The Heart of Giving: A Conversation with Dr. Chris and Leslie Reilly
Release Date: 11/28/2025
A Look Inside Canada’s Current Commercial Mortgage Market
The Wealth Exchange
Interest rates are up and real estate values have shifted. So where are the opportunities now, and how does real estate debt fit into your portfolio? Host Rob Olsen sits down with Mark Tiu, Director of Mortgage Investments at Nicola Wealth, and Sam Brown, President and Head of Commercial at CMLS Financial, one of Canada’s largest commercial mortgage lenders, to share their front-line perspective on today’s real estate market. You’ll hear: • How higher rates are changing borrower behavior • Where lenders are finding opportunities and where they’re cautious • How commercial...
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Beyond the Podium: The Fundamentals That Last - A Conversation with Patrick Chan
The Wealth Exchange
Excellence is rarely defined by a single moment. More often, it is built quietly over years through discipline, preparation, and the support of a trusted team. In this episode of The Wealth Exchange, Nicola Wealth's Institutional President David Sung sits down with Olympic medalist and three-time world figure skating champion Patrick Chan, for a live fireside conversation recorded at the Arbutus Club in Vancouver. Patrick reflects on the mindset behind elite performance, from the early years of training and the lessons learned through setbacks, to the routines and preparation that help...
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Capturing Financial Opportunity in the Private Equity Secondaries Market
The Wealth Exchange
In private equity, fund timelines have traditionally shaped when investors exit an investment. Today, the secondaries market is creating new ways to provide liquidity while allowing strong assets to be held for longer. In this episode of The Wealth Exchange, Rob Olsen speaks with Sunny Lee about the evolution of private equity secondaries, with a focus on General Partner-led transactions. They discuss what is driving growth in the market, how continuation vehicles work, and how Nicola Wealth evaluates secondaries opportunities across managers, sectors, and vintages.
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Real Estate’s Reset, Revisited: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t
The Wealth Exchange
Real estate remains front-page news; from trade tensions and a soft condo market to the implications of BC’s Cowichan land claim ruling. In this follow-up episode, Rob Olsen, Head of Nicola Wealth Private Capital, reconnects with Mark Hannah, Executive Managing Director, Real Estate, to revisit their earlier conversation on valuation pressure and liquidity challenges, exploring what has shifted since then and what investors can expect in 2026. Mark shares updates on portfolio performance across Canada and the U.S., the state of redemptions, recent asset sales, and early signs of...
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Succession Isn’t a Transaction: What Business Owners Often Discover Too Late
The Wealth Exchange
Leadership transitions are defining moments for any organization. When done well, they preserve what made a firm successful while creating space for the next generation to lead. In this episode, host Natalie Michael, Managing Partner of CEO Next Chapter, speaks with John Nicola, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Nicola Wealth, and Chris Nicola, the firm’s newly appointed CEO. Together, they reflect on the journey that led to the leadership transition and the careful planning that supported it, including the role of independent governance, succession planning, and the board led process...
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Beyond the Practice: Smart Financial Strategies for Dental and Medical Professionals
The Wealth Exchange
In this episode, Ron Haik, Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager at Nicola Wealth, is joined by Karisa Schaitel, Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager and CPA, for a practical discussion on tax planning, estate considerations, and long-term wealth strategy for physicians and dentists. Drawing on their experience advising owner-managed professional corporations across Canada, they explore how financial decisions evolve over the life of a practice, and why proactive, coordinated planning matters. The conversation covers common planning gaps, the risks of siloed advice, cash flow...
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Beyond the Hype: How Long-Term Investors Are Thinking About AI
The Wealth Exchange
Artificial intelligence sits at the center of today’s market narrative, surrounded by extraordinary investment, ambitious projections, and no shortage of bold claims. Yet as capital pours into infrastructure, chips, and data centers, investors are increasingly asking a more difficult question: what does realistic, long-term value creation from AI actually look like? In this episode, host Chris Nicola, CEO of Nicola Wealth, sits down with Eugene Wong, Associate Portfolio Manager | Public Assets, to unpack what’s really happening inside the AI super cycle. Drawing on Eugene’s research...
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5 Mistakes Even Seasoned Investors Can Make
The Wealth Exchange
Most investing mistakes do not happen in moments of panic. They often happen when confidence is high, markets feel calm, and success starts to feel familiar. In this episode of The Wealth Exchange, James Atherton, Vice President, Private Wealth | Client Relationship Manager and Chris Warner, Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager examine five common errors seasoned investors can make, and share practical frameworks for staying disciplined, aligned, and prepared through every phase of the cycle. Through real client experiences and practical insight, the conversation explores how...
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Why Infrastructure Can Be a Steady Force in a Volatile Market
The Wealth Exchange
Infrastructure continues to play a distinct role in portfolios, particularly during periods of economic and market change. In this episode of The Wealth Exchange, host Jasmine Marichic, Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager at Nicola Wealth, speaks with Ashley Ng, Senior Director and Head of Infrastructure Investments, and Sebastian Nicholson, Principal, Infrastructure Investments, about infrastructure. Drawing on real-world examples, from power grids and data centres to energy transition assets, the conversation explores how infrastructure generates cash flows, responds to...
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What Are You Really Passing Down? Values, Wealth, or Confusion
The Wealth Exchange
Legacy is often treated as an end-of-life conversation, but what if it is actually a daily practice? In this episode of The Wealth Exchange, host Cassandra Cross is joined by Teresa Virani, Executive Director of Philanthropy at Nicola Wealth, to explore how legacy is shifting from an end-of-life concept to a lived and intentional practice. Drawing on her work with families across Canada, Teresa shares how wealth becomes most meaningful when it is directed with purpose rather than simply accumulated. The conversation examines how philanthropy can strengthen family connections, prepare the next...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Wealth Exchange, host Tim Stranks, Wealth Advisor and Director of the Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation, sits down with Dr. Chris and Leslie Reilly to talk about the purpose and impact behind their lifetime of philanthropy.
As longtime Nicola Wealth clients and dedicated supporters of BC Children’s Hospital, the Reillys share how their personal experiences, professional lives, and family values shaped their commitment to giving.
Chris reflects on his career at BC Children’s as a current surgeon and former Head of Orthopedic Surgery, the mentors who guided him, and the transformational role donor support plays in equipment, research, and global medical training. Leslie offers her perspective from both social work and community involvement, highlighting how meaningful giving extends far beyond financial contributions.
Together, they discuss how planned philanthropy helped them become more intentional with their support, how donor-funded advancements have changed children’s lives, and why giving has become a central part of their family’s legacy. Their story illustrates how thoughtful philanthropy can drive measurable results.