Connie obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1989 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1992. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1994.
Prior to joining RBC, Connie practised law for 18 years. As a partner in a mid-sized full-service law firm, her practise 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.
Andrew Sipes, CLU, CFP
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
Andrew loves the insurance business. It’s not the products, it’s the opportunity to learn about you, your family and your life as a whole and how insurance may help you to reach your most cherished goals. That accounts for Andrew’s core purpose: to focus on people and provide the optimal solution for their unique circumstances.
Fundamentally, Andrew is an educator. He says, “If I hadn’t chosen the insurance business I would probably be a teacher. As an Estate Planning Specialist, my role is to educate clients on which situations these products are for, and how you make them work.” It is not about the sale. It’s about helping people discover an insurance solution that works for them, if any. It’s always about people, not product.
Andrew has been an Estate Planning Specialist since 1993. He lives in Toronto with his wife, daughter and their dog. An amateur boxer until 1992, he was the Ontario middleweight champion. Now he’s an avid squash player and fisherman.
Steven completed his Bachelor of Business Administration at York University in 1989 and subsequently completed the CICA In-Depth Tax course. He has also achieved the advanced designations of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
During his time as a tax and financial practitioner with several professional service firms, Steven specialized in Canadian, U.S. and cross-border personal income taxation, and provided planning and preparation services to clients. He also has professional experience with the RBC Tax Advisory Group and RBC Dexia, where he provided tax advice to various business units within RBC.
As an experienced practitioner in financial matters, Steven has written or contributed to many research articles, industry publications, training materials and client presentations.
Steven’s role as a Financial Planning Specialist is to work with, and support, your advisor in preparing and presenting comprehensive financial planning solutions.
As a Premier Banking Advisor for Toronto, Joshua Miller works as a single point of contact, providing banking and credit solutions for select clients of Wealth Management Canada and their families. Partnering with Investment Advisors and Counsellors across the region, he provides personalized service and tailored advice to help clients save time and effectively manage their day to day banking needs.
With 6 years of experience in financial services with RBC, Joshua has become a respected member of the banking community in which he works. Through a dedicated approach to client service and as acting as a champion on credit, he also dedicated time to act as a mentor to other Advisors.
Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Joshua holds a Diploma in Business Administration – Marketing and e-business from Seneca College. He still lives in the Forest Hill neighborhood where he grew up.
Joshua spends his spare time feeding his love of mathematics and sciences, physics and cosmology. He also enjoys a good riddle to get those problem-solving juices flowing. He is also a student of psychology and specifically is interested in cognitive behaviour theory and brain plasticity research.