Michael Leonetti is a CFP® with over 31 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has been with HighTower Advisors since 2017 and previously led Leonetti & Associates, LLC for 11 years. Based in Buffalo Grove, IL, Leonetti holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. HighTower Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm utilizes a multi-manager approach with both affiliated and third-party managers, employing proprietary research and a broad range of investment options.

Todd Bessey is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC. He previously worked at Wayne Hummer Investments for 17 years before joining Integrated Wealth Concepts in 2021. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office and retirement plan advisory services, and sponsors wrap-fee programs, focusing on customized portfolios that combine internal management and third-party asset manager oversight.

Luka Lezhava is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Bankers Life Securities and Bankers Life & Casualty. Outside of advising, he is active as an insurance agent assisting retirees with Medicare. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, focusing on customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis. The firm emphasizes individual client service and integrates investment advisory with affiliated broker-dealer and insurance operations.

Sean Brooks is a financial advisor with Focus Advisor Solutions, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including Assetmark Brokerage, LLC and Centurion Capital Group, Inc., before joining Focus Advisor Solutions in 2018. Brooks also serves as a divisional manager maintaining financial advisor relationships in the Great Lakes region. Focus Advisor Solutions provides turnkey asset management and back-office services primarily to independent registered investment advisors and their clients. The firm offers diversified, systematically invested mutual fund and ETF model portfolios, discretionary fixed-income management, and retirement plan fiduciary services, managing approximately $41 billion in assets for over 33,000 clients.

Jennifer Merida is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including 818 Capital Group, Money Concepts Capital Corp., ADP, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 2% owner and performs back-office work for Kaidence Chiropractic & Wellness, a business owned by her husband. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and participant savings rates.

Michael Williams is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with MAI Capital Management, LLC since 2021 and previously worked at Cetera Financial Specialists LLC and Hochman Cole Financial Services, Inc. MAI Capital Management, LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and provides customized portfolio management across various strategies, integrating financial planning and other services to meet client objectives.

Kari Beyer is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding Series 63 and 66 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Benjamin F. Edwards in 2017, she worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. from 2009 to 2017. Beyer serves as a board member of the Waterford Oaks Home Association in Aurora, IL, where she is involved in budgeting and project voting. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with approximately 436 advisors and $15.7 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, offering a variety of advisory programs and investment strategies managed through a combination of firm-developed and third-party models.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and Brandt Financial Concepts, a firm he has been involved with since 1983. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt serves as a FEMA-certified trainer for the Community Emergency Response Team and holds leadership positions in local organizations including a homeowners association and the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing various investment platforms and third-party managers, with approximately $11.3 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Matthew Kling is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Saint Charles, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Knights of Columbus Assets Advisors LLC and Knights of Columbus Insurance for a combined total of 14 years. He serves as a board member and trustee for the Edward J. Baker Foundation & Henry Rockwell Baker Memorial Community Center, a nonprofit community organization. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty military personnel. The firm’s advisory services emphasize direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Kevin Meehan is a CFP® and ChFC® with 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC since 2013 and has prior experience at LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in real estate through ownership of DHC Realty LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting, utilizing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Lindsay Foster is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 15 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 designation and previously worked at Calamos Financial Services LLC for 17 years before joining Kestra in 2026. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, and offers multiple management platforms and third-party solutions within its supervisory framework.

Robert Weis is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience currently serving at &Partners since 2024. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing, where he worked from 2009 to 2023. He also serves as President of Robert Weis Wealth Management Services, Ltd., an entity used to manage operational expenses for his practice. &Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers both investment advisory and brokerage services, utilizing a combination of proprietary and third‑party management solutions delivered through platforms like Envestnet.

Adam Larson is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Savant Capital Management. 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 uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools alongside alternative investments where appropriate.

William Buhr is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has prior experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a broad client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a combination of passive and active investment strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Douglas Clermont is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., GBS Insurance & Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Co., and PrinCor Financial Services. He is also licensed as an outside insurance agent, selling fixed life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Its approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that uses risk questionnaires to customize portfolios reviewed quarterly.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Craig Morgan Jr. is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in St. Charles, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. from 2009 to 2017 before joining Benjamin F. Edwards in 2017. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with approximately 436 advisors and $15.7 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies that include firm-developed and third-party models with ongoing oversight and client customization.

Robert Strobel III is a CFP® professional with 36 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC spanning 12 years. He serves as a board member of the Towne Place West Homeowners Association in Schaumburg, Illinois. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with approximately 436 advisors and $15.7 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and charitable and educational organizations, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies that combine firm-developed and third-party models with oversight from an Investment Strategy Committee.

Tyrone Ball is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network based in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes eight years at Edward D. Jones & Co. L.P. and four years at Best Energy LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides advisory programs, technology, and operational support while offering a variety of investment solutions, including discretionary model portfolios and customized program structures.

Susan Winklebleck is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Palatine, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF and TIAA since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides separate broker-dealer services, acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund, and employs a fiduciary standard within its RIA services.