Theresa Kwiecinski is a financial advisor at William Blair with 28 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1997. 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 management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Rosemary Claudio is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with five years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. She has been with Bankers Life Advisory Services since 2020 and has held related roles at Bankers Life Securities, Inc. and Bankers Life and Casualty Company since 2011. In addition to her advisory work, she is an insurance agent at Bankers Life and Casualty Company. Bankers Life Advisory Services provides discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm’s investment approach focuses on customized asset allocation, periodic rebalancing, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to guide portfolio decisions.

John Mauldin is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 36 years of industry experience. He has held senior roles at firms including CMG Capital Management Group and has been involved in publishing through ME Research, LLC, which produces various newsletters. Outside of advisory work, he serves as a director of Absolute Return Partners in London. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a multi-manager approach emphasizing manager selection and proprietary research, offering solutions that include mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and customized portfolio construction.

Jordan Berk is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. He holds a Series 65 credential and has been with CIBC Wood Gundy – CIBC Private Wealth since 2015. Berk is based in Chicago, IL, and has 11 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 employs a collaborative investment process involving internal teams and committees to offer customized portfolio management, including options strategies and coordinated Family Office services for complex client needs.

Christopher Demonte is a CFA® charterholder with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Cresset Asset Management, LLC since 2018 and previously worked at Neuberger Berman LLC from 2013 to 2017. He holds a Series 66 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a diversified, asset-allocation-driven approach that integrates active and passive strategies and includes a structured due diligence program for manager selection and monitoring.

Sandra Lackhouse is a financial advisor with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 42 years of industry experience. She has been with Mesirow Financial since 1993. Mesirow Financial Investment Management’s Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to a range of clients including private individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, government entities, charitable organizations, and other institutional clients. The firm employs a structured investment approach that includes preparing Investment Policy Statements, setting asset allocation targets, and conducting due diligence across various asset classes, while also offering access to proprietary and third-party investment products.

Erica Wiggins is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 13 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. Prior to joining Hightower Advisors in 2021, she worked at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. and Clear Perspective Advisors from 2012 to 2021. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm’s advisory model emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers along with proprietary research and a variety of investment strategies.

Michelle Peterson is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and one year of industry experience. She previously worked at Mesirow, CIBC, and The Private Bank. Creative Planning offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Michael Ridge is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2006. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services across various portfolio types, employing both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

John Ptak is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license, with six years of experience in the financial industry. He currently serves as an advisor at Corient and has held roles at Corient Services LLC, CIPW Service Company, LLC, and Gofen and Glossberg, L.L.C. since 2014. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and institutional entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers, supported by continuous portfolio monitoring and risk management tools.

Edward Kennedy III is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 40 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. since beginning his career. Janney Montgomery Scott is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Charles Hodges IV is a financial advisor at William Blair with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 49 years of industry experience. He has worked at William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1976. 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. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across various asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Kathleen Kelly is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2019 and previously spent 15 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and private investment opportunities.

Arlinda Yang is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Her background includes roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Riverside University High School. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts and estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a large network of advisors. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting, utilizing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Christopher Watson is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. He has 21 years of industry experience, including 19 years at Citigroup Global Markets. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of 1721 WC, LLC, a real estate holding company. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering investment advisory programs, broker-dealer execution, and custody services. The firm utilizes multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains in-house research and execution capabilities, supporting a range of investment products and solutions.

Andrew Golden is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with CIBC Private Wealth Management since 2010. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a broad range of clients including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm offers customized portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and access to sophisticated strategies, supported by internal investment teams and governance committees.

Thomas Fahey is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience. He currently works at TIAA-CREF and has held roles at TIAA since 2014, as well as a prior position at Merrill. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time financial planning with ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard within a vertically integrated structure.

Natasha Cooper is a CFP® certificant with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. in Chicago. Her prior experience includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, and Charles Schwab & Co. She serves as Communications Chair for the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Youth Center. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, utilizing Charles Schwab & Co.’s asset-allocation models and research tools to tailor recommendations based on client goals and risk tolerance.

Judia Chang is a financial advisor at William Blair with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® and Series 63 designations and has worked at William Blair since 2018. Her prior experience includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary model portfolios and access to private funds through its integrated platform.

Justin Grutzius is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience, currently with Citigroup Global Markets in Chicago, IL. His prior roles include positions at JPMorgan Securities and JPMorgan Securities LLC. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and brokerage services with a focus on multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and large-scale institutional capabilities.