VISAVIS INVESTMENT COUNSEL INC.

What VISAVIS INVESTMENT COUNSEL INC. does

Visavis Investment Counsel Inc. is a privately held, Quebec-based investment counseling firm founded in 1999 that provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to high net-worth individual investors, family offices, pension plans, and institutional clients. The firm operates under the regulatory oversight of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), with continuous licensure in Quebec and Ontario for over 25 years and an unrestricted practice license to advise and discretionarily manage investment portfolios. All client assets are segregated and custodied at major Canadian financial institutions of the client's choosing, separating custody from the advisory relationship. The firm is led by two principals, John Evdokias (B.Comm Finance, 30+ years of industry experience spanning stockbroking, portfolio management, analysis, and investment counseling) and Catherine Shand (BA, CFA, 30+ years as an Investment Counselor with a Growth at a Reasonable Price philosophy).

The firm's service offering is organized around four products: discretionary portfolio management, investment counseling, Client Communiqués, and Quarterly Reports. The investment approach, branded as "No-Nonsense Investing," emphasizes common-sense asset allocation over stock-picking and typically limits equity exposure to under 60% in client portfolios. Each investment decision is made holistically within the integral context of the overall portfolio, with individually customized strategies developed in close collaboration with clients. The firm communicates its investment thought process through regular Client Communiqués (sample archives date from 2003) and quarterly portfolio valuations, which are also published on its website as a trust-building tool for prospective clients.

The business model is a traditional, recurring AUM-based fee structure on discretionary advisory services, though specific fee schedules and AUM figures are not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition is sales-led and reputation-driven, relying on direct consultation, principal credentials, and the public availability of sample reports. The firm maintains a regional presence limited to Quebec and Ontario, uses a basic website (visavis.ca) and social channels (X/Twitter and LinkedIn) for marketing, and shows no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capabilities, or documented funding, M&A, or partnership activity.

Name

VISAVIS INVESTMENT COUNSEL INC.

Legal name

Visavis Investment Counsel Inc.

Website

https://visavis.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Visavis Investment Counsel Inc. is a Montreal-based, privately held investment counseling firm founded in 1999 that provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to high net-worth individuals, family offices, pension plans, and institutions in Quebec and Ontario under AMF regulation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Target-Risk / Risk-Profile Model Portfolios (FSAAAJAD)

Keywords

• Discretionary portfolio management
• Investment counseling services
• Wealth management advisory
• Asset allocation services
• High net-worth advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Discretionary Portfolio Management Fees: Visavis generates revenue through fees for discretionary investment counseling and portfolio management services provided to high net-worth clients, family offices, pension plans, and institutions. Specific fee structures (e.g., AUM percentage, flat retainer, or tiered pricing) are not publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Visavis Investment Counsel provides discretionary portfolio management and licensed investment counseling services to high net-worth individual investors, family offices, pension plans, and institutional clients. Portfolios are managed using a common-sense, asset-allocation-driven "No-Nonsense Investing" approach that emphasizes capital preservation alongside revenue generation, typically limiting equity exposure to under 60%. Client assets are segregated and custodied at major Canadian financial institutions of the client's choice, with quarterly portfolio reporting and regular Client Communiqués supporting ongoing client communication.

Product overview

Visavis Investment Counsel offers a unified investment counseling and asset management service rather than a modular platform architecture. The core offerings consist of discretionary portfolio management and investment counseling services, supplemented by Client Communiqués and Quarterly Reports for client communication and reporting. The firm provides individually customized investment strategies with a simple, common-sense approach focused on revenue generation and capital preservation, typically recommending conservative diversification with less than 60% equities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discretionary Portfolio Management First-rate discretionary portfolio management services for high net-worth individual investors, family offices, pension plans, and institutions. Portfolio decisions are made holistically within the integral context of each client's investment objectives, focused on asset allocation and judicious investment judgment under a "No-Nonsense Investing" approach that typically limits equity exposure to under 60%.
• Investment Counseling Licensed investment counseling services providing objective, unbiased financial guidance. The firm works closely with clients to develop individually customized investment strategies based on realistic expectations and specific financial needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients receive quarterly portfolio valuations and individual transaction reports
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• Guardian Capital Group: Canadian independent investment manager providing discretionary portfolio management to institutional, retail, and HNW clients. Overlapping business model and target segments, with broader product range.
• Jarislowsky Fraser: Canadian investment manager acquired by Scotiabank, focused on discretionary portfolio management for institutional and private clients. Comparable conservative value-driven investment philosophy and discretionary model.
• Fiera Capital: Montreal-headquartered independent asset manager offering discretionary portfolio management across traditional and alternative strategies. Same city/regulator as Visavis, but materially larger scale and broader institutional focus.
• Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group: Privately held Canadian investment manager offering discretionary portfolio management across multiple affiliate firms. Comparable independent/privately-held ownership structure and discretionary advisory model.
• Wellington-Altus Private Wealth: One of Canada's largest independent wealth platforms serving HNW clients with discretionary portfolio management across Canada. Comparable business model and target client base as Visavis, but at materially greater scale with hundreds of advisors.

Direct peers

• Barrantagh Investment Management: Canadian boutique discretionary portfolio manager focused on HNW individuals, families, and foundations. Comparable boutique scale, discretionary mandate, and conservative asset-allocation philosophy.
• Hillsdale Investment Management: Canadian boutique discretionary investment manager serving institutional and private wealth clients. Comparable boutique scale, independent ownership, and discretionary portfolio mandate.
• Letko Brosseau Asset Management: Montreal-based independent boutique investment manager offering discretionary portfolio management to institutional and private clients. Direct comparable on geography (Quebec), business model (boutique discretionary manager), and target segments.
• Canso Investment Counsel: Canadian boutique fixed-income and balanced-portfolio manager serving institutional and HNW clients with discretionary mandates. Closely comparable investment philosophy (value-driven, asset-allocation-focused) and discretionary model.
• PWL Capital: Canadian independent fee-only wealth management firm providing discretionary portfolio management to HNW individuals and families. Comparable in independent fee-only positioning, HNW focus, and discretionary advisory model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VisavisInvest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/john-evdokias-19332715

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VISAVIS INVESTMENT COUNSEL INC.