Partners

Ana's reputation is built on the outstanding level of service she provides. Motivated by a strong desire to help clients achieve their wealth goals, her focus as an Estate Planning Specialist is to build trust and loyalty first rather than only helping with a snapshot of their financial situations.

Driven to make an impact, Ana emphasizes building strong relationships and spends time making sure people are heard while addressing their concerns. She identifies and recommends the right solutions to meet both current and future lifestyle needs while minimizing risk to their existing wealth.

Ana joined the financial services industry in 2006 after receiving her degree from Concordia University in Mathematics and Statistics (BA). It was there that her analytical side and attention to detail flourished and shone. Ana is passionate about sports and a devoted fan of her hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens.

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

Based in Westmount, Mr. Ruggeri works with a select number of clients in the North-West region to address their often-complex banking, credit and wealth management needs by providing tailored seamless banking and financial solutions.

When necessary, he can access specialists from across RBC in order to work collaboratively to provide a complete range of complementary services, from investment management to estate and legacy planning, and from domestic and international trust services to sophisticated credit and leverage strategies to support individual short and long term goals.

Mr. Ruggeri offers an extensive background in client relationship to his role as a Private Banker. He draws on 19 years of experience within RBC, consisting of a wide range of senior management positions in both Retail and Commercial Banking covering areas in Risk Management and Financial Restructuring.

A graduate of John Molson School of Business - Concordia University specializing with a degree in accounting, Mr. Ruggeri has continued to deepen his knowledge and expertise with key industry designations such as CPA, CMA.  Mr. Ruggeri is a member of the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés du Québec.

Away from the office, Mr. Ruggeri enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys. He enjoys coaching his sons in Hockey and Soccer and enjoys playing organized Hockey.

Richard has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and a bachelor degree in Civil Law (LL.B.) from University of Sherbrooke as well as a bachelor degree in Common Law (Juris Doctor) from Queen’s University in Kingston. He is a Certified International Wealth Manager (CIWM), a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), a Canadian Investment Manager (CIM), a Certified Financial Planner Professional (CFP) from the Financial Planner Standard Council and a Financial Planner from the “Institut Québécois de Planification Financière” (F.Pl.).

Before joining RBC Family Office Services in 2015, Richard worked in the securities industry with Canadian and American brokerage firms and with the Montreal Exchange, where he worked as a Trader, Banker, Financial Advisor, Private Advisor and Financial Planner. He also spent three years in a Montreal based law firm specialized in business law.

Richard’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting comprehensive Compass Financial Plans for clients.

Shawna is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), and holds a Master of Taxation (MTax) degree from the University of Waterloo as well as her bachelor’s degree in Commerce from McGill University. She is also a Financial Planner (F. Pl.), duly registered under the Institut Québécois de Planification Financière (IQPF), and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Planners (Quebec chapter). Prior to joining RBC, Shawna was a taxation manager at a Montreal-based accounting firm, providing sophisticated tax and wealth management planning to high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients. Shawna's area of expertise includes personal, corporate and estate tax planning, wealth preservation and financial planning. As a Financial Planning Specialist at RBC Family Office Services, Shawna works jointly with your advisor to prepare and present your comprehensive Compass Financial Plan.

Karen Loupelle joined RBC Financial Group in 1991 and has gained a unique understanding of high-net worth clients’ needs through roles with Royal Trust, RBC Investments, and RBC Dominion Securities.

Mrs. Loupelle has earned the Financial Planner designation granted by the Institut québecois de planification financière (IQPF) in 2004. She has 13 years of experience as a Financial Planner, ten of which were spent with the Compass Financial Planning team dealing with high-net worth individuals, and she is studying for her CPA with McGill University.

Karen’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting comprehensive Compass Financial Plans.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Joseph Di Niro began his career as a Notary in private practice at a notarial firm in Montreal. During this period, Joseph developed an expertise in Will and estate planning and also acquired specialized knowledge in estate settlements and non-contentious matters. To further his knowledge in the field of taxation, Joseph later joined a multinational accounting organization, where he specialized in tax planning for individual and corporate clients. Member of the Board of Notaries of the Province of Quebec (Chambre des Notaires du Québec) since 2010, Joseph obtained his Notarial Law Degree (D.D.N.) from Université de Montréal in 2009, after having obtained his Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) from the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in 2007. Joseph is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Sherbrooke.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Me Jennifer Katsaros launched her career at one of the largest Quebec-based networks of notarial firms in Montreal. During this period, Me Katsaros developed an expertise in Will and estate planning, as well as acquired a specialized knowledge in estate settlements and non-contentious procedures. To further her knowledge in the field of estate planning, Me Katsaros later joined a major Quebec law firm that specializes in taxation, where she specialized in estate settlements and estate planning for high-net-worth individuals.

These combined experiences ensure a holistic viewpoint and a collaborative approach to the client experience.

Member of the Board of Notaries of the Province of Quebec (Chambre des Notaires du Québec) since 2016, Me Katsaros obtained her Master's in Notarial Law (LL.M.) from the University of Montreal in 2015, after having obtained her Licentiate in Law (LL.L.) from the University of Ottawa in 2014. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.) from the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University since 2008.

Alda Tropea brings more than 35 years of trust industry experience to her role as Regional Trust Advisor.

Alda’s depth of experience, coupled with her professionalism and dedication to client service, serves her well in her current role. She understands that the role of an executor is a difficult one and her sensitive handling of evolving family dynamics= have earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor.

An expert focused on executor services, she helps executors identify where RBC can help to lift the burden of an executorship, whether in a simple administrative capacity helping with specific tasks, or in a more comprehensive manner carrying out the entire estate settlement process on their behalf.

Alda can provide customized solutions to help individuals carry

out their executor duties and can help to expedite the settlement process, and maximize the estate’s value through knowledgeable handling of estate and tax issues.

A graduate of McGill University, with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, Alda has attained the key industry designations of Senior Trust Officer (Institute of Canadian Bankers), Financial Planner (Quebec Institute of Financial Planners - IQPF), and Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Alda’s solid reputation as an estate and trust specialist is valued by clients who rely on her when it comes to discussing estate settlement and administration services, trustee and power of attorney services, as well as other specialized services offered through RBC Royal Trust throughout Canada.

Alda’s dedication to clients has been recognized by the Award of Excellence, one of RBC’s highest honours. She is fluent in English, French and Italian.