Robert Merkle Jr. is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) with 19 years of experience in the investment advisory industry. He is currently with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. and has previously worked at Geneva Investment Management of Chicago, LLC, and AT Investment Advisers Inc. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and wealth management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm offers customized portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and coordinated Family Office services, utilizing a combination of proprietary and external strategies with oversight from dedicated investment committees.

Nikita Praharaj is a CFP® and Series 66 licensed advisor at Corient with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Corient in 2026, Nikita worked at Vivaldi Capital Management and held various roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and J.P. Morgan Securities. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools and stress testing to align with client objectives.

Kevin Mc Kay is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has three years of industry experience, with prior roles at Northwestern Mutual, New York Life, and LPL Enterprise. Outside of his advisory work, he has engaged in fixed life insurance and long-term care insurance sales. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Jessica Whiting is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with experience spanning several firms, including Rockefeller Capital Management and Associated Banc-Corp. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been active in the industry since 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she provides tax preparation services for friends and family. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, as well as institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a Private Advisor model and a consolidated investment platform that includes discretionary and non-discretionary solutions across multiple asset classes.

Daniel Morgan is a financial advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Hightower Advisors and Citigroup. Cresset Asset Management, LLC manages approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse range of clients, offering services including portfolio management, wealth management, financial planning, and private fund advisory. The firm employs a diversified, asset-allocation-driven investment approach that combines active and passive strategies along with third-party manager allocations tailored to client objectives and risk profiles.

Michael Sarazen is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, and Morgan Stanley. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven strategies across various asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Matthew Mccormick is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. His prior work includes six years at Edward Jones and four years at National Life Group. He is also president of an S corporation affiliated with Lakeshore Financial Group. Equity Services, Inc. (dba ESI Financial Advisors) provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms using third-party managers and combines long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Ethan Louis is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with a Series 65 credential and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Buckingham Strategic Partners, Saint Louis University, and VIP Valet. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Julia Cooke is a financial advisor at William Blair based in Chicago, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with five years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2022 and previously held roles at Brown Brothers Harriman and Sei Investments. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

David Satin is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at UBS and JPMorgan Securities LLC. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers access to various portfolio management strategies including alternative investments and custom indexing.

Anil Daka is a financial advisor with William Blair in Chicago, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2011. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients, employing an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies.

Catherine Chamberlin is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with four years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley and TIAA-CREF during her career. Outside of finance, she has been involved with the Colorado Ballet Company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a fiduciary standard through its RIA services and operates within a vertically integrated structure that includes adviser services for donor-advised funds.

Allen Smith is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors since 2017 and previously held roles at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors, Geneva Investment Management of Chicago, LLC, and GNV Advisors, LLC. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to a wide range of clients, including high net worth individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a collaborative investment process utilizing an internal team, Relationship Managers, and governance committees to deliver customized portfolios and managed account programs, combining proprietary strategies and external managers.

Sean Temperly is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2010 and with Fifth Third since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Seatim LLC, a private investment pool. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm provides multiple discretionary managed-account options and combines third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features including direct indexing and an optional tax-overlay service.

Gregory Williams is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors since 2020. Prior to joining Hightower, he worked five years at Private Vista, LLC (formerly Financial Strategy Network, LLC). He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Chicago, IL. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of clients, including individual investors, institutional clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a multi-manager approach combining affiliated and third-party managers, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside financial planning and retirement consulting services.

Michael Katz is a CFA® charterholder and Series 63 licensee with four years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Truist Advisory Services and previously worked at Wells Fargo for 17 years. Katz is based in Chicago, IL. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individual, corporate, retirement plan, and charitable clients. The firm uses a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies and employs third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment processes.

Kathleen Birmingham is a financial advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 16 years of industry experience. She has worked at AT Investment Advisers Inc. since 2017 and previously at Geneva Investment Management of Chicago, LLC from 2012 to 2017. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors offers investment and wealth advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm’s investment process involves a combination of internal teams, relationship managers, and governance committees to construct customized portfolios using proprietary and external strategies, with a notable focus on managing assets for investment company clients.

Richard Peloquin is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 48 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at CIBC World Markets Corp. and Fahnestock & Co. Inc., where he has been since 2003. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches tailored to client objectives.

Mark Slater is a Series 65-licensed advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He has been with CIBC Wood Gundy – CIBC Private Wealth since 1995, accumulating 31 years of industry experience. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm offers customized portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and access to specialized strategies, supported by a governance structure including an Investment Policy Committee and an Asset Allocation Committee.

Joshua Walshe is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with William Blair since 2018 and previously worked at First Command Advisory Services and First Command Financial Planning, Inc. His career also includes a brief period at Huber Financial Advisors, LLC. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients, using an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes.