ZAKS WEALTH MANAGEMENT - Key Persons
Grant attended Concordia University in Montreal where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He holds three financial planning designations, a Specialist designation from the Trust Institute, and is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Grant is currently enrolled in and studying to complete the In-Depth Tax program with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Grant has over 25 years of progressive experience in various roles within the financial services field. In addition to his work with RBC Wealth Management, he is currently teaching Tax and Estate Planning courses for the Institut Québecois de Planification Financière to support the continuing education requirements of financial planners in the province of Quebec. Grant has also provided support to the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada as a subject matter expert and has taught financial planning courses at George Brown College in Toronto.
Job Titles:
- CIM / Senior Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor
- Senior Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor
Job Titles:
- CLU, TEP / Vice President, Estate Planning Specialist
- Expert
Joel Cuperfain is a nationally recognized expert in insurance and estate planning. He has experience in personal and corporate tax and estate planning as well as taxation of charities and charitable donations. A graduate of Brandeis University, Massachusetts, he received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1992. Joel received his Masters in Tax Law from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001. Joel brought his expertise to RBC Dominion Securities as an Estate Planning Specialist after 14 years in the insurance industry.
Joel has spoken at several seminars and conferences on life insurance, tax and estate planning issues. He is the founding co-editor of Canadian Taxation of Life Insurance. Joel's responsibilities include developing and implementing insurance based advanced tax and estate planning strategies for RBC Dominion Securities clients.
Job Titles:
- Branch Operations Manager
With over 10 years of experience in the banking industry, Karolina joined RBC Dominion Securities in 2006. Committed to providing you with timely and efficient client service, Karolina is responsible for a wide range of functions.
An excellent team player, Karolina's work is characterized by personal attentiveness and an exceptional attention to detail.
After earning an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Keltie began her career in the financial services industry in 2010.
Before joining our management team in Mississauga, Keltie has worked in the Oakville, Hamilton and Burlington branch of RBC Dominion Securities. Today, Keltie assists with our branch management with business growth plans. Keltie lives in Oakville and enjoys spending her free time with her husband, her son and daughter, family and friends. She is an active individual who enjoys cooking, golf and spending time at the family cottage on Lake Joseph.
Kennedy is a graduate from the university of Toronto with an honors bachelors of Arts degree (HBA). He began his career in wealth management at RBC Dominion Securities in 2022, where he has hands on experience in helping teams handle high net worth client needs.
Kennedy acts as the first point of contact for clients interested in reaching out to the team. He also provides curated client experiences that are timely and sensitive to clients' wealth management goals. This is complimented by his day-to-day management of client affairs and enhancements of the wealth management processes which incorporates financial planning, estate and tax planning.
Lata has an MBA in Finance and has worked in the financial services industry for over 15 years in the areas of portfolio and wealth management. She places great importance on client engagement and communications and is highly committed to bringing clients timely, efficient and courteous service.
Away from the office, Lata spends her leisure time with her husband and two children. She enjoys contributing to her community by volunteering at the Food Bank, World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada and the SickKids Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Branch Operations Manager
- Personal Banker With the Royal Bank of Canada
A graduate from Ryerson University with a degree in Information Technology Management, Maila became a Personal Banker with the Royal Bank of Canada in 2000.
Subsequently, she joined RBC Dominion Securities as a Branch Administrator for the Mississauga office in 2006.
Dedicated to ensuring branch operations run smoothly for both staff and clients, Maila has completed the Canadian Securities and Conduct & Practices Handbook courses.
Job Titles:
- Investment Advisor & Financial Planner
Marianna has a strong background in accounting, operations and administration. She is committed to ongoing education to better serve clients and has completed the Canadian Securities Course & The Conduct and Practices Handbook exam. As a fully licensed investment representative, Marianna is here to help us increase our level of customer service. Outside of the office, Marianna enjoys travelling, spending time with her family and friends.
As a Business Owner Specialist, High Net Worth Planning Services, Mark, together with your primary RBC advisor, helps you explore sucession, tax, retirement and estate planning issues you face as a business owner.
Prior to joining RBC, Mark spent over a decade in the Private Company Services tax group of a Big 4 accounting firm in Toronto. Acting as a trusted business advisor for high net worth clients, Mark was responsible for the creation and implementation of effective strategies for wealth preservation and accumulation in the context of tax, estate and succession planning for owner-managers of private companies, senior executives of public companies and professional athletes.
Mark is a Chartered Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, and a Trust and Estate Practitioner. He has completed all three levels of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course, as well as the Advanced Tax Issues for the Owner-Managed Business Course and the Corporate Reorganizations Course. Mark has served as Chair of the Board of Evaluators for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and Treasurer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ontario. He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from Queen's University.
Megan is our Will and Estate lawyer. She works closely with our clients in structuring their estate in a tax-effective manner. Megan will provide you with a report outlining various estate planning issues for you to explore in further detail with your lawyer or accountant.
Job Titles:
- ASA, CFP, TEP / High Net Worth Planning Services
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 hefrequently 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.).
Richard has been working in the investment industry for almost 20 years. In addition to holding the highly regarded designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), which is one of the highest in our industry, Richard also holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.
Married with two sons, Richard has always been active in his community. He is currently competes in triathlons and coaches minor hockey with the Erindale Hockey Association in Mississauga.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Investment Advisor
- CIM / Associate Investment Advisor
Ryan has over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry and joined RBC Dominion Securities in 2016. Ryan is a graduate of The University of Waterloo and has also earned the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation. As an Associate Investment Advisor, Ryan specializes in disciplined portfolio management, financial advice and trade execution.
Outside the office, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife Caleigh; is an avid golfer and is also actively involved within his community as player/coach for The Dundas Terrapins of the Golden Horseshoe Baseball League.
Sharan graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree specializing in Finance. She has worked in the Financial Service Industry since 2004 and joined RBC Dominion Securities as a licensed Associate in early 2010.
Sharan is responsible for all administrative tasks pertaining to client portfolios, financial planning, insurance and compliance matters. Taking a special interest in wealth preservation and growth, Sharan continues to take personal financial planning courses.
Outside of work, Sharan enjoys reading, fitness and spending time with family.
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor
Tom works with a relatively small client base of highly successful business owners. Because of his extensive experience with this niche clientele, Tom knows that most of his clients' risk is found within their businesses. This knowledge has led Tom to develop a more conservative and tax-efficient approach to investment management - an approach that his clients truly appreciate.
Tom is the author of the books The Business Owner's Guide to Tax and Succession Planning, The Business Owner's Guide to Wealth Management and Financial Planning for the Canadian Business Owner. He has been teaching a fourth-year Advanced Personal Financial Planning course at Ryerson University for over 12 years. Tom was a regular guest on BNN-TV and CP24, and a contributing writer for The Globe and Mail and Enterprise Magazine. He is an Ontario Supreme Court Appointed Financial Planner and is continuously called upon for his expertise in investment and financial planning matters.
Although there are many investment management firms out there, Tom chose to join RBC Dominion Securities. As the head of one of the top wealth management teams, Tom wanted to align himself with Canada's leading full-service investment management firm in order to give his clients access to a full range of services, including personal and business banking.
Tom and his family support a variety of charities through the Zaks Family Foundation. Tom also founded the Oakville Father Daughter Ball, which occurs annually in support of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation.