Scott VanEngen, CPA, CA, CFP
Financial Planning Specialist, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
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.
Colin Ardill, FEA
Vice-President & Estate Planning Specialist, RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc.
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.
Shannon Row-Ewing, BA, LL.B
Vice President and Will & Estate Consultant, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Shannon worked in private practice for ten years before joining RBC in 2010.
She specialized in the areas of Wills & estate planning, estate administration and real estate. Shannon graduated from the University of Guelph with a Honours B.A. and received her LL.B. from the University of Toronto in 1998. She is a Member of the Law Society of Ontario.
Shannon lives in Woodstock, Ontario with her husband and three kids.
Robyn Solnik, LL.B, TEP
Vice President, Business Owner Specialist,Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
As a Business Owner Specialist, High Net Worth Planning Services, Robyn, together with your primary RBC advisor, helps you explore succession, tax, retirement and estate planning issues you face as a business owner.
Prior to joining RBC, Robyn acquired her expertise in estates, trusts and succession planning in both private practice and with a major trust company, practicing law in Toronto for 8 years with an emphasis on trusts, estates, succession, planning for incapacity and charities law, and as a will and estate consultant for a well-known Canadian trust company. In 2001, Robyn joined RBC, assisting clients with their overall tax and estate planning, and in 2011, assumed her present position, specializing solely in assisting business owners with their succession, tax, retirement and estate planning.
Robyn obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall in 1991, and she was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1993. She has completed her in-depth tax courses, levels 1 and 2, as well as the Advanced Tax Issues for the Owner Managed Business Course and the Corporate Reorganizations Course. She has co-authored two books, “Drafting Wills in Ontario: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide” and “Drafting Wills in Canada: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide”.
In addition, Robyn was an instructor at the Estate and Trust Bar Admission Course at the Law Society of Upper Canada.She is an active member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has obtained the STEP Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising.
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.
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.
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.
Prashant Patel, CFP, TEP
Vice-President, High Net Worth Planning Services, Family Office Services, RBC Wealth Management
Prashant has assisted high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families with tax, estate and retirement issues since 1992.
His guidance supports clients in their relationships with their external professional advisors, with whom he frequently interacts.
His expertise includes tax and estate planning for executives, business owners, retirees, sports professionals and individuals with U.S. issues. He also assists individuals facing significant financial events (sale of business, financial windfall, retirement, job loss, moving to Canada, leaving Canada, etc.)
Prior to joining RBC in 1999, Prashant honed his expertise by working as a Canadian and U.S. tax specialist for two of the big four accounting firms in downtown Toronto.
Prashant is a Certified Financial Planner, Associate of the Society of Actuaries and member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and Canadian Tax Foundation.