Connie Freitas, BA, LL.B
Vice President and Will & Estate Consultant, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Connie obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994.
Prior to joining RBC in 2012, Connie practised law for 18 years. As a partner in a mid-sized full-service law firm, her practice was varied and covered the areas of corporate/commercial law, real estate, and Wills, trusts and estates law. In that role, Connie advised her owner-manager clients on a broad range of business and personal needs, from purchases and sales of businesses, to shareholder agreements and corporate reorganizations, to Will and estate planning.
For many years Connie taught the Business Law section of the Bar Admissions Course and was involved with preparing the licensing exams for Ontario lawyers. Throughout her career, Connie has been involved in her broader community, serving on many non-profit boards as well as providing pro bono legal services.
Thomas Seah, CLU, BA (Econ)
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
As Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, Thomas specializes in the preservation and enhancement of wealth. He employs a comprehensive process to assess your wealth management needs and recommend creative, tax-exempt insurance solutions to address them.
Thomas will create a tailored plan using insurance solutions to increase and secure your wealth, reduce the impact of future taxation and structure your estate so your wealth is transferred to your heirs in accordance with your wishes. Thomas evaluates various insurance offerings including life insurance, annuity and living benefits.
Thomas joined the insurance industry in 1984 after completing a university degree in economics. In 1995, he joined RBC Wealth Management and is one of the agency’s longest serving employees. Highlighting his commitment to the industry, Thomas also holds the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.
As a Senior Trust Advisor, Manish Gosrani is responsible for managing a complex book of accounts. He works with individuals, families and businesses throughout Toronto and the GTA to provide 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, Manish can help.
Manish has more than 25 years of wealth management experience in Canada and the UK. He holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LL.B), is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and is working towards his Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation to further strengthen his industry knowledge and expertise.
Manish has a deep understanding of priorities and needs of wealth advisors and delivers well balanced advice by staying abreast of product, industry, investment, tax and legislative developments. With a career focused on building client relationships, he brings to each client the necessary skill set to provide both the technical expertise as well as the genuine understanding of the emotional complexities that underlie these issues. He is dedicated to providing assistance in the preservation, management and transfer of wealth between generations by providing solutions to implement clients’ estate, trust and philanthropic plans
Marlena Pospiech, B.Comm., TEP, CFP
Financial Planning Specialist, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Marlena is a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) graduate from Concordia University, and a Certified Financial Planner® professional. She also holds a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in Canada and is fluently trilingual (English, French and Polish).
Marlena has over 20 years of extensive wealth management experience ranging from being a key note conference speaker, to also being a national TV, print and radio media spokesperson, and managing an RBC branch. She also spent many years in financial advisory roles where she provided technical research, support and wrote articles on complex tax, trusts, estates and retirement matters. Most recently, Marlena has been providing holistic comprehensive wealth planning services to high net and ultra-high net worth business owners, professionals, physicians, and retirees.
Marlena’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.
Daniel Francella brings more than 14 years of experience in the financial services industry, all with RBC Royal Bank, to his role as Private Banker, in which he delivers personalized, discreet financial counsel to a select group of clients and their families throughout the Greater Toronto area.
Drawing on his seven years as a Financial Planner for mass affluent clients, Mr. Francella and his team- which includes a Private Banking Associate and a Manger, Credit Structures- collaborate with a variety of partners throughout RBC to help his clients simplify the many details of their financial lives and focus on their career and personal goals. This team enables him to offer a complete range of services - including investments, commercial banking, estate and business succession planning and domestic and international trusts – to meet each client’s specific needs.
Because he works with a relatively small number of clients, Mr. Francella is able to ensure responsive service while delivering the level of attention his clients require to enjoy the non-financial aspects of their lives. When necessary, he will work with his clients’ other professional advisors to deliver comprehensive, integrated financial solutions.
Born and raised in Toronto, Daniel holds an Honours BA from York University and holds the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) and Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designations, which help in providing financial planning advice to clients with complex needs. Daniel is an avid sports enthusiast and when away from the office, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife Roxanne and daughter Alessia.