Meet the team

Andrea Heard brings over 19 years of experience in the financial industry to her role as Private Banker. For the last 13 years, she has been a Financial Planner with RBC Royal Bank and brings strong relationship management skills to her high-net-worth clients in Waterloo and Southwestern Ontario.

As your dedicated Private Banker, Ms. Heard will take the time to discover what is important to you and your family, as well as your personal financial goals. Along with her team, who include a Private Banking Associate and a Manager, Credit Structures, she will create a strategy and make recommendations on a plan of action that is right for each client situation. She also has access through the RBC network to call on a further team of specialists, in Canada and in key markets worldwide. This team enables her to provide a complete range of services – including delivering comprehensive, integrated financial solutions to help meet clients’ goals through investments, business banking, estate planning, and domestic and international trusts.

Ms. Heard graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University and soon after earned her designation as a Personal Financial Planner (PFP). As a long-time resident of the Waterloo Region, she enjoys volunteering in her community and attending local fundraising events. Most recently she joined the committee of a local organization that recognizes people in the community doing amazing things.

When not working, she enjoys spending her time with her husband and two sons. In her leisure time, she is often is found reading, biking, golfing or entertaining family and friends.

Grant attended Concordia University in Montreal where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1992. He holds three financial planning designations, a Specialist designation from the Trust Institute, and is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Grant has completed the in-depth tax program with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (Levels I, II and III).

Grant has over 25 years of progressive experience in various roles within the financial services field. In addition to his work with RBC Wealth Management, he is currently teaching Tax and Estate Planning courses for the Institut Québecois de Planification Financière to support the continuing education requirements of financial planners in the province of Quebec. Grant has also provided support to the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada as a subject matter expert and has taught financial planning courses at George Brown College in Toronto.

Scott brings his 33 plus years of financial services experience to the clients he meets, including 18 years in public practice (six years as a Partner) with a local CA firm. He has worked with clients in the areas of tax, estate and business strategy including family business succession planning.

Prior to joining RBC Family Office Services, Scott provided services for four years to RBC clients as a Commercial Account Manager, focused on owner- managed business and agriculture clients, and four years as a Private Banker, assisting high net worth clients with personal banking, credit and financial planning needs.

Scott is member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, and the Financial Planners Standard Council. He is a Canadian Association of Family Enterprises trained family business facilitator, a Family Business Advisor and graduate of the University of Guelph with an animal science and agriculture business degree. He is also a member of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisers and holds a CAFA designation, (Certified Agriculture Farm Advisor).

Scott will work with your advisors to prepare and present a comprehensive Compass Financial Plan specific to you.

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.

For nearly 40 years, Steve has helped families and business owners develop a framework applying integrated wealth planning solutions. Both clients and their advisors trust in his extensive experience utilizing a values-based approach to develop solutions centered around their needs. His approach to insurance planning differs from others and recognizes each individual's unique situation.

Focused on planning and educating clients about their options, they are informed and empowered to make decisions best suited to their wealth management goals. Steve then takes the time to evaluate offerings from Canada's top insurance providers while partnering with your professional advisors to ensure you receive high-quality, cost-effective insurance solutions.

Whether providing protection during income earning and business building years, preserving capital or transferring accumulated wealth, Steve is there to implement solutions that address your needs in a tax-efficient manner.

As a Private Client Insurance Specialist, Saman takes great pride in helping people protect their wealth, possessions and lifestyle. Prior to joining RBC Private Insurance, Saman worked with High-Net-Worth families as an underwriter at Chubb Canada.

Saman has over 10 years of experience in sales, customer service, and underwriting in both personal and commercial insurance. She takes a tailored approach through a Personal Risk Assessment to identify vulnerabilities for clients and address them through an advice-based approach.

Saman is a graduate of the Insurance Management Program at Humber College and is currently working towards her Chartered Insurance Professional Designation (CIP) in addition to her OTL license. Saman holds a Bachelor of Art in theater and is very passionate about people, culture, and art.

In her downtime, Saman likes to spend time in nature, visiting museums and watching performance arts in different cities around the world. Saman also enjoys baking and cooking and creating new recipes for her family and friends.