Who we are | Bringing the entire RBC team to you

You’re the biggest beneficiary.

Colin Ardill stays humble. Even so, he’s not shy about being a man on a mission: to overturn 150 years of misunderstanding about life insurance, one day at a time.

Most Canadians see only one dimension to life insurance: that it’s of no use to the living. But Colin sees it in three dimensions. There is the death benefit that everyone can see – but life insurance also provides tax-exempt growth, and it allows the holder to spend more money in retirement than they otherwise could. Says Colin: “The person buying the policy is going to be the biggest beneficiary.”

Colin has been in the estate planning business for over 15 years. His core purpose – the heart of everything he does – is to leave everyone he meets better off.

As a Private Banker with RBC Wealth Management, Private Banking, Michelle Berry provides comprehensive wealth management and financing strategies to high-net-worth business owners, executives, professionals and their families.

Michelle offers an extensive background in client relationship to her role as Private Banker. She draws on 35 years of experience within RBC, consisting of a wide range of roles including Commercial Banking, Small Business, National Office and Retail Banking. In her most recent role as Sr. Commercial Account Manager, Michelle managed a portfolio of complex commercial clients with revenues between $10 Million to $80 Million

By partnering with a group of RBC wealth management experts, Michelle has access to specialists to work collaboratively to provide a complete range of services, including financial planning, business and commercial banking, estate planning, domestic and international trust and Investment Management. When necessary, she will work with her client's other Professional advisors to deliver comprehensive financial solutions.

Based in Richmond Hill, Michelle works with a select number of clients in York and Peel Region to address their often-complex banking, credit and wealth management needs by providing tailored seamless banking and financial solutions.

A graduate of Durham College, Michelle has continued to deepen her knowledge and expertise with key industry designations such as Personal Financial Planning and Investment Funds in Canada, and Financial Analysis.

Michelle enjoys running, playing sports such as soccer, volunteering and spending time with her 2 grandsons.

Jennifer Wood brings over 17 years of RBC experience to her role serving high-net-worth clients in Toronto and the surrounding area.

As Private Banker in the downtown Toronto office, she draws on her extensive experience to advise on a number of issues that affect her business owner and professional clients, including banking, lending and wealth management. As needed, she partners with specialists from across RBC to provide a complete range of complementary services, including estate and tax planning, investment management and trust services.

Prior to joining Private Banking, Ms. Wood was a senior counsel in RBC's Law Group in the Mergers and Acquisitions department. There, she managed in-house and external counsel teams and worked with business partners on acquisitions and dispositions on behalf of RBC. In 2011, she was a recipient of the ILO Global Counsel Award for best in-house M&A law practice.

Ms. Wood is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and holds a bachelor of laws degree and a bachelor of science degree from the University of Toronto. She also has her personal financial planning designation. She is an active member of her Toronto community and ran for City Counsellor for Ward 29 Toronto-Danforth in 2010. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Toronto Scouts Foundation and for Crow's Theatre.

Ms. Wood was born in Regina and raised in Burlington before she made Toronto her home in 1981. She keeps active outside the office with yoga, travelling, reading, following the Toronto Blue Jays and raising her two teenaged children.

As a private banker with RBC Wealth Management, Michael Choi provides comprehensive wealth management and financing strategies to high-net-worth business owners, executives, professionals, and their families.

Based in the B.C. Lower Mainland, Michael works with a select number of clients in British Columbia to address their often-complex banking, credit and wealth management needs by providing tailored seamless banking and financial solutions.

When the need should arise, he has access to specialists from across RBC to work collaboratively and provide a complete range of complementary services. These range from investment management, estate/legacy planning, business owner planning as well as broad trust services to sophisticated credit and leverage strategies to support individual on their financial goals.

Michael offers an extensive background in client relationship to his role as private banker. He draws upon 20 years of experience within RBC, consisting of a wide range of roles in Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, as well as the strategy and planning experiences.

A graduate of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, with a master's in sciences, Michael has continued to deepen his knowledge and expertise through his many years of experience in personal and commercial Banking.

Away from the office, Michael enjoys hiking and golfing.

As your Private Banker, Kathryn will gain an understanding of your unique needs and goals in order to deliver wealth management planning tailored to you. She will then work with you and your team as well as partner with top experts from across RBC to implement customized solutions, including succession planning and advice on complex structures for you and your family.

Kathryn has 15 years of industry experience and holds her PFP designation. She has a deep experience working with high net worth families throughout the local community and takes a holistic approach to her clients’ financial needs, pairing professional, highly tailored banking and credit solutions with a dedicated personal relationship.

Faisal specializes in tax and estate planning for high net worth families.

Prior to joining RBC, Faisal was a tax senior manager with a mid-size accounting and advisory firm, as well as with a multi-national accounting firm. Faisal’s expertise includes tax and estate planning for high net worth individuals and families, professionals, and business owners.

Faisal is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and his educational background includes the completion of the CICA’s in-depth tax course (Level I, II and III), a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Victoria, and a Masters of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan. He is also a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation.

Robyn, together with your primary RBC advisor, helps you explore succession, tax, retirement and estate planning issues you face as a high-net-worth client.

Prior to joining RBC, Robyn acquired her expertise in estates, trusts and succession planning in both private practice and with a major trust company, practicing law in Toronto for 8 years with an emphasis on trusts, estates, succession, planning for incapacity and charities law, and as a will and estate consultant for a well-known Canadian trust company. In 2001, Robyn joined RBC, assisting clients with their overall tax and estate planning, and in 2011, assumed her present position, specializing in assisting high-net-worth clients with their succession, tax, retirement and estate planning.

Robyn obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall in 1991, and she was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1993. She has completed her in-depth tax courses, levels 1 and 2, as well as the Advanced Tax Issues for the Owner Managed Business Course and the Corporate Reorganizations Course. She has co-authored two books, “Drafting Wills in Ontario: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide” and “Drafting Wills in Canada: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide”.

In addition, Robyn was an instructor at the Estate and Trust Bar Admission Course at the Law Society of Upper Canada.She is an active member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has obtained the STEP Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising.

As a member of the RBC Family Office Services team, James, together with your RBC advisor, can help you explore your business succession options. James understands the specific concerns faced by business owners and has extensive experience addressing their more complex needs.

For the past 25 years, James specialized in developing best practices around business succession planning and in the process helped several families achieve their business succession vision. He also authored a book, The Transition Experience: What every Canadian family should know about business succession planning.

His process not only focuses on technical matters such as business valuation, sale of business planning and tax planning, but also recognizes that business succession has a profound impact on a business family. As such, much of James’ process also involves assisting members of the family with the softer issues of planning, including post-succession and wealth.

James is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator and is a frequent presenter on business succession planning. He obtained his degree, Master of Commerce, from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and is currently a member of the Family Firm Institute. 

Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and is a Certified Financial Planner professional. He has completed the Master of Taxation graduate degree from the University of Waterloo and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University with a major in accounting and minor in finance. He is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation.
Prior to joining RBC, Ryan was employed as a tax manager at one of the leading global accounting firms. He specialized in providing personal, corporate, and estate planning services to high-net-worth individuals and their owner-managed entities. His work focused on tax minimization strategies and reorganizations.
Ryan believes that planning is critical to helping people meet their financial goals. Ryan’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting your Compass Financial Plan.

Alleen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from York University and her law degree from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law in 2008. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2009.

Prior to joining RBC, Alleen practiced in the areas of Estate Planning and Administration, Corporate/Commercial law and Real Estate law in a mid-sized law firm. Alleen advised her clients on a breadth of legal issues, including key considerations in setting up legal business structures, succession planning and estate planning.

Alleen fosters a multidisciplinary approach to each client’s unique needs, drawing on various advisors’ expertise and offering her own to identify issues for further consideration and review, together with information and guidance which are both sensible and practical.

Kevin obtained both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario. He was called to the bar in 1989 and is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management Services, Kevin worked in private practice in downtown Toronto for many years, principally in the areas of Will and estate planning, estate administration, as well as real estate. His clients included both individuals and financial institutions. In addition to assisting individual clients with drafting Wills and powers of attorney, and estate administration, he also acted for trust companies appointed as estate trustee.

Vickie (Victoria) Schneider obtained both her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Calgary. Vickie is a member of the Law Society of Alberta.

Prior to joining RBC, Vickie practiced law at a national law firm where she advised clients on estate planning and tax matters including Wills, trusts, enduring powers of attorney and personal directives. Vickie also has experience with estate administration and charity matters.

Vickie is a Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Calgary Branch Committee member.