Coaching and Advising Entrepreneurs in IPFP (in French only)

Introduction

The Coaching and Advising Entrepreneurs in IPFP (CAE) specialization program covers key concepts in finance and entrepreneurship through asynchronous online lessons and synchronous virtual workshops led by highly qualified trainers with extensive experience in their fields.


Who is this program for?


This program is designed for people who have held a financial planner (F.Pl.) diploma for at least five years. It may be right for you if any of the following apply:

  • You want to develop greater expertise out of personal interest or a desire to better meet the needs of current or future entrepreneurial clients.
  • You want to stand out from the crowd and enhance your service offering by demonstrating your willingness to acquire new knowledge.
  • You thrive in collaborative learning environments, as they help you memorize material and apply concepts.
  • You’re looking for worthwhile, hands-on training that’s tailored to your practice.

Why choose this program?

This program is designed to equip F.Pl.’s with the tools they need to effectively guide their entrepreneurial clients. After completing the CAE specialization program, you will be able to:

  • Better understand the realities of entrepreneurs and their businesses
  • Identify their needs in terms of integrated personal financial planning
  • Develop integrated financial plans for your entrepreneurial clients and support them as they implement these plans
  • Guide your entrepreneurial clients’ reflection process to help them make decisions that bring them closer to their goals

Program information sheet

Time commitment

  • 14 hours of asynchronous learning
  • 16 hours of synchronous workshops
  • Approximately 5 hours of additional reading and 5 hours of assignments
  • Spread over 13 weeks

Structure

  • 3 content modules
  • asynchronous interactive online lessons
  • 10 synchronous online group workshops

Fees

$4,399 + taxes*

The Specialization Program is eligible for payment in multiple instalments. If you opt for multiple instalments, the amount for taxes ($658.75) is payable at the time of purchase, then the remainder of the payment is payable in three instalments made on the 1st of the month for three months, i.e. two instalments of $1,466.33 and one instalment of $1,466.34. If the purchase is made on the 1st of the month, taxes and the 1st instalment will be payable at the time of purchase.

Number of PDUs

  • 35 in total
  • 16 PDUs in IPFP
  • 9 PDUs in SFPA
  • 4 PDUs in SC
  • 6 PDUs in SC-FP
Schedule for the next sessionThe next cohort will start on August 27, 2025, and finish on November 19, 2025.


Register to the CAE Program (in French only)

Program details

The specialization program as described by its instructors:



Register to the CAE Program (in French only)


Module 1 : 
Entrepreneurs and Their Businesses

  • Different business structures and their financial implications
  • The main legal forms of business (sole proprietorship, partnership, business corporation, etc.)
  • Business life cycles
  • The different roles of specialists in the entrepreneurial world (accountants, tax specialists, notaries, business accelerator programs, etc.)
  • The right questions to ask when building a profile of an entrepreneur and their business
  • How an entrepreneur’s situation impacts their business and vice versa
  • Entrepreneurs’ personal and professional visions and goals
  • Assessing an entrepreneur’s integrated financial situation

Module 2 : Integrated Financial Planning for Entrepreneurs

  • The financial planning needs of entrepreneurs and their businesses
  • Understanding financial statements
  • Identifying key elements of taxation
  • Identifying key elements of protection and estate matters
  • Identifying key elements of protection, insurance, and estate matters for entrepreneurs
  • Financial planning strategies for short-, medium-, and long-term goals
  • Using multiple factors (life situation, goals, and stages in the company’s life cycle) to develop an integrated personal financial plan
  • Adapting financial planning strategies as entrepreneurs and their businesses evolve

Module 3 : Coaching Entrepreneurs

  • Building a partnership
  • Tailoring your message to your audience
  • Personalized recommendations and the coaching approach (analyzing the client’s situation and needs, monitoring and assessing the plan’s success)
  • Identifying the talents and skills that need to be developed to reach specific goals
  • Understanding how to develop partnerships with clients and specialists

In a nutshell

  • In the CAE specialization program, you’ll learn how to develop and adapt integrated personal financial plans to the specific realities of entrepreneurs.
  • The virtual program follows a hybrid learning model with synchronous and asynchronous components and varied instruction methods in order to maintain participant engagement and cater to different learning styles.
  • You’ll look at concrete examples to help you deepen your understanding of the course material.
  • You’ll be given practical tools to support you as you apply your new knowledge to your professional practice.
  • At the end of the program, you’ll receive a digital badge as proof of completion and enjoy exclusive access to content and tools reserved for holders of this brand-new, one-of-a-kind certification.


Register to the CAE Program (in French only)

Trainers

  • Etienne Beaulieu, CRHA

    Etienne Beaulieu, CRHA

    For over 25 years, Étienne Beaulieu has been coaching leaders and managers to help them tackle major strategic challenges. As a partner and head of the Organizational Transformation and Strategy practice at the consulting firm Humance, he uses innovative participatory approaches to guide his clients towards collaborative solutions. Étienne holds a university degree in industrial relations and is a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés du Québec. As an instructor, he doesn’t just teach professional development courses: he leads by example. He has taken part in numerous management workshops with such luminaries as Margaret Wheatley and Peter Senge to hone his skills and knowledge. A rafting guide in his spare time for the past 30 years, Étienne undoubtedly enjoys leading the way, and he will be doing just that as the facilitator for the introductory and closing workshops of the CAE specialization program.

  • Nancy D’Amours, LL. B., Pl. Fin., M. Fisc.

    Nancy D’Amours, LL. B., Pl. Fin., M. Fisc.

    Nancy D’Amours is an Advanced Financial Planning consultant at IG Wealth Management, a corporate taxation and tax and estate planning lecturer at Université Laval, and a professional training and development instructor at the Institute. She is a former business law professor at the École du Barreau and has also spoken at prestigious conferences held by organizations such as the Institute and the Association de planification fiscale et financière. Nancy enjoys wearing many hats because she finds fulfillment in connecting with people and helping them understand and master new concepts. She will be leading a workshop on taxation as part of the CAE specialization program.

  • Guillaume Lapierre, LL. B., LL. M.

    Guillaume Lapierre, LL. B., LL. M.

    As a partner at Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur, LLP, Guillaume Lapierre assists and advises a diverse clientele of entrepreneurs running SMEs in a variety of sectors, including financial planning. He also sits on various boards and committees in the Montreal business community and writes about business law for a number of publications. A specialist in franchising and business transfer, he teaches business law, contract law, real estate law, and legal writing at the university level and at the École du Barreau. He has also been teaching law to students in the financial planning certificate program at the UQAM School of Management for several years. Teaching is an important part of Guillaume’s life. He sees it as a way of developing his own knowledge while giving back to the next generation of business professionals. Guillaume leads the CAE specialization program’s workshop on protection mechanisms.

  • Janie Provencher Blais, LL. M. Fisc., FEA, CPA, Pl. Fin.

    Janie Provencher Blais, LL. M. Fisc., FEA, CPA, IAS.A, Pl. Fin.

    Vice-President of Estate Planning Services for Advanced Markets at RBC Wealth Management, Janie Provencher Blais excels in advising family businesses and high-net-worth clients. Her previous professional experience in Canadian taxation with renowned accounting firms and in the financial planning sector has led her to develop a crucial skill: the ability to simplify complex situations through structured financial planning that promotes multi-generational success. Believing that no career is complete without a commitment to learning and sharing knowledge through teaching and involvement, Janie studies at the Institute of Corporate Directors, has been a lecturer in taxation at Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke for several years, and currently sits on the boards of the non-profit organizations Family Enterprise Canada and Collège Marie-de-l’Incarnation. Janie facilitates one of the CAE specialization program’s three taxation workshops.

  • Dany Provost, Pl. Fin., CFA, D. Fisc.

    Dany Provost, Pl. Fin., CFA, D. Fisc.

    A taxation and actuarial specialist, Dany Provost is the Financial Planning and Tax Optimization Manager at SFL Expertise. He cut his teeth as a freelance insurance professional and has since developed computerized retirement planning tools. Dany is also an author, columnist, lecturer, and teacher and has worked with the Institute since 2005. He believes that all of us have a responsibility to share our knowledge so that no one is left behind. Dany leads the CAE specialization program’s retirement situation workshop.

  • Carl Thibeault, CPA, MBA

    Carl Thibeault, CPA, MBA

    Carl Thibeault has an impressive track record: he is a CPA, holds an MBA, and for the last 20 years, has been working his way up the ranks at IG Wealth Management, where he now holds the position of Senior Vice-President, Quebec and Atlantic. In this role, he guides his team to provide the best possible advice to clients—whether it involves complex tax, business, or estate planning—to ensure a successful future. He has also demonstrated a remarkable commitment to his community through his involvement with a number of causes, including Leucan, Clinique 180, and Skibec Alpin. Carl has been teaching accounting, finance, and financial planning to undergraduate and graduate students at Université Laval since 2002. He is now bolstering his teaching credentials by leading the CAE specialization program’s workshop on financial situations.

  • Marie Pier Thivierge, LL. B., D.D.N., M. Fisc., Pl. Fin.

    Marie Pier Thivierge, LL. B., D.D.N., M. Fisc., Pl. Fin.

    Wealth management and planning have been the central focus of Marie Pier Thivierge’s career: she spent many years a tax specialist for accounting firms and financial institutions before becoming a specialist in advanced insurance strategies. She believes that among its other virtues, insurance is an attractive financial, tax, and legal solution for estate planning issues. In addition to her professional clients, Marie Pier shares her knowledge of taxation, insurance, and notarial matters with the public through talks delivered to a wide range of audiences, including attendees of the Institute’s annual congress. As a trainer and vice-chair of the Association des jeunes notaires du Québec’s board of directors, she believes that professional development benefits not only instructors and students, but also their clients, who ultimately receive better guidance that allows them to make free and informed decisions. She leads the CAE specialization program’s workshop on the situation at death.

  • David Truong, Pl. Fin., M. Fisc., CIWM

    David Truong, CIWM, CPA, Pl. Fin., M. Fisc., TEP

    With over 18 years of experience in financial services, David Truong joined National Bank in 2007 and currently works as President, National Bank Planning and Benefits inc. This serial lecturer (he’s taught financial and estate planning at HEC Montréal, finance at McGill University, and investment taxation at Université de Sherbrooke, in addition to serving as an instructor for the Professional Training Course at the Institute) thrives on the intellectual exchange that takes place in the classroom. David received an Institute grant for his studies on the modernization of retirement planning, and he recently became an F.Pl. ambassador to inspire the next generation. He is continuing his professional relationship with the Institute as the instructor for one of the CAE specialization program’s taxation workshops.

  • Jean-Philippe Vézina, Pl. Fin., M. Fisc.

    Jean-Philippe Vézina, Pl. Fin., M. Fisc.

    For the Vézina family, financial planning is a profession passed down from father to son. Armed with a master’s degree in taxation, a bachelor’s degree in finance, and a certificate in financial services, Jean-Philippe officially took the helm at Jean-Maurice Vézina – Équipe conseil en planification financière in 2022. Named Best Advisor Under 40 by Conseiller magazine in 2020 and 2023, he has a passion for making financial concepts understandable to the general public: he has been teaching estate planning at the university level since 2018, serves as a coach at the Omnium Financier, is first vice-president of the Board and chair of the Professional Training and Development Committee for the Chambre de la sécurité financière, and is a speaker and radio commentator in Quebec City. He also contributes to articles and is involved with community organizations. At the Institute, Jean-Philippe puts his expertise to work for students in the CAE specialization program by leading the workshop on personal and family situations.

Synchronous workshop schedule 

Below is the synchronous workshop schedule for the next cohort. All workshops take place in the morning, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Those enrolled in the Specialization program are required to attend these live virtual classes. Only absences due to major constraints may be accommodated, at the discretion of the Institute.

  • August 27, 2025
  • September 3, 2025
  • September 10, 2025
  • September 24, 2025
  • October 1, 2025
  • October 8, 2025
  • October 22, 2025
  • October 29, 2025
  • November 5, 2025
  • November 19, 2025

FAQ

Active participants can ask any questions they may have about the CAE Specialization program using the forum in the Institute's Campus.

Does successful completion of the CAE Specialization program lead to a new professional designation or credential?

No. However, successful completion of the program will entitle you to a digital badge and an attestation of certification.

Do the assessments leading to certification involve an examination?

No. The assessments consist of forum interventions, multiple-choice questionnaires and the resolution of a case study. All assessment activities must be carried out asynchronously, i.e. there is no specific time slot for them.

Can the specialization program be taken at a distance?

Yes, the Specialization program can be taken entirely by distance learning. However, the program includes asynchronous activities that participants can do at their own pace, and synchronous activities (virtual classes) that must be attended at a predefined time.

What happens if I can't attend a virtual class?

If you register for the Specialization program, you commit to attending live virtual classes. No flexibility is offered. You must plan your schedule accordingly. Only absences due to major constraints will be accommodated, at the discretion of the Institute.

Registration