🇨🇳 ðŸ‡ðŸ‡° 🇺🇸 🇰🇷 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 🇻🇳 🇨🇦
F A M I L Y W E A L T H & T A X
Chuck Albers
President & Chief Tax Strategist
Mr. Albers has spent the last 40+ years being the trusted advisor in the area of US and International tax strategies to some of the wealthiest families in the World: across the US, Canada, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
For more than a decade he did this as the in-house tax specialist for 3 of the largest financial firms in the US, and for the last 20+ years as the Founder of several firms also providing sophisticated tax strategies to the Ultra Affluent.
In 2003, he founded Dynamic Affluence Group, a multi-disciplinary advanced tax strategies firm focused mainly on US clients. In 2016, he founded and developed Black Pearl Advanced, a US-based high-end Life Insurance brokerage focused on accessing the best of US Life Policies, fully integrated with US tax planning; also devoted to assisting foreign nationals acquiring significant US life assets.
In 2020, he founded Albers International Tax Law Group, a law firm solely devoted to providing the best of International & US tax planning, primarily to Ultra Affluent Asian families.​
A resident of Asia for 6-10 months a year since 2005, Mr. Albers was first in Tokyo, followed by Hong Kong, China, and Thailand. He currently divides his time between Shenzhen/Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.
A Chinese speaker, he has a deeply rooted understanding of Asian culture, history, banking & business norms, as well as the nuances of various political systems.
Graziano Marchetti
Global Head Client Relations
Graziano is a leading expert in global business, joint ventures, and corporate tax strategy, uniquely positioned as a business owner who understands the challenges entrepreneurs face. His standout achievements include:
​
-
Co-founding Kumo Innovative Technology in China, a series of joint ventures delivering groundbreaking projects like synthetic blood (Life-Blood), AI-driven robotic weeding (Robo-Weeder), blockchain transaction tracking (Block-X), and big data agricultural solutions (Data-Farm).
-
Co-founding Vitacore, a medical manufacturing firm, scaled to a 9-figure valuation in two years during the pandemic.
-
Building a global telecommunications network’s distribution systems, valued at over $2B.
-
Co-founding SkyDweller, an AI-focused drone technology company specializing in building cleaning, scanning, and big data.
With education in Audio Engineering (Douglas College), Business (SFU), and Contract Law (Harvard), plus experience at Lehman Brothers, Graziano blends financial, legal, and technical expertise. Since 2009, he has specialized in minimizing tax burdens and structuring multi-jurisdictional assets for generational wealth.
​
A former concert pianist trained from age four, Graziano’s precision and creativity also shine in his drumming and chess pursuits. At Black Pearl, he empowers business owners, leveraging his own entrepreneurial journey to protect and grow wealth against taxation and regulatory challenges.
Jean-Louis Hardy
Chief Operations Officer
Jean Louis Hardy is a Vancouver-based business consultant, marketer, and entrepreneur, renowned for his strategic insights that help businesses scale profitably.
With over a decade of experience, Jean Louis specializes in driving exponential growth for clients through innovative marketing strategies, brand consulting, and operational leadership. His advanced team function as part time Chief Operating Officers to companies looking to optimize and streamline their business as well as prepare them for succession planning or sale.
Jean Louis also hosts a podcast focused on wealth-building, business growth, and breaking limiting beliefs. His clients range from startups to established global enterprises seeking to thrive in competitive markets.
As a trusted advisor and thought leader, Jean Louis’s approach integrates faith-based principles with modern business strategies to create sustainable success. He also offers mentorship on how to develop mindset mastery, faith-driven leadership, and purpose-driven business models.
Don Quinn
Director of Accounting: United States
​Don Quinn is a graduate of Farleigh Dickinson University, and spent his first 5 yrs as a Senior Accountant with Deloite. For the last 40+ years, he’s owned his own CPA firm, where he is one of the truly bright minds in Accounting, working with both US, and Asian clients on both US and Cross-Border tax issues.
Sean Kim
CPA / CA / CFA: Canada
For nearly two decades, Sean has been a trusted partner to businesses across Canada and the United States, crafting personalized tax, financial, and compliance solutions that feel just right for each client. With a knack for turning complex challenges into clear opportunities, he brings a steady hand and sharp insight to every project.
​
Sean honed his skills at KPMG, where he advised a diverse mix of private and public companies, as well as their shareholders. His expertise shines in areas like corporate reorganizations, financing and business structures, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, and designing smart compensation strategies for employees and shareholders. He’s known for delivering advice that’s not only strategic but also practical and approachable.
​
As a Chartered Accountant in British Columbia and a Chartered Financial Analyst charter-holder with the CFA Society of BC, Sean combines deep technical knowledge with a calm, collaborative style. His ability to connect with clients and guide them through intricate financial landscapes has made him a go-to advisor for those seeking clarity and confidence.
Stefano Mariani
Tax Attorney: Hong Kong & China
Stefano was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2013 and shortly after completing pupillage in tax chambers in Lincoln’s Inn moved to Hong Kong, where he practised revenue and chancery law as a registered foreign lawyer and a solicitor-advocate. He has extensive experience in cross-border tax planning, and corporate reconstructions, with a particular focus on contentious matters. He regularly appears as an advocate in complex litigations. He was Adjunct Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law of Hong Kong University and a member of the authorial board of the Encyclopaedia of Hong Kong Taxation, the seminal textbook on Hong Kong revenue law.
​
He accepts instructions in tax disputes and appeals to the specialist tax tribunals and higher Courts. From his experience in Hong Kong, he also accepts instructions in matters engaging the tax codes of other common law jurisdictions in East Asia and the Caribbean whose revenue statutes are based on the Model Income Tax Ordinance and the Stamp Act 1891. He also has extensive experience advising on trusts disputes and matters relating to charities.
Kevin Lee
CPA: Canada
Biography coming soon.
Klint Rodgers
VP: Canadian Asset Management
For the last 14 years, Klint has been a Registered Dealing Representative
registered with the securities commission in BC, AB, SK, & ON.
With a focus on educating others on the Private Capital Markets, Private Real Estate & Alternative Investment Firms, Klint is able to offer optimal solutions based on client suitability, diversification and concentration perspective, whether some of the these Private offerings might be well suited for a portion of one's investment portfolio.
Klint's philosophy is strongly steeped in the focus of helping others first. By taking a European multi-family office approach, he is able to act as a family or company quarterback.
Steve Cropo
VP Canadian Life Insurance & Retirement Planning
Biography coming soon.
Lewis McMurran
VP: United States Life Insurance
Lewis McMurran is a graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in International Relations. He first worked as a lobbyist in Washington State representing the States’ Public Utilities before the Washington legislature, before holding the same position for another 15 years for the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA).
For the last 3 years, he’s been working with Mr. Albers successfully delivering excellence in the US Life Insurance space at Black Pearl Advanced.
Mandy Zhao
CPA: United States
Biography coming soon.
Michael Africh
VP: Client Relations
Biography coming soon.
Thomas Park
VP: Philanthropy
Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know.
If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers, and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery, or video for even more engagement.
Andy Liu
VP: Global Relations Pacific Rim
Biography coming soon.
Rick Wong
Rick Wong is a partner of Thorsteinssons LLP.
​
Rick assists high net worth individuals with estate planning and individuals and corporations with their domestic and international tax planning. A significant portion of Rick’s clients are mining and exploration companies.
​
Rick also represents clients who have disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency. In his civil litigation practice Rick advises and represents clients with respect to Canada Revenue Agency audits and appeals and has appeared in tax related cases before many courts, including the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal.
​
Rick has extensive experience in making voluntary disclosures to Canada Revenue Agency on behalf of clients who have unreported income, unreported offshore accounts and/or unreported offshore assets.
​
Rick has lectured on various aspects of taxation law at conferences, meetings and courses attended by members of the Canadian Tax Foundation, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Chartered Professional Accountants (Canada) and the Canadian Bar Association-Immigration subsection (BC).
