Brian Chelin provides Lanyard with over twenty-five years of real estate development and finance experience. From 1994 to 1999, Brian was an executive of Hyland Turnkey Limited, an international real estate development, investment and management company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. From 1992 to 1994, he was an account manager with Sun Life Trust of Canada responsible for underwriting and managing a significant commercial mortgage portfolio spanning Western Canada.
Prior to this, Brian worked in a variety of roles for several real estate development companies. Brian graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1989 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree specializing in Urban Land Economics. He also obtained a diploma in International Business Studies from the University of Copenhagen in 1988. Brian is also actively involved in many charitable organizations. He sits on the Board of Governors for the Camp Hatikvah Foundation.
Ben Goldberg brings to Lanyard expertise derived from a thirty year career as a corporate lawyer. From 1978 to 1992, Ben was an associate, and later a partner, in the Vancouver law firm of Freeman and Company. In 1992, he became a founding partner of the Vancouver based business law firm of Koffman Kalef where his practice areas included business acquisitions, mergers and divestitures, and the structuring of business relations.
Ben attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and the University of British Columbia, Canada where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974. He later attended Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia where he obtained his LLB in 1977 and, as a Commonwealth Scholar, attended Oxford University where he obtained his Masters in Jurisprudence in 1980. Ben is a member of the British Columbia Law Society and the British Columbia and Canadian Bar Associations and is actively involved in many charitable organizations. Past member of the Board of Governors of the Canada Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Sam Fogell brings over 17 years of industry experience to the team. He has completed over $1 Billion of commercial mortgage transactions. From 2008 – 2010 Sam specialized in investment sales and leasing at Avison Young Commercial Real Estate. Prior to that Sam worked as a leasing analyst at SAP Business Objects and as a sales and account manager with a global leader in online marketing. He has completed the CSC, EMP, real estate trading license and sub-mortgage broker license. Sam attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec where he received his Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance.
Sam is the Designated Individual for Truvera Mortgage Corp. and holds the position of Portfolio Manager & Fund Manager for the Truvera Mortgage Fund (since inception in 2017). Additionally, he is a portfolio manager and asset manager for Lanyard’s diverse real estate portfolio.
Sam is actively involved in the commercial mortgage origination, syndication and portfolio administration.
He is a former Director of the Mortgage Investment Association of British Columbia.
He is on the Board of Directors, and is the Treasurer of, Madrona School – an elementary school for neurodiverse students.
Brenda Lightbody joined Lanyard in January of 2024 and brings expertise acquired from over 26 years as a private practice lawyer in the lending and real estate areas.
From 2014 to 2023, Brenda was associate counsel in the Vancouver office of Lawson Lundell LLP. Before that, she was an associate, and later a partner, at the Vancouver law firm of Richards Buell Sutton LLP. Prior to that Brenda gained experience in the real estate development practice area at the Vancouver office of McCarthy Tetrault LLP.
Brenda is a former Director of the Mortgage Investment Association of British Columbia. She is also a current member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Jessie Wen joined Lanyard in October 2024 with over a decade of experience in commercial mortgages and private equity investments. Jessie has facilitated over $500 million in commercial mortgage transactions across Canada and the United States. Prior to joining Lanyard, Jessie was the VP Origination of a leading non-bank lender based in Richmond B.C., responsible for commercial mortgage origination, underwriting and servicing. Jessie has a proven ability to build strategic relationships with partners and clients, while effectively managing risk. Jessie’s academic background includes an MBA from Texas Christian University, with a concentration in Real Estate and Marketing, coupled with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the esteemed Beijing Normal University in China. Jessie is fluent in both English and Mandarin.
Jennifer Friesen joined Lanyard in February of 2012 and handles all administrative matters on the Lanyard mortgage portfolio. Jennifer is bilingual and holds a degree in biopsychology from the University of Victoria.
Stanley Ng joined Lanyard in May 2021. He draws upon 20-plus years of experience in the accounting industry. Stanley obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia and later earned the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. Stanley began his career at KPMG. He has held positions as Vice-President of a privately-owned export finance company where he gained international experience in England and Luxembourg at the same time working with Canadian national banks and the Province of B.C. He was also Vice-President of a real estate sales and marketing company, leading corporate accounting and finance. Stanley is fluent in Cantonese.
Cecile joined Lanyard in April 2019 in the capacity of Administrative Assistant. She is responsible for office management as well as various administrative matters for Lanyard. Cecile is also the local Registered Dealing Representative with Belco Private Capital Inc, the Exempt Market Dealer engaged by Lanyard. Cecile brings to the company several years of experience in the financial services industry. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.
Dealing Representative, Belco Private Capital Inc.
All Know-Your-Client (KYC), suitability and relationship disclosure information may be conducted only by persons registered as dealing representatives of a Registrant.
Raquel joined Lanyard in February 2025 as an Underwriter and Closer, bringing a strong legal foundation and extensive experience in corporate advisory and real estate transactions.
Raquel holds a Master of Laws (Common Law) from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC and a Postgraduate Specialization in Business Law from Universidad Panamericana in Mexico. She has worked at two prominent law firms in downtown Vancouver, specializing in real estate, corporate and strata matters.
Before relocating to Canada, Raquel served as In-House Corporate Counsel for a multinational automotive company in Mexico City, advising on M&A, corporate governance, and real estate transactions. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Raquel leverages her legal and corporate expertise to facilitate real estate loans secured by mortgages.
Dan Feng joined Lanyard in February 2025. Dan graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2012. She earned the Chartered Professional Account (CPA) designation in 2018. She has been engaged in both private and public accounting practices, with a particular focus on the real estate industry. Dan is fluent in Mandarin.
Shaun Burke joined Lanyard in November 2024. Shaun is a veteran of the film and television industry, bringing a wealth of experience in production and project management. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University and a Postgraduate Degree from Humber College. Before transitioning to entertainment, Shaun spent four years as a Brand Manager at the Canadian clothing distribution firm Tyfoon International, where he honed his expertise in branding and business strategy.