Estate Planning Specialist
Colin Ardill, FEA
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
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.
Will & Estate Consultant
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.
HNW/Business Owner Specialists
Robyn Solnik, LL.B, TEP
Vice-President, High Net Worth Planning Services,Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
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.
Abby Kassar, CPA, CA, CFP, TEP, FEA
Vice President, High Net Worth Planning Services, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Abby specializes in tax and estate planning for high-net-worth and ultra high-net-worth families.
Her guidance supports clients in their relationships with their external professional advisors, with whom she frequently interacts.
Prior to joining High Net Worth Planning Services, Abby provided tax, retirement, estate and financial planning advice to RBC advisors and their clients. She has written articles on various topics including charitable donations, executive compensation, tax planning and retirement planning.
Prior to joining RBC, Abby worked in a medium sized accounting firm assisting business executives and high net worth clients with their tax planning and estate planning. She worked closely with owner-manager shareholders to assess and recommend the best tax planning strategies, the best corporate structure and the most suitable succession plan.
Abby is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor in Economics and Commerce from the University of Toronto. She completed the In-Depth tax courses I and II and the In-Depth Tax Issues for the Owner-Managed Business as well as the Canadian Securities Course. She is also a Registered Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has obtained the STEP Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising. Abby is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Lastly, Abby is a certified Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA), which allows her to address the complex needs of family enterprise clients.
Prashant Patel, CFP, TEP
Vice-President, High Net Worth Planning Services, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Prashant has assisted high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families with tax, estate and retirement issues since 1992.
His guidance supports clients in their relationships with their external professional advisors, with whom he frequently interacts.
His expertise includes tax and estate planning for executives, business owners, retirees, sports professionals and individuals with U.S. issues. He also assists individuals facing significant financial events (sale of business, financial windfall, retirement, job loss, moving to Canada, leaving Canada, etc.)
Prior to joining RBC in 1999, Prashant honed his expertise by working as a Canadian and U.S. tax specialist for two of the big four accounting firms in downtown Toronto.
Prashant is a Certified Financial Planner, Associate of the Society of Actuaries and member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and Canadian Tax Foundation.
Private Wealth, UHNW Specialist
Michael Tarantino, MBA, CPA, CMA, CFP®, CIM, CIWM, FCSI, FEA, TEP
Vice President, Private Wealth Consultant
Michael has been in the Wealth Management Industry since 1997 where his primary area of focus has been in investment advisory and wealth advisory services. Michael joined RBC Wealth Management in 2020 as Vice President, Private Wealth Consultant; a role in which he will support advisors and fellow professionals in engaging enterprising families in broader discussions with respect to their family, their businesses and their wealth.
Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management Michael held several progressive roles at other financial institutions. Michael was the former Head of HNW Wealth Planning Services at another Canadian financial institution where he was involved in the development of: financial planning software, a HNW service delivery model, specialized planning services including the introduction of business advisory and cross border wealth planning.
Michael’s experience in conjunction with his completion of many industry leading designations suit him well as he helps initiate client discussions on family governance, family business succession, and legacy. Michael is dedicated to working as part of a multidisciplinary team guiding enterprising families to greater success.
Michael is committed to ongoing personal and professional development and is a continuous lifelong learner. Michael’s greatest skill comes in his ability to listen and work effectively with his peers at any level.
Royal Trust
Premier Banking
As a Premier Banking Advisor, Varsha Parray provides banking and credit solutions to select high net worth individuals and their families. Acting as a single point of contact, she partners with Investment Advisors and Counsellors across the Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Newmarket and Aurora regions, and provides personalized service and tailored advice to efficiently and effectively manage their day-to-day banking needs.
With 10 years of experience in financial services with RBC, Varsha is respected by her clients and industry peers, and has received top performer recognition.
Varsha is committed to giving back to her community, and volunteered and participated in the RBC Race for the Kids.
Born in Trinidad in the West Indies and raised in Toronto from the age of 7, Varsha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Degree from York University and a Human Resource Management Certificate from Seneca College.
She currently resides in the Toronto area with her husband and two children and when she isn’t hard at work for her clients, you’ll find her spending time with her family and friends, reading and developing her green thumb.
As a Premier Banking Advisor, Chandna Kamal provides banking and credit solutions to select high net worth individuals and their families. Partnering with Investment Advisors and Counsellors across the Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Newmarket regions, personalized service and tailored advice to help clients efficiently and effectively manage their day-to day banking needs.
With over 6 years of experience in financial services. Chandna is respected by her clients and industry peers. Prior to her current role, she worked as an Assistant Branch Manager at an RBC branch.
Chandna is committed to giving back to her community. Chandna volunteers with the Women's Shelter and Canadian Cancer Society. She is very passionate helping the less fortunate here at home as well as in other countries.
Chandna was born in India and raised in Toronto, where she currently resides in the Toronto area with her husband and her daughter. She loves spending time with her family and friends, travelling and listening to music.
As a Premier Banking Advisor, Shelly Lall works as a single point of contact, providing personalized service and tailored advice to help save time and effectively manage day-to-day banking and credit needs for select clients of Wealth Management Canada and Partnering with Investment Advisors and Counsellors across the Vaughan, New market and Aurora Region.
Shelly holds her FP1 Financial Service Advice Certification and has been providing exceptional client experience in Financial Services with RBC since 2001. Shelly is respected by her clients and industry peers. She has received top performer recognitions on a regular basis and is also a proud recipient of RBC Convention Award.
Shelly has continued on delivering holistic advice and helped clients reach their financial goals. Shelly's proven collaboration success along with her business growth mindset is a great strength and asset for RBC premier banking and RBC wealth management Canada.
Shelly believes in giving back to community as she supports Women of Prayer Charity, where she motivates & encourages other women in tough times. Shelly enjoys listening to music, travelling & spending time with her family & friends.
Private Insurance
Teresa Anastasopoulos is a Private Client 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.
Group Benefits
Kathy is an experienced Group Benefits professional with over 20 years of experience in the Group Benefits industry.
Kathy started her career working for a large Canadian Insurance carrier for 10 years where she developed and maintained relationships with Plan Advisors and Plan Sponsors. In this role, she continuously assessed the evolving needs of clients and introduced services and product solutions to meet those needs over time. For close to 6 years, Kathy worked as a Senior Benefits Consultant for a large Canadian consulting firm where she was responsible for managing, servicing and providing quality benefits consulting services for small to medium sized clients and association partnerships.
More recently, Kathy owned her owned Brokerage, KAPPA Group Benefits, where she supported her clients by delivering exceptional client service that included the on-going management of the employee benefits program. Kathy’s main focus was to advise clients on a competitive program that would ultimately lead to higher employee appreciation and company loyalty while remaining affordable and sustainable.
Group Advantage Consultants
Frank has over 25 years’ experience within the financial services industry, leadership and working with commercial clients. He has successfully built strong partnering relationships through effective collaboration, professionalism and maintaining exceptional client relationships. Working with a Group Consultant & leveraging the Group Advantage value proposition can further enhance Business Owner Planning discussions with your clients. Frank will help build a tailored solution that meets the goals and objectives of your client’s business and help build a group retirement savings plan that will meet the needs of the company’s valuable employees.
Private Bankers
Kevin Luchenski brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services to his role as Private Banker, in which he provides personalized, discrete financial counsel to a select group of high-net-worth business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and their families throughout the Greater Toronto Area, particularly Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket and Barrie.
As a former owner and operator of an insurance agency, Mr. Luchenski is uniquely qualified to understand the risks, demands and conflicting priorities that business owners face. Prior to joining Private Banking, Mr. Luchenski was Manager of Financial Planning in downtown Toronto and led a team of financial planners to provide tailored banking and planning to personal and business clients.
As Private Banker, Mr. Luchenski partners with his clients to deliver sophisticated banking, personalized short- and long-term lending solutions and flexible credit packages. Through RBC, he then co-ordinates a team of experts who provide investments, business banking, and domestic and international trust solutions, enabling him to deliver comprehensive financial strategies. When necessary, he will work with his clients’ other business and professional advisors to deliver integrated financial solutions.
Mr. Luchenski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and has earned his Personal Financial Planner designation. Married with two children, he keeps busy outside of the office, and enjoys skiing, running and getting in a round of golf whenever he can.
Michael Dignam brings 20 years of experience in wealth management to his role as a Private Banker, providing wealth management advice customized for select families in Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Markham, Vaughan, Newmarket and Aurora.
Mr. Dignam and his team – including a Private Banking Associate and a Manager, Credit Structures – work closely with a variety of partners in RBC to create and deliver banking, unique credit solutions and wealth management strategies tailored to each client’s unique needs and circumstances. These customized solutions may include specialized wealth management planning, business owner planning, estate planning and domestic and international trust structures.
With his personal and customized service, Mr. Dignam can simplify their complex financial lives so they can focus on their career and personal goals. Because he works with a relatively small number of high-net-worth families, Mr. Dignam can respond quickly to his clients’ needs, providing them with the attention required to meet and exceed their expectations. When necessary, he works with his clients’ existing professionals to deliver comprehensive, integrated financial solutions.
Mr. Dignam has earned his designation as a Personal Financial Planner (PFP), which has deepened his experience and understanding of the solutions he provides. In addition, Mr. Dignam is a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA). This designation enables him to work as an advisor to business families, with professionalism and comprehensive understanding in the field of family enterprise.
Originally from Toronto, Mr. Dignam holds a Bachelor’s degree from York University and is married with two children. Outside of the office, he spends time with his family and enjoys soccer, golf and tennis.