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.
Murray Shapiro, BA, LL.B, TEP
Vice-President, High Net Worth Planning Services, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Murray has been providing advice and technical support in relation to high-net-worth family wealth planning since 1994. Conversations include scenarios to be aware of in transitioning, including the costs of transitioning, your assets to your intended heirs. Additional areas of concern may include tax, asset preservation and philanthropic planning.
Murray’s expertise encompasses both domestic and international family circumstances, and in many cases is focused on the challenges of transitioning a family business. His guidance supports clients in their relationships with their external professional advisors, with whom he frequently interacts.
Before joining RBC’s Canadian Wealth Management Services team in 2008, Murray worked with RBC’s Global Private Banking group as the senior resource in their global trust business for over 13 years.
Prior to joining RBC, Murray practised law for six years in the areas of estate and tax planning, as well as various areas of business law.
Murray was a Director of STEP Canada (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners) from its inception until 2009, and has been a member of the International Tax Planning Association and the Canadian Tax Foundation over the years. He has been a featured speaker at Estate Planning Councils, Law Society and STEP practitioner education conferences in Canada and abroad.
Megan Brown, LL.B, TEP
Vice President, High Net Worth Planning Services, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Megan completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University, obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor and became a member of the Law Society of Ontario in 1998. For most of the 15 years following her call to the bar, Megan was in private practice, specializing in the areas of complex estate planning and administration, incapacity planning, trust planning and administration and family business succession for high-net-worth families. Megan joined RBC Wealth Management in February 2013. Megan is a registered Trust and Estate Practitioner with STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and has completed Levels I and II of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course.
Suzanne Schultz, CPA, CA, CFP, CLU
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
Suzanne's focus is to protect and enhance family and business wealth. She is a trusted professional known for expert wealth management advice utilizing advanced, insurance-based tax and estate planning solutions.
Prior to RBC, Suzanne built her career at a major accounting firm and a boutique tax and estate planning firm. Along with professional designations, she has completed the CICA's In-Depth Tax Course. She was featured as an expert on BNN and HGTV's House Poor and has contributed to the Globe and Mail, National Post and co-authored 78 Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies.
Suzanne uses her in-depth technical knowledge to carefully understand what can complicate your unique financial situation and collaborates with your other professionals to uncover where you might be exposed to excessive taxes and risk. This planning is essential for business owners, professionals, executives and those with charitable goals.
Joel Cuperfain, CLU, BA, LL.B, LL.M, TEP
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
A former tax lawyer with over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Joel brings a unique perspective to the estate planning needs of his clients. Joel works closely with you and your team of professional advisors to develop and implement tax-efficient strategies to help you achieve your wealth management goals.
Joel received his BA (Economics) from Brandeis University, his LL.B from the University of Toronto and LL.M in Tax Law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (TEP). Joel is a frequent speaker at industry and professional conferences. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Canadian Tax Journal and the Canadian Business Law Journal. He is the founding co-editor of the leading text on tax planning with life insurance, Canadian Taxation of Life Insurance.
Alessandra Prioreschi, MA, JD
Will & Estate Consultant, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
After completing a Master of Arts degree in English at the University of Waterloo, Alessandra obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law in 2000. She was called to the Ontario bar in February of 2002, and commenced her career as a tax lawyer with the Toronto office of
a prominent national law firm, completing Levels I and II of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ In-Depth Tax Course.
Over her years in private practice, Alessandra served a variety of business clients and their owners ranging from technology start-ups to established manufacturing, property development and retail businesses, advising on tax and estate-planning, including wills and trusts.
Alessandra is now pleased to offer her years of advisory experience to provide Will and Estate Planning services to RBC’s valued clients.
Complimentary Will & Estate planning consultation
In appreciation of your valued business relationship with us, your advisor is pleased to offer you a complimentary Will & Estate Planning consultation with Alessandra, a Will & Estate Consultant.
Alessandra works closely with your advisor to provide you with information on structuring your estate in an efficient and tax effective manner. Following your meeting, Alessandra will provide you with a report outlining various estate planning issues for you to explore in further detail with your own lawyer or accountant.
To schedule a meeting with Alessandra Prioreschi, please contact your advisor.
Jennifer Janeczko, M.Tax
Financial Planning Specialist, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Jennifer Janeczko completed her Masters of Taxation degree at the University of Waterloo in 2004 after completing a postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2001.
Prior to joining RBC in 2015, Jennifer gained a unique understanding of planning for the owner-manager through various roles within the insurance and accounting industries. Her professional experience includes working extensively with high net worth individuals and their advisors dealing with estate and succession planning, corporate and personal tax, insurance planning, family trusts, private foundations and charitable organizations.
Jennifer has over 10 years of taxation experience, is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, sits on the board of directors of the Estate Planners’ Council of Hamilton and is a student member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
As a Will and Estate Advisor for the Central Canada Region, Endrita Isaj brings an approach to estate planning that centers on understanding and addressing the unique needs of each client. She works collaboratively with clients and their trusted advisors to help craft a comprehensive, effective estate plan that meets their particular situation. Whether clients hope to protect a disabled heir, incorporate succession planning for their business, address the concerns arising from second spouses and blended families, minimize family conflicts, or deal with beneficiaries or assets that are situated outside of Canada, Endrita can help. Prior to joining RBC Royal Trust, she practiced estate litigation at a top firm in Toronto focused exclusively on estate and trust law. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in History from Queen’s University. She has continued to deepen her knowledge and expertise with key industry designations, such as the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation, and as a member of STEP Canada and the Junior Trust and Estate Practitioners (JTEP) group. The combination of Endrita’s professional expertise and her commitment to providing practical solutions make her an invaluable resource for clients and their financial advisors.
As a Private Banker with RBC Wealth Management, Private Banking, Shannon provides comprehensive wealth management and financing strategies to high-net-worth business owners, executives, professionals and their families.
Based in Halton, Shannon works with a select number of clients across the GTA to address their often-complex banking, credit and wealth management needs by providing tailored seamless banking and financial solutions.
When necessary, she 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.
Shannon offers an extensive background in client relationship to her role as Private Banker. She draws on over 20 years of experience within RBC, consisting of a wide range of Wealth Management and Commercial Banking backgrounds.
A graduate of Dalhousie University Rowe School of Business, MBA and a graduate of Ontario College of Art, Shannon has continued to deepen her knowledge and expertise with key industry designations such as Personal Financial Planner and Canadian Securities Course credentials from Canadian Securities Institute.
Away from the office, Shannon lives in Oakville, enjoys cycling with her family, spending time outdoors with her dogs, gardening and travelling.
As a private banker with RBC Wealth Management, Tamara Peso provides comprehensive wealth management and financing strategies to high-net-worth business owners, executives, professionals and their families across Oakville, Burlington, and the Greater Toronto Area.
Together with her team, Tamara develops deep personal relationships with her clients and their families. She addresses their often-complex banking, credit and wealth management needs by providing tailored, seamless banking and financial solutions. When necessary, Tamara accesses specialists across RBC to provide a range of complementary services from investment management to estate, legacy and tax planning. Her goal is to understand clients, enhance and simplify their financial lives, and allow them to focus on what matters most to them.
Tamara offers an extensive background in client relationships to her role as private banker. She draws on over 10 years of experience within the financial service and hospitality industry; she spent several years as a senior commercial lender with Royal Bank of Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada and worked in management positions at both Mortgage Network (USA) and Marriott Corporation (USA).
She is a Dean's list graduate from the Richard Ivey School of Business, studied at Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Italy, holds her IFC, and is working towards her Personal Financial Planning designation.
Away from the office, Tamara lives in Burlington, is a mom to two school-aged girls (Siena and Lyla), and enjoys running, biking, reading and travelling. Tamara is passionate about people and her community and volunteers as a hockey trainer for Burlington Barracudas Girls Hockey.