Passion for helping others brings rewards

Written by CNM Monday, 19 July 2010 00:00

Like many immigrants, Ethiopian-born Yusuf Abdulmenan left behind his home, his extended family and an established career in search of a better life. “When I lived in Ethiopia, I worked as a land surveyor for the government,” says Yusuf. “But because of unsafe conditions I decided I had to leave my country.”

With only his hopes and determination to guide him, Yusuf first moved to Italy to continue his education, working long hours as a retail sales clerk to pay for his schooling. It was during this time that he discovered a passion for helping his customers and talent for being able to understand and meet their needs.

Turning new interests into a successful new career
After completing his studies, Yusuf immigrated to Canada in 1987. While willing to take on any work that could help make ends meet, he found himself gravitating towards jobs that involved putting his people-skills to good use. When a friend in the insurance industry told him about the opportunity to become a financial advisor with Sun Life Financial, Yusuf knew he had found his calling.

“I was attracted to an advisor career because it allows me to do things that are meaningful and enjoyable to me,” he comments. “Every day I get to interact with so many different people and most importantly, help them take care of themselves and their families by building financial security.”

Although Yusuf didn’t have much experience in financial services, Sun Life Financial’s Career Academy provided extensive classroom training to help Yusuf build his product knowledge and business development skills. He also benefits from the continued support and mentorship of managers and more experienced colleagues in his financial centre.

Community ties help build a business
Since becoming a Sun Life Financial advisor in 2005, Yusuf has qualified each year for the company’s Order of Merit and for numerous performance-based recognition and reward programs.

Yusuf credits his effective networking within the Ethiopian community as playing an important role in his achievements. “Insurance is an unfamiliar concept to many Ethiopians,” he notes. “Since we have language and culture in common, I am better able to help them understand the importance of insurance and other aspects of ensuring financial health and well-being, which in turn has helped me expand my client base by gaining trust and respect.”

In order to give back to the community that has contributed so much to his professional growth, Yusuf is actively involved with P2P Canada, a charitable organization that provides assistance to orphaned Ethiopian children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He recently spearheaded a fundraising campaign at Sun Life Financial, who also donated to support the cause. At the local level, he also volunteers to help promote HIV/AIDS education and awareness amongst youth in the greater Toronto area.

Helping families create better financial futures
While his cultural ties are important, Yusuf attributes his ongoing success to a deeply rooted sense of integrity and commitment to looking after the best interests of others that has allowed him to enjoy ongoing success. Financial Centre Manager Vince Evangelista agrees: “Yusuf truly cares about people and about the industry,” says Vince. “As an example, after hearing about one woman’s bad experience with an advisor at another insurance company, he went out of his way to help her contact the right people and resolve the issue, even though there was nothing for him to gain financially.”

While Yusuf enjoys the professional recognition and financial rewards that come with career success, to him, “the greatest reward of being an advisor is the satisfaction you get from helping families build a better life and a better financial future.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the advisor career with Sun Life Financial, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.sunlife.ca/careers/advisor.

Sun Life Financial advisors are contracted with Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc., registered in Quebec as a financial services firm.