Patrick O’Connor has been delivering excellence and thought innovation in the planning industry for over 35 years. Patrick’s passion for helping enterprising families can be traced back to his early career in financial services working with business owners and their families. He became frustrated with the traditional approach which focused on tactical solutions before obtaining clarity around the vision and values that Patrick thought should drive sound decisions.

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A collaborative approach.

Identifying the need for a trusted 3rd party to facilitate the difficult conversations required for enterprising families to build a cohesive vision, he left the corporate world in 1999 with a mission to develop a values-based planning process that met this need.

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Blackwood Family Enterprise Services is the realization of Patrick’s mission. Blackwood’s collaborative approach brings together all stakeholders and fosters the level of accountability that is essential in creating a family legacy. An exclusively fee-based planning firm, Blackwood has offices in Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario. Patrick and his team create and sustain long term strategic harmony and legacy for families.

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Committed to the work.

Patrick’s commitment to making a difference means he has spent many hours as a volunteer and a board member with a variety of community-based organizations including the Corydon Community Centre, Rotary Club, and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. Along with these commitments, Patrick is currently the President of Ducks Unlimited Canada.

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When Patrick is setting an ‘out of office’ autoreply it means he is in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, where he fishes, hunts, and exercises to his heart’s content.