T.A.S.K. is now available!

Purchase Peter Merrick's new book "T.A.S.K. - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit"!



Read about the important trusted advisors who contributed to Peter Merrick's new book.



Also, check out Peter Merrick's first book "The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook"
T.A.S.K. BIOS

Peter J. Merrick, B.A., FMA, CFP, TEP, FCSI is the President of MerrickWealth.com. Since the early 1990s, Peter has had an active career in the financial planning, investment, risk management, estate, and business succession planning, cross boarder planning and executive benefit and pension fields. He has been retained for his expertise by some of North America's largest financial institutions, accounting and legal firms, to provide executive benefit consulting, succession and estate planning solutions to owner/managed businesses.

Peter is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) registered with the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada as well as a Financial Management Advisor (FMA). In the year 2000, Peter was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), which is recognized as Canada's highest honour in the financial services industry. In 2008 for his continued contribution in the field of trust and estate planning in Canada, Peter was invited as a full member into the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and awarded the TEP designation.

Peter has appeared as a regular television guest and has been seen on CBC's The National, CBC's NewsWorld, BNN and CP24 in Canada. During the past two decades, Peter has presented over 700 classes, seminars and workshops to such organizations as the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), The Canadian Securities Institute's and the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada (FPSC). He is a professional public speaker who has achieved the Distinguished Toastmaster's (DTM) designation, the highest level from Toastmasters International in the areas of public speaking and leadership. As well, Peter has taught at several post-secondary institutions in programs that lead to the Certified Financial Planning, Certified General Accountant, Certified Human Resources Professional and Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designations.

Peter is a professional financial writer, with over 306 published articles to his credit. His articles have appeared in such magazines and periodicals as McLeans, CA Magazine, the Journal of Financial Planning, Ontario Dental Magazine, Professionalreferrals.ca, Accounting World, Benefit and Pension Monitor, Canadian MoneySaver, HR World, CSI Infocus, American Funeral Director Magazine, Canadian Funeral Director Magazine, Canadian Auto Dealers, AdvisorWorld.com, Dental Practice Management, Oral Health, Lawyers Weekly, The Bottom Line, MD Canada, The Bay Street Times, Canadian Business Franchise, HR Professional, Computer World, IT Ontario, Silicon Valley North, Advocis' Forum, The Canadian Dental Association, Canadian HR Reporter and numerous publications for LexisNexis Canada Inc., Thomson Reuters and CCH Canadian Ltd.

Peter is the author of The Canadian Securities Institute's course on Individual Pension Plans and Lexisnexis Canada's The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. "The T.A.S.K - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit" is his second book published by Lexisnexis Canada and is now available through Butterworths.



Purchase Peter Merrick's new book "T.A.S.K. - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit"!

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CONTRIBUTORS

Gwen Benjamin, B. Ed., LLB, TEP is a Partner at Wilson Vukelich LLP in Markham, Ontario. Gwen is a member of both the Ontario and British Columbia bars. Gwen's practice has, since 1989, been concentrated in the taxation area and she continues to practice in that area, focusing on estate planning and business succession planning, in all cases including cross border matters. Gwen has a particular interest in the area of charity law - including charitable giving and acts for both charities and donors. Gwen has lectured on various income tax topics, including tax planned charitable giving through the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and other special interest groups. Gwen is a co-author of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants' Tax Practice Manual, the Personal Tax Planner Guide, The Family Trust Guide and Tax Planning Using Family Trusts. Gwen is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Canadian Bar Association of Ontario, Tax Law, Estates and Trusts and Charity and Non-Profit Subsections.

Steven Benmor, BSc, LLB, LLM is a Toronto based Family Law lawyer who only handles matrimonial cases. Steven is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Steven is a recognized lawyer, educator, speaker and writer. He appears before the Court of Appeal, Divisional Court, Superior Courts of Justice and the Ontario Courts of Justice. He was formerly a part-time Professor of Family Law at Seneca College and served the Bar Admissions Course of the Law Society of Upper Canada as an Instructor of Family Law, a Mentor to law students and as a writer of Bar Examination questions in Family Law. Steven graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science, then from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Laws and then from York University with a Master of Laws (Family Law).

Gordon Berger, TEP has been in the financial services business since 1972. Gordon was admitted to the "Quarter Century Club" a division of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), and is a life member of "Top of the Table", reserved for the top 400 insurance agents worldwide. Gordon has made numerous appearances on both television and radio on such programs as TV Ontario's Money Blues, Money Talks on CHFI Radio, and on CFRB. Gordon has participated as co-author of various books, such as Power of Money and Turnaround, The Complete Canadian Guide. Gordon is a co-author of the Canadian Guide to Tax Planning, Benefits and Compensation for Executives and Managers and The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. Gordon has lectured at the University of Toronto, the Schulich School of Business, the Canadian Bar Association and CCH Canadian Limited.

Jeffrey Berger, B.Comm, is an analyst at PanFinancial Insurance Agencies Ltd. who has worked in a variety of roles within the financial services industry. Jeff attended Dalhousie University, where he studied finance. He completed the Canadian Securities Course, and has Life Insurance qualifications from the Life Underwriters Association of Canada. He is presently studying for the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) designation, and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.

David Bertschi, BA, LL.B is a founding partner at Bertschi Orth Smith LLP a boutique Insurance and Commercial Litigation Law firm in Ottawa Ontario. For over 20 years David has restricted his practice to Insurance and Commercial litigation. His experience includes acting as trial and coverage counsel on complex multi-party, multijurisdictional catastrophic losses. He also provides advice to insurers and self-insured institutions on a multitude of insurance-related issues. In recognition of David's contribution to the International Practice and Substantive Law Section of the FDCC, David was appointed Chair of the Section in 2008. In recognition of his varied and substantial experience in insurance litigation, David has been invited to write and speak on numerous complex issues of interest to insurers and self-insured corporate clients and by  the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Advocates Society  and the Ontario Bar Association.

Ellen Bessner, B.com, LLB, is a litigation partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Toronto. She regularly represents financial institutions, brokerage firms, corporations and individuals in all aspects of commercial and securities litigation and regulatory matters, employment law and professional liability, including investment advisors, financial advisors, branch managers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CCOs, compliance officers, insurance brokers, insurance agents and MGAs. Ms. Bessner is a regular speaker at Industry (MFDA, IIROC, Provincial Securities Commissions, IFIC, Advocis, ACCP) and Dealer conferences. She writes regularly for the National Post and has written extensively for financial industry publications on matters of risk management and compliance, has co-written a paper on investment advisors' liability for the Canadian Securities Institute's continuing education program, and published several papers. Ellen is the author of the book, Advisor at Risk, A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business available at Chapters/Indigo stores across Canada and through her publisher at Shore Publishing.

G. Scott Bowman has dedicated his entire adult life and professional career to one registered non-profit company; The Creative Center for Learning and Development (CCLD). He started it in 1973 while still at university. In 1978, at the age of 27, Scott saw a real need in our society to create Robert Land Academy which is considered by its peers to be one of the premier military schools in the world. With his vision and determination Robert Land Academy has served boys from grades 6 through 12, who required challenge, structure, discipline and adventure in order to reach their full intellectual, physical and emotional potential. Over the last thirty years Robert Land Academy has served over three thousand boys and their families and developed a thriving campus in rural southern Ontario. Scott is also a sought out expert and speaker. He lectures throughout North America on leadership and ethics. He is a graduate of McMaster University, and served over 20 years in the Canadian Forces Reserve, CIC, retiring at the rank of Major.

Marie L. Cassis, BA, LL.B is a Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public working with Kenneth C. Pope’s boutique law practice that specializes in Estate, Tax and Trust Law, with an emphasis on helping special needs families. Previously, Marie was Manager of Legislated Programs with Nav Canada and prior to that, worked for the International Forum of Federations and for the House of Commons. As a Parliamentary Attache, Marie gained significant insight into the legislative process while speechwriting, handling media, researching and working on various critic portfolios including participation on Standing Committees for Members of Parliament, including the Office of Her Majesty's Loyal Leader of the Opposition.

Stephen Cheng, B.Sc, MBA, FCIA, FSA is an actuary and managing director of Westcoast Actuaries Inc. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (F.C.I.A.) and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (F.S.A.) with over twenty years of pension and actuarial consulting experience. Mr. Cheng is a graduate of the UBC - B.Sc. 1980; MBA 1982. He is an expert of the Supreme Court of British Columbia with oral testimony and written evidence given. He is a member of the Communications Committee and the Retirement Benefits Practice Education Course Examination Committee of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. He has presented to professional organizations and contributed to books and journals in many occasions on pension as well as actuarial evidence.

Garry M. Cass, BA, LL.B, TEP has been practising law in Toronto since 1977. Garry was one of the first legal practitioners to advocate a team approach to estate planning and to encourage clients to get an integrated solution that included input from all of their trusted professional advisors. The primary focus of Garry's practice is all aspects of estate and succession planning including developing and implementing estate plans, preparation of Wills, Powers of Attorney and Living Trusts and assisting Trustees administer estates. Related areas of practice include real estate and corporate/ commercial. For the past several years, Garry has worked closely with financial planners. He has frequently been a guest speaker at client events and has written many timely articles for their clients and advisors. Garry is member of The Society of Trust and Estate Planners. He received his B.A. from University of Toronto and law degree from Queens University.

Harish Chauhan is an international corporate and brand strategy practitioner, presenter, and the author of "Unconventional Business" insights on how to create a prosperous company. As founder and CEO of Business by Philosophy and the Unifying Philosophy strategy (UPh), Chauhan helps private and family-owned businesses achieve extraordinary business performance and well-being. His internationally renowned system successfully overcomes complex challenges facing even the most profitable companies, while helping them further maximize and protect their success. Since 1991, Harish has created, built and implemented over 150 Brand Identities and established over 40 UPh Strategies for leading private and family-owned enterprises in Canada, the United States, Bermuda, India and England. Harish provides Trusted Advisors with a unique value add by helping their clients unlock the full potential of their businesses. He is featured at leading-edge conferences, courses and workshops worldwide and delights in mentoring youth and contributing his insights to non-profit organizations.

Thomas Deans Ph.D. is the President of Detente Financial Corp., which specializes in teaching business wealth protection strategies to advisors and business owners. By combining humor and his experience as president of a family-owned multi-national corporation for almost a decade, Tom has shown thousands of business owners how to protect the retained earnings in their businesses. Tom's best-selling book, Every Family's Business provides the framework for his public lectures and seminars. Tom has worked in Banking and in government relations, has been the president of a railway, holds patents and chaired a federal government committee on tax credits. Deans earned a BA from Mount Allison University, a MA from McMaster University and a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick (UK). Tom has been featured in numerous magazines and journals including Profit, Money Sense and Investment Executive. A frequent guest on CBC, MoneyLine and BNN, Tom is a highly sought after international public speaker on succession planning, wealth management and philanthropic giving.

Jordan Dolgin, LL.B., is a Partner and Chair of Wilson Vukelich LLP's Corporate Commercial Group based in Markham, Ontario. His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, corporate reorganizations and technology-related commercial matters. He acts for many early-stage and well-established private and public enterprises across various industries and throughout all stages of the business life cycle. He also advises on commercial technology matters such as Web site and software development, software licensing and distribution, Internet and e-commerce transactions and technology joint ventures. Jordan believes in the importance of continuous professional development, is a frequent contributor to several industry publications, was a co-author to the book The Essential Individuals Pension Plan Handbook and participates regularly in professional and client lecture series.

Kurt Dreger, B. Sc., ASA, CFP, has over 17 years of pension plan experience in Canada, working in many capacities. He has written many articles and was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. He has spoken on the subject of executive retirement planning, in particular, Individual Pension Plans (IPPs) and Retirement Compensation Arrangements (RCAs). Kurt graduated in 1991 from the University of Western Ontario with a B. Sc. (Honours) in Actuarial Science. He became an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) in 1991 and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in 2000. From 1991-1998, Kurt worked as a Pension Consultant to Canada's largest pension plans. He continued in the pension field from 1998-2004 as Manager, Business Development, Standard Life. Since 2004, Kurt has been with the Group Pension department at Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. as Business Development Manager. He is a member of, and plays active roles with, CPBI and ACPM.

Andrew Duckman, B.A., GBA Candidate, RIBO is a seasoned corporate benefits and general insurance consultant. Andrew is' the Managing Director of SeveranceOptions.com. This is a fee-for-service employee benefit consulting firm providing employee benefit analysis of severance packages and providing expert witness expertise to the legal community. He has over a decade of experience within the risk management, merchant banking and information technology sectors. His core competencies are employee benefit cost containment and executive and business owner benefit construction and business analysis. Andrew began his career at Unum Provident (now RBC) developing unique financial solutions to serve the specialized needs of Canada's small and medium-sized businesses, and was responsible for integrating special risk solutions into the product lines of some of Canada's largest financial and insurance firms. In 2003, he joined one of Canada's leading Third Party Administrator and Brokerage firms, where he served as the Vice-President of Corporate Development. Andrew recently has started his own independent financial consulting firm called Client First Financial. Andrew has authored a number of articles about corporate benefits to Trade Publications including OTR (Over the Road Transportation Publication), Benefit Pension and Monitor and was a chapter contributor to one of Canada's leading Financial Planning Books "The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook" (Lexisnexis Canada, 2007).

Eugene Ellmen is Executive Director of the Social Investment Organization (SIO), Canada's association for socially responsible investment (SRI). He is widely regarded as one of Canada's leading authorities on SRI. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Canadian Ethical Money Guide (Toronto: Lorimer Press), published in five editions between 1988 and 1998. Eugene was also a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. Before joining the SIO in 1999, Eugene had a varied career as business writer for Canadian Press, public affairs advisor for Credit Union Central of Ontario, communications advisor to a number of Ministers in the Ontario government and in private consulting on behalf of companies and non-profit organizations.

Ian M. Hull, BA, LLB, TEP co-founded Hull & Hull LLP in 1998, a law firm that specializes in estate, capacity and trust litigation and provides advice in complex estate planning and administration matters. He was called to the Bar in 1990 and is a Certified Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law and in Civil Litigation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He is the author of Advising Families of Succession Planning: The High Price of Not Talking; Power of Attorney Litigation; Challenging the Validity of Wills; as well as the co-author of Probate Practice, 4th ed. and was a contributing Author of Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2008 Edition and a contributing Author of Widdifields on Accounts. He has been named one of the top estate practitioners in a national survey of his peers, appearing' since 2007' in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as one of the top practitioners in the estates litigation area and since 2006 in the National Post's Best Lawyers in Canada list in the Trusts and Estates category.

Robert Keats, BSc, CFP, RFP, MSFP is an internationally known expert in cross-border financial planning. His views on how Canadians can better manage their financial affairs have been featured on the internet and numerous Canadian and U.S. television/radio programs. He has also been featured in numerous publications and magazines, as well as other international media. Keats is author of a Canadian bestseller, The Border Guide, now in its 9th edition. He is a founding partner of Keats, Connelly & Associates, Inc. (KCA), which has offices in Arizona, Florida and Michigan. KCA was first established in early 1990 and is the largest U.S. based fee-only firm to specialize in cross-border financial planning. It is regarded as the premier cross-border financial planning firm in North America. Keats is a resident of Phoenix, Arizona. His interests include family, church and volunteer work.

Bob Kirk, B.A., FLMI, ACS, is a partner of PanFinancial Insurance Agencies Ltd. who has worked in the financial services industry for over 28 years. He has held executive positions with PanFinancial, Transamerica Life, Unum Provident and ING Life/NN Financial, and management positions with MONY Life and North American Life and has served as the Chief Underwriter at a number of large insurance carriers with Underwriting experience in Life, Group, Special Risk and Disability Insurance. Bob's background is in Sales, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Underwriting, Claims, Customer Service and Mergers. Bob has lectured at numerous industry and business functions, including the Schulich School of Business. His work has been published in a number of trade journals including Underwriter Alert and On The Risk. He has served as a Canadian Editor of On the Risk, the preeminent Underwriting journal and has also served as a director of the Canadian Institute of Underwriters. He was also a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook.

Herb Koplowitz, Ph.D., is the President of Terra Firma Management Consulting, based in Toronto. Herb consults to executives and trains managers to enable a more effective and efficient implementation of strategy through aligning structure to strategy, filling roles with the right people, training managers to direct and support employees and to hold them accountable. He has worked extensively in the financial sector and has consulted and taught performance management and organizational design to business leaders in Canada, the U.S. Jamaica, South Africa, Russia and India. Herb holds a B.A. in mathematics and philosophy from Cornell University, a Ph. D. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and registration as an organizational psychologist in Ontario.

David Leonhardt, CEO of The Happy Guy Marketing, a Canadian-based business that specializes in providing freelance writing, editing and Web site search engine ranking services. David was one of Canada's most interviewed spokespeople, often topping 500 media interviews a year, and helped to influence legislation and regulations across Canada. That expertise has since helped position his own business and those of his clients for success on the Internet and in the written word. David publishes A Daily Dose of Happiness, an ezine that is read by 40,000 people daily, and has been published in hundreds of books, newspapers, magazines and Web sites. David was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. He has also made cameo appearances with such luminaries as Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy.

Cary List, CA, CFP is President and CEO of Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada. Cary has spent the better part of the last two decades dedicated to the advancement of financial planning as a profession, and over the past six years he has overseen CFP certification in Canada. Under his leadership, CFP certification continues to be the gold standard for professional financial planning. Cary sits on the Council and the Certification Committee of the International Financial Planning Standards Board. Cary was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. He holds an honours mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo, is a Chartered Accountant and holds the Certified Financial Planner designation.

J. B. Loewen, BA, MBA is an experienced corporate consultant, lecturer and writer of business strategy. Loewen assists owner-managed Canadian companies and family businesses in seeking capital and private equity - debt and equity. Currently, as a partner with Loewen & Partners Inc., J. B. Loewen finds capital for companies ranging from $10M revenues and up, as well as for family owned enterprises. Loewen & Partners has raised over $100 million in private equity for owners of companies. J. B. Loewen shares experience and business knowledge of Private Equity in the book "Money Magnet: How To Attract Investors to Your Business".

Scott Maclagan entered the employee benefit consulting field in March 1964 with William M. Mercer Limited, Toronto. He has provided consulting services to many of Canada's largest employers including the CAF, RCMP, Federal Government and many Crown Corporations and private sector employers on both domestic and international benefits. In November 1996, he took early retirement and incorporated E. S. Maclagan & Associates Inc. in order to continue to provide consulting services while also developing the Menuflex Benefits Program. In the fall of 2005 he sold Maclagan & Associates and incorporated Maclagan Inc. In 2008 Maclagan Inc. launched the cost controlled enVia Benefits Program designed to enable an employer to essentially 'freeze'€ the cost of health and dental benefits, while providing greater flexibility to employees.

Gilles R. Marceau, CFP, CLU, RFP, PRP, is President of Gilles R. Marceau and Associates Inc. He is an accomplished Financial Planning, Retirement and Lifestyle Planning Consultant and Educator. Gilles has had a very successful four decade career in the life insurance, banking and the investment and securities businesses. He was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. Gilles has held the positions of Director of Individual Insurance Marketing for one of Canada's leading life insurance companies; Regional Manager for a financial planning practice directed to high net worth individuals; Managing Partner, Marketing Development for what was Canada's largest trust company; and Managing Partner in a fee-based financial planning/employee benefit firm. He is currently the Chair of the Professional Retirement Planners designation accredited through the Canadian Association of Pre-Retirement Planners.

Lynn R. Mason, J.D. is a Principle of Global Capital Markets, Inc. a leading West Coast M&A service provider located in California. Lynn has more than twelve years of M&A experience. He formerly served as president of Business Publications, Inc., a national publisher of corporate finance texts, directories and journals and sponsor of leveraged buyout seminars. He spent several years in private law practice where he focused upon M&A, corporate finance and international joint ventures. Lynn has served on the board of directors of numerous middle market companies. His experience includes identifying, qualifying and acquiring target companies in additions to a broad range of other merger and acquisition activities. Lynn received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from United States International University and his J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.

John Nicola, CLU, CHFC, CFP is the CEO & Chairman, Nicola Wealth Management. John has been in the financial services industry since 1974. He provides strategic leadership to Nicola Wealth Management and develops innovative solutions to clients' complex problems. His areas of expertise include wealth accumulation and management through the use of trusts, creative pension and insurance arrangements, and professional investment managers. He is a Founding Member of the Conference for Life Underwriters (CALU) and has served as the CALU Chair for 2003 as well as chair for TOT in 1999. Nicola Wealth Management is a firm focused on finding holistic solutions to the unique challenges facing business owners and high net worth individuals. From the creative use of corporate savings to using insurance as an investment vehicle, under John's guidance NWM continues to be a leader in the financial planning industry.

Fred Nickols has been working on and writing about a broad array of issues of interest and concern to managers, executives and other consultants for more than 35 years. Chief among these are work and work control systems; human behavior; organizational and process performance and improvement; strategy; change and change management; communities of practice; knowledge management; organization development (OD); and management itself. His almost 100 papers, articles and book chapters are available at www.skullworks.com. A former career Navy man, Fred also has experience at the executive level in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Currently, he is managing partner of The Distance Consulting Company, LLC. He draws on his extensive and varied background to make his ideas accessible, relevant and useful to his readers.

John Parkinson, PhD is Professor of Accounting & Finance and Director of the Atkinson School of Administrative Studies at York University. He graduated with a PhD in finance from Bradford University Management Centre in England, and he holds professional memberships as Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. His main research interests are the application of process costing in modern manufacturing companies, and the interaction of personality measurement with accounting research and practice and the development and use of case studies.

Trevor R. Parry, M.A., LL.B., is Executive Vice-President responsible for Sales and Marketing for Gordon B. Lang & Associates Inc. In addition to leading the consulting group for Lang's, Trevor works directly with clients, financial planners and advisors, accountants and lawyers in helping develop and implement advanced financial planning strategies. Trevor was called to the Ontario bar in 1996 and is a graduate of Queen's University Faculty of Law. Trevor also holds Masters and Undergraduate degrees in History from the University of Toronto. A dynamic public speaker, Trevor has presented at many conferences, including those presented by Advocis and the Canadian Bar Association. He has also been widely published in professional periodicals. Trevor was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook.

Greg Pashke, CMC, MBA, CPA, CMA, CFM, CBA is President of Pashke Consulting, a strategic, tactical and valuation consulting resource. Greg is a generalist committed to continuous learning and his mantra is "to get a lot done and have a lot of fun". Greg worked for an international accounting firm, served as CFO of a transportation enterprise, and was managing partner of a regional CPA firm prior to forming Pashke Consulting. Greg graduated from Gannon University, has an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, has lectured at Penn State University and holds certifications in consulting, finance, accounting and business valuation. Greg has served on professional and community governing boards including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The Pennsylvania Institute of CPA's. His articles have appeared in The Futurist, Strategic Finance, the Pennsylvania and New York CPA Journals, and Renaissance Executive Forum publications.

Kenneth C. Pope, LL.B., TEP, started his law practice in 1980. He travels the Province of Ontario to meet with clients and to present seminars on disabilities and estate planning issues. Ken is a Henson Trust specialist, providing financial security for families with a family member with disabilities or special needs. Ken has written dozens of articles on how guardians and parents of disabled children can financially and legally plan their affairs to protect the interest of their loved ones. He was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook.

Ian Quigley, M.B.A., CFP, CIM, is an independent financial planner specializing in topics related to pension and small business tax planning. Ian holds an M.B.A. from the University of Alberta and is currently a candidate in the Chartered Business Valuator's program (CBV). He has his own consulting firm, Quigley Consulting Inc. He was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. Ian is the author of the highly acclaimed book Compensation and Tax Strategies (Toronto: Thomson Carswell, 2004). This book is widely used to teach accountants and financial planning professionals advanced solutions in executive compensation.

Stanley Risen, CA, is the VP of Sales and Consulting for Benecaid Health Benefit Solutions Inc., a Toronto-based financial services company. Benecaid is a leading provider of innovative health benefit solutions in Canada. He was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. Stanley is a Charter Accountant with 22 years of financial and managerial experience that has included senior positions at BDO Dunwoody as a senior audit manager, Pet-Pak Containers as the CFO and IMS Machining as the CFO.

Grant Robinson, FCA is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Canada and founder of The SuccessCare Program, a unique process for enabling a successful transition of privately-owned and family businesses. For over 25 years, he has coached entrepreneurs and their families through the process of planning for the future. He has facilitated projects for both high profile and medium-sized Canadian businesses, many of whom were in a transition crisis. Grant actively shares his knowledge and experience with other professional advisors through the SuccessCare training programs. In addition, professionals from all disciplines engage him to provide specialized consulting and coaching for their family business clients. Grant uses his experience and facilitation skills to lead families through the development and execution of practical strategies to resolve their concerns.

Andrew Rogerson, LLB (Hons), TEP practices in Toronto, visiting London and Dubai. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1981 by Middle Temple, from whom he was a scholarship recipient. Subsequently Andrew served as a pupil in the insolvency Chambers of Michael Crystal Q.C. in Gray's Inn. His early practice developed from insolvency to encompass trusts, wills, insurance law and estate planning, with an international focus. Since qualification, Andrew has practiced in South Africa, Australia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jersey (Channel Islands), Ontario, Alberta and as a barrister in London, England. His experience is evenly divided between advisory and drafting work and litigation, with many appearances as counsel in appellate courts. Andrew spent 11 years in offshore financial centres establishing asset protection structures and litigating trust and insolvency issues.

James Sbrolla is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in the environmental, clean tech and financial sectors. A veteran analyst of the environmental business sector, he is sought out by the media for his sometimes prescient opinion. He has been widely quoted and published in industry and mainstream media, and pens the business column for three magazines. Following a three year international business development project, he worked as an Investment Advisor before founding Environmental Business Consultants (EBC), a company whose services include business strategy planning and implementation, market research and raising private and public financing. Recently appointed as the Entrepreneur in Residence for the Ontario Center for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA), he coaches fledgling businesses to commercial success. James is Chair of EBC and sits on the boards of Actual Media and Clover Insurance.

Shay Schwartzman, BFA, founded LifeStyle Media, a full-service production and post-production company that works hand-in-hand with Trusted Advisors to get the message out there. Shay works hard to set his clients apart from their competition and uses his expertise, gained from working in this business since 1992, to craft the right message using the right medium to reach the right market; BETTER, FASTER, FURTHER. Times and technology have certainly changed but the mission to bring top quality, informative and entertaining media, whatever the format, is still the bottom line. Shay has worked in all facets of production since graduating with an Honours BFA from York University (Toronto, Canada) in 1990. He spends his working time consulting with clients on how to further their businesses using video and multimedia, producing, directing and writing.

Richard Segal, B.Com, CFP, has over three decades of professional experience and is a pioneer in Canada combining business succession planning with sophisticated tax and insurance solutions. Richard is among the top 1% of insurance agents in the world. He is past President of the Chartered Life Underwriters Toronto Chapter and is a past Trustee of the CLU Institute. He is a past Director of the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Association of Financial Planners and a past President of the Scarborough Estate and Financial Planning Council. He appeared regularly on "Money Talks" on CHFI Radio, Cable Pulse 24, as well as on TV Ontario's "Small Business" program, Rogers Cable Financial planning series and a live national financial planning question and answer program on Global TV. Richard has spoken and run seminars for numerous organizations including the University of Toronto, Seneca College, and CCH Canadian Limited. He is a co-author of Wealth Creation for the Salaried Executive which is a Canadian guide to executive and managerial compensation and tax planning.

Morden (Mort) Shapiro, B. Com., FCA, CMC, for over 25 years has consulted to accounting practices throughout Canada. Mort, a regular columnist in The Bottom Line, coaches accounting firms and frequently performs a Diagnostic Review of an Accounting Practice for practices of all sizes. He was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. A well-known teacher, author and facilitator of partners' retreats, he is also a frequent presenter of Professional Development courses and is available to address conferences and other professional meetings. Mort consults on a broad range of practice management issues, including: relationship management; partnership arrangements; succession planning; strategic planning; marketing; integration of technology; growth management; mergers; conflict resolution; and profit improvement strategies. He is available as an expert witness, arbitrator or mediator in professional negligence situations and partnership disputes. Mort offers expert guidance with respect to the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Quality Control requirements for accounting practices.

Charles L Stanley CFP '® ChFC AIF'® is a person with the unique ability to support his clients through strategic life planning that enables them to make progress toward their individual goals in life. He works as a fee-only wealth coach and often acts as his client's team captain with the other expert professionals on the client's advisory team in sunny San Diego, California. He offers Investment Consulting, Advanced Planning and Expert Team Management as a member of the advisory team of Trovena, LLC, a leading wealth management firm with offices in La Jolla, CA, Redondo Beach, CA and Roseland, NJ.

Norm Trainor is the founder and CEO of The Covenant Group. He is an international speaker, the author of the best-selling book, The 8 Best Practices of High-Performing Salespeople, and a consultant to organizations around the world. He is also the author of Best Practices: Training and Development, Carswell Thomson's international bible on Training and Development. His most recent book is The Entrepreneurial Journey: a handbook for building your business. In addition, Norm has written over 300 articles for various leading publications in North America and internationally.

Christopher P. Van Slyke, B.A., M.B.A., CFP'®, is a Managing Director of Trovena, LLC, a fee-only wealth management firm in La Jolla, California. His expertise in comprehensive wealth management is reflected in the firm's emphasis on estate planning, asset protection, tax strategies, risk management, investment selection, business succession and retirement planning. A Certified Financial Planner practitioner, Christopher is also a financial planner member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), an exclusive organization of fee-only planners. Christopher is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association of San Diego and Los Angeles. Christopher was a co-author of The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. He has been quoted or published in The Wall Street Journal, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Financial Planning, Smart Money, Financial Advisor, Boomer Market Advisor, MSN Money, Wealth and Retirement Planner, thestreet.com, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, the Del Mar Times, Money Magazine and MorningstarAdvisor.com.

Corina Weigl, BA, LLB, TEP is a partner with the Trusts, Wills, Estates and Charities Group of the Toronto office of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Her practice focuses on estate planning, including resolving the complexities associated with family business succession planning. Corina is a frequent lecturer and speaker on related topics including CICA the Succession Planning Toolkit for Business Owners and Planning and Executing an Estate Freeze. Corina is recognized for her ability to address complex legal issues, while efficiently facilitating solutions. She is acknowledged for her sensitive and insightful approach to their affairs and her ability to provide timely, pragmatic advice in a cost-effective manner. In addition to Wills and Trusts, estate administration and corporate re-organizations, Corina also handles marriage contracts and charities law. Corina is the 2008 recipient of the Hoffstein Book Prize, a peer nominated award for professional excellence and contribution to the Bar. Corina is Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association's Estates and Trusts subsection. She is a member of the international organization, Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, as well as other professional organizations. Corina is ranked by Lexpert as up-and-coming in the Estate Planning and Personal Tax area.

Galen Weston is the founder of ProfessionalReferrals.ca Inc., North America's premier online referral generation company. Since its inception ProfessionalReferrals.ca and AdvisorWorld.com have attracted millions of visitors each year and helped tens of thousands of North Americans in both Canada and the US begin new successful professional relationships with trusted advisors. Galen's vision and leadership, has resulted in thousands of Lawyers, Financial Advisors and Accountants entrusting ProfessionalReferrals.ca Inc with their marketing resources, this has resulted in millions of dollars in new business. As a pioneer in the advisory industry Galen is well recognized by his peers as an expert in the field of optimizing the World Wide Web for quality lead generation for the advisory community. Providing the very best information available, through a network of writers and internet bloggers, by positioning their works at the top of thousands of Google search topics.

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