Jonathan Leach is a Private Wealth Advisor at Merrill Private Wealth Management, where he provides tailored advice and guidance to ultra-high-net-worth clients. He specializes in corporate executive services, executive compensation, equity compensation services, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and tax minimization. Jonathan has extensive experience working with officers and directors of public and private companies, particularly in managing concentrated stock positions, executive compensation techniques, hedging strategies, and restricted stock trading requirements.
Before joining Merrill in 2008, Jonathan spent approximately six years at Morgan Stanley as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager within the Custom Portfolio Program, focusing on portfolio construction, mean-variance optimization techniques, and implementing estate planning and tax-sensitive strategies. Earlier in his career, he worked at J.P. Morgan's Private Bank as a Sales Trader, assisting high-net-worth clients with investment strategies across equities, fixed income, options, hedging, and alternative investments. Jonathan began his professional career at Riordan, Lewis & Haden, a boutique private equity firm, where he was responsible for financial modeling, sensitivity analysis, industry research, and peer group comparisons.
Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Accounting from the Anderson School at UCLA. He holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of his professional work, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family and engaging in activities such as surfing, tennis, and volleyball.