Kevin Algajer, BA (Econ)

Senior Investment Advisor & Portfolio Manager

Kevin Algajer is a Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor with more than 25 years of experience in advising affluent individuals and organizations.
 
Kevin earned a BA in Economics from the University of Alberta, where he was a linebacker for the Golden Bears and achieved the distinction of being Academic All Canadian and Second Team All Canadianon the field. He began his career at TD Waterhouse in  1999 where he was mentored by a 30-year industry veteran. .  In 2011 he joined BMO Nesbitt Burns. 
 
As a Portfolio Manager, Kevin is qualified to offer discretionary investment management. You can entrust him to manage your portfolio according to your specific investment objectives – just tell him your goals and he will provide the tailored investment management and WealthPlan to get you there.
 
Kevin has a strong background in community leadership. He has volunteered as Head Coach for the City of Edmonton Peewee AA hockey league, leading his team to win the Peewee AA City Championships twice. Today, he runs the Lepps  Algajer Hockey Academy, a summer hockey school he co-founded. Kevin also formerly volunteered as the McNally High School football coach for five years and as a soccer and hockey coach for his sons’ community leagues when they were young.
 
Kevin resides in south Edmonton with his wife, Shannon, and their sons, Cooper and Max. In the winter months, you will find him at the rink playing hockey; during the summer, he’s often on the golf course or relaxing at his family cabin on Pigeon Lake.

Carmen Phillips, FMA, PFP

Investment Advisor & Financial Planner

Carmen Phillips discovered his enthusiasm for the markets at the young age of 18, taught himself the basics and has enjoyed investing ever since. He has almost 20 years of experience and has been advising affluent clients since 2005. Carmen joined BMO Nesbitt Burns in 2013 after spending eight years with BMO Financial Group as a Financial Planner and two years with RBC as a banker. In 2021, he teamed up with Kevin Algajer and Robert Babee to form the ABC Wealth Management Group.
 
Carmen graduated with a Finance Diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and holds the Financial Management Advisor (FMA) and Personal Financial Planner (PFP®) designations and a Certificate in Advanced Investment Advice from the Canadian Securities Institute. He is currently working to obtain his Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation to offer discretionary portfolio management services.
 
Since February 2018, Carmen has donated to the University of Alberta’s Men's and Ladies’ Hockey programs through their Adopt a Player Program, which recognizes exceptional players with monetary awards. From 2014 to 2018, Carmen volunteered for Habitat for Humanity building homes. Today, his personal time is devoted to dinners and gatherings with his parents, sister and English bulldog. Carmen keeps very active with hockey, slow-pitch, curling, and golf, snowboarding in Jasper and Banff and getting out into the great outdoors as often as possible. 

Robert Babee, BA, B.Sc., B.Comm.

Senior Investment Advisor

With almost 30 years of experience as an Investment Advisor at BMO Nesbitt Burns, Robert provides the Edmonton business community with strategies for succession, tax management, share structuring, holdco cash flow, and other complexities. He partners with BMO specialists to deliver a full value-added package of services, including trust and estate planning, financial planning, insurance solutions and more. Robert also collaborates with BMO Nesbitt Burns’ deal team, which will meet with ultra-high net worth clients to discuss venture capital opportunities.
 
Robert joined BMO after spending a decade at the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Math, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance. In 2021, Robert teamed up with Kevin Algajer and Carmen Phillips to form the ABC Wealth Management Group, where he manages client assets through BMO Nesbitt Burns’ discretionary money management platforms to take advantage of the security selection skills of top pension managers.
 
Robert’s personal life is devoted to his young son, who takes part in jiu jitsu, soccer and hockey activities. The two stay active by cycling together. They reside in a historic church that has been converted into a very large home. To support his community in a unique way, Robert often donates his house as a venue for charitable foundation fundraisers. Stollery Kids Hospital, Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), the Lung Association, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, and other organizations have hosted gala events there.

Kathy Cosentino

Client Service Associate

Kathy supports our team’s three advisors by managing our administrative hub and ensuring that a very high level of service is maintained for all of our clients. In addition, she is the Safety Warden for our branch. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for almost 25 years.
 
A lifelong learner, Kathy enjoyed the challenges of completing the Canadian Securities Course in 2015 with the Canadian Securities Institute. She loves meeting and talking with our clients and building warm relationships with everyone around her. Kathy appreciates the respect and camaraderie in our office and could not imagine herself working anywhere else. She taught private piano lessons for 25 years and now teaches three of her grandchildren to play. Kathy loves finding ways to demonstrate her affection by lavishing her loved ones with lots of time and gifts!

Meet Our Extended BMO Team

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Shawna Albornoz, MTI, TEP

Vice President of Trust Services, BMO Trust Company

Shawna Albornoz is the Vice President of Trust Services (Prairies) with BMO Trust Company, the fiduciary arm of the BMO Financial Group. Shawna has been in the Estate and Trust Industry since 2001 and she has administered over 130 Estate, Trust, Power of Attorney, and charitable foundation accounts during her career.
 
Through her experience as a corporate Executor and Trustee for high net worth clients, she has acquired the expertise to help families effectively plan for the transfer of wealth to the next generation and deal with all fiduciary responsibilities. Shawna holds her MTI designation from the Canadian Securities Institute, she is a member of The Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners (STEP), an international professional organization dedicated to promoting financial and estate planning considerations between generations and is a member of the Calgary Estate Planning Council (EPC).

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Mo Zhou, M.Sc., CFA, CFP

Director of Wealth Planning, BMO Wealth Planning

Mo is passionate about helping people becoming more knowledgeable and confident about their finances. He draws on extensive financial planning experience. With robust analytical skills, he leverages the knowledge and expertise of our in-house tax, estate, insurance and philanthropic professionals. Mo advises high net worth families and business owners on complex issues. This includes retirement and income planning, tax planning, cash management, business succession, estate planning, and charitable giving.

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Nina Wood

Estate and Insurance Advisor, BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services

Nina has been in the business since 2005, joining BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services in 2015. With an entrepreneurial background in running businesses since 2001, Nina knows not only what it takes to build and grow a business, but has also experienced firsthand the financial hardships that occur when a family member or business partner suffers from sickness or dies prematurely.
 
Nina will discuss your needs with your Investment Advisor and will develop an estate plan that complements your current financial situation and communicates your wishes for the future. She will show you how an insurance strategy can preserve or enhance your estate, provide protection and risk management solutions in the event of critical illness or disability, and look after your family in the event of your untimely death.

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Kimiko Comeau, CFA

Director, Business Advisory & Succession Planning

Kimiko is part of the Business Advisory & Succession Planning team, which provides high net worth business owners in transition with a sophisticated, forward-thinking wealth management plan. She works with individuals and business owners in the areas of business succession, transition, sale, mergers & acquisitions, and valuations for the purposes of wealth planning and transfer. Kimiko is an experienced business advisor who brings more than 10 years of technical and business planning expertise to BMO Wealth Management.

Kimiko joined BMO Wealth Management in 2018 after more than a decade as a mid-market M&A advisor at a Big 4 professional services firm. With a focus on sell-side advisory services for private Alberta-based companies, Kimiko has worked with companies in a range of industries including oil and gas services, manufacturing, distribution and construction. Kimiko has advised on complex transactions including sales to financial and strategic buyers, management buyouts, and shareholder disputes.