Des Nwaerondu, CFP^®, is the inaugural recipient of the FP Canada™ Emerging Leader Award. He’s also a dedicated volunteer within and outside of the financial services sector.  

After passing his CFP exam, Nwaerondu signed up to serve as an exam scorer. He saw it as a way to stay sharp, and to remain involved with FP Canada. The next logical step was to become an exam writer, which gave him the opportunity to think critically about what future CFP professionals or QAFP^® professionals need to know when they start working.  

“As a business owner, you want to be front and centre, stay relevant, and make sure that, if there’s someone coming through that program, you have the ability to hire them and know that they’re the cream of the crop,” he says.  

Nwaerondu has also served on the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) program advisory committee and chaired their financial services board for three years. He still goes back regularly to talk to students who are interested in a financial planning career—and he’s been able to hire SAIT graduates to work directly with him.  

“It’s important to give back to the profession you’re in,” he says. “Being involved allows you to bring younger individuals into the industry and make sure that they’re set up for success.”  

More broadly, Nwaerondu has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Global Village, helping to build four houses in four years in Mexico, Thailand, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. “That was very fulfilling, to give back to a family that didn’t have a roof over their heads. We were able to provide that for them.”  

He founded Des Fights Cancer, raising more than $55,000 in seven years, ran a marathon in support of another cancer fundraiser, and has served lunches at the Calgary Drop-in Centre, a homeless shelter.   

“Giving back is very important when it comes to setting an example for everyone—including my kids,” he says. “Helping them see that there’s more to life than play, and that it’s not just about us. We can go out there and help other people and make the world a better place.”