The McVagh Cunningham Group story began back in 1962 when Jack Harrington started his insurance practice in Calgary. He moved to Victoria in 1972 and hired Barb McVagh in 1978, as he wanted to ensure his clients were taken care of for their lifetime. Barb, like Jack, upheld this continuity by hiring Deneen Cunningham in 1994.

Deneen's entrepreneurship was destined from the start, as she comes from a family of small business owners. Her career in the stock brokerage industry began in 1982. This later led her into the insurance world. Her experience and knowledge made her the perfect fit to continue Jack and Barb's legacy.

Barb semi-retired when she sold the practice to Deneen in 2005. Barb still enjoys her mentorship with Deneen as they continue to work together in Calgary. Her passion for travelling ensures she spends much of her time seeing the world.

Nicole Ardiel joined the Great-West Life Assurance Company in 1997 as an Employee Benefits Specialist. After five years, she moved to Freedom 55 Financial to work with Chuck Pusateri, an established financial advisor, who also specialized in the group benefits arena.

In 2005, Nicole joined forces with Deneen and Barb and the rest of the team at McVagh Cunningham Group. Shortly thereafter, Chuck retired and Nicole began to look after many of his clients, in addition to her own growing practice. Today, Nicole and Deneen perform within their respective specialties, but also work closely together to help ensure their clients receive the full financial planning experience.