Meet the team

As a Premier Banking Advisor, Gia provides personal service and tailored advice to help clients save time and effectively manage their day to day banking needs. Gia works as a single point of contact and partners with Investment Advisors in Barrie, Collingwood, Midland, Orillia, Owen Sound and Bracebridge.

Gia has 12 years of experience in the financial industry with RBC. She was recently a Private Banking Associate with our Vaughan Office for over 5 years and prior to that she was an Account Manager for 7 years at a branch. Gia is greatly respected by her clients, peers and the industry, and has enjoyed success in assisting clients achieving their goals. She has been recognized as a Top Performer with RBC over the past few years.

She graduated with a Diploma in Journalism at Humber College and is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She participates annually in RBC's Race for the Kids as well as RBC's Bed Race for the Sunshine Foundation.

Gia was born in Toronto and now lives in Barrie with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she is an avid reader and enjoys practicing yoga.

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.

Joanne obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria, Canada. She was called to the Ontario Bar and is a member of good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Joanne has had a rich and varied career working in both large and small firms in private practice as well as working for a number of years as in-house counsel for a large international technology company. In the last few years in private practice, Joanne specialized in the areas of will and estate planning, estate administration, trust planning, and family business succession planning.

As a Wills and Estate Consultant, Joanne provides comprehensive estate planning services to clients.

As a Will and Estate Advisor for the Greater Toronto Area, Lesley Donsky 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.

Lesley is a graduate of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law with a Juris Doctor degree, and holds a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation. Called to the bar in 2016, she is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Junior Trust and Estate Practitioners (JTEP), the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and the Ontario Bar Association (OBA), as well as a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Prior to obtaining her law degree, Lesley earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology from Western University, where she was awarded the Gold Medal in Criminology for her academic achievement.

Before joining RBC Royal Trust, Lesley worked under one of Toronto’s top will and estate planners and completed her articling term at one of Toronto’s top estate litigation firms.

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, Lesley can help craft a tailored estate plan that meets their individual needs.

The combination of her professional experience and her commitment to provide practical solutions makes Lesley an invaluable resource for both clients and their financial advisors.

Teresa Anastasopoulos is a Risk Assessment Insurance Specialist. Through a personalized risk assessment approach, she provides tailored insurance solutions to protect your client’s wealth, possessions and lifestyle.

Teresa has over 26 years of industry experience. Prior to joining RBC, she was a trusted Account Executive at brokerages such as Gallagher and Jones DesLauriers. Teresa holds a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation with the Insurance Institute of Canada.

Teresa is proud to represent RBC Private Insurance and is passionate about providing best in class service. Together with her team, she will work with your client to protect what matters most.

Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Certified Financial Planner professional (CFP). He has completed the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s In-Depth Tax Course and holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University (major in Accounting).

In his previous role as a tax manager at one of the global major accounting firms, Ryan specialized in providing tax planning services to high net worth individuals, private businesses, estates, trusts and partnerships. His work focused on tax minimization strategies and reorganizations.

Ryan’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.