Our Team

I’m Michael Hayden, founder of Hayden McLennan Wealth Management. Throughout over 35 years in the investment industry, I’ve worked with high-net-worth business and family clients to help them navigate every aspect of the investment cycle.

I’ve helped people start businesses, implemented investment strategies to help them grow, and helped founders sell and retire. Through it all I’ve learned that the key to helping my clients make money over the long haul is to protect their assets. When assets are protected, growth takes care of itself.

Having begun my own investment journey at the age of 19 when I first opened a stock account, I understand the importance of balancing risk and reward. I also believe in the power of developing a solid growth portfolio. This philosophy has helped Hayden McLennan grow from the ground up, to a team of five that manages over half a billion in private assets.

Whether you’re at the start of your wealth journey or looking for a partner to help wind things down, Hayden McLennan can help you find meaningful financial solutions to your goals. Using our balanced approach to capital management and wealth preservation, we work with you to develop an investment strategy that fits into your present and achieves your future goals.

If you’re ready to find innovative ways to manage your business or family wealth, I’m always available to chat.

Financial complexity doesn’t need to be complicated, and my goal is to show you how that can be done. I work with high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and professionals to help them work toward financial freedom, where they no longer need to worry about day-to-day finances or the future, since they know our team has them covered.

My role is to look at all possible solutions, to find those that can provide meaningful change to your family’s financial future. To find the best solutions for you and your family, there are often very difficult questions that need to be asked. These questions can make it easy to lose sight of the larger picture and your goals, but with the help of my team, we will keep you on course.

When stepping into the wealth management role with any new client, my approach is always to encourage all parties to leave their ego at the door. I encourage them to take a step back and ask, “Will this improve our family’s financial position for future generations, without sacrificing the present?” If the answer is yes, we move forward and implement an investment strategy to achieve those goals.

Working under this philosophy I’ve helped business owners valuate and sell corporations, founders transition into retirement, families convert accounts into trusts that limit tax exposure, and everything in between. In all cases, effective wealth management means finding creative solutions that meet short and long-term goals—understanding what’s best for everyone involved.

If you’re ready to simplify the way you manage your finances, I’m ready to help.

An Investment Associate with Hayden McLennan Wealth Management Group, Francesca joined BMO Nesbitt Burns in 2017. She graduated with a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies degree from Western University, and got her start in finance as a business development associate with an investment management company.

Throughout her career, Francesca has demonstrated a strong commitment to client relations and building meaningful solutions that help high-net-worth families and individual investors reach their financial goals. She is also a Registered Representative with CIRO, and is primarily responsible for building portfolios, financial planning and managing various projects at Hayden McLennan.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Francesca likes to give back to her community. She often volunteers with BMO Employee Giving program, where she delivers meals to seniors and cooks dinners for community members in Toronto. Some of her philanthropic passions include Halton Women’s Place and Heartache2Hope.

In her spare time, Francesca enjoys travelling, staying active and spending time with her friends and family.

Vanessa began her career in finance in 1994, first working as an in-putter on a Bond trading desk, then rising through the ranks as a licensed trader. She joined BMO Nesbitt Burns in 2016 and has served as an integral part of the Hayden McLennan Wealth Management team since 2018.

Vanessa’s specialty is in helping our private wealth clients visualize an end goal for their portfolio management strategy and finding the easiest and most efficient way to get there.

With decades of proven administrative and customer-service experience, she is committed to servicing the needs of our many clients, ensuring they all receives equal care, no matter their background.

Martha joined Hayden McLennan Wealth Management in 2022, providing administrative and operational support for our team of investment advisors. In this role she makes valuable contributions to promote the growth of our business, including the coordination of marketing activities, and management of our website and social media accounts.

Prior to entering the world of investment management, Martha worked for many years in medical research and data management. She holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Toronto’s Schulich School of Business, and a Bachelor of Health Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University.