Board Members

Director, Chair of the Investment & Loan Committee

Experience

Mr. Amighetti is a founding partner of, and portfolio manager with Verity Investment Counsel Inc., an independent Vancouver based investment management and counselling firm.

Mr. Amighetti has practiced in the trust and investment fields for over 30 years.  Prior to entering the boutique advisory arena in 1998, he worked in personal trust services for several prominent national, independent and bank-owned trust companies as both a trust and investment officer.  In his own practice, he provides personalised services to his clients that go well beyond the management of their financial assets.

Mr. Amighetti was a director between 2005 and 2019, and returned to serve again in 2021.

Director, Chair of the Audit Committee, member of the Investment & Loan Committee

Captain Michael Beaulieu (United States Navy, Retired) is the former Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency, Aircraft Propulsion Operations for the United States Department of Defense.

Captain Beaulieu commanded five tertiary commands, overseeing acquisition contract execution at sixteen contractor plant facilities by staff of 300 military and civilian professionals with oversight of 8,500 defense acquisition contracts valued at USD6.4 billion.

Captain Beaulieu received his commission from the US Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School in July 1986 and served operationally all over the world, including tours in the US, Japan, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Captain Beaulieu is a Distinguished Graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington DC with a Master of Science degree National Resource Strategy with specialized studies in lean manufacturing and acquisition. Personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medals along with other individual service and unit awards.

Captain Beaulieu has served as a Director of Solus Trust since 2016.

Director, member of the Audit Committee, member of Conduct Review Committee

Experience

Mr. Blackmer has worked in the taxation, trust and estate fields since 1982.  His areas of specialization include managing complex and multi-jurisdictional estates and trusts.

Mr. Blackmer is frequently sought out to act as an expert witness in trust and estate matters before the courts.  Mr. Blackmer is also frequently invited to speak at industry and professional advisor events about issues of administration and independence in the trust and estate areas.

Mr. Blackmer founded Solus Trust in 2005 having recognized a need for an independent trust company with no affiliation to big banks or investment firms.  An independent, unbiased approach reduces the conflicts of interest traditional trust companies have when offering their own services and investment products.

Part of Mr. Blackmer’s experience prior to Solus Trust includes assisting with the launch of the fiduciary operations for two large banks in Canada.  BMO (Toronto) and HSBC (Vancouver).  Mr. Blackmer continued to lead HSBC’s private client trust operations in Canada until shortly before establishing Solus Trust.

Previously, Mr. Blackmer practiced law as in-house counsel for Royal Trust in Toronto.  He worked at three of Canada’s leading law firms in both Calgary and Toronto, where he practiced exclusively in the areas of tax, trust and estate planning.

Mr. Blackmer has designed, advised, administered and overseen hundreds of substitute decision-maker arrangements, estate plans, agency arrangements and trust structures.  In addition to this domestic experience, Mr. Blackmer has also worked with complex and multi-jurisdictional structures in the United States and offshore and in Europe.

Qualifications & Education

Mr. Blackmer has been called to the bar and is a member of the law societies of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

He graduated from Queens University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) in Political Studies and Economics.

Mr. Blackmer graduated from the joint MBA / LLB program at York University’s Schulich Business School and Osgoode Hall Law School, respectively, in 1984.  His LLB was obtained with a concentration tax, trust and estate law. His MBA focused on accounting and finance.

Mr. Blackmer has served as a Director of Solus Trust since its inception in 2005.

Director, Chair of the Conduct Review Committee

Ms. Curran brings decades of experience practicing in law in the areas of wills, estates and adult guardianship.

Recently retired, Ms. Curran was a sole practitioner in Vancouver, BC, beginning in 2001.  As part of her legal practice, Ms. Curran acted for both individual and institutional clients.  Her practice included the drafting and execution of Wills, Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements, applications for grants of probate or administration of estates, assistance with the ensuing administration, and related litigation, including proceedings to determine or challenge the validity of Wills and applications to vary them.

Ms. Curran also practiced in the area of adult guardianship, and has extensive experience with applications to appoint legal representatives for adults who are no longer mentally capable, and, if the circumstances required it, applications to rescind such appointments.

Prior to opening her own practice, Ms. Curran articled with and practiced law as an associate at the law firm of Roberts & Griffin for 10 years, working on a wide range of complex civil litigation.

Ms. Curran has been a Director of Solus Trust since 2016.

Director, member of the Audit Committee

After 15 years as tax partner with a multi-national accounting firm, Ms. Gray retired at the end of 2019 and started a new role as the CEO of a single family office for a wealthy Vancouver family.

During her career in public practice, Ms. Gray’s practice focused on estate planning and assisting owners of private business.  She has presented on several occasions on the topics of income tax, estate planning and charitable gifting matters.  Ms. Gray is a former Governor and member of the Finance Committee of the Canadian Tax Foundation.

Ms. Gray was also one of the founding members and Chair of the Grant Thornton Foundation, a Canada-wide charitable foundation that has contributed significant amounts to communities across the country.  She has served on the board of directors for several charities, including Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland and Cedar Coast Field Station Society.

Ms. Gray has been a Director of Solus Trust since 2021.

Director, member of the Conduct Review Committee

Mr. Hinds currently serves as the CEO of News Media Canada, the industry voice of over 800 daily and community newspapers across Canada.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Hinds brings a diverse experience to his role at Solus Trust. He has worked in private practice providing advice and services to a wide range of clients. Mr. Hinds also spent a number of years in public service, including roles serving as an aide to senior political decision-makers in Ottawa and at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

Mr. Hinds is active in the not for profit sector and has served in leadership roles on a number of Boards, including: Swimming Natation Canada, The United Way of Toronto, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada’s National Ballet School, Harbourfront Centre, St Joseph’s Health Centre, and Casey House.

Mr. Hinds has served as a Director of Solus Trust since 2005.

Director, member of the Investment & Loan Committee

Experience

Mr. Oldham has over 25 years experience in the trust & estate, industrial relations & collective bargaining, public & private sector operations and human resources management.

Mr. Oldham joined Solus Trust as employee #2 in 2006.  Mr. Oldham has served as a Trust Officer for dozens of former and current Trusts, Estates, Power of Attorney and Committee clients.

Mr. Oldham is currently Solus Trust’s VP, Operations.  Mr. Oldham continues to serve Solus Trust’s clients working with numerous long-term and complex clients as well as backing up other trust Officers with their client work.

Mr. Oldham ensures that client work is balanced amongst the company’s Trust Officers and Trust Administrators to ensure the best experience possible for clients and stakeholders.

“Each client has their own story, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always unique. I strive to provide each person with a positive experience, while at the same time maintaining respectful boundaries.  I have also had the good fortune of meeting a wide variety of dedicated industry professionals over the years.”

Qualifications & Education

Mr. Oldham earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Relations from McGill University in Montreal, PQ.

Mr. Oldham has served as a Director of Solus Trust since its inception in 2005.

Other Interests

Mr. Oldham is an avid swimmer and runner.  He has held numerous provincial and national records as a Masters swimmer and continues to enjoy swimming on a regular basis.  He also enjoys running, having completed numerous marathons including the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon.