Head of National Sales explains why his firm supports the WP awards
Dennis Tew sees his firm as an agent of innovation. The Head of National Sales for Canada at Franklin Templeton explains that one of the asset manager’s fundamental goals is to move the financial services industry forward, through innovations of their own and by celebrating the innovations of others. That’s why, he explains, his firm sponsors the Wealth Professional Awards.
Franklin Templeton has been a perennial sponsor at the WP Awards, and for the 2026 edition they’re putting their name behind one of the biggest categories on the list: Dealer of the Year. Tew explained why he sees this awards show, and industry celebrations in general, as an essential part of the industry’s drive to innovate and improve.
“We want to celebrate, we want to reward, acknowledge, recognize others in the industry who are moving the business forward as well, who are helping Canadians achieve their financial goals,” Tew says. “We do so much work ourselves with advisors that we just thought aligning ourselves with the recognition of advisors and dealers was the best position for us. We are involved with them every day. We know who's doing a good job and we really wanted to celebrate their success and what they're bringing to Canadians.”
Supporting the Dealer of the Year award, Tew explains, allows Franklin Templeton to align themselves with key players in the industry. He sees dealers as an essential intermediary between fund manufacturers and the end client. Just as innovations have been recognized in the way fund manufacturers and individual advisors work, Tew says his firm wants to recognize the ways dealers have innovated.
Dealers, Tew notes, are sometimes caught in the middle between manufacturers and end clients. Their businesses have changed dramatically in recent years as a result. The scope of services have expanded, regulatory requirements have become more sophisticated, and client expectations have risen. Dealers have met all of those challenges through the integration of new practices, processes, and technologies. At the same time they have faced down the beginnings of the great intergenerational wealth transfer, the retirement of some of the best-established advisors in the industry, as well as a global pandemic. Tew sees these dealers building their platforms, creating structures that advisors can use to thrive in a changing world, he wants to celebrate that.
Tew highlights just how much work has gone into the product and delivery platforms at various dealers. That includes platforms for Unified Managed Accounts (UMA), Separately Managed Accounts (SMA), as well as more managed solutions. All of that has made the delivery of asset management solutions simpler and more effective for advisors. He hopes that the Dealer of the Year award celebrates those successes, as well as highlighting the investments dealers have made in building out financial planning for their clients, especially at the scale that so many Canadians need now.
Supporting the WP awards, Tew says, allows his firm to position themselves at the forefront of the industry, supporting innovators and celebrating the successes of their clients, colleagues, and competitors.
“As a firm, we want to be associated with people doing really good things to help Canadians,” Tew says.
Looking across the categories at the awards, Tew sees so many avenues for success and innovation. Rather than hoping one theme wins out on the night, he hopes that the evening celebrates each of the small changes, small improvements, and incremental successes that aggregate into a massive improvement for Canadians.
The awards evening itself, Tew says, is a chance for the industry’s luminaries to dust off their tuxedos and gowns and reconnect with one another. It’s a social industry, he says, and events like the WP awards allow for that kind of convivial forum that so many advisors and industry leaders relish. He hopes that other advisors, dealers, and asset managers take the opportunity to participate and celebrate one another’s success.
“It's an opportunity for anybody and everybody to recognize and reward people that are doing great things in our industry,” Tew says. “We're an industry that serves people. And recognizing the people that are bringing excellence to that goes a long way.”
Nominations for the 2026 WP awards are open until February 13 - submit your nomination here.
