In 2004, Sharon Watkins and Brent Pickerl joined forces to create SANDSTONE Asset Management — a Calgary-based boutique wealth management firm specializing in discretionary investment services for high-net-worth entrepreneurs, families (including their estates and trusts), and foundations. The pair haven't looked back since.
More than twenty years down the line, SANDSTONE has grown in both size and influence. But our team doesn't just manage money. We walk alongside our clients with integrity and personalized service, helping them navigate every stage of life, from financial planning and philanthropy to educating the next generation. Bottom line: we manage risk, returns, and relationships.
SANDSTONE's legacy of success is underscored by our long-standing clients — many of which are now in the second and third generation of family members turning to SANDSTONE for expert guidance. Today, SANDSTONE is known for its consistent, professional approach to wealth management as well as its commitment to community.
OUR PURPOSE
To thoughtfully steward our clients' wealth with care, wisdom, and intention by honouring their financial, familial, and philanthropic goals through a holistic, deeply personal approach. We work side by side with our clients, always available, always acting in their best interest as a trusted partner of their team.
OUR MISSION
To create possibilities — for our clients, our colleagues, and our community — by integrating independent investment expertise with a deep commitment to people, purpose, and planet. We champion the power of business as a force for good.
OUR VISION
To "Build the Commons" — a city and society where wealth, opportunity, and wellbeing are shared, sustained, and accessible to all. Rooted in Calgary and guided by a long-term view, we strive to cultivate not only financial capital but also social and cultural capital, ensuring the benefits of prosperity are collectively experienced and purposefully advanced.
SANDSTONE VALUES
Curious
We keep learning.
We seek to bring out the best in ourselves and people around us by seeing more possibility than meets the eye.
Resourceful
We ignore the easy road.
We relentlessly run the extra mile to create the best environment and solutions for our clients through sophisticated thought and research.
Conscientious
We strive for excellence.
We go beyond the basics to do things right – we are never satisfied with the status quo. We chase details around every corner and own any errors transparently.
Authentic
We stay true to ourselves and our clients.
We don't just talk the talk; we walk the walk. By embracing our unique identity and staying true to our principles, we create a welcoming and trustworthy environment where clients feel valued and understood.
SANDSTONE'S GLOBAL FOCUS BRINGS YOU A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY
We invest globally; nothing is off limits. We strive to be highly engaged in understanding political and economic situations on a local, national, and international level. We are continually re-examining the financial, psychological, and fiscal matters that shape our world.
OUR SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT POLICY
We are long-term investors in high-quality businesses. As such, we integrate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into our fundamental investment analysis. As institutional investors, we have a fiduciary duty to act in the long-term interests of our clients. We believe that ESG issues can affect the performance of investment portfolios to varying degrees across companies, sectors, regions, countries and asset classes. Our approach to sustainable investing is consistent with the framework provided by the United Nations-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
Download the SANDSTONE Sustainable Investment Policy
THE SANDSTONE CITY
In the years following the arrival of the railway in 1883, Calgary experienced a major building boom. However, most of these newly constructed structures were made of wood, a material that was readily available but highly flammable. Disaster struck on November 7, 1886, when a fire broke out in the rear of a flour and feed store, quickly spreading and destroying 14 buildings in a single day. This devastating fire propelled Calgary's transition to more permanent building materials. Sandstone, readily available along the banks of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, became the material of choice for construction.
Between 1886 and 1915, in the heyday of its use, Calgary boasted over a dozen Paskapoo sandstone quarries within the city limits. Hundreds of buildings were constructed using this durable material, transforming the city's skyline and earning it the moniker "The Sandstone City." Today, sandstone remains a key part of many heritage buildings, including the 109-year-old City Hall.
“Calgary is almost a model town. The hills surrounding it are underlaid with a very superior quality of sandstone, easily worked, and which hardens when exposed to the air. This stone is being largely utilized in building up the town, and Calgary will doubtless yet be called THE SANDSTONE CITY.”
– Published in the Globe, 1891
(Toronto newspaper later renamed the Globe and Mail)
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
We chose the name "SANDSTONE" to reflect the strength and longevity of a rock forged by wind, water, and time. Situated in the crook of Calgary’s Bow River, SANDSTONE Asset Management is shaped by the tenacity of the city we live in. At 20-years young, we are both timeless and time-tested, yet nothing about us is dated. Ever the movers and shakers, our firm is fully in tune with our shifting world and prides itself on identifying micro and macro socio-economic patterns long before our peers. We believe the adage that though history doesn’t repeat itself, it often rhymes. With our long-term outlook and active portfolio management, we give clients peace of mind through investments that stand the test of time. Because like sandstone, we’re built to last.
CREATING POSSIBILITIES FOR
YOUR FINANCIAL
FUTURE
PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy starts with people and ends with profit. We fulfil this calculated philosophy through dedication and continued examination of global investment opportunities.
STRATEGY
Expect active portfolio management, detailed research and analysis, unmatched access to a private equity fund, and a thoughtful, strong team of dedicated original thinkers.
TEAM
SANDSTONE team members are also company owners. An important aspect our clients take into account, knowing they can trust and rely on our team's investment strategies, commitment, and discretion.
Proud to be a B Corp
As a certified B Corp, we are part of a growing global movement of people who use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems. It requires rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.