Meet Our Partners

Leigh is a Director of Tax Planning at BMO Private Wealth. With over twenty years of experience, Leigh understands the broad issues that wealthy families face. By taking the time to understand client’s specific goals and objectives, she brings her extensive subject matter expertise to help guide families through the unique opportunities and challenges that they may be facing in the areas of tax and estate planning, corporate structuring, business succession planning, and family governance.
Leigh can skillfully take complex tax and estate issues, and speak to clients about these in a way that they can easily understand.  In addition to her accounting background, she has extensive experience in the investment industry, including working at a multi-family office where she led a diverse team. For four years, Leigh co-authored the book “Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies”.
When not at work, Leigh and husband, Dave manage a busy house with two teenagers. She enjoys running and hiking the many trails Ancaster offers.

Stuart is a specialist at insurance-based wealth and estate planning strategies with a focus to service the high net worth and ultra-high net worth clientele of BMO Private Banking and BMO Nesbitt Burns. His objective is to help families and businesses transfer wealth in an efficient and tax advantaged manner. As a member of the BMO Wealth Management team, he integrates wealth planning strategies that minimize the impact of taxation to you now and to your estate in the future.

Prior to joining BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services, Stuart worked with BMO Private Banking as a Specialized Planner – Tax to integrate comprehensive tax and wealth plans to enrich the financial success of BMO Private Banking clientele. He also acted as a consultant and instructor to financial advisors with one of Canada’s largest life insurance companies, and provided specialized taxation service with two of Canada’s large accounting firms and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Melissa is a dedicated Trust Officer at BMO Trust Company, where she has been instrumental
in managing and administering trust accounts. She has acted as an estate trustee, attorney
for property, guardian of property, and agent for executor or attorney over the span of her
career. In every case she is dedicated to providing a keen attention to detail, professionalism
and an informed client experience. With 20 years of working in Wills, Trusts and Estates
and Estate Planning our clients appreciate her extensive knowledge in all areas of trust
administration and management.
Melissa is committed to delivering exceptional client services and prides herself on building
lasting relationships based on trust and integrity. She is an active member of the Waterloo
Wellington Estate Planning Council and frequently attends workshops to build and strengthen
her knowledge of Estate management and administration.
During her spare time, Melissa enjoys volunteering in her community with the National
Service Dogs and spending time with her family as avid golfers and hockey fans.

Prior to joining BMO Private Wealth in 2018, Adam worked for KPMG Corporate Finance Group, advising private company owners across multiple industries, with business enterprise values ranging from $3 million to +$100 million, on divestitures, acquisitions, due diligence, projections/financial modeling, and business valuations for multiple purposes. Other areas of experience include corporate restructuring and insolvency, financing, financial modeling & projections and corporate audits. Adam’s goal is to develop rapport with clients through open communication, trust and exceptional service. Leaning on his diverse background and experience, Adam provides guidance to private business owners and families throughout Ontario in the areas of business succession, transition, growth through acquisitions, sell-side M&A, and valuations for the purposes of wealth planning and exit planning.

Lydia assists affluent clients in building a philanthropic legacy by taking a strategic approach. She guides families through the unique opportunities and strategies that exist to create a legacy that is meaningful and lasting. Her estate planning and trust administration background allow her to also ensure that clients’ philanthropic goals are part of their larger wealth and estate plan. Having worked with both clients and beneficiaries of estates, Lydia’s approach to planning takes into consideration unique family dynamics and conflict resolution.

Lydia joined BMO Wealth Planning in 2011 as a Will & Estate Planning Consultant working with clients on all aspects of their estate and trust planning. She then assumed a leadership role with BMO Trust Company where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the estate and trust administration business in Ontario. Prior to joining BMO, Lydia led a very successful philanthropy program at a major hospital foundation where she advised donors on how to build a lasting philanthropic legacy. She has contributed to numerous publications and media appearances related to her work.

As a Wealth Planning Consultant, Andrew brings together the knowledge and experience of our in-house tax and estate professionals and works with Investment Advisors to develop sound wealth management plans. He looks to understand what is most important to clients and works with the client strategy team to develop and present strategies to accomplish client’s goals. Andrew has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years with most of that time in wealth / financial planning related roles. Whether it’s been working directly with clients, creating plans as part of a centralized service, acting as a consultant for financial planners, or as a subject matter expert, Andrew has brought his passion for financial planning and finding solutions for clients to each role in his career.