Our partners

Darren specializes in tax and estate planning for high net worth families.

Prior to joining RBC, Darren was a tax partner with a national accounting and advisory firm where he focused on providing tax planning services to high net worth families and shareholders of privately held businesses. Darren guided clients through many of the complex personal and corporate issues faced by high net worth families and business owners by developing strategies for wealth preservation and tax minimization, the transfer of wealth to the next generation, and estate and succession planning.

Darren, together with your primary RBC advisor, helps you explore succession, tax, retirement and estate planning issues you face as a high net worth client. Darren specializes in tax and estate planning for business owners and high net worth families.

Darren is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and has completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course, the Corporate Reorganization Course and the Tax Planning for the Owner Manager Course. Darren is a TEP designated member of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Darren is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Grace received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 2000 and graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 2003.

She was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2004. Prior to joining RBC, Grace practised law in Vancouver, specializing in estate planning and estate administration. Most recently, Grace worked at a hospital foundation advising the charity on legal matters as well as its donors on charitable giving.

Grace is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Wills and Trusts Section and Charities Section. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Ask great questions. Listen. Educate, inform and implement.

When Cheryl meets with clients, she takes the time to truly understand their financial situation and then helps to guide them in making the right decisions for their needs.

Building caring, long-lasting relationships, Cheryl has spent over 30 years, collaborating with affluent families, professionals, executives and business owners, while partnering with their trusted advisors. She believes risk management is at the foundation of every wealth plan, and is known for simplifying complex financial situations.

Cheryl has earned multiple industry designations, along with the Family Business Strategy Essentials Certificate from the Sauder School of Business. In her spare time, she enjoys riding horses, skiing, boating and traveling.

As a member of the RBC Family Office Services team, Stephanie brings extensive knowledge and experience in financial planning and education. She maintains the Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI) and Certified International Wealth Manager (CIWM) designations from the Canadian Securities Institute, as well as the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

In her role as Manager, Financial Literacy, Stephanie oversees the RBC Wealth Management Financial Literacy program, as well as broader strategy planning and thought leadership to support and grow this area across RBC Wealth Management. Stephanie specializes in providing clients and advisor teams with support, resources and expertise in financial literacy and in building financial management skills; promoting, managing and updating existing educational content; and developing new resources. Stephanie also focuses on initiatives and partnership opportunities to further boost awareness around financial literacy and the importance of structured, comprehensive learning among all age groups.

An advocate both of and for advanced education, Stephanie has volunteered with FP Canada as Institute Faculty, exam marker and item writer. She has taught and tutored CFP preparatory classes, and presented in school classrooms with Junior Achievement.

Audrey Miller is a registered Social Worker with over 30 years of experience counselling individuals and families on health and rehabilitation. She is the founder and Managing Director of Elder Caring Inc. a consulting firm that provides direct care management services to seniors, their caregivers and families. 

In addition to her consultation services, Audrey is a trusted advisor educating professionals in the legal and financial communities about ageing issues and the needs of caregivers. She is the author of hundreds of articles and blogs and shares her expertise on her website www.eldercaring.ca. She also has several videos available on the eCaring Channel. 

About Elder Caring Inc. 

Elder Caring Inc. is a national care management company established by Audrey Miller in 2004 with a mission to help improve the living situation of older Canadians and make recommendations about living well, at home or in assisted living settings. Elder Caring Inc. is comprised of a team of experts in Social Work, Occupational Therapy and other allied health professions with years of experience providing care management while working with the disabled, older adults, their families and caregivers. Understanding that access to elder care services can reduce stress and improve the well-being of older individuals, the consultants at Elder Caring Inc. help families navigate the health care system, assess and access resources and in some cases, act as an advocate for the individual. 

The Wellness Binder™

Audrey is well-known for her Wellness Binder™ which the Financial Post deemed “A Planning Tool With A Difference”. This binder catalogues health, personal and caring information and serves as a reference for caregivers who may need to make decisions on behalf of someone who is vulnerable or incapacitated. 

Sara specializes in international estate planning, art collection and digital legacy planning for UHNW families in developing their wealth and legacy plans. Her guidance supports clients in their relationships with their external professional advisors, with whom she frequently interacts.

Sara has two decades of professional experience in complex estate and trust administration and planning; business succession; cross-border tax planning (STEP Advanced Certificate in Cross-Border Estates); family governance (STEP Advanced Certificate on family enterprise advising); art collection management and art estates planning (“Art as Global Business” Certificate, the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and European Institute of Sustainability, “Art Disruption,” NFTs and tokenization of Art, legal and tax planning); as well as, Digital Assets Inventory and estate management. She is a graduate of Masters in US Law at George Mason University and was called to the California State Bar in 2021. Sara achieved her Ph.D. in International Management (Behavioural Finance and Law) at the International School of Management in France, as well as completed the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, National Committee on Accreditation at UBC Peter A. Allard School of Law.

Sara is an active member of the following groups and institutions:

American Bar Association (ABA) in Chicago, US
California Lawyers Association CLA Trust and Estate, and IP Chapters in Los Angeles, US
Beverley Hills Bar Association in Los Angeles, US
International Bar Association (IBA) in London, UK; Technology Law Committee, Art, Cultural and Heritage Committee, IP and Entertainment Committee
Fellow of the European Law Institute in Vienna, Austria; Model Rules on Succession of Digital assets SIG; Access to Digital Assets SIG, and Model Rules on Algorithmic Contracts SIG
STEP Canada; the STEP Cross-Border Estates SIG
The Institute of Art and Law in London, UK
Art Lawyers Association (ALA) in London, UK
Professional Advisors to the International Art Market (PAIAM) in New York City, US
Alumnus of the of Harvard Law School, HarvardX, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society
Third Space Life Charity in the Okanagan
She lectures the fall/winter seminars on International Business Law, Business Succession, Trust, International Arbitration and
M&A at ISEG, MBA course in Paris, France. She is also a visiting lecturer of Blockchain and NFTs at UCLA Law school. Sara is fluent in Italian and English and has working knowledge of French and Spanish.

Sara works closely with your RBC advisor to identify strategies and solutions on structuring your affairs in a manner that addresses your overall wealth planning needs, which you would then discuss and implement with your accountant or lawyer.

Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University in 1999 and earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria in 2007. She was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2008.

Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Melissa practiced law in Vancouver and specialized in estate planning and estate administration as well as small business corporate and commercial matters. Melissa assisted clients with a range of estate planning matters including drafting Wills, Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements as well as matters related to the administration of an estate, including applications for Letters Probate and Letters of Administration. Melissa also assisted clients with matters relating to a variety of corporate transactions including incorporations, corporate reorganizations, corporate financing, share and asset purchase and sale transactions as well as the drafting of various corporate commercial documents including shareholder agreements and partnership agreements.

Melissa is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Wills and Trusts Section (Vancouver).

Melissa’s role with RBC Wealth Management is to work with you and your advisor to review and/or structure your Will, estate and trust matters to ensure that your plan is organized in an effective and tax-efficient manner.

As a Senior Trust Advisor, Phylicia Rye serves clients throughout the Eastern Greater Vancouver and North Vancouver Island areas. Her focus on providing estate and trust advice and solutions to high net worth families has garnered her a strong reputation among her peers and is well known within the estate and trust industry for her ability to deal with complex issues.

Phylicia graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics). She also holds both the Personal Financial Planner (PFP) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations, and the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation. She has over 24 years of industry experience and has leveraged the necessary technical and business development skills to provide clients with the right solutions for their unique circumstances.

Phylicia works with individuals, families, and businesses providing 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, Phylicia can help.

Amman is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and has completed all three levels of the CPA In-Depth Tax Course. Prior to joining RBC Wealth Management, Amman was employed as a senior tax manager at one of the leading national accounting firms. He specialized in providing tax planning and compliance services to high-net-worth individuals, private businesses, estates, trusts and partnerships with a focus on tax minimization and corporate reorganizations. Amman believes that planning is critical to helping clients meet their financial goals. Amman’s role is to work with and support your advisor in preparing and presenting your Compass Financial Plan.