Susan Petersson

Portfolio Manager
MD Private Investment Counsel

I came to MD Financial Management in 2016, after years of working in finance and asset management in large institutional environments in Canada and in the U.K. I didn’t work directly with clients as much in my previous roles, so I really didn’t anticipate what has become one of the most gratifying parts about being at MD: the personal support that I’m able to give to my clients.
Shortly after I started, I worked with a woman whose husband had been living with dementia. Her trust in me grew over several months, and while I of course advised her on her portfolio and investment concerns, it became about much more than that. We formed a true emotional connection, and I was able to be there for her through the loss of her spouse and when she moved to a new city to be closer to her children.
That experience had a real impact on me, and reinforced that being there for my clients through life’s big transitions—no matter how difficult or emotional—is incredibly important to me. It’s why I’m passionate about cultivating real relationships with my clients, helping them however I can through life’s triumphs and challenges.
MD is a fantastic place to work because the company really believes in putting the client first. The culture is unique because no one tries to take sole credit for anything; everyone works as a team to manage all aspects of the client’s needs. It’s gratifying to feel tethered to the medical community and to truly have a deep understanding of the entire life cycle of a physician's career.

Thuy Chou

Regional Manager
MD Management Limited

Back in 2013, my son had to spend weeks at Alberta Children's Hospital with a serious issue. There, he received wonderful care and his primary doctor was particularly committed to him and to our family. She went above and beyond, often texting me at night to see how things were.
During this time, I hit “pause” on my 16-year career in financial services. I started to wonder: Was I in the right place, doing the right things, helping the right people? When my son’s health scare ended and I was ready to work again, I found myself drawn to MD Financial Management. When I joined the team in early 2015 as a Senior Financial Consultant, it was the perfect way for me to give back to the healthcare community and do what I do best.
Amazingly, my son’s doctor at Alberta Children’s Hospital became my client! Knowing her hectic schedule, I would visit her in the hospital to sign papers and confirm details, and to make sure everything was prepped and ready to go. Taking care of her and taking care of the physician community is what we’re all about.
In January 2019, I became a Regional Manager based in the Calgary office. I watch our Advisors build trusted relationships with clients, understand their needs, and give specific advice and options based on their clients’ values and what’s most important to them.
I found it so enjoyable to help one entrepreneurial physician plan, strategize, finance and finally open his own medical clinic in the community. It’s also incredibly special to help clients save for their children’s education and then watch some of those same children finish medical school. I can’t help but feel proud of these young graduates, who I then have the privilege of helping if they, too, become clients when they launch their careers in medicine.
Honestly, after four years, I still pinch myself that I work for such a great organization.

Lawrence Jarikre

Financial Consultant, Early Career Specialist
MD Management Limited

I was born in Nigeria, where I spent my early childhood, and then lived in the Middle East before my family moved to Canada in 1996. My family settled in Regina and I went to university there before eventually settling in Vancouver in 2005. That is where I’ve planted roots, with my wife and twin boys.
I joined MD Management Limited back in 2008—it’s a great company that really respects work-life balance. I love my role as an Early Career Financial Consultant, which means I help a lot of medical students, residents, and physicians just starting to set up their practice. My father is a doctor and my mother is a nurse, and having that insight and perspective into the medical profession—not to mention an understanding of the challenges of setting up a new practice—permits me to truly understand the experiences of many of my clients.
Often, the young clients that I see are facing considerable debt and are concerned about how they’ll ultimately be able to pay it off—or even how they’ll make it through the next few years of their residency. I help them see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and work with them to come up with a realistic plan. I was so happy to hear from one young client I’d been working with, who told me that she had paid off her debt in full and was looking forward to the next chapter in her career.
I find that having lived in so many parts of the world has allowed me to relate to different perspectives and backgrounds, which is particularly helpful with clients who are new Canadians. I often tell them the story of my father immigrating to Canada and trying to set up a practice as an example of how things may seem difficult now, but they definitely get easier.
Overall, I’m really proud of the work I do and am looking forward to helping MD keep evolving and supporting early career physicians. Providing new online resources, seminars and events are all part of being there for our clients on many levels—to listen to them and provide the support they need throughout their career journey.

Saif Khan

Senior Financial Consultant, Early Career Specialist
MD Management Limited

When I was growing up, my family moved around quite a bit until we settled in Ottawa. That’s where they still live, including my brother (seven years younger) and my sister (16 years younger), but I moved to London in 2017 before settling in Toronto one year later. My parents instilled such a strong sense of family values, and I find that’s what I now lean on here at MD Management Limited—treating each client as a relationship built on trust and understanding.
As part of the early career team, I’m thrilled to help clients transition first from med school into residency and then into practice. I meet these new physicians at such big moments in their lives and support them with advice on investments, budgeting, buying a home—really any number of financial scenarios. I love the “aha” moments where I give them a scenario they hadn’t even considered during these incredibly important times of transition for them.
What I love about working for MD is that instead of trying to sell clients any particular products, I can instead dig in and holistically create a financial plan for each person. I build relationships with insurance and tax specialists, surrounding the clients with a financial team that’s working for them.
I tend to specialize in the nitty-gritty, the details. I do a lot of number crunching with clients, as I analyze things like reducing debt load, and renting vs. buying a home. I help them with how best to support their lifestyle, planning for the future—working with them to get their medical careers off on the right foot. If I am unfamiliar with particular aspects of their plan, I tend to go and find out on their behalf—like contacting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to better understand how the resident loan interest relief program works.
Everything comes down to timing: I need to figure out what options my clients should consider at the right time, which is 90% of the work. The other 10% is acting on it together.