Employee spotlights

Crystal Waugh

Assistant Branch Manager, Nordel Branch

Published: December 2020

Crystal Waugh is an Assistant Branch Manager at Gulf & Fraser’s Nordel Branch in Surrey, BC.

Can you describe your role at the branch?

My day to day looks like interacting with members helping them build their financial futures and working with my team to develop them and help them grow into their next future position.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

What I enjoy most is seeing the progression that my staff has made. So that’s them learning a new skill, being able to close an opportunity for the first time. Seeing their progression and their growth is what makes me continue to drive to do what I’m doing.

What opportunities has Gulf & Fraser given you so far?

I started as a service representative in 2012 at the Port Coquitlam location and I transitioned over to a Money Advisor about a year and a half later. I’ve been the Assistant Branch Manager for Nordel for just over two years. In that time, Gulf & Fraser has given me ample opportunities to expand my knowledge and my network with different opportunities. Currently I am part of the Minerva women’s leadership program. We go through this leadership journey together and support one another in learning how to coach and develop and work through this new world that we’re in.

I’ve been the president of IGNITE our internal young leader’s program which I’m very proud of and still try to stay active with to this day.

Focusing on the current role you’re in, mastering it and taking it to its full potential and then working on that next step, and then finding a good coach or someone who is a mentor that you can lean on. There’s lots in this organization. I can name a hand few that I have worked with personally that have helped me develop and grow into my current role and in my career to get where I am today.

How would you describe Gulf & Fraser’s culture?

I think our culture here is very diverse. We’re very open. We have lots of different people from different walks of life and learnings and backgrounds and we really embrace them and take the strength that people have and utilize them and bring the best potential out of them.

Be truly honest with yourself on what you want to get out of what you’re doing in your role. Where do you see yourself, where do you want to see yourself? Be open and honest in communicating that with your manager. There are so many different departments and destinations that that can land you into.

How would you sum up your experience so far at Gulf & Fraser in one word?

It’s been liberating knowing that as each step I’m taking, the gratitude that I’m seeing, and also the accomplishments that I’ve had based off of those around me that have helped me get to that next level. It’s been very exciting!