Catherine is a consulting professional and founder of Encompass Valuation Advisors. She helps business owners prepare and/or decide whether to keep, transition or sell their business. The process focuses on 3 equally important legs: i) optimizing business value; ii) developing the owner’s personal financial readiness plan; and iii) developing the owner’s plan for life-after-business.

Catherine works with owners of small, medium and large companies. Following preliminary discussions and agreement with the owner(s), Catherine assembles and leads a multi-disciplinary team to develop, implement and execute a master plan. The team typically includes the owner, key members of the business and family, and key external professionals (investment/financial advisors, M&A advisors, accountants, tax experts, estate planners, etc.). As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and Family Enterprise Advisor, she understands the dynamics and interrelationships between ownership, family members, the business, and external stakeholders.

Catherine’s role as a consultant is augmented by years of experience in the financial industry where she worked for a leading Canadian global bank and a US global bank, both based in Canada. She held senior client relationship roles supporting some of the bank’s largest ultra-high net worth families, privately held companies, and large multinational publicly traded companies. Working with business owners, familiy members, and the “C” suite, Catherine led multi-disciplinary teams to deliver tailored structures and solutions across bank debt, capital markets issuance, treasury management, wealth management and family governance.

Catherine holds a BA Economics from the University of Waterloo, and MBA from Niagara University. She is on the Board of Directors for the Oakville Art Society, and is a member of the Exit Planning Institute, Family Enterprise Canada, Institute of Corporate Directors (individual) and the Oakville Club.

Catherine lives in Oakville with her husband and their two poodles. Outside her business activities she take art classes, creates oil paintings, and enjoys travel, Pilates, yoga, tennis, pickleball, renovating and decorating.