RBC partners

Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). He has completed the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s In-Depth Tax Course and holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University with a major in Accounting. He is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, Family Enterprise Canada, and The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (Canada).

In his previous role as a tax manager at one of the global major accounting firms, Ryan specialized in providing tax planning services to high-net-worth families, private businesses, estates, trusts and partnerships. His work focused on tax minimization strategies and reorganizations.

Ryan’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting your Compass Financial Plan and to identify and assess any related financial planning concerns you may have.

Joanne obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria, Canada. She was called to the Ontario Bar and is a member of good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Joanne has had a rich and varied career working in both large and small firms in private practice as well as working for a number of years as in-house counsel for a large international technology company. In the last few years in private practice, Joanne specialized in the areas of will and estate planning, estate administration, trust planning, and family business succession planning.

As a Wills and Estate Consultant, Joanne provides comprehensive estate planning services to clients.

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.

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. 

As a Senior Will and Estate Advisor for the Greater Toronto Area, Lesley Donsky brings an approach to estate planning that centers on understanding and addressing the unique needs of each client, working collaboratively with both the client and their trusted advisors to develop a comprehensive and effective estate plan.

Whether clients hope to protect a disabled heir, incorporate succession planning for their business, address the unique concerns arising from second spouses and blended families, minimize family conflicts, or deal with beneficiaries or assets that are situated outside of Canada, Lesley can help craft a tailored estate plan that meets their individual needs.

Lesley is a graduate of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law with a Juris Doctor degree and holds a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and the Ontario Bar Association (OBA), the Estate Planning Council of Canada and the Junior Trust and Estate Practitioners Group (JTEP), as well as a full member of STEP Canada.

In 2022, Lesley was nominated and shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year Award through the STEP Client Awards, which recognizes excellence among practitioners who demonstrate great promise in the industry.

Before joining RBC Royal Trust, Lesley worked at two of Toronto’s top will and estate planners and estate litigation firms. In addition to her law degree, she earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology from Western University, where she was awarded the Gold Medal in Criminology for her academic achievement.

The combination of Lesley’s professional experience and commitment to providing practical solutions make her an invaluable resource for both clients and their financial advisors.

As a Premier Banking Advisor for Central Ontario, Cindy Reynolds works as a single point of contact providing banking and credit solutions for select clients of Wealth Management and their families. Partnering with Investment Advisors and Investment Counsellors across Central Ontario, she provides personalized service and tailored advice to help clients efficiently and effectively manage their day to day banking needs.

With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Cindy has become a respected member of the banking community. Prior to her role, she worked as a Banking Advisor at a branch. There she developed a dedicated approach to advice, simplifying clients' financial matters and exceeding their needs.

Cindy was born in Toronto and has a deep passion for educating her clients on the importance of financial health. In addition, Cindy loves being married for almost 31 years and having two daughters. Along with her Investment Funds in Canada certification, Cindy also holds a Bachelor Degree in Social Development Studies, with a major in business from the University of Waterloo. Cindy's hobbies are watching sports, reading and volunteering to help raise funds for a local animal rescue organization in the City where Cindy Lives.

As a Private Banker with RBC Wealth Management, Breanne provides comprehensive wealth management and financing strategies to high-net-worth individuals, business owners, professionals and their families.

Breanne has over 10 years of experience in financial services, in various roles related to Wealth Management, Financial Planning, and Personal and Business banking and lending. She has a deep understanding of complex client needs and business acumen, and expertise in the successful integration of various financial services into a customer-centric strategy. She draws on her extensive experience to advise on a number of issues that affect clients, including day-to-day banking, lending and wealth management. As needed, she partners with talented specialists from across RBC to provide a complete range of complimentary services, including financial planning, estate and tax planning, business owner planning and investment management.

To ensure personalized service and attention to detail, Breanne and her team work with a relatively small number of clients. This approach helps the team simplify their client's lives, while delivering responsive integrated financial solutions.

Breanne is an avid motorcyclist and artist, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities with her husband, step-son and two dogs.

Breanne holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation, Mutual Funds License, MSc in Mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University, and BSc in Mathematics and Fine Arts and BEd from Nipissing University

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.

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.