Our Team

Melissa Rush

Melissa A. Rush, BA (Hons), PFP, CIM, FCSI

Senior Wealth Advisor

Melissa Rush, Wealth Advisor & Investment Advisor, is highly regarded for her exemplary work ethic and high level of professionalism.  She is dedicated to providing holistic wealth management strategies to an established group of professionals, executives, high net worth individuals, and retirees.  Melissa’s relationship with her clients is an engaging and collaborative one, built on trust, respect, and integrity. 
 
With over 20 years experience in the financial services industry, Melissa follows a multi-disciplinary and optimized wealth management process, to provide her clients with customized, optimized wealth solutions.  She partners with a highly-skilled team of in-house experts to bring further clarity to her client’s financial situations, allowing them to achieve success.    
 
A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Melissa joined BMO Financial Group in 1998.  Melissa has obtained many industry credentials during her successful career.  She is also a life insurance advisor with BMO Estate insurance advisory services inc., a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), has attained the Personal Financial Planning (PFP®), Canadian Investment Manager (CIM®), and Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA®) designations. Melissa is committed to lifelong learning, as it is vital to providing appropriate investment advice during ever-changing market conditions.       
 
Outside of the business, Melissa is a competitive long-distance runner, with 49 races (including 14 marathons) to her credit across Canada, the United States, and Europe.  Her disciplined approach to setting and surpassing specific, measurable goals is then applied to wealth management.          
 
Melissa’s other lifelong passions include overseas travel, cross-country skiing, hiking, modern and contemporary art, Scandinavian design and reading.
 

Gordon Minty

Senior Client Services Associate

Gord has worked in the financial services industry for six years and joined BMO Nesbitt Burns in June 2016. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Laurentian University. Gord previously worked at BMO InvestorLine as an equity and options trader. Gord is the team’s first point of contact, handling all client service issues, and administrative duties in the day to day running of Melissa’s practice. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, watching the Toronto Blue Jays, and spending time at the family cottage.

Our Partners

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Stéphane Rochon, CFA, MBA

Vice President and Managing Director, Head of Private Client Research

Stéphane has over 15 years of experience in the investment industry, focusing primarily on Canadian and U.S. equities. Stéphane chairs the Private Client Investment Strategy Committee, which establishes the overall asset allocations for client portfolios. He also researches and publishes reports on longer-term investment themes and their expected impact on the markets. As the Head of Private Client Research, Stéphane is also responsible for the overall direction and oversight of the team's publications. Stéphane is a CFA charter holder and holds an MBA from McGill University.

Before joining the BMO team, Stéphane was Director and U.S. Research Product Manager in Credit Suisse’s Equity Research department in New York. As part of that role, he was responsible for approving and coordinating new stock and sector initiations as well as thematic research reports. He also managed the Credit Suisse Focus List and outperformed the S&P 500 seven consecutive years. Prior to joining Credit Suisse in 2004, he spent six years working with a major Canadian bank in Toronto.

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Richard Belley, CFA

Managing Director and Fixed Income Strategist

Richard has been involved with Fixed Income and Interest Rate Derivative markets for over 20 years including 7 years in direct sales and trading. Early in his career, Richard worked as an interest rate Futures and Options institutional representative for BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and then for an international bank advising national and international clients. This was followed by a 3-year period as a provincial and municipal trader for the Private Client Division of BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.

In 2001, Richard participated in the launch of the newly created Portfolio Services Group within the Private Client Division to provide a low-cost alternative for management of fixed income portfolios for high net worth individuals and institutional clients. Richard has been actively managing fixed income portfolios for more than 10 years. He has been a CFA Charterholder since 1999 and is a registered portfolio manager.

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David Tremblett, CFP, TEP

BMO Trust Company, Vice President, Personal Trust

David brings over 20 years of experience as a Trust and Estate Planner to Chris's Group. He is also a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

David has worked extensively with our clients in the area of Estate, Will and Trust Planning, and is committed to providing his expertise by ensuring our clients have a capable executor that can fulfill their duties. When considering who to appoint as executor, he suggests looking for the following qualities: Knowledge, Accessibility, Fairness, Integrity, and Emotional stability.

If you have been appointed as executor or trustee and find the responsibility too onerous or time consuming, we can simplify your life by helping you fulfill your duties, and act as your Agent.

If you are considering a corporate executor, you can choose to appoint BMO Trust Company to help you with estate planning and administration.

John Waters

John Waters, CA, CFP, TEP

Head of Tax

John's area of expertise includes personal tax and corporate tax for private corporations as well as financial and estate planning for high net worth individuals, executives and entrepreneurs. John is a Chartered Accountant (CA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) and member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (TEP). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B. Comm) From Queen's University.

Before joining BMO Nesbitt Burns, John was employed by a large, international accounting firm as a senior member of the Toronto High Net Worth tax practice. John has also assisted in the design and execution of executive compensation plans and has expert ice in a wide range of planning scenarios involving the taxation of individuals, corporations, trusts, and partnerships. 

Linda Leung

Linda Leung

Manager, US Tax

Linda is responsible for Canadian and U.S. tax planning support and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Before joining BMO Nesbitt Burns, Linda was a member of a global tax team at a large consulting firm where she assisted individuals in understanding the Canadian, U.S. and international tax implications of their various forms of compensation. Prior to that, she was employed by a large, international accounting firm in their International Assignment Services and Small Business tax groups. Linda has expertise in U.S. personal tax matters and can provide guidance on cross-border personal income tax issues.

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John Michael Durrant

Senior Estate & Insurance Advisor

John Michael is an expert in his field and a valuable member of the team. He has been working with high net worth clients with a targeted insurance focus for over 20 years. He specializes in structuring insurance as a risk management tool and as a unique asset class for our clients. He helps our clients  by maximizing  their wealth, minimizing tax, enhancing  philanthropic goals, and providing peace of mind. Collaborating with our team, other specialists within  the BMO wealth group, and our clients own trusted tax and legal advisors, John Michael structures tax intelligent insurance strategies for our clients using personal or corporate investment dollars. John Michael ensures our clients clearly understand the uniqueness of insurance as an asset class and how insurance planning complements and enhances their wealth management plans. Outside of the office he enjoys time with his family at the cottage, on the slopes and at countless hockey rinks.