Our Team

As a Senior Private Banker, Christopher creates and implements bespoke banking and lending solutions for ultra-high-net-worth families, business owners and entrepreneurs, ensuring dedicated, results-oriented service. Acting as a trusted partner, his sole focus is to meet the unique needs of every client to deliver a boutique experience that fosters meaningful, long-term relationships. Importantly, Christopher understands – and can effectively addresses – the inherent challenges of wealth – from the unified management of personal, business and holding company accounts, to offshore income and complex credit structuring.

Christopher developed knowledge and experience in the financial service industry as a Commercial Account Manager with BMO Bank of Montreal based out of First Canadian Place in Toronto. Christopher’s depth of experience in both Personal and Commercial banking positions him well to service his client base of successful business owners and professionals.

As a member of the BMO High Net Worth Wealth Planning team, James brings together the knowledge and experience of our in-house tax and estate professionals and works with BMO financial professionals and their clients to develop sound wealth management plans. He provides support and direction about complex issues such as retirement and income planning, tax planning, cash management, business succession, transition planning, estate and gift planning, and charitable giving.

James joined BMO in 2007, beginning his career at BMO Nesbitt Burns as an Investment Representative (IR) with a Wealth Advisory Team serving clients in the Toronto area. Most recently James served as a Financial Planner specializing in Investment and Retirement planning at the retail branch. Before joining BMO, James spent two years with a large bank-owned brokerage firm. Drawing on his experience as a Certified Financial Planner®, his clients benefit from a depth of knowledge and an ability to simplify financial plans aimed at maximizing wealth.

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.

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.

Karen joined BMO Private Wealth in 2011 as a High Net Worth Planner, following progressively senior roles in the financial services industry that specialized in wealth planning, marketing and communications, and business development. In these roles, Karen engaged clients in meaningful conversations about their family’s needs and desires, providing strategies to meet their goals in the most tax-efficient manner possible, all within the framework of a comprehensive and holistic approach to wealth planning.

As part of BMO Philanthropic Advisory Services, Karen is a specialist in philanthropic planning and execution, helping families develop and execute strategic plans aligned to their charitable giving priorities.

The demand for strategic advice on philanthropy is growing. Increasingly, Canadians are looking for guidance on how to make a meaningful and tax-efficient impact with their donations to causes that are important to them. When done strategically, this can have an immense impact on one’s financial well-being and, perhaps more importantly, the legacy left behind.

BMO Private Wealth is here to help Canadians “Boldly Grow the Good.”

Chris advises high net worth individuals and families on specialized Estate & Trust solutions as part of an integrated wealth planning team.

Chris draws on his prior experience as an estates lawyer in private practice to assist BMO clients with complex estate and trust planning solutions in a variety of contexts. He provides support and direction on matters related to estate, gift and tax planning, succession planning for business owners, charitable giving and planning for family members with special needs.

Prior to joining BMO Wealth Management, Chris operated his own law firm, worked as in-house counsel with an insurance company, and worked in the estates and real estate groups in one of the largest and oldest law firms in Brampton, Ontario. Chris has been actively involved in the community as a member of numerous boards and committees, and has chaired and presented at several programs for the Ontario Bar Association.