GTA Accountants & Finance Network

Matt spent the first decade and a half of his career with the RBC Dominion Securities Portfolio Advisory Group (PAG), where his sophisticated market analysis and knack for communicating the most complex concepts in comprehensible terms helped him stand out among his peers. In 2010, he was promoted to leader of the PAG team, overseeing a group of a dozen analysts as they built equity portfolios for advisors and their clients.

Six years later, Matt took his unique know-how to RBC Capital Markets as Chief Canadian Equity Strategist, where he advised institutional investors from some of the largest pension funds and mutual fund companies in North America. In addition to his aforementioned accomplishments, Matt has chaired the RBC Dominion Securities Investment Strategy Committee and managed the prestigious RBC Canadian Focus List, the oldest stock portfolio of its kind in Canada. Matt has also appeared frequently on BNN Bloomberg and was often quoted in various financial publications, including Fortune Magazine, the Financial Times, and the Globe and Mail.

Matt brought his expert knowledge to private clients in 2018, launching his own practice at RBC Dominion Securities. Today, as senior portfolio manager at Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners, Matt spends his days working shoulder to shoulder with Jeff, relying on his innate sense of the financial world to offer clients an industry-leading experience. Still an avid researcher, Matt begins every day by conducting an in-depth analysis of the markets, working hard to translate his findings into meaningful investment results. He constantly shares his proprietary insights with our clients via our blog and team newsletter.

A CFA charterholder since 2004, Matt holds an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Buffalo.

As a two-time survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Matt understands firsthand the importance of family and community in difficult times. Since 2020, he has sat on the board of directors for Wellspring, which provides free support to cancer patients and their families. Matt and his wife of over 20 years, Karen, have two precocious children, Naomi and Malcolm, and two devoted golden retrievers – Revis and Gary. Together, Matt and Karen enjoy golfing, cooking, and the works of William Shakespeare (although they prefer them in the original Klingon).

Jeff is a graduate from the commerce program at the University of Western Ontario, and was a founding member of one of the University's investment management clubs. After graduating in 2002, Jeff joined a technology company, quickly rising through the ranks to become the company’s top salesperson in the country. Having achieved the pinnacle of success in that role, Jeff sought out a new challenge in 2011, founding his own investment practice at RBC Dominion Securities. “I wanted to join a firm that was an industry leader and best in its class,” Jeff recalls. “And obviously, that was RBC.”

As senior portfolio manager and wealth advisor, Jeff has earned one of the top spots among advisors nationwide and now leads Barasch - Wellwood Wealth Partners alongside Matt, connecting with clients and helping manage all aspects of their financial lives. In everything he does, Jeff works diligently to do what is right for his clients, dispelling misinformation and educating wherever he can. He never takes shortcuts on his journey to providing unparalleled service – as he puts it, “our clients rely on us for so much more than just investments.” Dedicated to continual education, Jeff holds more than 10 industry credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designations.

Jeff also leads a busy and active life outside of work with his wife, Siobhann, and their three children: Julia, Kingsley, and Victoria. He is deeply involved in the Beaches community, volunteering as a coach and an active board member for both the Beaches Community Soccer League and Scarborough Young Bruins Hockey Association. True to his roots, he has also carried on the family tradition of owning, training, and breeding over a dozen Standardbred racehorses, located on his family’s horse farm in Ancaster, Ontario.

Colin Ardill stays humble. Even so, he's not shy about being on a mission: to overturn 150 years of misunderstanding about life insurance, one day at a time.

Most Canadians see only one dimension to life insurance: that it's of no use to the living. But Colin sees it in three dimensions. There is the death benefit that everyone can see - but life insurance also provides tax-exempt growth, and it allows the holder to spend more money in retirement than they otherwise could. Says Colin: "The person buying the policy will be the biggest beneficiary."

Colin has been in the estate planning business for over 15 years. His core purpose - the heart of everything he does - is to leave everyone he meets better off.