Vancouver Island Pickleball finished 2025 on a high note, welcoming in Owen Williams of Raymond James as Title Partner. Originally from Qualicum Beach, Williams is an avid pickleball player in the Victoria community, a financial advisor, and a family man with a full slate of weekly commitments.
Learn More About Owen
On top of Williams’ above-mentioned schedule, he developed a guide that combines his career expertise with his passion for pickleball, highlighting what makes a successful partnership on and off the court. The Pickleball Guide contains a wealth of information for those looking to both improve their on-court performance, as well as those interested in gaining insight into Williams’ services on the financial side.
The road to Raymond James has been in the cards since Williams’ time at Kwalikum Secondary School.
“Ever since high school, my dream was to be involved in stock trading and investments,” said Williams.
After a number of successful years in institutional trading, he decided to shift his career focus towards the wealth management community at Raymond James, combining a passion for pickleball brought on by the pandemic.
“[Playing pickleball for the first time] was a lot of fun,” added Williams. “There was just laughs the very first time we ever played. And then VPC (Victoria Pickleball Centre) opened. It was exactly what we were looking for to be able to play with really nice courts consistently inside.”
Williams recognized the parallels between the pickleball community and his work in financial advising immediately.
“I think everybody knows that once you get to know your partner, you get to know, ‘Oh, they’re taking this ball, they’ll support me here, they’ll cover here. These are the types of shots they like to hit.’ It makes the game more fun, and I feel like you have more success.
“I wonder about people who maybe don’t have the strongest relationship with their financial adviser,” continued Williams. “What kind of opportunities are they missing out on, and what conversations are they not having, and what mistakes are they possibly making, and if they had a partner who is really supporting them the way that their pickleball partner did, I think that they would have a a more meaningful, outcome with their financial lives.”
Pickleball’s social component is arguably one of its most attractive traits as a sport, and is one of the aspects of Williams’ job that he embraces most.
“I love talking to people. That’s that’s probably the most fun about the job. I love getting to know people. I love hearing their story, how they got to where they are.
“Once you get to talk to someone one-on-one and learn about where they’re coming from and understand their perspective, that just unlocks so many great questions, so many great conversations. And then we find the value where I can help them get closer to what they want in life. And, that’s the rewarding part of the job.”
Get in touch with Owen by sending him an email at [email protected].
ABOUT VANCOUVER ISLAND PICKLEBALL
Vancouver Island Pickleball celebrates the growth and diversity of the Island’s pickleball community, sharing stories, updates, and resources that showcase the people, places, and passion driving the sport forward. With a vibrant social media presence and dynamic coverage, VIPB connects local and visiting players alike, highlighting the Island as a destination where pickleball and community thrive together.