The Leslie Group

The Leslie Group

Shawn Leslie launched the firm as a sole proprietorship in 1992, formally incorporating in 1994 as The Leslie Group Limited before adopting the Leslie Consulting Group operating name. The business grew by advising Canadian employers on group benefits, group retirement plans and third-party administration — a bundling strategy that lets clients source plan consulting, compliance and administrative services from a single independent provider rather than an insurance carrier. The firm's practice spans group benefits consulting, group retirement planning, third-party administration and international benefits coordination for employers with cross-border workforces. It maintains offices in Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg and South Western Ontario, and serves clients across Canada. The website references international affiliates in the United States and Europe to support employers with operations or remote staff in those regions. The executive team, led by Chairman and CEO Shawn Leslie and President Daniel Henry, includes dedicated vice presidents for group benefits (Matthieu Bedard), group retirement (Jay Hopkins), client services (Josie Guarraci) and finance and operations (Chris Goodale). The firm describes itself as one of Canada's largest independent consulting firms, though it does not publish headcount, revenue or assets-under-administration figures. The structural differentiator is its independence from any single insurance carrier or asset manager, paired with an in-house third-party administration capability. Most benefits consultants outsource plan administration to insurers or standalone TPAs; Leslie runs it internally. That architecture lets the firm negotiate coverage terms and investment menus across multiple providers while retaining the administrative margin, a model that suits mid-market and larger employers who want a single accountable vendor for the full benefits stack.