Meet Our Team

Brad has been at BMO Nesbitt Burns for over 24 years. His team manages over $900 million for clients with an emphasis on portfolios that grow income year after year while preserving wealth. The team is made up of six professionals with unique backgrounds. As part of the Calgary Eighth Avenue Place Branches, the team also benefits from the combined experience of more than eighty Investment Advisors administering close to $20 billion in assets providing unique access to corporate management teams and institutional investment executives. The advisors connect regularly to discuss portfolio strategy and investment ideas from BMO’s top-ranked research department.

Brad is an Honors graduate from both the Canadian Securities Course and the Professional Financial Planning (PFP) course offered by the Canadian Securities Institute. He received an Award of Excellence from the Institute for his PFP grade being in the top 1% in all of Canada. In addition to his B.Comm from the University of Calgary, he has also undertaken Master’s level studies in Theology.

As an alumni from the University of Calgary Dino's varsity basketball team, Brad was a volunteer coach for his daughter’s school and community teams. This coaching experience culminated in taking 19 girls, ages 13-17, from all over Western Canada on two tour teams to England in the summer of 2015 and again in 2019. Brad is passionate about coaching children and helping them achieve things they never thought possible, particularly in team sports where selfless values lead to the greatest possible rewards. Brad previously volunteered on the Calgary Fundraising Committee for the International Justice Mission, a Global Human Rights organization that rescues victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression: https://ijm.ca/the-problem

Mark has devotedly assisted his clients with building and managing their wealth for over 33 years and he and his team proudly manage over $700 million. Using a holistic approach, he enjoys collaborating with our many BMO wealth professionals to ensure people have access to the best advice - not only on their investments, but with tax and estate planning, wills, insurance, and of course general retirement planning. He first completed his Finance (Hon) and Economics degrees at the University of Saskatchewan, doing his Honours Thesis on volatility in the stock market caused by derivatives trading, then over the years followed up with many financial planning and portfolio management courses and designations. In 2016 he received his PM (Portfolio Manager) designation, a lengthy process required for managing fully discretionary portfolios; a method Mark firmly believes is the best approach for proper portfolio management.

Mark and his lovely wife have three handsome sons, four if you count Scuppers the mostly Schnauzer rescue pooch. And we can’t forget about Millie the very cute Poodle – doodle cross, also a rescue, who is officially his grand-dog as she belongs to his oldest. The boys are all off to great starts and are in various stages of education and business ranging from Web Design and small business consulting, Red Seal Heavy Diesel Mechanics, and finishing carpentry and custom wood working. One also just auditioned for and was accepted in the world-famous Stampede Show Band, where he is looking forward to playing alto sax and traveling with them for the next few years. Mark is very proud of his family, which he says will always be his greatest accomplishment.

The Sopher family are great fans of boating, fishing, diving and any other water-related activities on the coast of BC or points South, and this is something they will always enjoy together. In his local community, Mark has held many leadership and teaching roles through the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, helping to promote boater education and safety on the water. He has also been an active supporter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Women in Need Society, and Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids.

Lily has been working in the investment industry over 20 years supporting large teams of Portfolio Managers. With her extensive experience and knowledge, she is well equipped to assist in all administrative matters that arise for our clients. Lily’s focus is on providing excellent client service, ensuring you have a consistent and positive experience.

She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and hiking the West Bragg Creek trails with her yellow Labrador Retriever, Blu.

Shantel Roesler began her investment career behind the scenes on the operational side of the industry. Organized and resourceful, she brings a strong administrative foundation and a genuine enthusiasm for being of service to others. These qualities are reflected in her role as our Associate, where she works exclusively alongside Mark Sopher to support clients with an attentive, people‑focused approach.

Shantel holds a dual bachelor’s degree in management (B.Mgt) and psychology (B.Sc) from the University of Lethbridge. During her university years, Shantel was an avid researcher across the psychology department’s labs, a dean’s list member, as well as book club moderator. At this time, she also worked as a behavioural coach supporting young children with developmental disabilities. More recently, Shantel has channeled her love of learning through becoming licensed as a Registered Representative with the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO).

Outside of the office, Shantel stays busy polishing up plans for her July wedding; after which clients may notice a change to her last name in future correspondence. This is time well spent, as she also volunteers to coordinate event-planning and social activities across our branch. In her downtime, you can find her with family and friends, listening to music, or enjoying all that Calgary has to offer.

Astrid is a dedicated Client Service Assistant at BMO Nesbitt Burns. With a strong background in administrative operations and client support, Astrid plays a key role in ensuring seamless service delivery for both clients and advisors. Her responsibilities span across account management, digital onboarding, documentation processing, and operational coordination.

Astrid is known for her proactive approach and attention to detail. She has supported multiple teams across locations.

Outside of work, Astrid enjoys reading, paint by numbers, and spending time in local parks. She is fluent in Dutch and brings a multicultural perspective to her role.