WEALTH SECURITY - Key Persons
As Comptroller, Alan's job is all about numbers: payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. Having come from a real estate background, where his family owned rental properties for as long as he can remember, Alan has done every job there is when it comes to property management. However, he ultimately discovered his natural talent for working with numbers, which is where he has concentrated his efforts ever since.
Alan's favorite part of working at Per Stirling is the people who, in his own words, he finds "exceptional." In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, and can happily talk about sports and music for hours.
As a Client Service Associate at Per Stirling, Alison's main role is to provide exceptional and highly personalized service, going the extra mile to ensure that the client experience is both rewarding and satisfying. Her responsibilities range from scheduling appointments, preparing for review meetings, and responding to client inquiries.
As a second generation financial professional, Alison Miller is pleased to have the ability to work alongside people who have inspired her for years. She is especially grateful to have the opportunity to work with her mother, Mary Voll Miller. While Alison and Mary have different personality types, they share the same work style and ethic, both striving to bring clarity, direction, and compassion to the planning process.
Alison graduated from St. Edward's University in 2021 with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Finance. She is currently pursuing her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation through the University of Texas.
Born in Old Greenwich, CT, Alison moved to Austin in 2003. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Three words that others would use to describe Alison are: empathetic, diligent, and compassionate.
Amber Bell - Chief Compliance Officer
As the firm's Chief Compliance Officer, Amber is largely responsible for overseeing our company's various compliance processes, and making sure that Per Stirling is always compliant with and up-to-date on our industry's constantly changing regulatory environment.
Amber has been in the financial services industry since 2007, and specializes with extensive experience in oversight and compliance. Her impressive resume includes a variety of compliance and supervisory roles with ING Financial Partners, Securities America, Inc., NFP Advisor Services and Couch Hallum Financial Group, where she serviced as Chief Compliance Officer.
Amber and her husband, Jonathan, were born and raised in Maine, and are both graduates of the University of Maine. They have resided in Austin since 2010, and enjoy spending time with their two sons exploring all of the great hike and bike trails in the Austin area, rooting for New England sports teams, and traveling to Maine in the summer to escape the Texas heat.
Bart works very closely with his clients, who include both families and small businesses, to help provide clarity and direction as they work together to navigate through the maze of financial advice, products, and services. With sensitivity, encouragement and care, Bart works closely with his clients to help overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of them achieving their financial goals.
As an Operations Specialist, Brad helps advisors achieve outstanding financial services for their clients. He is a steady source of operational know-how for advisors, which is key given the uniqueness of every client's financial situation.
Part of Brad's philosophy of finance is that, regardless of financial situation or standing, we can all stand to benefit by understanding our finances. As such, it is immensely rewarding for him to help others in pursuit of their financial goals. Brad admires the culture of excellence at Per Stirling, as well as the heightened level of knowledge and expertise across the firm.
Although he is an Austin Native, Brad defected and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2022 with his M.S. in Finance; as well as a double-major B.S. in Finance and Entrepreneurship. The latter degree was achieved with University honors and top Latin honors. During his time at the University, Brad was most interested in investments, econometrics, and what "moves the needle" in the financial world. Perhaps his proudest achievement, Brad also became an Eagle Scout in 2016.
In his free time, you'll find Brad reading, writing, playing music, or engaging in any number of outdoor activities. Part and parcel of his education, he is also a rabid Alabama Athletics fan.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist
As our Administrative Specialist, Caitlin is responsible for the smooth operations activities of the front desk and the administration of firm databases, projects, and events. Her favorite aspect of her role within the Per Stirling Team is being a part of a company that presents constant opportunities to accrue knowledge and grow, within and outside of the industry.
Caitlin graduated from Texas State University with Honors and a BA in Psychology. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging with friends and family, traveling and spending time with her dogs.
As the firm's Chief Operations Officer and a member of the Executive Management team, Carol Sheffield is charged with leading and overseeing the wide array of operational processes, growth opportunities, and our excellent team who works with our Advisors to efficiently service and assist clients in meeting their personal and financial goals.
Early in her career, Carol worked for multiple insurance agents as an Operational Consultant before joining a local, independent wealth management firm in 2006, where she ultimately worked her way through most operational roles and eventually became the firm's Operational and Compliance Supervisor before joining Per Stirling in 2011. She has played a pivotal role in growing the firm from $80 million in firm AUM to over $1.2+ billion in firm AUM through hands-on transition management, managing large-scale technology initiatives, team supervision, and the work ethic, focus and determination necessary to allow the firm and our clients to succeed.
Carol grew up in South Texas and moved to the Austin area in 2004. In her spare time, Carol enjoys reading, cuddling with her dogs, and loves spending time with her husband, Justin and their daughter, Fantasia.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Team Manager
As our Administrative Team Manager, Crystal is responsible for the direct supervision and coordination of the administrative staff to support company communications and data management. Her favorite aspect of her role within the Per Stirling Team is being immersed in an environment that presents constant opportunities to accrue knowledge, within and outside of the industry.
Crystal graduated from Texas State University with Honors and a BS in Public Relations. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and working out.
Job Titles:
- Operations Specialist at Per Stirling
As an Operations Specialist at Per Stirling, Deanna is responsible for operational processes that provides support to a team of advisors and their clients. She is excited to be a part of the growing Per Stirling team and being able to assist clients in fulfilling their personal and financial goals.
Deanna graduated from Texas Tech University in 2012 with a B.S in Biology. During her time working for a wealth management firm in Fort Worth, Deanna discovered her passion for the industry and returned to Texas Tech University where she graduated with her M.S. in Personal Financial Planning. She was a candidate for the CFP® certification and sat for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam in March 2019.
Originally from George West, Texas, Deanna moved to Austin in May, 2018 and now resides in Waco, Texas. In her spare time, she loves traveling, listening to live music, being outdoors with her dog, and spending time with her family and friends.
Three words others would use to describe Deanna are: trustworthy, giving, and outgoing.
Galen Gabourel is a veteran of the financial services industry, who left Morgan Stanley Wealth Management to join the Per Stirling team in April of 2014, so that he could work with his clients in an independent and fiduciary environment.
Throughout his financial services career, Galen has specialized in wealth management, financial planning, investment planning, fee-based portfolio management, and risk mitigation. In this capacity, he applies the lessons learned both as a financial advisor and during his previous seven-plus years serving in a management capacity for a large regional firm. He also has a B.B.A in Finance and Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
At Per Stirling, Galen works closely with each client to tailor unique solutions to address their specific needs and goals. By taking each client through a very specific process, and providing top-tier service, he is able to help clients navigate challenging and complex issues.
Such a comprehensive, bottom-up approach to wealth management enables Galen to assist business professionals, business owners, retirees, and families with their financial planning and investing needs. He strongly believes that securing their financial future is one of the most important things that a client can do for themselves and their family.
While working primarily with clients in San Antonio, Galen also serves a significant clientele in El Paso, where he is largely responsible for Per Stirling's growing presence in that city.
Galen lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Whitney, and their beloved German shepherd, Bronx. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, traveling, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends.
Gay F. Thompson joined Per Stirling in August of 2018. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a member of the Financial Planning Association.
Being among the first generation in her family to attend college, and having to put herself through school, Gay understood the importance of planning from a very young age.
Unlike many of her colleagues, college did not initially lead Gay into the financial field. After graduating from the University of Texas with a Master of Science in Engineering, she joined the U.S. Air Force, serving our country for four years, attaining the rank of Captain. While in the Air Force, she oversaw the development of next generation satellite and launch systems at the Space and Missile Systems Center.
After the Air Force, Gay utilized the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering she had earned from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to work for a fast-growing company based in California specializing in the nanoelectronics and semiconductor industries. She spent the next six years in exciting and challenging engineering and marketing roles.
While in California, Gay developed a keen interest in the analytics and intricacies of financial planning. After watching countless friends and colleagues chase returns brought about by the dot-com boom - most of them without a cohesive financial plan - she chose to alter her career path and point her analytical skills and program management experience in a new direction, helping others plan for their financial futures.
Over the past decade, she has enjoyed working closely with successful men and women, families and businesses on understanding their concerns, providing an in-depth analysis of their personal financial situation, and driving action in achieving their vision and goals. Although the problem-solving aspect of financial planning initially drew Gay to the field, it is the deep satisfaction of making a difference in people's lives that motivates her continuing work with clients.
Gay has been an Austin resident for 20+ years and is actively involved in the community. She has served on the boards of Temple Beth Shalom and the Early Childhood Program at the Jewish Community Association of Austin (JCAA). She is also an alumni volunteer for the MIT Educational Council, interviewing freshman applicants each fall; and in the spring. She is a member of her local rowing club, competing locally and nationally in masters rowing, and she is an avid Formula 1 racing fan.
Hannah joined Per Stirling in 2021 where she serves as an Operations Specialist. As a member of the operations team, she is responsible for supporting advisors and their clients' needs. Hannah enjoys working with her colleagues at Per Stirling to provide clients with an excellent experience.
Hannah attended Texas A&M University and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Finance. During her time at A&M, Hannah had interned with a wealth management firm and found working with individuals to achieve their financial goals was what she wanted to do. This discovery and her passion for the industry ultimately led her to Texas Tech where she graduated with a Master's of Science in Personal Financial Planning in 2018. Before Per Stirling, Hannah served as an associate wealth advisor in Austin. Hannah holds her Series 65 and is a CFP® professional.
Having grown up in Austin, it is no surprise that Hannah loves to spend time outdoors. Some of her favorite activities include going to the lake, hiking and reading at Zilker Park. Hannah also enjoys relaxing at home with her family and two cats, Cutie and Mo.
Three words others would use to describe Hannah are: helpful, thoughtful, and hardworking.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Financial Advisor
James L. Lee, III, CPA, brings over 30 years of knowledge in wealth management, investment management, and senior financial operations management experience.
Prior to joining Per Stirling, Mr. Lee served as Chief Investment Officer for the McLane Group, a private family office. James has also served as a Financial Advisor in Killeen, Texas, where he developed and implemented financial plans and recommended investment strategies for individual investors, small business owners, and corporations. In addition, Mr. Lee has held various executive banking positions in the Central Texas area.
Throughout his career, James Lee has been involved in a variety of civic organizations and professional affiliations, including: the Texas State Society of Certified Public Accountants; Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Fort Hood Chapter Past Treasurer; Boy Scouts of America Longhorn Council Executive Committee Member and National Council Member (29 years of service); Leadership Temple Executive Board Member and 1996 Leadership Temple Alumni; Killeen ISD Educational Foundation Past President and Executive Board Member; March of Dimes of Killeen Past Chairman; Rotary Club of Killeen Past President and Board Member and United Way of Central Texas Board Member.
Mr. Lee is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas State University and a graduate degree in Commercial Banking from Southern Methodist University. In his spare time, he enjoys ranching.
John Brem is an experienced financial services professional who specializes in working with ultra high net worth clients. He began his career as a sports agent, where he discovered his aptitude for providing estate planning solutions for athletes encountering sudden wealth by becoming instant millionaires for the first time.
From there, John's interest in financial planning services evolved as he transitioned his career to Northwestern Mutual, where he acquired his insurance and securities licenses. He continued his practice with an emphasis on estate planning, specializing in a variety of trusts (including charitable and life insurance trusts), eventually expanding his clientele beyond affluent athletes to accommodate high net worth clients from all walks of life.
In 1998, he joined Merrill Lynch where he continued working with his earliest clients for another 17 years. Finally, in 2016, John discovered Per Stirling's uniquely independent and fiduciary environment and moved his practice and clientele here.
John divides his time between Houston and the Hill Country, and especially likes visiting New Braunfels for lake-related activities. He enjoys spending time with his two children, Nick and Angelica, and his grandson Beckett, as well as golf and travel.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Partner
- Managing Director at Per Stirling
John (J.P.) O'Sullivan serves as the Managing Director at Per Stirling. Additionally, he is the lead manager for the Per Stirling Conservative Growth and Core Growth portfolios. In 2009, Mr. O'Sullivan co-founded Per Stirling with his partner, Robert Phipps, with the goal of creating a firm focused on bringing fiduciary standards to the advisor/client relationship.
Before co-founding Per Stirling, Mr. O'Sullivan served as a global macro hedge fund manager with CACH Capital Management and, prior to that, President of one of the largest financial services firms headquartered in central Texas, Choice Asset Management.
Previously, Mr. O'Sullivan also served as the Chief Investment Officer for Lucien, Stirling and Gray. Mr. O'Sullivan is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Business Economics and post graduate course work in applied statistics.
In addition to the company-sponsored portfolios that he manages for Per Stirling, Mr. O'Sullivan manages money for a select group of individual, corporate and non-profit organizations. Many of these individual clients are business owners in the Austin-area or entrepreneurs who have successfully sold their businesses, and who thus require individualized planning, portfolio design and management.
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- Per Stirling 's Director of Brokerage Operations
Katherine has lived in Austin for almost her entire life, and is part of a large and very close-knit family. She has always been interested in business and, after graduating with a degree in Business Management from St. Edwards University, she worked for years in upper management with a regional commercial contracting firm.
As so often seems to be the case, it was a life-changing event away from work that motivated Katherine to make a change in her career, and to become a financial advisor. In her case, it was the untimely passing of her father in 1988 and her need to manage her mother's affairs. It was then that she saw first-hand the sometimes dramatic difference that proper financial planning can make. It was then too that she understood the importance of someone having a trusted advisor who can guide someone through the complexities of the modern financial world.
In addition to serving as Per Stirling's Director of Brokerage Operations, Katherine works with a select, but quite diverse, group of clients. Despite Katherine's almost two decades of experience, she is committed to becoming more and more expert every day. To this end, she is scheduled to begin the Certified Financial Planner program in 2013.
Katherine and her husband, Day, enjoy gardening, cooking, and spending time with their four children and six grandchildren. In addition to planning for their own retirement, Katherine and Day have both children and grandchildren in college at the same time. As Katherine puts it, ‘It sure makes you appreciate the importance of having a financial plan.'
Both Katherine and Day enjoy volunteering for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which is a social outreach ministry committed to providing permanent, sustainable solutions for the chronically homeless with compassion, love and dignity.
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- Partner
- Program Advisor for the University of Texas
Kenneth Price, CFP®, CFA®, AEP®, CLU®, ChFC® has been in the wealth management and planning profession since 1996. He takes his clients through a holistic process to provide them structure, clarity and ultimately financial independence so they have peace of mind.
He works for clients who are successful professionals appreciative of hard work, clients who are simply retirement-focused seeking affirmation, and analyzers who want a consultant to simplify complex decisions and reveal potential blind spots. He works with accumulators looking for ways to save money on fees, expenses and taxes to make their plan more efficient as well as delegators who are too busy or not interested in managing their assets and want a knowledgeable trustworthy investment fiduciary.
Kenneth achieved the Certified Financial Planner™ designation from the CFP Board in 2004 which requires high standards of competency in general principles, education planning, risk management and insurance, investment planning, tax planning, retirement savings and income planning, and estate planning.
He achieved the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) credential, a highly respected designation for investment management, from the CFA Institute in 2014.
He achieved the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) designation in 2010 from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils for professionals with a dedication to the team concept of estate planning.
He achieved the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designation in 2008 from the American College after demonstrating in-depth knowledge on insurance needs of individuals/business owners. He also recently co-authored The Tools & Techniques of Insurance Planning and Risk Management-a thorough overview of insurance planning and risk management strategies tailored for non-insurance professionals including financial planners, tax advisors, and estate planners. He is currently registered with the Texas Department of Insurance as a Life and Health Insurance Counselor-professionals who examine, advise, and make recommendations on life and health insurance and annuities for a fee.
Kenneth is the Program Advisor for The University of Texas at Austin Financial Planning Certificate Program. He is also a Board Member of the CFA Society of Austin, a member of the Financial Planning Association of Austin, and the Estate Planning Council of Central Texas.
Kenneth graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1995. He took "Personal Family Finance" as an elective course which ignited his passion for this profession.
Kenneth lives in Cedar Park with his son and enjoys spending time volunteering at church, weightlifting, and reading.
Job Titles:
- Community & Client Ambassador Solicitor
Job Titles:
- Financial Operations Administrator
Job Titles:
- Technology Administrative Specialist
Per Stirling Capital Management is an S.E.C.-registered investment advisory firm specializing in holistic financial planning, investment portfolio management, and other comprehensive wealth management services that are as unique and varied as are its clients.
Job Titles:
- Lead Operations Specialist, Community Initiative Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- Partner
- CFP