EXPERIENCE &
EXPERTISE

Anthony Messina is the President of and Head of Private Wealth at Guardian Partners Inc. (GPI). He served previously as President and CEO of Worldsource Securities and Worldsource Financial Management from 2018 to 2021.

Before joining the Guardian team in 2016, Anthony played a key role in building I3 Advisors, the predecessor to BNY Mellon Wealth Management Canada’s Outsourced Chief Investment Officer business. As President, he was a member of various global operating, pension, and investment strategy committees, and served as director of the Canadian and Cayman Island businesses. This business, purchased by Guardian Capital, is now part of GPI.

Anthony began his career at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), and his extensive experience spans investment management, venture capital, business and operations management in private and public companies.

Anthony is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business, holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) designation and is a CFA® Charterholder. He is active in several charitable organizations, including serving as Chair of Villa Colombo Vaughan, Director of Villa Charities and is a member of the MacKay CEO Forums - a leading peer learning organization for CEOs.

Andrew Dimock is a Vice President, Investment Counsellor for Guardian Partners where he counsels ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and institutional clients about their wealth management and investment needs. He has a breadth of experience advising and managing complex family structures, foundations, endowments, not-for-profits, and charitable organizations.

Previously, Andrew was a Principal and Relationship Manager at Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. (Burgundy), working with family offices, foundations and endowments. He started out in Burgundy’s rotational program and worked in various departments, including the Canadian private and institutional client groups, compliance and trading departments, and then later joined their US client group. Prior to working in the investment industry full time in 2008, Andrew interned with BMW M in Munich, Germany.

He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Acadia University, in Finance and Economics, and completed a study term at the University of Sydney in Australia. He is a CFA® Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and Toronto CFA Society.

Andrew has a long history of volunteer work as a swim and gym instructor with special needs children at Acadia University, in Toronto as a Leaside baseball coach, and then as a member of St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation Young Leaders, and MLSE Foundation Game Changers as a Director of Fundraising. Presently, he volunteers with a community awareness and fundraising group for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Alex Lyon is an Associate Investment Counsellor for Guardian Partners, where he is responsible for designing, recommending, and implementing customized investment strategies for institutional clients and ultra-high-net-worth families.

Alex entered the investment industry in 2017 when he joined Guardian Partners (formerly BNY Mellon Wealth Management Advisory Services Inc.) as a Performance Analyst. Through his continued growth and contributions, he has advanced steadily to a more senior role with the firm.

Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree with a specialization in Finance from McMaster University (DeGroote School of Business) and is a CFA® Charterholder.

Sergio Di Vito is a seasoned operations executive with over 30 years of experience. In 2024, he joined Guardian Partners as Vice President of Operations, bringing a wealth of expertise in leading transformative change within the financial services industry, with a strong focus on capital markets.

Throughout his multifaceted career, Sergio has worked with both startups and established organizations, overseeing institutional and retail trading, as well as driving the development, implementation, and execution of key processes and policies. Known for his relationship-building skills and leadership abilities, he has consistently mentored and trained teams to enhance productivity and operational effectiveness.

Sergio earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto. He is a former board member and treasurer of the Institutional Equity Traders Association (IETA) and has chaired an Operations Head Network User Group for the Portfolio Management Association of Canada.

Payton Liu is Director of Investment Research for Guardian Partners and a key member of the Strategy and Solutions Group (SSG) research team. He joined the Guardian team in 2021, and assists with manager selection, with the responsibility of supporting portfolio construction, asset allocation, and risk management.

With over 10 years of experience at University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM), Payton further strengthens SSG’s investment research capability. At UTAM, his responsibilities included assisting with strategic and tactical asset allocation, portfolio construction, currency exposure management, investment risk management, and manager selection.

Payton has a Master’s degree in Economics from Dalhousie University in Halifax, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. He also published his Master’s thesis in the International Journal of Managerial Finance and won Best Paper Award from the Northern Finance Association.

Christina Forster Pazienza is the Chief Compliance Officer, Wealth Management at Guardian Capital Group Limited (Guardian). Christina is responsible for the oversight of the Wealth Management Compliance program which includes several affiliates of Guardian, including Guardian Partners, Guardian Capital Advisors, and Modern Advisor Canada Inc. She joined the Guardian team in 2022 to build and lead the Wealth Management compliance team.

Christina brings both breadth and depth of knowledge to her responsibilities, entering the industry over 30 years ago with TD Bank, after starting out in public accounting. In the years since, she has assumed progressively more senior roles, including Assistant Manager, Compliance at the Ontario Securities Commission, and Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at MFS Investment Management Canada Limited.

Christina earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, and holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) designation.

Sophie Li is the Supervisor of Performance and Client Reporting for Guardian Partners. Sophie joined the firm (formerly BNY Mellon Wealth Management Advisory Services Inc.) in 2012 as a Performance Analyst in the administration and operations department. Over the course of her career, Sophie has steadily advanced to more senior roles within the organization.

Kimberly Hu Amadori is a Vice President, Investment Counsellor for Guardian Partners where her expertise is working with ultra-high-net-worth families and institutional clients. Her specialty is in addressing complex wealth management needs, including customized portfolio strategy design and implementation, investment manager recommendations and continuous portfolio oversight.

Previously, Kimberly served as Vice President, Investment Counsellor at BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Advisory Services Inc. (BNY Mellon WMAS), a firm she joined in 2008 as an Investment Analyst. At BNY Mellon WMAS, she was also responsible for oversight and investment management of proprietary funds.

Kimberly received her Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Queen’s University, is a CFA® Charterholder and a member of the Toronto CFA Society. Aside from academics, Kimberly serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Investment Committee of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Additionally, she has been a major proponent of supporting the financial journey of women, through an initiative she co-founded in 2022 called Guardian Women^TM and was the recipient of Wealth Professional Canada's Top 50 Leading Women in Wealth award for 2023.

Tracy Zhao is a Vice President, Investment Counsellor at Guardian Partners, where she serves as a trusted advisor to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and institutional clients, delivering bespoke investment solutions aligned with their long-term financial goals. She brings a well-rounded expertise to her clients, with a skillset that spans portfolio construction, investment analysis, trading, and client relationship management.

Prior to her role at Guardian Partners, Tracy gained over 15 years of broad capital markets experience across investment banking, institutional sales, and portfolio management, working in both Toronto and New York. Tracy began her career advising clients in the power and utilities, as well as mining sectors, on strategic transactions and capital markets activities at two leading Canadian investment banks. She later transitioned into high-yield and distressed credit sales, covering institutional clients across North America and Europe. To deepen her investment expertise, Tracy moved to the buy-side with IA Clarington, before co-founding Wellington Square Advisors in 2020 – an independent credit investment firm with a focus on leveraged loans and high-yield bonds.

Tracy holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from McGill University and is a CFA® Charterholder. She speaks English, French, and Mandarin.

Russell Braive is an Associate Investment Counsellor at Guardian Partners, where he supports institutional clients and ultra-high-net-worth families.

With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he began his career as a Credit Analyst at Blair Franklin Asset Management, where he contributed to the management of the firm’s Global Credit Fund. He later joined Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc., assisting in the management of relationships with high-net-worth and institutional clients. Prior to joining Guardian Partners, Russell worked at Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd., where he continued to support the wealth management needs of high-net-worth individuals.

Russell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University and has earned the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation.

Cameron “Cam” Richards is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions and Head of Research at Guardian Partners. He combines disciplined portfolio construction, investment strategies, and risk management practices - commonly used by pension funds and endowments - with the customization and client responsiveness required by private clients, enhancing both the robustness of investment solutions and the overall client experience.

Before joining the Guardian team in 2021, Cam served as CIO of the Nova Scotia Health Employees' Pension Plan, where he developed the infrastructure that led to strong performance against the plan’s objectives. He also held the position of Head of Real Assets at Albourne Partners in London, England - a leading alternatives research and advisory firm - and was Co-CIO at University of Toronto Asset Management, where he chaired the Investment Committee overseeing the university’s full investment portfolio. Also predating his time on the Guardian team, Cam founded Isengard Capital Management, which provided capital markets research to Albourne Partners and developed a research platform combining global macro, stock selection, and quantitative strategies for long and short positions.

Cam is the Chair of the Guardian Partners Investment Committee and a member of the Guardian Capital Asset Mix Committee, which oversees asset allocation and tactical decisions across all Guardian business units. He is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Queen’s University, earned an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and is a CFA® Charterholder. He has been called to the Bar in Ontario.

Neil Collins is Director of Investment Research for Guardian Partners and a key member of the Strategy and Solutions Group (SSG) research team. He joined the Guardian team in 2023, with a broad mandate to support the delivery of customized investment solutions. His role includes conducting manager research, providing macroeconomic and thematic insights, and contributing to portfolio construction, asset allocation, and risk management for SSG.

Neil’s career began in 2004, and over the years, he has held various roles across trade operations, fund accounting, financial analysis, portfolio management, and consulting. Prior to joining the Guardian team, Neil was Senior Consultant & ESG Lead for Canada at Aon, focusing on public equities. Before Aon, he worked at Counsel Portfolio Services as a Portfolio Manager & Senior Analyst, where he was responsible for manager selection, portfolio construction, asset allocation, and overseeing the currency hedging program. This extensive experience enhances SSG’s investment research capabilities.

Neil holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). He also holds the CAIA Charter and the CIM designation.

Frank Mercuri is the Chief Financial Officer of Guardian Partners Inc., Modern Advisor Canada Inc., Rae & Lipskie Investment Counsel Inc. as well as a Director of Finance for Guardian Capital Group Limited (Guardian).

Appointed CFO of Guardian’s private wealth businesses in 2023, Frank oversees all finance and accounting functions. His responsibilities include financial reporting, the development and implementation of internal controls, management of working capital, and financial planning and analysis. He joined Guardian in 2021 as Director of Finance and served as Interim Vice President and CFO for the former Guardian subsidiary, Worldsource Wealth Management, from July 2021 to November 2022.

Frank’s career in financial services began in 2012 at KPMG, where he progressively assumed more senior roles. Prior to joining Guardian, he was Senior Manager of Direct Investing Finance for TD Wealth.

Frank graduated with a Bachelor of Management and Organization Studies degree from the University of Western Ontario and holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) designation.