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Working together, our service becomes greater than the sum of our parts. We’ve streamlined money management, financial planning, and tax expertise into one office, and expanded on those services with the help of our professional networks. It’s how we ensure that every financial need you face in life – whether it relates to your business, your farm, your retirement, or your family’s well-being – is a need we can plan for, and act upon, together.
Senior Portfolio Manager
Working in financial services part-time while he completed an economics degree, Paul began to appreciate the difference he could make in people's lives as an Investment Advisor. Today, he's proud to call the role "the first and only job on my resume."
In 2001, Paul founded a wealth practice based on dedicated service, expert collaboration, and customized strategies to enhance his clients' overall wealth. "We get to roll up our sleeves and really help a family for the long term," as Paul puts it. "Those connections are what keep me going."
What continues to inspire Paul is his multi-dimensional involvement in improving the life and legacy of his clients. "What happens when the parents are gone, and the kids disagree? When the business is sold, how can I make the most of life in retirement? There's no other job in the world that allows you to help with the financial implications of those concerns."
Paul's commitment to client service and his time-grown investment skills have resulted in several professional designations, including Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), Financial Management Advisor (FMA) and Portfolio Manager. These accreditations, coupled with over two decades of experience in the industry, have distinguished Paul as a leading advisor at our firm and uniquely qualify him to help clients plot a tactical course toward their financial goals.
Away from the office, Paul's family provides endless joy and adventure. With a 21-year-old, university-bound daughter and three sons aged 17, 13, and 11, the Empringham family members enjoy active (and sometimes hectic!) lifestyles, spending as much time as possible in Parry Sound on the water. They are a longtime "hockey family" – with Paul previously serving on the league's board of directors – crisscrossing the province for games and tournaments. Paul's wife, Corrine, ran a home-based floral shop in Ancaster for a decade – a wonderful creative outlet in which all the children have been able to participate. Together, the family supports several community initiatives, including the United Way, Hamilton Mission Services, Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and Harvest Share.
Wealth Advisor & Financial Planner
Only a few of us end up in the field we cited as a “career goal” in our Grade 9 yearbook. But Jeremy, who grew up in Twillingate, a small island off the north coast of Newfoundland, has done just that.
Jeremy’s passion for his work is evident in the care he takes with each client – visiting your home, farm, or business, or connecting by phone or online to get a deep sense of your long-term plans and goals. “I love to meet clients and hear their stories, and learn more about what matters most to them. Then put together a wealth plan where they can see they are on track to meet their financial goals.” Jeremy enjoys giving every client his personal attention, whether he’s overseeing overall wealth planning, coordinating strategies with a client’s accountant and lawyer, or advising on family estate planning, or business succession planning.
A Certified Financial Planner, Jeremy’s experience spans more than 21 years with RBC. This includes 10 years as a Private Banker, building a successful practice from the ground up and designing personalized banking solutions for high-net-worth families, business owners, and medical professionals. In this role, Jeremy often collaborated with Paul to build integrated investment and banking solutions for their shared clients. “Working together was a big win for everyone involved,” Jeremy will recall. “Our service was suddenly much greater than the sum of our parts.” In 2016, they officially joined forces, and Empringham Bridger Private Wealth Partners was born.
Jeremy moved to southern Ontario to obtain his bachelor’s degree and MBA, and now lives in Vineland with his wife, Maria, and teenage son and daughter. Jeremy and Maria are both passionate runners and cyclers, and enjoy tackling races like Hamilton’s Around the Bay Road Race, the Disney Marathon, and Hamilton’s Road2Hope marathon. The Bridger home often resembles a small menagerie of bunnies, chickens, and other ailing animals that the family fosters back to health for their local Humane Society. Other causes close to their hearts are The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto – which has provided Jeremy’s daughter with life-saving care – their local church, and a family in the Dominican Republic who they sponsor.
Financial Planner
Before joining our group, Ken had already logged a distinguished 30-year career as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and most recently Tax Partner of a national accounting firm.
Known as a natural leader, Ken assumed a number of leadership roles over the years, including: the Family Enterprise Leadership Team, the Succession and Estate Planning Practitioner Group, and the Privately Held Business Leadership Team.
In the past, Ken came to know Empringham Bridger Private Wealth Partners as a trusted advisory group who served some of his own clients – led by professionals who managed wealth with a distinct, collaborative approach. “Here was a team that worked with me, other accountants, lawyers, estate planners – just about any expert out there – to cover every area of their client’s financial lives. I was really drawn to that approach,” Ken observed.
And our team was drawn to Ken. In 2019, he joined us as a Financial Planner, mandated to ensure our clients enjoy comprehensive wealth management coverage from a single office. Ken enjoys working with our clients’ other professional advisors, including accountants and lawyers, to deliver comprehensive integrated wealth management and financial solutions.
In addition to his CPA, Ken holds the Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) designation, which makes him “fluent in family business planning,” as he puts it. His unique perspective has become integral to what we do – helping business owners and high-net-worth clients overcome unique financial challenges as well as build and protect their wealth.
Ken believes firmly in giving back to the community – a passion and responsibility instilled in him as a young accounting student. For over 30 years, he has volunteered on numerous charitable boards in roles ranging from Director, to Treasurer, to President. Currently, Ken is Treasurer of Habitat for Humanity Hamilton and a member of the finance committee at both the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton and The Hamilton Golf & Country Club. Ken is also active at his church, serving on the finance committee and as a lector.
Ken is a natural team player, but excels in a solo sport outside the office – golf. For him, golf is a family affair, as his wife, Deborah, and their sons all enjoy time on the golf course. In fact, each of their sons played competitive golf as juniors and two obtained NCAA Division 1 golf scholarships to U.S. schools.
Ken and Deborah live in Ancaster. In addition to golf, they include travelling and family time as their top priorities in their busy lives.
Marianne’s career in the financial services industry spans 27 years as a Financial Planner, including the last three as part of the Empringham Bridger Private Wealth Partners team. Her extensive background as a Certified Financial Planner has strengthened Marianne’s ability to understand and listen to a client’s needs and develop strategies that speak to their values. “I love being able to help my clients make informed decisions to help their families enjoy financial freedom.”
A former educator at Brock University, Marianne excels at explaining complex strategies in a straightforward way. She has always wanted to help people understand their finances, from planning for a loved one’s education to estate planning. “My clients tell me that I bring peace of mind to their family, that I am engaged in who they are as people, and that they have trusted me for over 20 years.” She looks forward to continuing to help them achieve their goals.
In her spare time, Marianne takes an active role in the community and her leisure pursuits, including Latin dancing, kayaking and working out. She volunteers for Ronald Macdonald House and draws upon her teaching expertise to serve as a guest speaker and facilitator for financial literacy programming with Junior Achievement.
Associate Advisor
With an affinity and love of numbers and research, David set out to study economics at Laurier in 2006. He originally pictured a future in accounting, but when he began to understand how accounting and financial performance can cause both ripples and waves in the stock market, he steered his attention to wealth management. “I was completely fascinated,” he recalls. “And, I realized around that time that a lot of people found investing and finance daunting. It was an opportunity for me to build a career helping people save more, grow wealth, and live better.”
After David graduated, he visited bank branches with a resume in-hand and eventually got his foot in the door as a teller. As he worked, he earned the investment industry’s gold-standard designation – Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – and worked his way up to the role of Financial Advisor and finally Associate Advisor with our team.
Now with 10 years of experience, David is a core contributor to our clients’ portfolio management. “My favourite part of the job is the research – doing the due diligence to feel confident in every trade, so our clients benefit from an informed investment process.” David also supports Paul and Jeremy in conducting economic analyses and identifying potential investment opportunities.
Outside of the office, David enjoys a highly active life with his wife, Natalia. He spends time in his home gym each day, and likes to catch up with friends and family on the weekends.
Administrative Assistant
Guilda is a truly gifted people person. And, with 30+ years of wealth management experience at RBC, she is a warm and informed first point-of-contact for our family of clients.
Starting out as a bank teller in 1989, Guilda quickly rose through the ranks to Financial Planning Associate, then to a role in RBC Private Banking where she helped Jeremy build a client base from the ground up. She opened accounts, transferred funds, answered the multiple daily calls, and more, all while fostering client relationships she holds dear to this day. “Building relationships is so important to me. It’s the colleagues and clients who I now call friends who have made my career so rewarding.” Guilda also appreciates working in a team-oriented space where there is a common goal and focus, where everyone can feel they are making a difference and achieving a common goal.
A native Hamiltonian, Guilda still calls the city home. She loves spending quality time with her husband, Michael, their three daughters, as well as the family’s golden retriever, Smokey. Guilda and her family proudly support McMaster Children’s Hospital, the Kidney Foundation of Canada, Terry Fox Foundation and Ronald McDonald House – all causes close to their hearts.
Associate
Bushra was naturally drawn to the investment world because of its dynamic and evolving nature. “The markets keep you on your toes,” as she puts it. “My father taught me about investing at a young age, and I never lost interest in it.” Fascinated with economics and marketing throughout her school years, Bushra initially set her sights on becoming an investment banker.
Bushra obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and joined the financial services industry in 2004. For several years after that, she gained industry experience in various client service roles, helping RBC clients with day-to-day banking, credit card support, online accounts, and investment trading. In 2016, she joined our team and quickly learned wealth management was the career for her.
Bushra sees herself as a supportive facilitator – making the processes set by the team’s advisors run as smoothly as possible. A dedicated problem-solver, her favourite part of her job is “resolving difficult issues and providing relief, whether it’s for my team or a client.” Bushra also plays a large part in the coordination of our wealth management services – such as estate planning, insurance solutions, business planning, and financial planning.
After hours, Bushra enjoys spending time with her husband at home. She loves to decorate, travel, and keep informed through ongoing financial coursework.
Emma has always had a knack for numbers, and originally had her sights set on becoming an accountant. While she enjoyed her accounting classes at University, she realized she wanted a career that involved working with, and helping, people. “That’s the beauty of working on a team like this one,” she says today, “I interact with clients every day. I hear their challenges and if I can’t get them the help they need right away, I can solve the issue with the help of the right experts.”
Emma graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, specializing in accounting and finance. As an Associate with nine years of experience, she acts as a dedicated resource for your general inquiries and handles the countless administrative tasks that ensure our team runs smoothly. Account openings and documentation, account transfers, estate planning processes, and RRSP, TFSA, and RESP contributions are just a handful of the items she juggles with ease.
Emma loves to travel and be with her husband, Peter, who is a carpenter. The two spend time together working on their new home, and road-trip any chance they get. Emma’s family cottage in the Muskokas has always been one of their favourite destinations.
“I like to be of service to people,” says Rachel, who began her career as a personal support worker after graduating from Mohawk College in 2012. When a back injury forced her to re-evaluate her career path, Rachel found herself gravitating to an industry where she could continue to help others, but in a different way: financial services.
Inspired by family members who worked in finance, Rachel joined RBC as a Branch Operations Assistant in 2016, supporting investment associates with documentation and other requests, and ensuring everything at the branch was run efficiently. Always one with the flexibility to go with the flow, when the pandemic hit, Rachel continued to provide essential support to clients and the entire branch staff in the midst of uncertainty.
In May of 2021, Rachel brought her industry know-how to our practice as an administrator, expertly coordinating the types of requests she had previously executed. For Rachel, providing excellent client service is the most rewarding aspect of her career. “Finances are huge part of people’s lives,” she says. “To be able to help them get that one step closer to retirement, or send their kids to college – it has such immense meaning to me.”
Outside of work hours, you can find Rachel hiking, reading, or hanging out with her animals. Her passion for animals began after living on a farm while her back was recovering. Since then, Rachel and her husband, Rob, have helped countless animals (dogs, pigs, even ducks!) find their fur-ever home through fostering.
As an Associate with RBC Dominion Securities, Vania Da Silva has spent a decade in the financial services industry, honing her skills in customer service and helping clients and fellow staff achieve their goals.
Vania holds a diploma in Business Administration from Mohawk College. She’s responsible for coordinating and preparing meetings for Advisors and their clients, providing proactive client support, with a focus on attention to detail and problem resolution. Vania is the main point of contact for all client inquiries, and she ensures accurate and time updates are made to all client documentation. Throughout the years, Vania has become known for her friendly service and quick turnaround times.
In her personal life, Vania enjoys traveling, staying active, reading and spending time with her two daughters, Alissa and Maya. She’s also involved in her local RBC Ronald McDonald House charity.
Our team’s story is far from over, but we couldn’t be more confident that we’ve already landed where we belong. To share your story and learn how we can help you achieve your financial goals, please contact us today.
