Brenda Leigh Friederich

Omar Chyou is a Wealth Management Advisor with extensive experience providing comprehensive wealth management services that address both sides of his clients’ balance sheets. He works closely with clients to understand their goals and beliefs, helping them pursue their near- and long-term financial objectives. Omar is committed to delivering a high level of service and advice, enabling clients to focus on what matters most to them, including hobbies, family, career, and philanthropy. Omar began his financial services career in 1996, advising high-net-worth individuals and families. He has held positions at several prominent firms such as Wells Fargo Private Bank, Goldman Sachs, and Citi Private Bank. Additionally, he served as Market President for First Western Trust in Denver, Colorado, where he led a team of advisors offering comprehensive advice across investments, lending, banking, financial and estate planning, and insurance. His professional designations include Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA), Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), and Accredited Wealth Management Advisor™ (AWMA™). He is FINRA registered, holds California life insurance licenses, and maintains his NMLS certification. Omar earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University and completed his MBA at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Born and raised in Berkeley to immigrant parents from China and Mexico, he is a Spanish speaker who supports organizations focused on the Latin community and engages in community participation consistent with Merrill’s traditions. Outside of work, Omar spends time with his wife and three children enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, fly fishing, snowboarding, karting, and target shooting, and pursues his interest as a car enthusiast.

Douglas Andrey is a financial advisor based in San Jose, CA, with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and serves as the sole advisor at his independent firm. Prior to founding his advisory practice, he worked at Kaplan for 12 years and OrthoFX for three years. In addition to his advisory role, he is head of operations at OmniIndex.io, a data analytics tool focused on unstructured data. His firm provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advice to individual clients, constructing customized portfolios primarily using stocks, ETFs, and bonds. The firm employs fundamental analysis and a generally long-term investment strategy, with weekly account reviews and flexibility for shorter-term trading when appropriate.

Mark Liu is a financial advisor at Ardent Capital with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Ardent Capital since 2005 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Ardent Capital provides discretionary portfolio management for affluent individuals, corporations, and trusts, overseeing investments in brokerage and IRA accounts under limited power of attorney. The firm emphasizes asset allocation across various asset classes with a focus on long-term holdings and uses third-party research to inform investment decisions.

Jie Shen, CFA, is the sole advisor at Jie Shen, CFA, an independent firm based in Los Altos, CA. He has eight years of industry experience and previously held leadership roles at Google, where he managed North America operations focused on customer support. Shen continues his full-time role at Google alongside his advisory practice. The firm provides investment management and advisory services to individual clients, employing a long-term strategic asset allocation framework across equity and fixed-income classes with periodic rebalancing and tactical adjustments. It offers a formal program of investment education seminars and manages accounts on a non-discretionary basis without allocating to illiquid assets.

Kenneth Symons is a CFP® professional with over two years of experience at KRS Tax & Investments Inc., an independent firm based in San Jose, CA. He has been with the firm since 2015, serving as its sole advisor. KRS Tax & Investments Inc. provides portfolio management services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on asset allocation, selection, and ongoing monitoring. The firm employs a long-term investment approach guided by customized Investment Policy Statements and utilizes a range of investment vehicles including mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, real estate funds, annuities, and select international securities.

Anandi Krishnamurthy is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Akrish Financial Advisory, an independent firm based in Cupertino, CA. Her prior experience includes roles as a self-employed advisor and at Wade Financial Advisory. Akrish Financial Advisory provides comprehensive financial planning and investment advice to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and small businesses. The firm develops customized, tax-aware, low-cost portfolios using a Core + Satellite investment approach and offers services on fixed, project, or hourly fee arrangements without managing client assets or providing discretionary portfolio management.