Our people

As CEO of Samara, Michael is responsible for strategic decisions and establishing the firm's culture and client approach. He is passionate about bringing value to clients and enjoys being involved in their lives on a daily basis. He also sits on Samara's Investment Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining Samara, Michael spent more than two decades as a wealth manager at leading financial institutions, most recently at RBC Wealth Management, where he led an Executive and Chairman Council team for more than 12 years. As a native of Beauce and a third generation entrepreneur, Michael understood the importance of wealth management from a very early age. After completing his degree in business administration at Université Laval in Québec City, and following the sale of the family business, Michael created his own wealth management team at Merrill Lynch at the age of 26.

As a father of four children, Michael is a keen supporter of several charities, including the Québec-Jeunes and CHU Sainte-Justine hospital foundations.

Annie is the Head of the Integrated Wealth Planning team and the family continuity services, and she is also the Executive Director of the Samara Family Foundation. She wields her considerable expertise to develop financial, tax and estate strategies and prepare integrated plans to meet our clients’ specific needs. 

She has many years of experience in financial planning and taxation, including a stint as TD Wealth Management’s vice-president of tax and estate planning before she joined Samara in 2021. She also contributes to Affaires Plus and Finance et investissement magazines, and co-wrote the book Ma retraite.

Annie has a bachelor's degree in finance from UQAM and a graduate degree in taxation from the Université de Sherbrooke. She is a certified financial planner from the Institut québécois de la planification financière (IQPF), a financial security advisor, a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Association de planification financière et fiscale (APFF). 

As CIO, Catherine oversees the creation and execution of clients' investment strategies, including investment recommendations and decisions. She is also involved in researching, analyzing and monitoring private investments and third-party managers in all asset classes. She works closely with Samara's Investment team, strategic partners, research providers and the Investment Advisory Committee to monitor your portfolio on a daily basis.

Catherine started her career in the treasury department of a financial institution in Boston. For more than 20 years, she has been a part of Michael Grondin’s team which she joined as an investment analyst. Since then, she has held evolving roles that have led her to actively manage public investment portfolios for clients starting in 2010.

Over the last decade, she developed a particular interest in analysis and selection of real estate, infrastructure as well as other alternative investments, equipping her with excellent knowledge of all asset classes.

Catherine follows in her father’s footsteps who encouraged her to develop an interest for financial markets as early as the age of 6.  He would ask her to track and tell him the value of different stock market indices on a daily basis. This brought her to study finance and economics at McGill University and HEC Montreal where she got her Master’s degree.  Afterwards, she obtained the CFA designation.

Maxim knows that the trust our clients put in Samara and the safety of their assets is paramount and must be underpinned by strong governance. He works with the team to develop, implement, maintain and monitor policies and procedures to ensure the firm abides by the highest industry standards.

Maxim started his career as a quantitative analyst with an emerging Montreal investment manager in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis. He quickly took an interest in the operational aspect of the industry and was put in charge of operations and compliance for a mutual fund family before becoming CCO of the entire firm and helping to bring its operational structure up to institutional standards. His experience ranges from front to back office, giving him an understanding of the many aspects of the business and helping him interact with all stakeholders for a better integration of operations and compliance.

Maxim earned a Master of Science in Administration with a major in finance from HEC Montréal and holds the CFA designation. He studied for a semester at the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany.

Nicolas takes care of the overall customer experience and makes sure you are completely satisfied with Samara’s services. His holistic approach covers the financial, legal, tax and estate aspects of your wealth. He works closely with your Samara Family Officer to support your goals.

In his career as an entrepreneur before joining Samara, Nicolas co-founded several firms in the financial sector. Most recently, he was president and co-founder of CEOS Family Office, a multi-disciplinary family office serving ultra-high-net-worth families. Prior to that, he was senior manager and owner of the Brossard branch of Stonegate Private Counsel, a subsidiary of CI Financial, after co-founding the first two Francophone branches of Assante Wealth Management in Quebec in 2008 and 2009.

Nicolas has a degree in financial planning from the Université du Québec à Montréal. He holds the professional designations of Financial Planner (Pl.Fin.) and Trust and EstatePractitioner (TEP) from the Institut québécois de planification financière and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and is a member of the Association deplanification financière et fiscale (APFF). He is an active member of his community and sits on the Honoré-Mercier Foundation’s board of directors.

Mathieu serves a wide range of needs for our clients, from wealth planning and investment strategies to credit solutions. With all of Samara's resources at his disposal, he assists and advises families in developing personalized wealth plans and implementing effective wealth management strategies.

Mathieu previously worked for major Canadian banking institutions for more than 20 years, where he held roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Samara, he worked as a private banker for the past 11 years, which allowed him to develop a comprehensive planning approach to help his clients achieve their short and long term goals.

He holds the Financial Planner designation from the Institut québécois de la planification financière and is an avid skier. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montréal, an MBA from Dalhousie University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (ICB).  

Clyde works with other Samara resources to assist and advise families in developing and implementing effective wealth management strategies. He takes care of ensuring you have a comprehensive wealth plan in place that covers all your financial, tax and estate needs and is based on a sound investment strategy. 

Clyde’s 15 years of experience with clients gives him excellent insight into the challenges faced by high-net-worth clients. His career as an investment advisor, and later as a portfolio manager, brought him to leverage his entrepreneurial spirit to collaborate to the foundation of two investment firms. Before joining the Samara team, he served as Chief Operating Officer of a multifamily office, where he helped build an independent portfolio management firm. He has also worked as a portfolio manager, which allowed him to help integrate institutional investment strategies.

In addition to being a consummate outdoorsman, Clyde is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and a Certified Investment Manager (CIM).

Annie is the Head of the Integrated Wealth Planning team and the family continuity services, and she is also the Executive Director of the Samara Family Foundation. She wields her considerable expertise to develop financial, tax and estate strategies and prepare integrated plans to meet our clients’ specific needs. 

She has many years of experience in financial planning and taxation, including a stint as TD Wealth Management’s vice-president of tax and estate planning before she joined Samara in 2021. She also contributes to Affaires Plus and Finance et investissement magazines, and co-wrote the book Ma retraite.

Annie has a bachelor's degree in finance from UQAM and a graduate degree in taxation from the Université de Sherbrooke. She is a certified financial planner from the Institut québécois de la planification financière (IQPF), a financial security advisor, a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Association de planification financière et fiscale (APFF). 

Fanny Gaudet advises our clients on all things related to their estate’s devolution, family finances and holding company. She analyzes legal documents to understand each client’s situation and suggests any necessary changes. She works with your professionals to coordinate the implementation of our recommendations. 

For the first 10 years of her practice, Fanny worked as a family notary with the Gravel Brodeur Gaudet Leblanc-Lamothe, notary firm before joining the planning team at CEOS Family Office. She draws on her knowledge of the inner workings of private practice to deliver a high-quality legal service with a human touch that combines empathy, rapport and trust in order to offer solutions that are perfectly tailored to the needs of her clients and based on a rigorous approach to notarial practice. 

Fanny Gaudet has a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in notarial law from the Université de Sherbrooke. She has been on the roll of the Chambre des notaires du Québec since 2012. She has also sat on the board of directors of SOS Dépannage since 2015, a position that has allowed her to share her knowledge and make a difference in her community. 

As CIO, Catherine oversees the creation and execution of clients' investment strategies, including investment recommendations and decisions. She is also involved in researching, analyzing and monitoring private investments and third-party managers in all asset classes. She works closely with Samara's Investment team, strategic partners, research providers and the Investment Advisory Committee to monitor your portfolio on a daily basis.

Catherine started her career in the treasury department of a financial institution in Boston. For more than 20 years, she has been a part of Michael Grondin’s team which she joined as an investment analyst. Since then, she has held evolving roles that have led her to actively manage public investment portfolios for clients starting in 2010.

Over the last decade, she developed a particular interest in analysis and selection of real estate, infrastructure as well as other alternative investments, equipping her with excellent knowledge of all asset classes.

Catherine follows in her father’s footsteps who encouraged her to develop an interest for financial markets as early as the age of 6.  He would ask her to track and tell him the value of different stock market indices on a daily basis. This brought her to study finance and economics at McGill University and HEC Montreal where she got her Master’s degree.  Afterwards, she obtained the CFA designation.

Mark is responsible for implementing, rebalancing and monitoring portfolio management activities in client accounts. He works closely with the Investment team to ensure portfolios are in line with clients’ objectives and risk tolerance. He adds value to clients through his attention to detail, extensive investment experience and knowledge of individual client needs.  

Prior to joining RBC Dominion Securities in 2003, Mark was a Portfolio Manager, Estates & Trusts for RBC Global Asset Management and also worked in the audit group for the Royal Bank of Canada.  

Mark has a B.Comm. from Concordia University and holds the CFA designation.

Hans is responsible for the research and follow up on funds and alternative investments. He assists in conducting due diligence on new investment opportunities to make sure they are best suited to meet clients’ needs. Hans also conducts follow-ups with managers from external public investments to ensure they continue to be the best fit for their mandate, and to keep client reporting accurate.

Hans has diversified experience in the investment and financial industries, as a trader for a proprietary trading firm, as well as client-facing experience as an advisor and as an investment representative. This experience has given him perspectives of various stakeholders in the industry, helping him today to conduct his responsibilities in the best interest of his clients.

Hans’s passion has always been portfolio management of alternative investments, and he believes decisions are best taken when backed by rigorous data-driven models and critical thinking in all stages of the due diligence process.

Hans holds a Masters of Finance (MFin) degree from the University of Toronto and is a CFA Charterholder. 

Martin is the partner in charge of accounting services. He acts as business advisor and CFO for our entrepreneurial clients and their families. He also oversees the production of financial statements and personal and corporate tax returns. He works in collaboration with Samara's Integrated Planning team and your external professionals. Martin's team consists of CPAs and accounting technicians.

He was President, Accounting Services at CEOS Accounting Services and CFO of CEOS Family Office from 2020 until he joined Samara. He was formerly a partner at Deloitte, where he acted as a business advisor to the firm’s entrepreneurial clients.

Martin has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke and has been a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agrées du Québec since 1999. He is also a licensed CPA auditor.

In her role of Manager of Accounting Services, Sofiane prepares financial statements in accordance with all current accounting standards and prepares personal and corporate tax returns. She works closely with everyone at Samara, acting as a point of reference for wide ranging tax and accounting questions.

She has over ten years' experience in accounting firms, including positions as account manager and director of certification and accounting at MNP. This experience has given her the opportunity to carry out a wide range of accounting and tax mandates for small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of sectors. Ready to take on new challenges, and always keen to offer the best service to her clients, she decided to join the Samara team in 2024.

Sofiane has a bachelor's degree in business administration with an accounting option and a postgraduate diploma in accounting from l’Université de Sherbrooke. She holds the Chartered Professional Accountant - CPA auditor designation from the Ordre des comptables professionnels agrées du Québec since 2015.

Sylvie leads the administrative services team. She takes a personalized approach to facilitating the integration, management and monitoring of our clients' business and personal files throughout the year. She keeps a close eye on the files that are entrusted to her team, ensuring they deliver superior quality that meets our clients’ highest requirements.

Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Sylvie founded her bookkeeping firm over 20 years ago. She has solid experience in all aspects of managing a business and its staff. Inspired by its founders’ vision, she integrated her business with CEOS Family Office in 2016.

A self-taught go-getter, she started her career in a company in the industrial sector, where she spent six years climbing the ranks to eventually become accounting technician. She then took over the family business, where she managed operations as a controller for over a decade.

As an Accounting Technician, Annie takes care of payroll for our clients.

Annie has over 20 years of experience in accounting and almost 10 years in customer service and people management. Previously, she had similar roles at CEOS Accounting Services and Comptabilité Arica. Before that, she worked at Groupe Interconnexion, where she was responsible for the accounting cycle and for managing payroll and transportation. Annie also held various customer service and people management positions at companies such as Petro-Canada and Vitro-Plus.

Annie has a DEP (diploma of vocational studies) in accounting from École Pierre-Dupuy, and she is a curious, self-directed learner.

Josée offers outstanding administrative support to our clients, particularly for bookkeeping and invoice processing. 

Josée spent the four previous years before she joined Samara as assistant to the vice‑president of CEOS Accounting Services, where she was responsible for the company's bookkeeping and administrative support. Before that, she worked as an accounting technician at Arica Accounting for seven years. She spent the first 25 years of her career in the restaurant industry as a food service manager and as a business owner. 

Josée has a college degree in food service management from the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, which includes training in accounting. An active member of the community, she has been a volunteer treasurer for the Contrecœur-based Expressio vocal ensemble since 2017.

Patrick is responsible for supervising Samara’s day-to-day operations and making sure they run smoothly. He works with the team to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information communicated to Samara’s teams and clients.

Patrick has over 25 years of experience in the investment business and understands that efficient operations are critical to all aspects of the business.

Patrick started as a financial analyst for a Canadian broker but quickly moved into portfolio management, focusing first on the institutional portfolios of small Canadian companies and eventually transitioning to a role where he led a team managing assets of nearly $5 billion for institutional and private wealth clients. After 21 years as an analyst and portfolio manager, Patrick accepted a position managing the operations of Fiera Capital's Canadian division and joined the division’s management committee.

Patrick has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in finance from Université de Sherbrooke. He has been a CFA charterholder since 1998.

As a member of the Family Office team, Marie-Eve is involved in every aspect of our clients’ experience, with a special focus on wealth planning and client education programs. Thanks to her adaptability, creativity and positive energy, she provides value to clients on a daily basis.

Marie-Eve has spent more than a decade in the financial industry and was previously an associate advisor and financial advisor at RBC Wealth Management. She has experience providing financial planning advice and investment recommendations.

She is passionate about sports and wellness, and holds a business degree from Université de Sherbrooke.

In his role, Jérémy is in charge of integrating new clients, portfolio administration and operational support. As a young professional with a strong desire to learn, Jérémy stands out for his team spirit and his ability to adapt.

His arrival at Samara marks his first foray into the world of finance. Prior to joining Samara, Jérémy has acquired administrative experience in various sectors where he was exposed to several IT management systems. In addition to his academic background in programming and data management, it provides Samara with an additional asset in operations management.

Jérémy holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from ESG UQAM.

As CEO of Samara, Michael is responsible for strategic decisions and establishing the firm's culture and client approach. He is passionate about bringing value to clients and enjoys being involved in their lives on a daily basis. He also sits on Samara's Investment Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining Samara, Michael spent more than two decades as a wealth manager at leading financial institutions, most recently at RBC Wealth Management, where he led an Executive and Chairman Council team for more than 12 years. As a native of Beauce and a third generation entrepreneur, Michael understood the importance of wealth management from a very early age. After completing his degree in business administration at Université Laval in Québec City, and following the sale of the family business, Michael created his own wealth management team at Merrill Lynch at the age of 26.

As a father of four children, Michael is a keen supporter of several charities, including the Québec-Jeunes and CHU Sainte-Justine hospital foundations.

Jean-François Courville has spent most of his 30-year career as a financial services and financial technology executive, leading several major Canadian and global businesses. He is currently Managing Partner of Purpose Advisor Solutions, a digital platform provider for independent portfolio managers and financial advisors.  

Previously, he held positions as CEO of Wealthsimple for Advisors and Head of Wealthsimple’s B2B business, Chief Operating Officer of RBC Wealth Management, President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Asset Management and President and CEO of State Street Canada.

Jean-François is very active in the community, including as Director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, former Director and Past Chair of the Board of Habitat for Humanity Toronto and as a director with several artistic and academic organizations. He is also a founding member and director of Toronto-based cycling philanthropy club Les Domestiques.

He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and International Business from McGill University in Montreal, and holds the CFA designation.