Mortgage Broker

24 | winter 2018 cmba-achc.ca CMB MAGAZINE "It started on a handshake," says Kerri Reed, Vice- President of Sales, Ontario, on the founding of Premiere Mortgage Centre with Don MacVicar. "We had the same core values of trust, entrepreneurship, integrity and hard work ethic. We went from there to create this company." Don grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he currently resides with his family. As a successful president and CEO, he has a busy schedule and is constantly travelling. But being busy isn't what's kept Don and the Premiere Mortgage team listed as a Canadian Business/Profit 500 Fastest Growing Company in Canada for the past six years in a row. Don has a down-to-earth, funny and caring persona which aptly depicts his Nova Scotian roots. He attributes his work ethic and values to one of his role models, his father Don, Sr. His mentorship was paramount and Don followed his dad into banking, starting as a teller at Scotiabank in Halifax. He worked at CIBC mortgage/HLC for seven years to become the Vice-President-Sales in Toronto. ere, he worked closely with Andy Charles, now President and CEO at Canada Guaranty, who is also a role model. For Don MacVicar, success is built by maintaining his core values, which are in essence family values – trust, loyalty, fun. Since he and his late brother Dave opened the company 10 years ago, Premiere Mortgage Centre has grown from 10 brokers to over 100 in 2017. is makes them one of the fastest- growing mortgage brokerages in Canada. e team has a presence in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. In March 2017, they celebrated their 10th anniversary together in Jamaica. In January 2018, they announced Premiere Mortgage Centre, Paragon Mortgage Inc and Compass Mortgage Group have entered into a definitive agreement that will result in a merger creating a national super brokerage with loan volumes in excess of $3.5 billion annually. For as long as Don can remember, he and Dave wanted to start their own business. 2017 was the 10th anniversary of that childhood dream coming true, and Don reflects on the last decade and the accomplishments of his mortgage broker family. e continued importance of mentorship within the team and how hard they work every day comes to mind. Naturally, Dave is never far from his thoughts either. Created by the BDMs and Industry Partners of Atlantic Canada, the Dave MacVicar Memorial Mortgage Award is given annually to an Atlantic Mortgage Broker who emulates Dave via professionalism, commitment and leadership within the mortgage industry. "My brother Dave and I were best friends growing up. He was older and became one of my mentors. It was always our passion to work together and we finally did it," Don says. "We are going to grow significantly over the next decade but will always maintain our sense of family. It was the backbone of the company from day one. It's who we are. at's what makes us different." It is clear that many industry colleagues would agree. Don MacVicar and Premiere Mortgage Centre support many charities such as Brokering Wishes, an Atlantic Canada-based organization comprised of brokers and industry partners to grant wishes to children through Make-a-Wish Foundation. More an Mortgages, Hope Cottage, Alzheimer's Society, Alice House, e Progress Club, and several other organizations are also near and dear to Don's heart. Craig Spicer, mortgage broker in Halifax, has known and worked for Don and his late brother since 2002. One of his first jobs was shovelling snow for Don MacVicar, Sr. "I have the utmost respect and I'm extremely happy to be part of the Premiere team under Don's leadership. I have always admired his honesty and integrity, which is why I am working for Premiere," Craig says. "I want to be associated with a firm that has these strong beliefs. We live in an ever-changing environment and Premiere is always evolving to ensure we are ahead of the curve in our profession via technology and procedures." "It's quite amazing to be able to wake up every day and love what you do," says Michelle Drover, Vice-President of Sales, Atlantic Canada. Even all these years later, Don shares the feeling. "I'm excited for the future and what is yet to come in the next 10 years with the Premiere Mortgage Centre family." President & CEO Don MacVicar has built Premiere Mortgage Centre on core family values Family Businessman By Jennifer Burrage CEO Chat

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