Ladner's Envision manager shares his story

Posted by Peter Roaf

on Nov 03, 2015

Manager of the Envision Financial branch in Ladner, Geoff Willers, gave his classification speech on November 3, 2015.

Geoff came to our club earlier in the year from the Rotary Club of Penticton, where he had been a member for six years, and prior to that, the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert as a member for four years.

While his dream was to become a ship captain, he eventually decided to work in finance. He started his career at the main branch of Scotiabank in the old financial district of Montreal.

Geoff's father, a master mariner and stevedore in the UK, immigrated to Canada with his Scottish wife in 1956.

Geoff grew up in the Montreal suburb of Pointe Claire then moved with his family to a multi-ethnic working class neighborhood of the city.

School was always a positive outlet in his life, but he also took part-time jobs, applying a strong work ethic and values of commitment and integrity.

His father sold his interest in Logistic Stevedoring and moved to Prince Rupert to run the coal terminal.

Geoff moved to Prince Rupert as well in 1996 when Scotiabank amalgamated five branches in the BC Region into one with multicultural focus.

Eventually he joined Envision Financial which is part of the First West group. He replaced former Ladner Rotarian Kay Gandham who left the Ladner branch to take the branch manager's postion in Cloverdale.

Geoff and his wife live in Ladner and have two sons and one daughter.