Growing up in Detroit with a father who spent his career as an automotive engineer, I absorbed something early about the value of building things carefully and making sure they hold. That sensibility followed me into finance, where I've spent several decades doing work that rewards exactly that kind of thinking.
My career began at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and over the years that followed, I held positions at Dean Witter, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and Smith Barney, where I spent fifteen years. That range of experience across different firms, different market environments, and different chapters of this industry gave me a perspective I couldn't have built any other way. Markets have a way of teaching lessons that no classroom covers, and I've had a front row seat through more than a few of them.
What I enjoy most about this work is the explanation part. Walking someone through the reasoning behind a recommendation, watching it click, and seeing them leave a meeting with a clearer sense of where they stand and why. That moment of clarity is something I genuinely look forward to, and I think it makes for better outcomes. A client who understands the thinking behind a strategy is a client who can stay committed to it when things get uncomfortable.
Over the years, a number of my clients have become genuine friends. That didn't happen by accident. It happens when you show up consistently, communicate honestly, and treat the people you work with as exactly that: people. I live in Glencoe, Illinois with my wife Catherine. Our daughter Diana is grown, and I spend my mornings reading the news, which after this many years in financial services still feels like essential preparation for the day ahead.
Credentials
CFP®
FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65, registered through LPL Financial
Licensed in Life and Health Insurance
BA, Albion College