Our RBC partners

Prior to joining RBC in 2014, Zora spent over a decade with a mid-size Canadian accounting and business advisory firm where she focused on assisting owner-managers and their families with personal, trust and corporate tax planning and compliance. Zora focused on development and implementation of strategies for wealth preservation in the context of tax, estate and succession planning.

Zora, together with your primary RBC advisor, helps you to explore succession, tax, retirement and estate planning issues you face as a high-net-worth client. Zora specializes in tax and estate planning for business owners and high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families.

Zora received a Bachelor degree in Science from Simon Fraser University and a Master in Business Administration from the University of British Columbia. Zora is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant. Zora has completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Courses, as well as the Advanced Tax Issues for the Owner-Managed Business Course. Zora is also a TEP designated member of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).

Prior to entering the life insurance industry more than 20 years ago Sean was a senior manager in the tax group of a national accounting firm. With experience in personal and corporate tax, estate and succession planning, and corporate reorganizations, Sean provides a fresh perspective to his clients' estate planning needs. Sean works closely with you and your professional advisors to develop and implement tax-efficient strategies to help meet your wealth management goals.

A Chartered Professional Accountant, Sean holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario. Sean is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Ask great questions. Listen. Educate, inform and implement.

When Cheryl meets with clients, she takes the time to truly understand their financial situation and then helps to guide them in making the right decisions for their needs.

Building caring, long-lasting relationships, Cheryl has spent over 30 years, collaborating with affluent families, professionals, executives and business owners, while partnering with their trusted advisors. She believes risk management is at the foundation of every wealth plan, and is known for simplifying complex financial situations.

Cheryl has earned multiple industry designations, along with the Family Business Strategy Essentials Certificate from the Sauder School of Business. In her spare time, she enjoys riding horses, skiing, boating and traveling.

As a Senior Trust Advisor, Phylicia Rye serves clients throughout the Eastern Greater Vancouver and North Vancouver Island areas. Her focus on providing estate and trust advice and solutions to high net worth families has garnered her a strong reputation among her peers and is well known within the estate and trust industry for her ability to deal with complex issues.

Phylicia graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics). She also holds both the Personal Financial Planner (PFP) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations, and the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation. She has over 24 years of industry experience and has leveraged the necessary technical and business development skills to provide clients with the right solutions for their unique circumstances.

Phylicia works with individuals, families, and businesses providing customized estate, trust and incapacity solutions. Whether it is helping someone to settle an estate, establishing a trust to ensure the successful transfer of family assets, or arranging to assist with the administration and responsibilities for a Power of Attorney, Phylicia can help.

As the Will and Estate Advisor for the Vancouver and Okanagan regions, Rick brings an approach to estate planning that centers on understanding and addressing the unique needs of each client, working collaboratively with both the client and their trusted advisors to help craft a comprehensive, effective estate plan that meets their particular needs.

A graduate of Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from the University of Victoria. He is currently a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Wills and Estates Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association (BC), and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Rick joined RBC Estate & Trust Services from private practice and brings over 15 years of experience as a full time estate planning lawyer with a downtown Vancouver law firm. He has extensive experience dealing with all facets of personal estate planning, including wealth preservation, asset protection, income splitting and tax minimization issues. During that time, Rick also dealt with court appointed committees for incapacitated individuals, and matters arising from the administration and wind up of estates.

Whether clients hope to protect a disabled heir, incorporate succession planning for their business, address the unique concerns arising from second spouses and blended families, minimize family conflicts, or deal with beneficiaries or assets that are situated outside of Canada, Rick can help craft a tailored estate plan that meets their individual needs.

The combination of his professional expertise and his commitment to provide practical solutions makes Rick an invaluable resource for both clients and their financial advisors.

Inder is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and has completed the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s In-Depth Tax Course. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Diploma in Accounting from the University of British Columbia.
Prior to joining RBC, Inder amassed over eight years of experience in public practice at two distinguished and established accounting firms. As a Tax Manager she specialized in providing Canadian tax solutions to a wide range of clients and industries. Her experience includes tax planning, estate planning, and corporate reorganizations for high net worth families and business owners.
Inder’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting your Compass Financial Plan and to identify and assess any related financial planning concerns you may have.

Coming from one of the major global accounting firms, Yat-Sze brings a broad range of experience to her role as Vice President, Financial Planning Specialist.

In her previous role, she spent many years working with private companies, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and partnerships. Her work included tax minimization through appropriate tax planning (corporate and personal, including estate planning) as well as corporate restructuring.

Yat-Sze is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). She completed her Bachelor of Commerce at the University of British Columbia and has completed all three levels of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ In-Depth Tax Course. She has also completed the Advanced Tax Course for Owner-Managed Businesses.

As a Financial Planning Specialist, Yat-Sze’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting your Compass Financial Plan and to identify and assess any related financial and tax planning concerns you might have.

Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University in 1999 and earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria in 2007. She was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2008.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Melissa practiced law in Vancouver and specialized in estate planning and estate administration as well as small business corporate and commercial matters. Melissa assisted clients with a range of estate planning matters including drafting Wills, Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements as well as matters related to the administration of an estate, including applications for Letters Probate and Letters of Administration. Melissa also assisted clients with matters relating to a variety of corporate transactions including incorporations, corporate reorganizations, corporate financing, share and asset purchase and sale transactions as well as the drafting of various corporate commercial documents including shareholder agreements and partnership agreements.

Melissa is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Wills and Trusts Section (Vancouver).

Melissa’s role with RBC Wealth Management is to work with you and your advisor to review and/or structure your Will, estate and trust matters to ensure that your plan is organized in an effective and tax-efficient manner.

Grace received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 2000 and graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 2003.

She was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2004. Prior to joining RBC, Grace practised law in Vancouver, specializing in estate planning and estate administration. Most recently, Grace worked at a hospital foundation advising the charity on legal matters as well as its donors on charitable giving.

Grace is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Wills and Trusts Section and Charities Section. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Aileen obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 2000 and graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 2003. She was called to the Bar in British Columbia and Ontario in 2004. She has achieved her TEP designation from STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), has completed the In-depth Tax Issues for the Owner-managed Business course and all three levels of the In-depth Tax course through the CPA.

In 2009, Aileen joined RBC, assisting clients with their overall tax and estate planning, and in 2014, assumed her present position, specializing in assisting high-net-worth clients with their succession, tax, retirement and estate planning. Prior to joining RBC, Aileen practiced law in Vancouver and Toronto, specializing in estate and trust planning, and tax litigation.

Aileen is a committed community volunteer, currently serving as Treasurer of STEP Canada and as a board member of the Canadian Dupuytren Society. She is a former Trustee of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver Foundation (serving for 9 years) as well as other local not-for-profits in BC. She is also a member of STEP Canada, the Canadian Association of Gift Planners, as well as the Canadian Tax Foundation.