Our Team

Carsten founded CBS Financial Directions in 1992. Today, with his partner Michael Kaine, the company has evolved into Bear Street Financial Group, a full-service planning company serving the Bow Valley.

In his words, “People are inherently adverse to paying premiums for something they don’t think will happen to them. Insurance products are intangible, but money is a concept people grasp easily. My goal is to enlighten my clients that it is critical to marry insurance planning with that of wealth accumulation.”

Carsten has resided in Banff for most of his life and together with his wife Karen, they have raised their three sons here.

He is active in the community, having coached for many years in minor hockey and high school basketball and continues to serve as a board member on a number of non-profit organizations in the Bow Valley.

Carsten enjoys road biking and golf.

A Founding Partner and Managing Director at Bear Street Financial Group, Mike has been with the team for six years, and has over twenty years of private wealth management and insurance experience, dating back to 2001.

As an accredited and Certified Financial Planner, Mike has significant experience developing and implementing financial plans for clients, and has done so in numerous previous roles with Manulife Securities, Holliswealth, and Investor’s Group.

Mike is an alumnus of the University of Alberta, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, specializing in Finance.

Away from the office, Mike spends time with his family and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities in the Bow Valley, including snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking.

Arlene has been with the Bear Street Financial Group Team for almost twenty years, amassing two decades of experience in private wealth management and insurance services.

As the head of client relations, Arlene is instrumentally involved with all aspects of the management and operation of Bear Street Financial Group, including client communications, as well as the financial management and insurance divisions of the firm.

Arlene is actively involved in the community, where she regularly volunteers with organizations such as the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital.

A former president of the Banff YWCA, Arlene is currently serving her in her fourth term as a Trustee for the Canadian Rockies School Division, where she currently serves as Board Chair.

A long-time Bow Valley resident, Arlene has raised her family in Banff, alongside her husband, Biil.

Joining Bear Street Financial Group in 2019, Kella serves as our Group Benefits Administrator.

Kella is directly responsible for servicing our group insurance clients, where she manages a wide variety of responsibilities including policy renewals, quote issuance, plan setups, and providing ongoing assistance to group plan administrators and employees.

An alumnus of the University of Lethbridge, Kella graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Management. She also holds a diploma in Marketing, which she received from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

A resident of the Bow Valley since 2013, away from the office, Kella enjoys spending time with her family and raising her two children.