Pittsburgh, PA Forbes Ave Office

Michael Duckworth is a Private Wealth Advisor and Managing Director at Merrill Private Wealth Management. He is a founding member of The Duckworth Haggerty Group, a seventeen-person team serving approximately 100 core families. Michael and his team provide specialized support and planning services to clients, focusing on areas such as investment management, liquidity event strategies, trust and estate planning services, customized credit and lending, philanthropy, and family wealth dynamics and governance. They also have significant experience addressing financial planning for families with members who have medical disabilities, severe illnesses, or special needs. Michael joined Merrill in 2008, bringing with him 15 years of experience from the private client advisory group of a large commercial bank. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. His client base includes successful business executives and entrepreneurs managing complex wealth and liquidity events. He has been recognized by Barron's as a Top Financial Advisor from 2011 through 2026 and named to Forbes's Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list multiple times between 2018 and 2026. Michael serves on the board of directors for the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. He lives north of Pittsburgh with his wife Tracy and their three children.

Brad Chiesa is a Private Wealth Advisor at Merrill Private Wealth Management, specializing in complex wealth management strategies for individuals, families, and institutions. He has extensive experience addressing challenges such as tax minimization, multi-generational wealth planning, aspirational investing, and philanthropic planning. Prior to his current role, Brad served as a Senior Vice President at Bank of America, where he provided financial services and lending solutions to businesses and real estate investors in Western Pennsylvania. Brad's background includes 12 years as a commercial lender at large domestic banks, including Wells Fargo and Bank of America, which has equipped him with expertise in lending, distribution strategies, and managing liquidity events such as sales and dividend recaps. His professional designations include Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Finance and Accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. Outside of his professional work, Brad is engaged in community service and has held leadership roles in various nonprofit organizations. He currently serves on the board of The Challenge Program in Western Pennsylvania. Brad resides in the South Hills with his wife, Monika, and their two daughters.

Jennifer Wanchisn is a financial advisor at Merrill with 19 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her career includes prior roles at Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial Services. She has been with Merrill since 2011 and concurrently with Bank of America since 2016. 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 serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Helen Sims Duerr is a Private Wealth Advisor and a member of the Duckworth Haggerty Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She joined Merrill Lynch in 2011 with five years of prior experience in financial services. Helen serves a national clientele, focusing on families managing significant complexity, including those with members who have special needs or disabilities. She and her team provide services in areas such as investment management, liquidity event strategies, trust and estate planning, customized credit and lending, philanthropy, and specialized planning for families with medical disabilities or severe illnesses. Helen holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ designation. She also holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Helen earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been recognized by Forbes and SHOOK Research, appearing on the "America's Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors" list in 2018 and on the 2023 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list as a member of the Duckworth Haggerty Group.

Jonathan Adams is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Merrill, based in Pittsburgh, PA, and has 12 years of industry experience. He has worked with Merrill since 2009 and also has a record with Bank of America dating back to 2016. Adams serves as a board member and commissioner in a youth baseball organization, Quaker Valley Softball Baseball. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services within the Select Portfolio Solutions Program to Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Justin Lloyd is a financial advisor with Merrill in Pittsburgh, PA, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2015. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Jacquelyn Connell is a financial advisor with Merrill in Pittsburgh, PA, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Merrill and Bank of America in 2025, she worked with Achieva Family Trust and Duquesne University. She is also involved in community service, teaching an Estates, Wills, and Trusts course as adjunct faculty at Duquesne University’s paralegal program and serving on the board of River Communities Fiduciary Services, a nonprofit assisting individuals with disabilities. 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, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Robert Kania is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His previous work includes roles at Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs, Capital Foundry, and involvement with The Pittsburgh Golf Club. 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, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Carlos Youssef is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill since 2010. 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 strategies and serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Ashley Ek is a financial advisor with Merrill who holds a Series 66 designation and has 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2017 and previously held positions at PNC Investments and PNC Bank. Ek is based in Pittsburgh, PA. 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 individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Emily Jordheim is a financial advisor at Merrill with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked in the restaurant and hospitality sectors before joining Merrill. 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, offering a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Matthew Klein is a Series 66-licensed advisor with Merrill in Pittsburgh, PA, with four years of industry experience. He has previously worked at PNC Bank and Bank of America. 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, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Jennifer Haggerty serves as a Private Wealth Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She is a founding member of the Duckworth Haggerty Group, a team she co-established in 2008 that now includes 17 professionals. Jennifer focuses on family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, and tax minimization, drawing from nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Jennifer provided financial and tax advisory services at Ernst & Young and worked in the private trust department of a large commercial bank. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctorate from The Dickinson School of Law. Her professional designations include Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Jennifer is active with the Women's Leadership Council of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. She resides in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh with her husband, who is also a Financial Advisor at Merrill. They have five adult children and enjoy hiking, reading, spending time with family, and traveling.

Christopher Lattimore is a Private Wealth Advisor with Merrill Private Wealth Management. He has over 15 years of experience, including five years in real estate finance prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2008. He specializes in offering financial guidance, education, and wealth management strategies to families and individuals addressing financial challenges. Chris holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and completed an accredited certificate program at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification and also serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching financial planning at Duquesne University. He was named to Forbes' list of "America's Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors" in 2018 and their "Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors" list in 2019. Chris lives in Allison Park with his wife and four daughters, and his personal interests include reading, running, and spending time with his family.

Kristen Davis is a financial advisor at Merrill with 21 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Merrill since 2010, also working with Bank of America since 2015. Merrill, in partnership with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering both model-based and discretionary investment strategies for a range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.