Supporting Business Families Since 2003

The Alberta Business Family Institute discovers, applies, and shares knowledge and resources to strengthen business families, their advisors, employees, and stakeholders.

The Alberta Business Family Institute discovers, applies, and shares knowledge and resources to strengthen business families, their advisors, employees, and stakeholders.

  • Our Mission

Enabling continued growth and prosperity for Alberta business families. Supporting Business Families Since 2003

We strive to be a catalyst for success, supporting the growth and sustainability of family enterprises through research, education, and community building.

  • Our Vision

Discovering, applying, and sharing knowledge and resources

We provide access to research, education, and high-quality outreach to strengthen business families and their stakeholders.

Our Values

Community Impact

Strengthening communities via successful business families

Creative Solutions

Innovative approaches to family business challenges

Family Mindset

Understanding the unique dynamics of family enterprise

Leading Change

Driving innovation in family business practices

Our Team

Matt is an experienced leader splitting his career between strategy consulting with Deloitte, EY Canada, and Productivity Alberta, and working for local family businesses including Ledcor, Umay, and the Latimer Family Trust (Cashco Financial). 
Matt understands the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship shared by ABFI’s members having  been a local business co-founder himself at Polar Park Brewing Company. He also serves as an Entrepreneur In Residence with Spring Activator focused on coaching global entrepreneurs and impact investors. 

Matt has his MBA, and is currently completing is FEA and ICD.D designations.

Matt Knight

Vern focuses on understanding how organizations use analytics, arguments, and analogies to change routines and to create new capabilities. Using qualitative research methods, Vern has conducted studies in the predictive analytics and online display advertising industries.

Vern earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and BA in Economics from the University of California. He is currently the Academic Director of the Alberta Business Family Institute and and Associate Professor in the department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management at the Alberta School of Business.

Vern Glaser

Sam mobilizes their abilities in information and knowledge management, instructional design, curriculum and program development, research, and project management, which they have honed through their experience in library studies, education, arts and cultural management, and communications.

Throughout their endeavours, Sam strives to support and promote local businesses and independent entrepreneurs across industries, including those within the book, film, and theatre communities.They hold a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Masters of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta.

Sam Sheplawy

Advisory Board

For over twenty years, Rich has provided advice and expertise in both the Life/Health Insurance and Group Benefits Marketplace. Rich began his career with PPI Financial Group, a national insurance brokerage company. He is currently a partner at Vanta Group, which provides group benefits, insurance, risk management, and pension planning services to many of Canada’s most successful business people.

He previously served on the Edmonton Board of ADVOCIS, the association representing insurance and financial advisors and he is a member of CALU, the conference for advanced life underwriters in Canada.

Rich Groom

Chris brings nearly two decades of experience to the Family Office at KPMG where he assists clients in every aspect of their wealth, including tax, estate, and succession planning. His clients include business owners, enterprising families, executives, professionals, athletes, and established family offices. He has shared his expertise in numerous media appearances, including television, radio, and newspapers.

Chris is a tax lawyer and has completed his CICA In-Depth Tax program. He has also completed his Trust and Estate Practitioners (TEP) and Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) Certifications.

Chris Gandhu

Dean is President of Calvert Home Mortgage Investment Corporation, He has also served as the Founder and Chair of the Private Mortgage Lenders Forum and as director and President of the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association, member of the Alberta Securities Commission and the Exempt Market

Advisory Committee, director of Youth Central and Energy Insurance Group, and director and Chair of a non-profit group cSPACE Projects

Dean Koeller

Samantha is the Chief Financial Officer at Boardwalk Properties Company Ltd., a family company that seeded the foundation of Boardwalk REIT, a Canadian multifamily owner and operator that strives to Build Better Communities, where love always lives ™.

Samantha joined Boardwalk REIT as a member of the company’s founding family and Board of Trustees in 2013. She also oversees the Corporate Development Committee, which implements Boardwalk’s strategic initiatives to diversify their portfolio and elevate Resident experience. Prior to joining Boardwalk, Samantha was a Senior Accountant for KPMG Canada.

Samantha Kolias-Gunn

Casey has led various Hutchinson Acquisitions Corp. (HAC) businesses, beginning with Daytona Self Storage in 2004, followed by A&B Concrete Pumping in 2007 and its scale out to Reach Construction Services Group. He led HAC into commercial/industrial real estate in 2010, next contributing to growing housing partnerships as HAC President in 2016.
Casey has firsthand experience of many aspects of acquisitions, scaled strategic growth, partnership, succession, and governance. As Chief Strategy Officer of Tacada, he ensures consistency in governance, business framework, and performance metrics across all business units in pursuit of long-term strategic goals.

Casey Hutchinson

Lesley is a mom of three wonderful kids – Isla, Harper, and Cecelia. Lesley and her sister Jill run Max & Maude, a children’s apparel, footwear, and gift boutique in Sherwood Park. She is a director of By Dr. Mom, which makes functional, educational, and trusted children’s products designed by physicians. She currently serves as board chair of Park Paving Ltd.,  her family’s construction business, and director of several family holding companies.

She is passionate about public education and chairs the Elk Island Public Schools Committee of School Councils.

Lesley Williams

In 2011 Nigel moved to Canada from the UK where he managed the HSBC North East Region Wealth Management proposition. Nigel joined RBC Private Banking as Vice President in 2017 from HSBC Bank Canada where he headed up the Commercial Business Banking team for Edmonton and Alberta North.

Nigel has previously consulted for firms such as Royal Bank of Scotland as well as education authorities, local government and non-profit organizations. He holds the international designation of Chartered Financial Planner from the Chartered Insurance Institute as well as PFP from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Nigel Daykin

Dean Mehrotra’s work, which deals with family business, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, ESG, and international financial markets, has been published in leading finance journals, and cited by major international news outlets. He is a member of the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network. 
Dean Mehrotra was a past-President of the Northern Finance Association and served as an inaugural director on its board from 2013-2017. He was a visiting professor at the Institute for Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo and a Shimomura Fellow at the Research Institute at the Development Bank of Japan. 

Dr. Vikas Mehrotra

Leah is a corporate lawyer and a partner with Bennett Jones LLP.  She has been an advisor to a broad range of corporate and lending clients on various commercial matters for 30 years. She has advised clients, including many family owned businesses, on mergers, acquisitions, sale transactions, corporate structurings, reorganizations, lending, and commercial transactions. She is routinely involved in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements relating to joint ventures, construction contracts, private financing arrangements, unanimous shareholder agreements and employee stock option plans. She provides corporate and governance advice to private corporations and their boards of directors. She represents clients in the construction, engineering, banking, oilfield service and waste management industries.  She was designated a Family Enterprise Advisor in 2023.

Leah Tolton

Taylor is passionate about her family, whether raising her own young family or working alongside her family. She works at York Realty Inc., an industrial real estate development company that provides Property Solutions Simplified™ to its clients throughout western Canada. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Taylor aligns the company’s vision and values with business objectives and strategy.
Prior to joining York Realty, Taylor worked as a lawyer in a regional corporate law firm and taught advocacy courses at the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary.

Taylor Woolsey

Matt is an experienced leader splitting his career between strategy consulting with Deloitte, EY Canada, and Productivity Alberta, and working for local family businesses including Ledcor, Umay, and the Latimer Family Trust (Cashco Financial). 
Matt understands the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship shared by ABFI’s members having  been a local business co-founder himself at Polar Park Brewing Company. He also serves as an Entrepreneur In Residence with Spring Activator focused on coaching global entrepreneurs and impact investors. 

Matt has his MBA, and is currently completing is FEA and ICD.D designations.

Matt Knight

Vern focuses on understanding how organizations use analytics, arguments, and analogies to change routines and to create new capabilities. Using qualitative research methods, Vern has conducted studies in the predictive analytics and online display advertising industries. 

Vern earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and BA in Economics from the University of California. He is currently the Academic Director of the Alberta Business Family Institute and and Associate Professor in the department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management at the Alberta School of Business.

Vern Glaser

Lloyd researches family business, strategic management, organizational theory, and entrepreneurship. He is interested in how entrepreneurs use family as a resource and the strategic advantages conferred by  “family based” approaches to organizing economic activity.

He helped found the international Theories of Family Enterprise Academic conference. In 2020-21, he received the Family Enterprise Research Conference Lifetime Influence and Impact Award. He is a professor in the department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Management and past Academic Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise.

Lloyd Steier

Enrica is a student at the University of Alberta where she is studying in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Management faculty within the Alberta School of Business. With a passion for knowledge and learning, she hopes to take every opportunity to expand her understanding of family businesses.

Enrica is part of the Family Business Association Student Club at the U of A. In her position as Director Internal she strives to help foster positive change amongst her peers and involve more people in the world of family business.

Enrica Geloso

Rich Groom

Partner
Vanta Group

Chris Gandhu

Partner, Family Office
Leader | KPMG

Dean Koeller

President | Calvert Home Morttgage Investment Corp.

Samantha Kolias-Gunn

Chief Financial Officer Boardwalk Properties | Company Ltd.

Casey Hutchinson

Chief Strategy Officer
Tacada

Lesley Williams

ABFI Board Chair
Director at Park Paving Ltd.

Nigel Daykin

Vice President, Private Banking
RBC Wealth Management

Dr. Vikas Mehrotra

Dean Alberta School of Business
University of Alberta

Leah Tolton

Partner
Bennett Jones LLP

Taylor Woolsey

Chief Operating Officer
York
Realty

Matt Knight

Executive Director

Vern Glaser

Academic Director

Lloyd Steier

ABFI Founding
Academic Director

Enrica Geloso

Student Advisor

Get in Touch

Have questions about our programs or want to learn more about how we can help your family business? We’d love to hear from you.

contact us

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Supporting Business Families Since 2003

The Alberta Business Family Institute discovers, applies, and shares knowledge and resources to strengthen business families, their advisors, employees, and stakeholders.

  • Our Mission

Enabling continued growth and prosperity for Alberta business families.

We strive to be a catalyst for success, supporting the growth and sustainability of family enterprises through research, education, and community building.

  • Our Vision

Discovering, applying, and sharing knowledge and resources

We provide access to research, education, and high-quality outreach to strengthen business families and their stakeholders.

Our Values

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Territorial acknowledgement the University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations.
Alberta Business Family Institute
3-23 Business Building University of Alberta Edmonton. Alberta, Canada. T6G 2R6

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For over twenty years, Rich has provided advice and expertise in both the Life/Health Insurance and Group Benefits Marketplace. Rich began his career with PPI Financial Group, a national insurance brokerage company. He is currently a partner at Vanta Group, which provides group benefits, insurance, risk management, and pension planning services to many of Canada’s most successful business people.

He previously served on the Edmonton Board of ADVOCIS, the association representing insurance and financial advisors and he is a member of CALU, the conference for advanced life underwriters in Canada.

Chris brings nearly two decades of experience to the Family Office at KPMG where he assists clients in every aspect of their wealth, including tax, estate, and succession planning. His clients include business owners, enterprising families, executives, professionals, athletes, and established family offices. He has shared his expertise in numerous media appearances, including television, radio, and newspapers.

Chris is a tax lawyer and has completed his CICA In-Depth Tax program. He has also completed his Trust and Estate Practitioners (TEP) and Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) Certifications.

Dean is President of Calvert Home Mortgage Investment Corporation, He has also served as the Founder and Chair of the Private Mortgage Lenders Forum and as director and President of the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association, member of the Alberta Securities Commission and the Exempt Market

Advisory Committee, director of Youth Central and Energy Insurance Group, and director and Chair of a non-profit group cSPACE Projects

Samantha is the Chief Financial Officer at Boardwalk Properties Company Ltd., a family company that seeded the foundation of Boardwalk REIT, a Canadian multifamily owner and operator that strives to Build Better Communities, where love always lives ™.

Samantha joined Boardwalk REIT as a member of the company’s founding family and Board of Trustees in 2013. She also oversees the Corporate Development Committee, which implements Boardwalk’s strategic initiatives to diversify their portfolio and elevate Resident experience. Prior to joining Boardwalk, Samantha was a Senior Accountant for KPMG Canada.

Casey has led various Hutchinson Acquisitions Corp. (HAC) businesses, beginning with Daytona Self Storage in 2004, followed by A&B Concrete Pumping in 2007 and its scale out to Reach Construction Services Group. He led HAC into commercial/industrial real estate in 2010, next contributing to growing housing partnerships as HAC President in 2016.
Casey has firsthand experience of many aspects of acquisitions, scaled strategic growth, partnership, succession, and governance. As Chief Strategy Officer of Tacada, he ensures consistency in governance, business framework, and performance metrics across all business units in pursuit of long-term strategic goals.

Lesley is a mom of three wonderful kids – Isla, Harper, and Cecelia. Lesley and her sister Jill run Max & Maude, a children’s apparel, footwear, and gift boutique in Sherwood Park. She is a director of By Dr. Mom, which makes functional, educational, and trusted children’s products designed by physicians. She currently serves as board chair of Park Paving Ltd.,  her family’s construction business, and director of several family holding companies.

She is passionate about public education and chairs the Elk Island Public Schools Committee of School Councils.

In 2011 Nigel moved to Canada from the UK where he managed the HSBC North East Region Wealth Management proposition. Nigel joined RBC Private Banking as Vice President in 2017 from HSBC Bank Canada where he headed up the Commercial Business Banking team for Edmonton and Alberta North.

Nigel has previously consulted for firms such as Royal Bank of Scotland as well as education authorities, local government and non-profit organizations. He holds the international designation of Chartered Financial Planner from the Chartered Insurance Institute as well as PFP from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Dean Mehrotra’s work, which deals with family business, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, ESG, and international financial markets, has been published in leading finance journals, and cited by major international news outlets. He is a member of the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network. 
Dean Mehrotra was a past-President of the Northern Finance Association and served as an inaugural director on its board from 2013-2017. He was a visiting professor at the Institute for Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo and a Shimomura Fellow at the Research Institute at the Development Bank of Japan. 

Leah is a corporate lawyer and a partner with Bennett Jones LLP.  She has been an advisor to a broad range of corporate and lending clients on various commercial matters for 30 years. She has advised clients, including many family owned businesses, on mergers, acquisitions, sale transactions, corporate structurings, reorganizations, lending, and commercial transactions. She is routinely involved in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements relating to joint ventures, construction contracts, private financing arrangements, unanimous shareholder agreements and employee stock option plans. She provides corporate and governance advice to private corporations and their boards of directors. She represents clients in the construction, engineering, banking, oilfield service and waste management industries.  She was designated a Family Enterprise Advisor in 2023.

Taylor is passionate about her family, whether raising her own young family or working alongside her family. She works at York Realty Inc., an industrial real estate development company that provides Property Solutions Simplified™ to its clients throughout western Canada. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Taylor aligns the company’s vision and values with business objectives and strategy.
Prior to joining York Realty, Taylor worked as a lawyer in a regional corporate law firm and taught advocacy courses at the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary.

Matt is an experienced leader splitting his career between strategy consulting with Deloitte, EY Canada, and Productivity Alberta, and working for local family businesses including Ledcor, Umay, and the Latimer Family Trust (Cashco Financial). 
Matt understands the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship shared by ABFI’s members having  been a local business co-founder himself at Polar Park Brewing Company. He also serves as an Entrepreneur In Residence with Spring Activator focused on coaching global entrepreneurs and impact investors. 

Matt has his MBA, and is currently completing is FEA and ICD.D designations.

Vern focuses on understanding how organizations use analytics, arguments, and analogies to change routines and to create new capabilities. Using qualitative research methods, Vern has conducted studies in the predictive analytics and online display advertising industries. 

Vern earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and BA in Economics from the University of California. He is currently the Academic Director of the Alberta Business Family Institute and and Associate Professor in the department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management at the Alberta School of Business.

Lloyd researches family business, strategic management, organizational theory, and entrepreneurship. He is interested in how entrepreneurs use family as a resource and the strategic advantages conferred by  “family based” approaches to organizing economic activity.

He helped found the international Theories of Family Enterprise Academic conference. In 2020-21, he received the Family Enterprise Research Conference Lifetime Influence and Impact Award. He is a professor in the department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Management and past Academic Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise.

Enrica is a student at the University of Alberta where she is studying in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Management faculty within the Alberta School of Business. With a passion for knowledge and learning, she hopes to take every opportunity to expand her understanding of family businesses.

Enrica is part of the Family Business Association Student Club at the U of A. In her position as Director Internal she strives to help foster positive change amongst her peers and involve more people in the world of family business.