Rocky Mountain way

Spend a few minutes speaking with Manny Osborne-Paradis and you quickly realize his Olympic and World Cup skiing career isn’t what defines him anymore. Four years into his work as a financial advisor with the PROP Advisory Group at CIBC Wood Gundy in Cranbrook, B.C., Osborne-Paradis is focused on a different kind of performance — helping clients identify goals, build confidence and create their own success story.

“If you’re going to do anything,” he said, “you might as well do it great.”

That principle once guided him down the world’s most demanding downhill courses. Today, it underpins how he approaches wealth management, drawing clear parallels between elite sport and advisory work, particularly in the areas of client relationships, team-based execution and risk management.

Osborne-Paradis doesn’t view financial advising as a career departure; he sees it as a natural extension of the skills he’s honed over decades.

“The parallels between amateur sport and wealth advising is astounding,” he said. “I’ve been doing this advisory role my entire life.”

As a skier, that meant securing sponsors, marketing himself, creating internal teams and culture, designing structures, building one-on-one relationships, media and corporate training and giving back through community initiatives and charitable programs. Today, the mechanics are different, but the core principle remains — define value, be curious and show up consistently.

“The relationship comes down to know, like, trust,” Osborne-Paradis said. “People know I work hard, pursue excellence and genuinely care. That matters.”

Osborne-Paradis is also selective about the clients he takes on. “I want to be involved with people who want to retire successfully,” he said. “There must be a natural affinity. This is a very personal business.”

Process before outcomes

Osborne-Paradis believes that success is about something more than money.

“My world has been surrounded by excellence since I was 20,” he said. “It’s people who work hard at what they like, manage their time well and surround themselves with others who make them better.”

When he entered wealth management, he sought out standards. That included formal education, like Harvard University’s program for athletes transitioning to business.

One step at a time. “You don’t have a goal of winning the race,” Osborne-Paradis said. “You have a goal of nailing the next turn on the mountain. Focus on the process. … Don’t get attached to the outcome.”

“One big takeaway was realizing you do have something people want,” he said. “For me, that brand is excellence — show up with consistent action and the momentum builds.”

No solo performances

Ski racing may look like an individual sport, but Osborne-Paradis learned early that success is collective. That’s true even among competitors.

“At the top of a downhill track before a race, the athletes are talking,” he said. “We’re asking each other, ‘How are you going to ski that turn?’ Everyone collaborates and everyone gets better.”

He applied that same philosophy to his practice.

“I interviewed more than 35 advisory teams,” he said. “How they onboard, how they build culture, how they run process. Everyone was willing to help.”

His current team includes seasoned portfolio managers, associates with 15-plus years of experience and senior advisors with more than 30 years in the industry.

“My biggest fear was being ill-prepared — like showing up for a race not ready,” he said. “This team allows me to confidently serve high-net-worth clients with real substance behind what we offer.”

In his small Rocky Mountain community, credibility matters. “We see people at the rink and the grocery store,” he said. “We needed to build something we could be proud of in our town, and this culture has now spread to clients across the country.”

People are often surprised that Osborne-Paradis chose to be a financial advisor after skiing at the Olympics and World Cup.

“What do you think I’ve been doing all my life?” he laughed. “I’ve been assessing risk my entire career. Every ski turn is a calculation — ability, fatigue, conditions, reward.”

Ultimately, Osborne-Paradis believes the same principle that sustained his athletic career guides his advisory work: selflessness.

“What made me successful in ski racing is the same thing here,” he said. “It wasn’t about me. I cared about partners, sponsors, teammates. That took the pressure off.”

He just wants to lend a hand. “What a cool thing,” he said, “that we can help successful people be more successful.”