An accomplished businessman, a successful author, an avid volunteer and a lifelong Leaside resident (with a brief interruption when he attended university), Robert Pierce, or more familiarly, Rob, is the definition of a Leaside success story.
If that name sounds familiar, that’s because you probably saw signs plastered around the neighbourhood or saw it printed on a ballot when you voted in April’s federal election: Rob was the Conservative Party’s candidate for Don Valley West.
He felt motivated to run “after 10 years of ruinous federal policies,” which he says are contributing to a “falling standard of living” for the residents of Don Valley West. He did, however (sarcastically), credit the new Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney for “basically implementing the Conservative platform.”
Rob began giving back to the community at a young age. While a student at Leaside High School, he worked at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). One of his first jobs was as a paperboy for the Globe and Mail at age 11.
After graduating from the University of Western Ontario (now Western University) in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business, he began his over 40-year career in wealth management.
He co-founded CI Private Wealth (formerly Stonegate Private Counsel), and its predecessor companies, Assante Asset Management and Equion Securities. He is a registered portfolio manager with the Ontario Securities Commission, one of the highest designations in the industry.
In 2017, Rob co-authored The Family TRĒ: The Total Return Experience, about best practices for high-net-worth individuals and family office management.
Rob has continued giving back in his adult life. He started serving on the board of governors at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in 1998, and in 2012, he was made chairman of the board, a position he held until 2019.
That same year, in recognition of his service to the museum, he was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Distinguished Service Award. In an online video, he is praised by ROM colleagues, who say that he “lives and breathes the ROM.” He says his passion for the ROM comes from the belief that it “makes people less fearful about the future, less fearful about immigration, less fearful about their own lives.”
In addition to volunteering, in his free time Rob enjoys spending time at the Rosedale Golf Club, the Country Club of Florida, The Granite Club, and cycling, skiing and travelling. He’s also an avid learner – he is a Master of Philosophy candidate at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and has taken additional courses at both Harvard and the University of Toronto.
Rob jokingly says that his proudest accomplishment was passing Grade 13 calculus at Leaside High School before adding that there really isn’t a specific accomplishment he can point to. He’s proud to have raised a healthy and happy family, built a successful company, and nurtured the ability to give back to his community and city.
Whether or not you marked an ‘X’ beside his name in April, there’s no denying that Rob Pierce is an accomplished individual with a deep commitment to Leaside.
This article was guest contributed by Jake Ross.