Welcome to the fourth installment of our blog series, "Private Wealth Groups to Watch: 10 Leading Advisory Teams in the West." In this final segment, FINTRX spotlights ten standout individuals from esteemed private wealth advisory teams throughout the Western United States. Join us as we explore the unique strategies and nuanced approaches that set these top-tier financial experts apart in their local markets.
Before we delve into the series, it's crucial to establish a clear framework for what qualifies a representative or group as a 'top advisor' in the RIA landscape. While assets under management (AUM) and client size are factors we consider, our evaluation extends beyond size or market share. We employ criteria that include influence, innovation, market impact and expertise to make a well-rounded determination.
Private Wealth Groups to Watch: 10 Leading Advisory Teams in the Northeast
Private Wealth Groups to Watch: 10 Leading Advisory Teams in the Southeast
Private Wealth Groups to Watch: 10 Leading Advisory Teams in the Midwest
Title: Managing Director
Firm: The Curtis Group at Morgan Stanley
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Est. Group AUM: $223.9B
California AUM Rank: 1st
Industry Tenure: 42+ years
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Mark Curtis, Managing Director at The Curtis Group within Graystone Consulting, a division of Morgan Stanley, brings over 25 years of experience in providing investment advice to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporations, foundations, and endowments. Recognized by Barron's Magazine and the Financial Times for his expertise in wealth management, alternative investments, annuities, asset management, cash management and retirement planning, he joined Graystone in 1981 and has been instrumental in client analysis and investment strategy ever since. Mark holds a BA in Urban Studies from Stanford and an MBA in Finance from UCLA, along with Series 3, 7, 63 and 65 licenses. He has been listed in Barron's "Top 100 Financial Advisors" from 2004 to 2016 and serves on the advisory boards for Riverwood Capital and Formation 8.
The Curtis Group, part of Morgan Stanley's Graystone Consulting division, has been providing investment advice for over 35 years. The firm offers a range of services including wealth and asset management, financial planning, and executive financial services, catering to affluent individuals, family offices, corporations, foundations, endowments, pension funds, and corporate retirement plans. Specializing in customized guidance, alternative investments, and sustainable investing options, The Curtis Group helps clients navigate volatile markets and achieve their long-term goals.
Title: Managing Director; Wealth Management Advisor
Firm: The McKelvy Group at Morgan Stanley
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Est. Group AUM: $9.9B
California AUM Rank: 52nd
Industry Tenure: 40+ years
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J. Dorian McKelvy is the Managing Director at The McKelvy Group at Morgan Stanley, one of Morgan Stanley's largest private client practices. With over four decades of industry experience, McKelvy specializes in investment strategies and complex estate plans for high-net-worth clients. As a distinguished member of Morgan Stanley's Directors Council, Dorian has been honored with accolades from esteemed publications such as Barron's, Financial Times, and the San Francisco Business Times. He started his career at Davis Skaggs Investment Management in 1983 and joined Morgan Stanley in 2009. Dorian holds numerous certifications, including Series 7, 8, 63, 65, 31, and Life & Variable Annuity Insurance, and is a graduate of California Polytechnic and Stanford's Executive Education program. Outside of work, he volunteers for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and enjoys racing sailboats in San Francisco Bay.
The McKelvy Group, a distinguished private wealth advisory firm deeply rooted in Silicon Valley, has been guiding clients for 40+ years. Ranked 4th in Northern California by Forbes, the team excels in alternative income strategies, sustainable investing, and tax-efficient retirement planning utilizing alternative investments. Their services include retirement and estate planning, wealth management, and business succession planning, among others.
Title: Private Wealth Advisor
Firm: Papadoyannis and Associates at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
Location(s): San Jose, CA; San Mateo, CA; Chico, CA
Est. Group AUM: $1.1B
California AUM Rank: 84th
Industry Tenure: 33+ years
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George Papadoyannis, a Private Wealth Advisor at Papadoyannis and Associates, part of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, boasts over 33 years of industry experience. He specializes in wealth preservation, estate and retirement planning, small business solutions, charitable giving, and education savings. George holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is also a member of the Chairman's Advisory Council and the Financial Planning Association. Recognized as a Yellow Ribbon Company and Military Friendly® Employer, George is committed to supporting military veterans and their families. His accolades include being named one of Forbes' Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for multiple years and ranking among Barron's Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors.
Papadoyannis and Associates, a private wealth group within Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, offers personalized financial advice, investment management, and portfolio recommendations tailored to each client's goals and risk tolerance. With a multigenerational approach, the group collaborates with clients and their families to develop comprehensive wealth preservation and transfer strategies aligned with the family's values. Offering services spanning investments, retirement planning, estate planning and tax planning, Papadoyannis and Associates has received accolades including Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams.
Title: Executive Director; Wealth Advisor
Firm: The Compass Rose Group at Morgan Stanley
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Est. Group AUM: $1.4B
New Mexico AUM Rank: 6th
Industry Tenure: 37+ years
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Charles Reardon, Executive Director and Wealth Advisor with The Compass Rose Group at Morgan Stanley, brings over 37 years of industry experience, specializing in financial planning and investment strategies for professionals, business owners, and families. Charles has been recognized as one of Barron's Top 1000 Advisors from 2009 to 2016 and one of Barron's Top 1200 Advisors from 2017 to 2019, achieving the #1 spot for New Mexico in 2017. Outside of work, Charles is deeply committed to his community, having served as board president for the Albuquerque Country Club, the Albuquerque Boys and Girls Club and the Rio Grande Food Project, where he continues to dedicate his time.
The Compass Rose Group at Morgan Stanley manages over $1.3 billion in client assets, backed by over 200 years of combined industry experience. Their comprehensive services include long-term financial planning, in-house discretionary portfolio management, tax mitigation, alternative investments, corporate retirement planning, wealth management, estate planning, trust services, asset management, 401(k) rollovers, business succession planning, sustainable investing, and cash management. In 2023, the team was also recognized on Forbes' Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams for New Mexico.
Title: Senior Managing Director
Firm: The Hdyg Team at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Location: Portland, OR
Est. Group AUM: $2.2B
Oregon AUM Rank: 9th
Industry Tenure: 15+ years
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Rebecca DeCesaro is a Senior Managing Director at The HDYG Team, part of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, with 15+ years of experience in the investment industry. She joined J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in 2023, after holding positions at First Republic, U.S. Trust, Merchants Trust Company, Montgomery Securities, Charles Schwab Corp., and Brown Brothers Harriman. Her career began in 1987 with Morgan Stanley in New York. Rebecca specializes in portfolio and wealth management services, leveraging her extensive institutional knowledge. She has received numerous accolades, including being named one of Forbes' Top Women Wealth Advisors in 2021 and Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for Oregon in 2023. She has also been ranked among Barron's Top 1200 U.S. Financial Advisors. Actively involved in her community, Rebecca serves on the boards of Oregon Public Broadcasting and Literary Arts and is dedicated to supporting the Portland community.
The HDYG Team, part of J.P. Morgan, is a distinguished private wealth group based in Portland, Oregon, celebrated for its decades of experience and client-centered approach. The team excels at addressing complex issues that substantial wealth can create, offering expert guidance in estate planning and social impact for nonprofit clients. Their investment strategies are customized to each client's risk tolerance, time horizon, and tax situation, avoiding one-size-fits-all models. Additionally, the HDYG Team provides a concierge service to ease clients' administrative burdens.
Title: Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Firm: The Pelican Bay Group Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley
Location: Sheridan, WY
Est. Group AUM: $4.7B
Wyoming AUM Rank: 1st
Industry Tenure: 30+ years
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Marcia Bonnet is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at The Pelican Bay Group Wealth Management, part of Morgan Stanley, where she has worked since 2009. With over 30 years of experience in financial services, Marcia has spent her entire career with Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms, starting in Billings, MT, in 1991. She holds several designations, including Senior Portfolio Manager, Financial Planning Specialist, Family Wealth Advisor and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®). Marcia specializes in financial planning, investment management and client service.
Established in 1989, The Pelican Bay Group Wealth Management is a private wealth management group within Morgan Stanley. The team utilizes modern planning techniques and investment technology to build customized investment experiences focused on legacy planning and multigenerational wealth transfer. Managing approximately $4 billion in assets, the group comprises around 20 financial advisors and 18 support staff nationwide. They provide a comprehensive suite of services including wealth management, asset management, retirement planning, institutional services and sustainable investing.
Title: Managing Director
Firm: The Schultz Group at UBS Financial Services Inc.
Location(s): Phoenix, AZ & Mishawaka, IN
Est. Group AUM: $2B
Arizona AUM Rank: 13th
Industry Tenure: 42+ years
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Steven Schultz is a Managing Director at The Schultz Group, a part of UBS Financial Services Inc. With over four decades of experience as a financial advisor, he provides professional investment management and personalized client relationships. Steven specializes in wealth solutions, education funding and charitable giving structures, holding multiple state registrations and licenses for securities and life insurance. Since starting his career in 1981, Steven has worked at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. before joining UBS in 2013. Recognized as an industry leader, he has been named to Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list multiple times and recognized by Forbes as one of America's Top Wealth Advisors and Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.
The Schultz Group, a wealth management practice based in Phoenix, Arizona, within UBS Financial Services Inc., is dedicated to providing comprehensive financial solutions. They take a holistic approach, addressing all aspects of their clients' financial lives. The multi-generational team at The Schultz Group prioritizes building long-term relationships and delivering quality service through customized strategies tailored to each client's goals. Their mission is to help clients grow, preserve and transfer their wealth across generations while upholding family values.
Title: Managing Director; Private Wealth Advisor
Firm: The Fowler Bull Group at Morgan Stanley
Location: Denver, CO
Est. Group AUM: $12.8B
Colorado AUM Rank: 2nd
Industry Tenure: 31+ years
Shawn Fowler, Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at The Fowler Bull Group within Morgan Stanley, specializes in developing tax-efficient global portfolios designed for long-term capital appreciation and consistent cash flow growth. Starting his career in 1991 in institutional fixed income and bank risk analytics at RAF Financial Corporation, Shawn joined Morgan Stanley in 2001. Shawn has been honored as Barron's #1 Financial Advisor in Colorado from 2014 to 2020 and ranked among the Top 100 Advisors nationally from 2017 to 2020. Forbes also named him the #1 advisor in Colorado from 2018 to 2020 and included him in America's Top 100 Wealth Advisors from 2017 to 2020. Beyond his professional accolades, Shawn is actively involved in charitable organizations, including the Children's Diabetes Foundation, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Health Foundation, Graland Country Day School, Mizel Museum and the Jewish Community Center.
The Fowler Bull Group, part of Morgan Stanley, is a private wealth management team based in Denver, Colorado. They specialize in serving a select number of affluent families and institutions, primarily from the Mountain States region. With over 20 years of experience, they adhere to a disciplined investing approach, emphasizing quality, liquidity, transparency, and consistent cash flow growth. The group provides a wide range of financial services, including wealth planning, investment management, pre-liquidity planning, philanthropy management, hedging strategies, consolidated reporting, family governance, wealth education and an open architecture platform. The Fowler Bull Group was named among Barron's Top 50 Private Wealth Advisory Teams in America in 2019 and 2020.
Title: Financial Advisor; Managing Director & Family Office Consultant - Wealth Management
Firm: Wise River Advisors at UBS Financial Services Inc.
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Est. Group AUM: $6B
Nevada AUM Rank: 1st
Industry Tenure: 30+ years
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Mark Binder is a Managing Director–Wealth Management at Wise River Advisors, a private wealth management group under UBS Financial Services Inc., with over 25 years of industry experience. Joining UBS in 2013 after roles at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, Mark holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Southern California. He provides wealth management and investment services to ultra-affluent individuals, families, corporations, endowments and foundations. Mark's dedication has earned him recognition in Barron's Top 100 Private Wealth Management Teams, Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, Forbes' lists of America's Top Wealth Advisors and Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.
Wise River Advisors, a private wealth management group under UBS Financial Services Inc., offers wealth management and investment solutions to ultra-affluent individuals, families, partnerships, endowments, and foundations across Southern California. Managing over $6 billion in assets with a team of approximately 24 advisors, the group employs a sophisticated investment process designed to deliver attractive after-tax, inflation-adjusted returns while minimizing risk. Services include tailored investment strategies, lending solutions, tax planning, direct investment access, trust and estate planning and alternative investments.
Title: Managing Director; Corporate Client Group Director; Private Wealth Advisor
Firm: The Pacific Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley
Location(s): Kirkland, WA; Private Residence
Est. Group AUM: $2.8B
Idaho AUM Rank: 1st
Industry Tenure: 31+ years
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Dale Miller, Managing Director, Corporate Client Group Director and Private Wealth Advisor of The Pacific Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley, specializes in business succession planning and executive financial services. He has facilitated over $20 billion in client securities transactions and was named to Forbes' Best-in-State Wealth Advisors in 2020. Dale began his career in Washington D.C. in 1991, transitioning from investment banking and bond trading to working with individual clients in the late 1990s. In 2003, he founded The Pacific Wealth Management Group, which now includes nearly two dozen professionals offering advanced solutions such as art banking, estate planning, private banking, aviation financing, executive liquidity planning, and alternative investments. Dale is actively involved in his community, serving on nonprofit boards and engaging with the local school district.
The Pacific Wealth Management Group, part of Morgan Stanley in Kirkland, Washington, is committed to managing clients' wealth with expertise and precision. Their mission is to offer specialized services such as investment management, estate planning, multigenerational wealth planning, concentrated stock strategies, international wealth management, and business succession planning. The Pacific Wealth Management Group empowers its clients to preserve, grow and intentionally transfer their wealth. To support this mission, the team offers educational resources, including monthly investment webcasts, expert market insights and publications on market complexities and investment strategies.
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