medals in his specialty at the Ontario and National levels.
At the community level, he's a supporter of the Yonge Street Mission and a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
ROB POLCI:
Financial Services Associate
Following his graduation from Dalhousie University, Rob traveled the world for several months through Australia, New Zealand, China and Southeast Asia before settling on a career in financial services.
"I grew up with the feeling that if you really wanted to help someone in a meaningful way, the best thing you can do is to help them prepare for life's uncertainties by insuring against the financial risks we all take every day".
Rob is building a clientele of ambitious young people who have big goals in life and want to take responsibility for themselves and their families.
"I want to help other young people getting started with families and careers to do the important planning to protect themselves. Advice from someone who understands what insurance can do for you can really help in your life plan."
"One of my key concerns for clients is protecting their insurability and locking in the great rates that are available while they are still young and very healthy."
DOUG BURTON:
Benefits Specialist
Doug Burton is First York's specialist in group benefits. He works with employers to help them develop group life, health and dental plans, group pensions and deferred profit sharing plans as well as arranging specific benefits as part of executive compensation plans.
After working in group benefits with Zurich Life and Manulife, Doug moved to First York in 1984. For more than 25 years, First York's clients have relied on Doug's expertise in evaluating benefits packages, explaining the important differences between various policies and finding better ways to meet employer's specific needs.
Doug says the key is to balance the feelings of the employers towards their employees with the fiscal responsibilities and restraints required for profitability. It's almost impossible to pick package off the shelf for a client - he believes that the packages should be designed to meet the corporate benefit objectives. Benefits also affect company morale - a good benefit package has to meet the employer's requirements but it also has to be appreciated by employees because benefits are part of compensation.
Potential clients who come to Doug to discuss their group benefits will find that his thorough knowledge of this complex field will help them gain understanding into the possibilities available and the trade-offs that are likely to be made.
Doug's accomplishments at the community level are outstanding. He's been awarded the Canada 125 medal for his work with municipal government, community activities and young offenders.
PAUL BUTTERS:
Retirement Planning & Investment Products Specialist
Paul Butters joined First York in 1994 after a successful career in the insurance industry, in which he rose to the highest levels of responsibility as director of U.S. brokerage operations for Manulife Financial.
Retired and working part-time for more than 16 years, Paul specializes in helping retired and semi-retired people get the greatest benefits from the wealth they have accumulated.
An expert in fixed income investments, term accounts, life annuities, segregated funds and mutual funds, Paul works with clients to ensure that their investments are in the best position to give them the income and legacy they want.
First York clients who are referred to Paul find that he possesses a keen understanding of retirement lifestyles and the special needs of retired people. It is rare to find an advisor who combines financial and insurance expertise with decades of first-hand experience in retirement.
Paul spends much of his time in his home on Georgian Bay with a wonderful view across the bay to Collingwood. His leisure pursuits include an antique car that he takes to exhibitions in summertime, model railroading, and golf.
