About RDBA

Brian Evans, Chair of the Board of Directors for the RDBA.

Brian’s association with the RDBA began almost 25 years ago and he has been connected to the management of the organization for most of those years. Developing a strong Canadian deposit industry in this changing environment for current and future brokers and agents continues to drive his involvement in the association.

Brian is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and manages a financial services business started by his father, W. Laurence Evans in 1965. Deposit products maintain a vital place in the services offered through the financial planning process at Brian J. Evans Financial Services.

Brian and his wife Luanne have six children, all of whom are now married. Family holds a special priority for the couple and should you talk to them, you might have to endure stories of their children and their many grandchildren! Brian is involved in various volunteer opportunities throughout his hometown including his church. Throughout his life, music has held an important place for Brian. As part of the male gospel music group called Reflections Trio, he continues to present music programs at churches, events and senior’s residences throughout the GTA.

David is Chairman and CFO, Fiscal Agents Ltd., an Oakville based Deposit Broker established in 1977.  David was the Co-chair between 2000 and 2002 becoming President of The Federation of Independent Deposit Brokers until 2006, and continues as a member of the board of directors of the Registered Deposit Brokers Association.

Under David’s leadership the organization was transformed from a trade group into a self-regulating organization that has challenged and continues to task the government on over-regulation, acted as public advocate to the benefit of insured deposit holders, by petitioning for the increase in CDIC deposit insurance coverage to its present limit of $100,000.00.

He has held discussions with federal finance Minister Jim Flaherty regarding the reintroduction of the Interest Income deduction, which culminated with the creation of the Tax Free Saving Account scheme.

With over 25 years in the financial industry, Janet has the knowledge and the know how when it comes to serving the needs of the deposit broker community.

Janet began her career at ATB Financial where she spent 16 years working in sales, service and operations.  She then made the move to Bridgewater Bank where she has worked tirelessly overseeing deposit operations while supporting and implementing the business strategy.

Janet is currently the Business Development Manager – Deposits at Bridgewater Bank where she spends her time representing the bank to deposit brokers, aggregators and investment partners.

She enjoys working in the deposit broker community where she can offer her expertise on financial savings products while creating lasting relationships.

Janet is also a mom of two who blows off steam by going on long runs, practicing yoga and hitting the gym. She is a force to be reckoned with.

Bill has been a RDBA board member since 2012.  With 35 years in the financial services industry, Bill continues to be fascinated with the ever-changing landscape and how each and every person is impacted by financial issues.

His experience encompasses loans, mortgages, and investment advice in areas of mutual funds and insurance.  He has held his current position as founder and President and CEO of GICdirect.com Financial Services Ltd. for the past 17 years.

Brandon’s extensive financial services experience, coupled with his post-graduate studies in Marketing and Finance make him a valuable addition to the RDBA Board of Directors.

After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business, Brandon gained valuable experience working with one of Canada’s largest consulting firms before moving into the financial services industry.   Now with over 15 years of financial services experience, Brandon brings valuable insight into the challenges facing deposit brokers, and their clients.

Frank began his financial services career in 1987, working with families and business owners to develop financial plans and implement them with life and health insurance and investment funds.

In 1993, Frank completed the CLU designation and was awarded the Leslie W. Dunstall medal.  Frank then enrolled in the MBA program at the Schulich School of Business while continuing to build his practice.  He graduated with distinction in 1997 and later joined Sun Life’s Canadian individual insurance division where he directed marketing efforts across both managed and external distribution channels, and was a member of the leadership team for the Clarica integration.

By late 2004, Frank assumed the general management role at Page and Associates Ltd.  He now focuses on supporting the firm’s advisors with their affluent and business-owner clients to deliver advanced financial planning, tax and estate planning advice, and portfolio management services.

Mary Rygiel has been a proud RDBA member since 1986. She has served as a director on the RDBA Board for over 20 years, including 5 as Board Chair.

She started in the financial services industry in a managerial capacity with the banking sector. In 1985 she decided to offer independent, low cost, financial advice to the conservative investor and continues to provide her services in this capacity.

Joseph has over a decade of experience in the Financial Services and GIC Administration business.  As Community Trust’s Account Manager, Deposit Services, he has helped lead the company to more than triple their assets under administration by bringing them together with new resources, brokers and technologies. He has also been heavily involved in keeping Community Trust Company aware of developments in the industry, including those of the RDBA. Before pursuing a career in financial services, he ran a small business promoting travel destinations with a partner to whom he sold the business.

Joseph has been active in volunteer opportunities such as the Canadian Blood Donor Clinic and was even recognized in the Mississauga Times news after his 50th donation over a 20-year period. He has also set up group blood donations through work, friends and family. Joseph plays softball weekly in the summers in a men’s league to keep active and he has regularly taken part in events to benefit Sick Kids, including their outdoor volleyball tournament HEAT WAVE.  Joseph has also been recognized by Google Inc. for contributions to Google Maps by becoming a recognized Local Guide and sponsored by Google for attending and setting up events for their ever-growing suite of applications.

Mike joined the Board of Directors for the RDBA in 2018. Given his previous experience with corporate, non-profit, charity and municipal Boards, Mike hopes to make positive contributions to the RDBA, particularly in terms of Strategic Planning and identifying how the association will benefit its members.

Mike has been in the financial services industry since 2001. He holds both Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations. He also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Queen’s University. He operates a solo practice in Coboug, Ontario offering a wide range of financial services.

Barbara Thompson-Walker has over 40 years of financial industry experience in the banking and corporate sectors, as well as 15 years of experience in the deposit broking business. Barbara has been a board member since 2015.

Chris understands how deposit brokers provide access to funds outside of the traditional credit union market and the benefits for credit unions in accessing deposits in today’s competitive deposit market.

Chris is Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and has her MBA from Royal Roads University. With over 25 years’ experience of corporate accounting and finance experience in a variety of industries, she has earned a reputation of being able to transition methods for one industry and applying them to another. Since 2012, she has been working in the credit union systems in British Columbia and Alberta, with the majority of the time being VP, Finance for Encompass Credit Union Ltd., in Wainwright, Alberta. She specializes in corporate finance, risk and asset management.

She likes working with deposit brokers and brings the perspective of using deposits for asset/liability management in the financial industry. This collaborative relationship matches with the cooperative principles that form part of the values Chris holds deeply.

On a personal level, Chris is the mother of one, has only one dog (right now), and actively pursues her passion for life-long learning. Currently, she is working on achieving her Certified Executive Coach certification.

Ewa has been a Certified Deposit Specialist with RDBA since 2015. In addition to working as a Deposit Broker in Vancouver, BC, she has a wide day-to-day overview of retail financial services by working with life & health insurance and securities. She has enjoyed the continuous and growing landscape of financial industry and hopes to streamline and develop financial compliance literacy.

She brings in Master’s degree in Sinology, as well as various courses in social psychology. Ewa is fluent in Polish and Mandarin. She is also a volunteer Leader for Scouts Canada.