Highly respected in the investment community, Sharon has been a trailblazer in the financial services industry from her early years in Toronto. Her impressive career trajectory began at McLeod Young Weir before she relocated to Calgary to join Merrill Lynch Asset Management.
At Merrill Lynch, Sharon enjoyed tremendous exposure to an international culture that greatly shaped her investment philosophy and practice. At the time, Merrill Lynch was one of the few global firms in the world, and one of the largest, and it was there that Sharon was mentored by some of the biggest names in the industry and recognized for her accomplishments with induction into Merrill’s prestigious Falcon’s Club. Sharon subsequently became one of the founders and managing director of McLean and Partners.
In 2004, she partnered with Brent Pickerl to create Sandstone Asset Management Inc. (SANDSTONE), becoming the first female CEO of a securities-listed firm in Canada.
Sharon is an alum of Singularity University’s Silicon Valley Executive Program, an intensive and transformational program with an emphasis on harnessing accelerated technologies to advance purposeful businesses and promote social impact. Driven by her curiosity, Sharon looks at global trends, geopolitical issues, and behavioral aspects of investors around the world to stay informed and deliver integral insights.
Known for her annual OUTLOOKforecasting event, Sharon presents and tracks an ambitious ten-year forecast, boasting an extraordinary record for accuracy and prescience. Sharon is in frequent demand to bring her energetic personality to local and national initiatives, where her contributions range from co-sponsoring the establishment of the Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management to sponsoring Alberta Ballet’s artistic director and Order of Canada member, Jean Grand-Maître, for two decades.
Sharon has served as a director on the National Board of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (now CIRO) and spent many years on the Advisory Board of the Global Business Forum held annually in Banff. As a mentor, funder, and board member for InterGen, Sharon is part of a future-forward platform that connects emerging entrepreneurs with senior business leaders to build Alberta’s next-generation economy. Sharon is also one of the original ‘activators’ of SheEO, a global network supporting women-led business ventures.
Her tenure as SANDSTONE’s CEO has seen the company achieve a number of outstanding accomplishments. SANDSTONE became the first portfolio management company in Canada to achieve Certified B Corporation status. As part of our ongoing commitment to community, the firm has earned the sought-after Imagine Canada ‘Caring Company’ designation for excellence in social responsibility. Sharon is also the driving force behind SANDSTONE’s annual CONNECTS event, where influential individuals educate and motivate the SANDSTONE community through lively discussion and facing contentious issues head on.
With her visionary leadership, compassion, and high esteem in the industry, Sharon Watkins has cemented her reputation as one of Alberta’s foremost business leaders and exceptional citizens.
