Who we are

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.

Ariel graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in Business Administration in 1992, and from the Faculty of Law in 1994 where he served on the editorial board of the Law Review.

He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1996. Prior to joining RBC, Ariel spent 5 years teaching Real Estate Law and Estate Law at La Cité Collégiale in Ottawa. For the previous 12 years, Ariel held several positions at a major trust company, culminating in the role of Trust Manager.

Ariel is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Canadian chapter). His significant practical experience in estate planning and administration allows him to offer valuable guidance during the creation of your estate plan.

It's yours. It is your life, your family, your business, your legacy. With that in mind, Annett's core belief is to "Appreciate the little things in life." This allows her to connect to what matters most for each client and their unique situation.

Collaborating with client's trusted advisors, Annett works with affluent families, professionals and business owners to implement tax efficient strategies that help to achieve their wealth management objectives. Her ability to simplify the complexity of these solutions bring clients understanding and peace of mind that the recommendations will help them achieve their goals.

For over 20 years, Annett has specialized in estate planning within the financial industry, where her reputation of working relentlessly and endlessly on behalf of clients has made her a sought after advisor. Her natural ability to build trust and earn respect is part of the personal warmth she brings to her work. After all, it is your life, your family, your business, your legacy.

As a Premier Banking Advisor for Sudbury and Northern Ontario, Francine McLean works as a single point of contact providing banking and credit solutions for select clients of RBC Dominion Securities and their families. Partnering with Investment Advisors across the region, she provides personalized service and tailored advice to help clients save time and efficiently manage their day-to-day banking and credit solutions.

With over 29 years of experience in the financial industry with Royal Bank of Canada, Francine is well respected by both her clients and peers alike. Prior to her current role, Francine held various roles at RBC, giving her a wide scope of knowledge in banking advice. The most noteworthy of these roles is her 14 years of service as a Financial Advisor, for which she received many prestigious recognitions.

Clients appreciate Francine's extensive experience and efficiency as a banking and advisory professional. She also has the ability to service clients in English or French as she is fluent in both languages.

Born in Elliot Lake and raised in Spanish, Ontario, Francine moved to Sudbury, where she now lives with her husband & children. Committed to giving back to her community, Francine loves volunteering regularly, as well as playing volleyball and refereeing hockey.