Mannan Abbasi is a financial advisor at Merrill with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has prior work experience at Bank of America and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a family furniture business, A-Z Furniture Company, focusing on logistics. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations with model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Bradley Skiba is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Barrington, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015 and has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2011. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning through its Financial Advisors and Estate Planning Strategies Group. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process that incorporates firm-approved tools and scenario modeling.

James Bertucci is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Arlington Heights, IL, holding the CFP® and ChFC® designations and possessing 38 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, Axa Advisors, since 1999. Outside of his advisory role, Bertucci serves as a Board Trustee for the Village of Arlington Heights, providing guidance on budget and policy matters. Equitable Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals across wealth levels, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs, utilizing a range of third-party advisory models and investment options to meet client needs.

Mark Lachmann is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 15 years of industry experience. He has held his current roles since 2010 at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based financial planning that covers various topics such as retirement, tax, estate, and special needs planning, with the option to combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing arrangement.

Pamela Cain is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Deerfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Morgan Stanley for 10 years since 2016. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and tailored financial planning, employing structured planning tools and various analytic methods to support client outcomes.

Antoinette Bennett is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Robert W. Baird & Co. in Evanston, Illinois, with three years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Porcaro Stolarek Mete Partners and State Farm Insurance Co. She is also employed part-time at Yo Fresh Cafe in Evanston. She is part of The DDK Group within Baird’s Private Wealth Management practice, which serves individuals, families, pensions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The group offers tailored financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing a range of investment strategies and manager options to meet client goals and risk tolerances.

Nicholas Needs is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Northbrook, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Merrill, and the University of Illinois Foundation. He has also worked in non-financial sectors including Uber and Climate Corporation (Bayer). UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a combination of brokerage and investment advisory offerings, using proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor client solutions. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services, operating as a broker-dealer, investment adviser, and futures commission merchant.

Darren Woodmore is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Fox Lake, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BMO Bank NA and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of finance, he has experience founding a fitness business, Crosskicks Fitness LLC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including financial planning, model portfolios, and institutional platforms, supported by both proprietary and third-party investment strategies.

Brett Gerber is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at institutions including J.P. Morgan Securities, Bankers Life Securities, and Country Capital Management Company. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services with various investment strategies and utilizes technology tools to support advisors.

Damary Marrero is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Waukegan, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2009. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service tailored for individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to produce written Recommendation Reports. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated companies.

Brandon De Berry is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill and Bank of America since 2015. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Michael Benedict is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and less than one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Echo Global Logistics, PepsiCo, and Morgan Stanley. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Hamza Bendjabeur is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merrill and Rasier LLC, as well as a year at the College for Financial Planning. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of Financial Advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based financial plans covering a range of topics and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing option called WealthPlan.

Nicholas De Nicolo is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience, currently with J.P. Morgan Securities. He has been with JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2010 and previously operated his own advisory practice. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of a real estate entity established for managing a personal property. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm delivers these services alongside affiliated brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Sharon Shapiro is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 39 years of industry experience. She has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank since 2017, and previously held roles at PNC Bank and PNC Investments from 2014 to 2017. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework when recommending investment strategies.

Robert Michalak is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Deerfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 51 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 1999 and previously worked at Axa Advisors, LLC for 21 years. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of a six-unit townhouse association. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm delivers its services through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and emphasizes matching clients to program models or discretionary managers, utilizing both proprietary and third-party asset management solutions.

Slavko Ivanisevic is the Vice President and Executive Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments. In this role, he supports executives in utilizing their company's benefits and developing efficient wealth plans across all five pillars of Wealth Planning. He has held this position since 2022. Slavko has been with Fidelity Investments since 2006, progressing through roles including Stock Plan Services Representative, Financial Consultant, and Vice President, Financial Consultant. He holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and has extensive experience in helping clients grow and protect their wealth. Outside of his professional work, Slavko has interests in music, soccer, and traveling.

Sharon Wierzba is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Deerfield, IL, with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Citigroup Global Markets, Hightower Advisors, Noyes Advisors LLC, and David A. Noyes & Company. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Curion, a market research company. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves individuals and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm’s planning process uses structured discovery and approved tools, including the Global Investment Committee’s projections and Monte Carlo simulations, to model financial outcomes.

Nicholas Payne is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank since 2018 and Mesirow Financial from 2014 to 2017. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs with a focus on tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery processes and firm-approved tools.

Christopher Pina is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior experience at Prudential and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in non-variable insurance activities. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.