Meet Jay Nadler
As founder and owner of Naviguide, Jay has had many careers. Jay has managed retail stores and movie theatres, worked with a circus, drove courier trucks, ran the commercial sales department for MEC (when it was growing 40% per year) and spent many years selling enterprise level IT systems and support services. Jay was also an elementary school teacher.
Jay found the world of insurance in 2002 following the diagnosis of his wife’s brain tumor when she was just 29 years old. As a family, they got to experience the emotional toll and the financial reality that illness brings. Entering the world of insurance professionally became an obvious next step to help others avoid those financial pitfalls and their associated emotional toll.
The experience with his wife’s illness motivates Jay to select the best processes and products to help his clients achieve a life as free of financial risk as possible. His business background enables him to find, understand and explain those products. As a result, Jay has become more like a consultant. He helps his clients best determine benefit-plan designs that work best to achieve their goals.
Jay owned Marathon Benefit Corporation, (specialists in group benefits and business insurance solutions) in Calgary, Alberta from 2004 to 2017. He moved to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island with his new wife, Jane, and opened Naviguide in 2017.
Naviguide, from its inception, was designed to be a virtual advisory. As such, even before Covid was on anyone’s mind, they were having virtual meetings via platforms like Zoom & Teams. Today, they continue to use those platforms, as they provide tools that can help you and your employees more than in face-to-face meetings. We do still like meeting in person when possible.
Due to Jay’s diligence and processes, he was selected to be a representative for the CFIB benefit plan for BC and Alberta for the larger, more complex CFIB members who need group-benefit plan help.
In his spare time, Jay is very physically active. You’ll find him on the trails in and around Cumberland, either running or riding his mountain bike almost daily. In the summer, you might also find him kayaking or riding his motorcycle. In winter, he can be spotted up on Mount Washington.
Much has changed with COVID. Look at how Jay has changed with the times.
“In my dealings with Jay, I have found him to be among the most knowledgeable and capable advisors that I’ve had the pleasure to work with during my 24 years in the benefit industry. He is considered a thought leader in the benefits space, and he uses his advanced expertise and knowledge to deliver innovative and comprehensive solutions for his benefit clients. Perhaps most importantly, he brings the highest levels of professionalism and integrity to his benefits practice, and I would not hesitate to recommend Jay’s service offer.”
Steve Dumas, Director, Business Development
Johnston Group Inc.
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