John Burns

jOHN ON sHARK

John Burns
 is a financial planner with over 30 years stock brokerage; trust/banking; insurance and government experience. John has an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School and a PGCert in Financial Services Law from the University of London (UCL & Queen Mary) Postgraduate Law School.  He also hold professional designations in financial planning CFP and discretionary portfolio management CIM.

He is a Senior Financial Planner with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT), Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division. He helps secure the financial future of many of Ontario's most vulnerable adults as a fiduciary through comprehensive financial plans.  He pioneered the use of financial planning strategies and sheltering techniques for individuals with intellectual disabilities in order to maximize their private, corporate and government benefits by integrating Registered Disability Savings Plans, disability trusts, structured settlements, Henson Trusts and segregated funds. 
He performs the financial review of applications to replace the OPGT as guardians of property. He analyzes and recommends the structuring of court approved settlements awarded to clients critically injured in motor vehicle accidents and other life changing catastrophes.
As a social entrepreneur he has been instrumental in a number of innovative start-ups.  In digital remittance and fund raising as the CEO of Wiremite Inc. and invented Charity Roundup; City of Toronto electronic waste recycling as the COO and CFO of  Resource Project and the co-op sharing economy as VP and CFO of Urban Mobility, Toronto's first car sharing worker co-op.  John believes co-operatives are the way to share idle capital, assets and resources.  Smartphone apps and smart contracts enabling peer-to-peer sharing can stop the bifurcation of the current economic class division.
He was a board member for many community and arts based organizations ranging from the AGO Transformation Project; Grange Park Advisory Committee; Community Living Toronto; Dance Works; Lifetrust Planning; Deep Quong Housing Coop; Trinity-Spadina Green Party president; University Settlement etc. 
He recently Co-Chaired the most successful 2021 MAG Federated Health Charity Campaign.
He competed in dragon boating at the national and world (gold, silver, bronze medals) level in 40, 50 and 60 year old categories. He helped introduce dragon boat racing to Israel; coaching and racing on the Sea of Galilee.  
He was Chair of the Art Gallery of Ontario's historic Grange House and was the Education Chair and Secretary Treasurer of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners where we was recognized for his 30 years of service.  He was a founding director of the Financial Planning Association of Canada.
Professional Experience 
Current Employment
Ministry of the Attorney General, Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division, Ontario
- Senior Financial Planner

 Previous Employment
LifeTrust Planning - Director Financial and Estate Planning
Edward Jones – Investment Representative
CE Networks - Financial Services Consultant
Resource Project, TLA - Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Canada Trust – Wealth and Estate Planning Counsellor
Sun Life – (Formerly Mutual Life) Senior Financial Planner
Eaton Financial – Financial Planner
Urban Mobility - Executive and Co-founder of car-sharing worker co-op
WireMite Inc - President and CEO of digital wallet & money transfer enterprise
Universal Transaction Systems Inc.  - Angel Investor and business consultant
Charityroundup.org Invented Charity Rounding Up for POS and online retail purchases
Social Capital & Greenlight Strategies - Community Needs Our Business - Owner - consultant social entrepreneur incubator.
St. Jamestown Community Center - community center and health club organizer and instructor

Professional Designations & Membership
CIM – Chartered Investment Manager –  discretionary portfolio management requirement in Canada. Canadian Securities Institute Global Education (CSI)
CFP – Certified Financial Planner – Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) designation. 

As John turns 65 in 2022 he has retired his designations and membership with the Institute of Advanced Financial Planning RFP,  The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners TEP,  The Association of International Wealth Managemtn CIWM and The Fellow of the Canadian Securities Association FCSI and the Financial Planning Association of Canada.

Education

LLM Director Jenny Hamilton and John BurnsPGCLaws (Lond)
Postgraduate Certificate in Laws
Financial Services Law 
University of London
UCL and Queen Mary
lead schools



EBS Alumni dinnerMBA (EBS)
Master of Business Administration
Edinburgh Business School 
Heriot-Watt University




Community Involvement

Integrity Empowerment Model
Art Gallery of Ontario 
Chair and Treasurer
Mojos Dragonboat Club - Crew

Past Involvement

He also runs his private family office  Burns Family Office 

John Burns


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