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Years spent consulting one another on important investment decisions, a changing wealth management landscape, and increasingly complex client needs led Matt and Jeff to formalize their partnership, combining their independently successful firms into one: Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners. Backed by a team of accomplished and skillful professionals, our practice merges Matt’s extensive capital markets experience with Jeff’s entrepreneurial background and experience in wealth management to provide best-in-class client services.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Have you ever wondered who tells your advisor how to invest your money? For more than 15 years, Matt was that person.
Matt spent the first decade and a half of his career with the RBC Dominion Securities Portfolio Advisory Group (PAG), where his sophisticated market analysis and knack for communicating the most complex concepts in comprehensible terms helped him stand out among his peers. In 2010, he was promoted to leader of the PAG team, overseeing a group of a dozen analysts as they built equity portfolios for advisors and their clients.
Six years later, Matt took his unique know-how to RBC Capital Markets as Chief Canadian Equity Strategist, where he advised institutional investors from some of the largest pension funds and mutual fund companies in North America. In addition to his aforementioned accomplishments, Matt has chaired the RBC Dominion Securities Investment Strategy Committee and managed the prestigious RBC Canadian Focus List, the oldest stock portfolio of its kind in Canada. Matt has also appeared frequently on BNN Bloomberg and was often quoted in various financial publications, including Fortune Magazine, the Financial Times, and the Globe and Mail.
Matt brought his expert knowledge to private clients in 2018, launching his own practice at RBC Dominion Securities. Today, as senior portfolio manager at Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners, Matt spends his days working shoulder to shoulder with Jeff, relying on his innate sense of the financial world to offer clients an industry-leading experience. Still an avid researcher, Matt begins every day by conducting an in-depth analysis of the markets, working hard to translate his findings into meaningful investment results. He constantly shares his proprietary insights with our clients via our blog and team newsletter.
A CFA charterholder since 2004, Matt holds an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Buffalo.
As a two-time survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Matt understands firsthand the importance of family and community in difficult times. Since 2020, he has sat on the board of directors for Wellspring, which provides free support to cancer patients and their families. Matt and his wife of over 20 years, Karen, have two precocious children, Naomi and Malcolm, and two devoted golden retrievers – Revis and Gary. Together, Matt and Karen enjoy golfing, cooking, and the works of William Shakespeare (although they prefer them in the original Klingon).
Senior Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor
Jeff is a graduate from the commerce program at the University of Western Ontario, and was a founding member of one of the University's investment management clubs. After graduating in 2002, Jeff joined a technology company, quickly rising through the ranks to become the company’s top salesperson in the country. Having achieved the pinnacle of success in that role, Jeff sought out a new challenge in 2011, founding his own investment practice at RBC Dominion Securities. “I wanted to join a firm that was an industry leader and best in its class,” Jeff recalls. “And obviously, that was RBC.”
As senior portfolio manager and wealth advisor, Jeff has earned one of the top spots among advisors nationwide and now leads Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners alongside Matt, connecting with clients and helping manage all aspects of their financial lives. In everything he does, Jeff works diligently to do what is right for his clients, dispelling misinformation and educating wherever he can. He never takes shortcuts on his journey to providing unparalleled service – as he puts it, “our clients rely on us for so much more than just investments.” Dedicated to continual education, Jeff holds more than 10 industry credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designations.
Jeff also leads a busy and active life outside of work with his wife, Siobhann, and their three children: Julia, Kingsley, and Victoria. He is deeply involved in the Beaches community, volunteering as a coach and an active board member for both the Beaches Community Soccer League and Scarborough Young Bruins Hockey Association. True to his roots, he has also carried on the family tradition of owning, training, and breeding over a dozen Standardbred racehorses, located on his family’s horse farm in Ancaster, Ontario.
Senior Associate Advisor
A passionate self-starter, Ann-Marie took her first job in the financial sector directly following high school, working at a local brokerage firm to fund her Bachelor of Arts degree at York University. “I fell into this industry,” she explains. “But the more I learned about it, the more I loved it.” After graduating, Ann-Marie joined another leading wealth management firm, where she spent 18 years as an associate, before transitioning to RBC Wealth Management and Matt’s team in 2018.
Now, as a key part of Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners, Ann-Marie is responsible for all day-to-day administrative tasks, answering client inquiries and executing trades. Organized and detail-oriented, Ann-Marie prides herself on providing outstanding customer service, anticipating client needs before they arise. “I just want our clients to have the best experience possible,” she says. “If they feel comfortable, then I’m happy.” A lifelong learner, Ann-Marie holds her Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation, and is fully licensed for insurance and securities.
When she’s not at work, Ann-Marie loves spending time with her husband and their children, Trent and Lauren. In her spare time, you can find her reading or working out.
Associate
Curious and detail-oriented, Madad is an important part of Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners. As an associate, he supports our team through daily reporting and market research; portfolio modelling; resource compilation for taxes, estates, and financial planning; trade execution; and money management. Madad is committed to providing a high level of service to our clients, and constantly goes above and beyond to ensure their needs are met. “It’s important to me to make sure our clients are satisfied,” he says. “As their first point of contact, I do whatever I can to help.”
Madad holds a Master of Finance degree from Osmania University in India, where he lived and worked for decades before immigrating to Canada in 2011. He has spent over 10 years with RBC, first as an account manager at the retail branch level, and later as an associate. Passionate about continual learning, Madad has completed the Wealth Management Essentials (WME) Course from the Canadian Securities Institute, among others.
Outside of work, Madad enjoys playing cricket, watching movies, and spending time with his wife and their two daughters.
Marketing Associate
A graduate from the University of Guelph’s School of International Development, Karen serves as the dedicated marketing associate for Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners, working tirelessly to optimize our client-facing communications across all platforms. Whether she’s sharing our newsletters or managing our social media, Karen always goes above and beyond to highlight our specialized service offerings, relying on the can-do attitude and professional know-how she developed through her tenure at several private education organizations.
Karen loves the unique nature of her role, which allows her to maintain work-life balance outside of a typical nine-to-five position. She is constantly on the hunt for our team’s next opportunity, doing whatever she can to get the Barasch - Wellwood name out into the local community and beyond.
A resident of Toronto, Karen has been happily married to Matt for over 20 years. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her children, Naomi and Malcolm, and her two golden retrievers, Revis and Gary.
We work tirelessly so you can rest easy, knowing your wealth is in the best care.
