George Ho: Leading with innovation and partnership

Meet George Ho, Aviso's Chief Technology and Digital Officer. In the ever-changing world of technology, leaders like George demonstrate how a strategic focus on innovation and collaboration can redefine industries. We sat down with him to learn about his first year at Aviso, what he's done so far, and his vision for the future.

Bridging industries with expertise

George's career is a testament to his versatility and expertise across multiple industries. Before joining Aviso in November 2023, he led the technology team at RioCan, applying his decades of financial services experience to a sector beginning to experience a digital transformation: real estate. His team was responsible for the digital infrastructure at The Well in Toronto, one of North America's largest real estate developments. George witnessed the project from its early construction phases to its grand opening, learning the intricacies of real estate along the way.

Prior to RioCan, George made notable contributions in the public sector as the CTO at the Ontario Securities Commission and during a significant tenure at Industrial Alliance (iA), where he played a crucial role in developing a Wealth Management-focused technology team and spearheading the complex integration of several acquisitions.

Redefining IT as a partner

George is passionate about creating environments that attract top talent. He aspires to make Aviso's technology team the “best internal tech provider" by offering robust technology platforms and innovative tools that enhance employee and customer experiences.

At Aviso, he has deliberately moved away from the traditional IT label, rebranding his team as "Technology Solutions Partners." This shift represents a commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and alignment with business growth objectives.

"We want to be seen as partners, not roadblocks," George explains. "We're here to help find technology solutions to problems and to deliver them collaboratively."

This commitment to collaboration has been a theme throughout his career, continuing in his tenure at Aviso. Over the past year, George has focused on building partnerships with internal and external clients, including the credit union network that Aviso supports. His aim is to open a dialogue to explore how Aviso can leverage economies of scale. By doing so, he seeks to enable Aviso to offer the best tools to meet their needs, particularly in areas like cybersecurity and data management services.

Impactful leadership and recognition

Under George's leadership, Aviso received a CIO Canada Award for the new Qtrade Direct Investing® mobile app. This award program celebrates Canadian organizations that use technology in innovative ways to deliver significant business value.

Using a client-centric approach, George's internal development team designed the new mobile app for an improved user experience and a more intuitive, user-friendly interface. They built it using scalable, multi-layered microservices architecture, making updating and rapidly responding to changing market needs easier. The accolade is a testament to George's vision of using technology as a competitive advantage—a mindset that permeates throughout Aviso.

Throughout his career, George has always been an innovator. He led the development of an award-winning asset management CRM and an industry-leading portal in the franchising industry and was an early adopter of transformational technologies, including being the first in financial services to embrace direct-to-disk backups and unified threat management firewalls, both of which are common across firms today. 

A vision for the future

Looking forward, George is committed to delivering the best digital solutions for Aviso's diverse clientele, including end investors, Aviso Correspondent Partners clients, and credit unions. By partnering with leading technology companies, Aviso aims to create value-added experiences that empower businesses and investors alike.

"The strength of any team comes from having multiple perspectives, and not just sticking with how things have always been done," he says, emphasizing that technology facilitates growth and efficiency across all business functions, not just the technical ones.

George Ho is not just steering Aviso's technology function; he's shaping how enterprises view IT—as a catalyst for innovation and growth. Through strategic partnerships and a focus on customer-centric solutions, George is leading Aviso into a future where technology enhances every facet of the business.

Qtrade and Qtrade Direct Investing are trade names or trademarks of Aviso Wealth Inc. and/or its affiliates.