Robert started his successful career as an insurance advisor in the early 1980s and soon developed a special interest in family-business transition planning. He learned quickly that succession planning is a process that evolves a successor, not an event that produces one-a motto that encapsulates his approach. He also learned that families who plan thoughtfully achieve far better results than families who let an unexpected event dictate who the successors will be.

Through the Discovery phase of CMG's unique process, Robert helps our clients identify clear objectives on three related fronts: for their business, for their wealth, and for the way family members will-or will not-participate in the management and benefits of the business. His appreciation of the nuances of family dynamics and his expertise in handling sensitive negotiations qualify Robert uniquely to guide this process and achieve the desired result-agreement from family members about the fairness of the objectives. This leads to family support for the plan once it is in place, which in turn allows the business to grow unencumbered by interpersonal conflict. This is the starting point for development of a plan that will actually deliver the desired results.

With CMG's firm belief that wealth in the proper hands can have a positive impact on our society, Robert works with our business-owning clients to ensure that their successors are prepared both for the opportunities and the responsibilities of their wealth.

Robert is a graduate of McMaster University (Economics, 1982). He has contributed extensively to the industry and to his community, and has served as a director of the Burlington Community Foundation. He is also a charter member of the Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting (CALU). Robert and his wife Shelley have three children and live in Burlington.