Personal & Corporate Insurance Planning Team

John Davidson

Founding Partner, Financial Advisor & Insurance Advisor

John is a passionate and socially minded entrepreneur who has been a driving force in building Penmore into the leading integrated wealth management firm it is today.

As a founding Partner of the Penmore Group of Companies, John’s dedication to solving client problems for business owners and high net worth individuals has resulted in lasting business and personal relationships developed over the past 30 years. He is extremely proud of the focus he and the company places on the hands-on approach to client service and business strategy development. John uses this personal approach and business acumen to mentor the firm’s next generation of leaders.

On the home front, John is a dedicated fundraiser for the Richmond Hill Hospital, an avid cottager, and a sports fanatic who believes his beloved Leafs will win a Stanley Cup in his lifetime. John holds an Honours BA in Commerce and Economics from the University of Toronto, along with the Chartered Life Underwriter designation.

Joe Moretto

Founding Partner, Financial Advisor & Insurance Advisor

Joe Moretto, Hons. BA, is a dedicated, compassionate, principled, and balanced individual who goes beyond the call of duty. A sports fanatic, he brings energy, kindness and a positive, infectious attitude to every interaction. A dedicated family man, Joe is often the driving force who brings and keeps people together at home and at the office.

Joe is a founding Partner of the Penmore Group of Companies and is responsible for business development in all of the organization’s areas of practice. He is also committed to cultivating a family-oriented corporate culture at Penmore. With a specialty in insurance and estate planning, he has a Specialized Hons. BA in Economics from York University and extensive experience in all facets of wealth management. He started in the industry at London Life in 1982 and attained his Chartered Life Underwriter designation. He and his partner, John established Penmore in 1996. Active in the community, Joe is a current member of the Toronto chapter of Innovators Alliance, a network of high performance CEOs who foster profitable growth through innovation.

Fran Franklin

Executive Assistant

Fran is a married mother to two daughters, both of whom have left the nest. With more time to herself now, she likes to read, do puzzles and is a whiz at trivia.

Fran has been Executive Assistant to Joe Moretto, founding Partner of Penmore for over a decade. She brings over 30 years of industry experience to her role, having started her career at Prudential Insurance Company of America in 1984. She is also a member of LOMA.

Kyle Grooms

Insurance & Investment Advisor

Kyle is from Kingston, Ontario and loves to unwind in his hometown and the Thousand Islands with his many family and friends. He is a big fan of golf but never finds enough time to perfect his swing. His other interests include politics, history and Canadian Aboriginal Affairs. Kyle is also a volunteer at the Downs Syndrome Association of Toronto (DSAT) and is dedicated to helping the kids. If you ask Kyle, he’ll tell you that he gets more out of his time at DSAT than the kids do.

Kyle began his career as a Financial Advisor in 2012 and his focus is on estate planning and wealth management. He provides astute financial advice to the next generation of Canadian Doctors and Specialists. Kyle understands his clients spend their whole careers caring for other people; as such, he is honoured to be trusted with caring for their financial wellbeing. He graduated from Queen’s University with a BAH in politics and history; often a topic of conversation with his clients. He is an advocate of lifelong learning and is always looking for opportunities to sharpen his skills in finance.

Daniel Moretto

Insurance & Investment Advisor

Daniel likes to keep active, both physically and mentally. When he isn’t involved in personal or professional development, you can find him having a laugh with many different people from all walks of life. Daniel is a huge sports fan and holistic health practitioner. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and hosting memorable events. As a critical thinker, he believes in life-long learning. Daniel is continually educating himself about the insurance/investment industry and understanding relevant trends in consumer behaviour. He loves to use his knowledge to educate those around him and inspire people to take action.

Daniel has a specific focus on private insurance and investments at Penmore. Inspired by his mission statement, Daniel brings passion and energy to empower his clients to build wealth, mitigate risk and create certainty. He started his career in 2013 at London Life/Great-West Life and was most recently a Financial Security Advisor. He is a University of Guelph Hons. BA graduate and looks forward to working on his Certified Financial Planner designation. Integrity, competence, and dedication are the cornerstones of how Daniel runs his practice. Without the first, you can forget the rest!

Darin Speight

Wealth Advisor

Darin Speight is a Wealth Advisor at Penmore Financial Group. Starting back in 1991, Darin has accumulated nearly three decades of experience within the field, with an emphasis on building strong and transparent relationships with his clients since day one. After spending years honing his knowledge and skillset with London Life Insurance, Darin made the leap into founding his own consulting firm in 2004. Axiom Wealth Management (formerly Speight and Associates) was developed with Darin at the helm, based around the strong principles of client relations and financial savvy learned from years in the industry. Aside from purely the business aspect, Darin’s disarming approach and heartfelt commitment to each client helped him build his company from the ground up. After 16 strong, successful years, Axiom had decided to join forces with Penmore Financial Group, combining the strengths each company had to offer. With a larger network of advisors to help serve the client base, Darin can finally focus his expertise directly on forging relationships without being the “jack of all trades” which many of his colleagues have known him to be

Daniel Swift

Insurance & Investment Advisor

In an alternate universe, Daniel is a stand-up comedian and world traveller. In reality, he is known for his love of sports, his humble nature and the creativity he brings to every situation.

At Penmore, Daniel is a Financial Advisor who works with individual and corporate clients on their insurance and planning needs and connects business owners with Penmore benefits to arrange domestic, international and retirement plans. Daniel also provides astute financial advice to the next generation of Canadian Doctors and Specialists. He understands his clients spend their whole careers caring for other people; as such, Daniel is honoured to be trusted with caring for their financial wellbeing.

Daniel was on the Dean’s List at Dalhousie University and graduated with a Business Management degree. With a focus in Economics and Finance, he joined Freedom 55 Financial (London Life) in 2011 and spent over three years there before joining Penmore. Daniel is a holder of an IIROC license and Life and Accident & Sickness license.

Kristen Davidson

Sales and Operations Coordinator

I joined the Penmore Team in 2020 welcoming and assisting clients. I assist the administrative and account teams with client files. I am actively involved in the social committee team, focusing more on the social media side of Penmore and diving in on the life Insurance division.

Mary Santoro

Bookkeeping/Office Manager

Mary is a busy mother who is always on the go. Her greatest love is for her family and she is dedicated to her active life at home. When she does have time for herself, you will find her lounging on a beach enjoying the sand and the waves.

At Penmore, Mary is the Bookkeeper and Office Manager who is responsible for ensuring the company is efficiently run. She started her career working in a stockbroker’s office and later ran operations for a different stockbroker’s firm. After taking time off to be a dedicated stay-at-home mom, she joined Penmore in 2006.

Marella March

Director of Operations

Marella March is the Director of Operations for Penmore Financial Group and Wealth Management and is a Certified Professional Coach specializing in new leadership, personal development, and career transitions. With over 14 years of leadership experience in the Financial Services industry, Marella has overseen the operations of multiple regional offices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Her innate ability to build trusting, transparent relationships has transformed workplace cultures to achieve positive engagement, develop high-calibre talent, and inspire business leaders to exceed their goals and lead effectively. Marella brings extensive expertise in coaching, project management, and training and development through her vast experience in Operations Management and Financial Services. Her background in training and development has cultivated cultures of learning, diversity, and accountability.

Marella is a lifelong learner, obtaining her Masters Certificate in Project Management through the Schulich School of Business, Master Certificate in Performance and Learning with I4PL, and a Professional Coaching designation through iPEC.

She is an enthusiastic, engaging, and diligent leader and mother with a school-age daughter and a teenage son. Marella values family and finds joy in creating incredible meals from random ingredients in her pantry and watching and playing sports, especially volleyball and basketball.

As an adventure seeker, Marella treats herself to travelling and road trips with her husband and kids. They enjoy local food and relish in their private time, free from agendas and schedules.

Maria Seita

Executive Advisor Support Associate

Maria is open-minded, kind-hearted, and a doting dog mother to a toy poodle/chihuahua mix. She is a competitive avid sports enthusiast. In her free time, she enjoys travelling with friends and spending time with family during holidays.

Maria is a dedicated Executive Advisor Support Associate to John Davidson, Kyle Grooms, and Daniel Swift.