David Teolis Jr. is a Senior Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Advisor at Merrill Wealth Management, a position he has held since 2017. He provides financial services to individuals, families, family offices, and institutions, creating and managing custom investment strategies tailored to clients' goals. David began his career in 1989 as a sell-side High Yield Research Analyst and has over thirty years of experience in financial services.
From 1993 to 2016, David served as a Portfolio Manager specializing in leveraged finance, distressed debt securities, and alternative investments. He managed mutual funds, hedge funds, and structured credit vehicles such as CLOs and CDOs. Additionally, he has served on investment and executive committees at three asset management firms and as an independent director on the boards of three companies. His areas of expertise include family wealth management strategies, institutional investment consulting, legacy planning, liquidity management, ESG investing, and small business strategies.
David holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Boston University (1989) and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from New York University (1994). He is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and is affiliated with professional organizations including the CFA Society Los Angeles, CFA Society New York, Fixed Income Analysts Society, and the Greenwich Economic Forum. Outside of work, David enjoys music and takes pride in the musical talents of his wife and two children.