Meet the team

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.

Scott is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). He obtained his Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Prior to joining RBC, Scott gained a unique understanding of planning for the owner-manager through various roles in the public accounting industry over the past 15 years. In his previous role as a senior tax manager, he specialized in providing tax advisory, tax minimization strategies, corporate reorganizations and estate planning services to high-net- worth individuals and owner-managed businesses.

Scott has over 10 years of Canadian taxation experience. He has completed
all three levels of CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax Course and is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Scott’s role is to work with and support your financial advisor in preparing and presenting your comprehensive Compass Financial Plan and to identify and assess any related financial, tax and retirement planning concerns you may have.

For over 30 years, Steve has helped families and business owners develop a framework using integrated wealth planning solutions. Clients and their advisors trust Steve’s ability and expertise to develop a solution based on client-centred needs and a values-based approach.

Steve examines insurance planning differently and recognizes that each client situation is unique. His approach is to plan first and then educate clients about their options, so they can make an informed choice best suited to their goals and objectives. Whether it be protection needed during income-earning/business-building years, the preservation of capital or ability to transfer accumulated wealth, Steve is there to help implement a solution that addresses your personal and corporate needs in a tax-efficient manner.

Evaluating the various insurance offerings from Canada’s top-ranked insurance providers, Steve will work together with your professional advisors to ensure you receive high-quality, cost-effective insurance solutions.

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.

As a Senior Trust Advisor, Susan Macdonald serves clients throughout Western Ontario and is located in the Hamilton office. With a career focused on client relationships, she is dedicated to her clients and provides a personalized service tailored to their specific needs. She provides a wealth of knowledge relating to trusts and their administration. Susan has continued to deepen her knowledge and expertise with key industry designations such as Member, Trust Institute (MTI) and Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designations.

Susan works with individuals, families and businesses to provide customized estate, trust and incapacity solutions. Whether it is helping someone to settle an estate, establishing a trust to ensure the successful transfer of family assets, or arranging to assist with the administration and responsibilities for a power of attorney, Susan can help.

With more than 20 years of industry experience, Susan brings to each client the necessary skill set to provide both the technical expertise as well as the genuine understanding of the emotional complexities that underlie these issues. Susan understands that no two clients are the same and so together with her RBC Royal Trust partners she can find the solution that’s right for you.