Michael Wessel is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63 credentialed advisor with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Kestra Advisory and has previously worked at Commonwealth Financial Network, Buckley Financial Planning, Inc, National Financial Services LLC, and FIDELITY Brokerage Services LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving notable clients such as sovereign wealth funds.

Jason Klein is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has seven years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage channels, offering various managed account programs and portfolio management options via the Passageway platform. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and supports both retail and institutional investors.

James Winters Jr. is an investment advisor representative at Kestra Advisory with 39 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016. Winters is also involved in insurance through his roles as part owner and president of Winters Financial Network, Inc., and part owner of United Benefits Agency, Inc. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm is noted for delivering fiduciary services, plan design and compliance testing, and access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions, serving clients that include large institutional investors such as sovereign wealth funds.

Matthew Griffin is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. and has held various roles within Fifth Third Bank and its securities division since 2009. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types and third-party portfolio managers on its Passageway Managed Account Platform, providing clients with options ranging from mutual funds and ETFs to separately managed accounts and tax-overlay strategies.

Julia Galioto is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 license and bringing nine years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Kleinfelder Capital, Inc., and Morgan Stanley. She is also the owner of Wild Nemi Birthing, LLC, a business unrelated to the investment industry. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in regulatory assets under management and employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach that blends passive and active strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Daniel Markarian is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Cincinnati, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Fifth Third Securities since 2014 and has been with Fifth Third Bank since 2012. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account options and combines third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Pedro Falconi Cardenas is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Cincinnati, OH, holding a Series 63 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cetera, Northwestern Mutual, and Bank of America. Outside of advising, he is involved in managing and flipping residential real estate through multiple business ventures. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers across various platforms such as Transamerica ONE and TFA365.

Thomas Lalley is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 63 credentialed advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at MAI Capital Management, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 19 years at John D Dovich & Associates. Lalley is associated with Eden Park Financial Partners, LLC, which holds keyman and business transition insurance in partnership with John Dovich. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages a wide range of investment strategies across various asset classes and integrates financial planning, tax, and bill-payment services into many client relationships.

Lenardo Colvin is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Cincinnati, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked at GWFS Equities for 10 years and Lincoln Financial Group for 8 years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, using an integrated service model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates in its financial planning approach and serves a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

Kaitlin Cengia is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. She has less than one year of industry experience and has held roles at firms including Park Avenue Securities, Lifetime Financial Growth, and UBS Financial Services. Her background also includes positions outside financial services, such as working with University of Dayton Athletics and Anheuser Busch. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, pension, charitable, and corporate clients with financial planning, brokerage services, and advisory programs. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory solutions, including a lower-fee hybrid digital advisory option.

Ben Russell is a CFP® and Series 63-registered financial advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. in Cincinnati, OH. He has one year of industry experience and has been affiliated with Fifth Third Bank and its related entities since 2015. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs combining third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Russell Sims is a CFP® and CFA® with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Hightower Advisors since 2020 and previously spent 10 years at Osborn Williams & Donohoe. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base that includes individual and institutional investors such as pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and trusts. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers along with proprietary research and a range of investment vehicles.

Riley Blankenship is a financial advisor at Mariner with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Mariner, Riley held positions at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan Securities. Mariner serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services, utilizing a combination of in-house research and third-party managers to implement customized discretionary portfolios.

Stephen Dennis is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 63 license and over 43 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. since 1982, Ameritas Investment Corp. since 2006, and Ameritas Advisory Services since 2021. His prior business activities include being a licensed independent insurance agent for fixed insurance products. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers various managed account programs and fee-based management of variable annuity and variable universal life subaccounts, supported by a comprehensive investment committee and third-party partners.

Jordan Nare is a financial advisor at CWM, LLC with five years of industry experience. He has held positions at firms including Carson Wealth, Total Wealth Planning, LLC, and Mariner Wealth Advisors. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth families, foundations, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of over 600 advisors. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, sub-advisory services, and retirement-plan solutions, utilizing a discretionary management approach with model portfolios and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

Andrew Thompson is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner. He previously worked at Truepoint, Inc. and Charles Schwab in various roles spanning eight years. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporations, providing investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and tax services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios supported by both in-house research and third-party managers, and offers integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness solutions uncommon among firms of its size.

Andrew Shafer is a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. in Cincinnati, OH, with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® and Series 63 designations. His prior work includes roles at Hanson McClain Advisors and Simply Money. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals—including high-net-worth clients—qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized portfolio management using a range of strategies, including model portfolios, defined-outcome ETFs, and options overlays, and is notable for its ownership structure and specialized services such as an Airline division and privately offered Shorepoint income funds.

Ronald Alessi Jr. is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 18 years of industry experience and has been with Huntington since 2014, previously working at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. The Huntington Investment Company serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities with advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple wrap-fee programs using an open-architecture model that integrates third-party and affiliate managers, with portfolio management supported by National Financial Services custodial services.

Gary Hamant is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Cincinnati, OH, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Investments since 2004. Outside of his advisory role, he has interests as a rental property owner through several LLCs. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services, including an invitation-only, model-based digital investment program that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and discretionary portfolio management with mutual funds and ETFs.

Dominic Vanderyt is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. and Fifth Third Bank, where he has worked since 2021. His prior roles include positions at Secure Future Advisor, Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, IFS Financial Services, and Touchstone Securities. Outside of finance, he has experience working at Humbert's Meats. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs through its Passageway Managed Account Program, combining third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed options, with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.