APTUS WEALTH PLANNING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Manager of Client Relations
Aris Pantelas is the Manager of Client Relations at Aptus Wealth Planning®️. He is passionate about helping others and believes that all should have the opportunity to pursue simpler, more productive lives.
After beginning his career with the banking industry, Aris led his family's multigenerational business for the next six years, prior to joining Aptus Wealth Planning®️. Inheriting an entrepreneurial mindset, Aris has taken his creative and professional pursuits very seriously and is self-taught in a wide range of computing skills from basic coding to advanced content creation software. He is also an avid studio musician and has a performance resume that mirrors his professional dedication. Aris graduated from Allegheny College with a major in Economics and Managerial Economics and a Communications Minor.
Aris is a lifelong Pittsburgh resident. He enjoys reading, hiking, working on carpentry projects, and the performance arts. He is an active member of the local music community and is a regular charitable performer most notably for the Bradley Center and Band Together Pgh, a non-profit that amplifies the musical voices of children on the autistic spectrum. Aris is also a member of the Pittsburgh Greek Orthodox Church and is a strong believer in community service and social outreach.
As Director of Research, Brett is directly responsible for managing several of our strategies, including Perennial Growth, Long Term Trend and Write Income. Additionally, the Research department conducts thorough analyses of companies to identify undervalued stocks that carry attractive upside potential.
Drew graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004 with a degree in Finance and has been working in the Financial industry ever since. Prior to joining Carson Group, Drew spent the last 7 years working in the trading department of an RIA in Omaha. Drew currently holds a FINRA Series 65 registration.
Drew has been married to his wife Stephanie since July 2015 and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Cora. Drew enjoys spending time with family and friends whenever possible, especially during sporting events. Drew is a huge sports fan and enjoys cheering on his teams all year round.
During his free time, Drew enjoys golfing, reading historical non-fiction books, and spending time outside doing yard work.
Greg is a non-registered associate of Cetera Advisors Networks.
Heather has been with Aptus Wealth Planning®️ since 2009, as our Director of Operations. One of the benefits of this position is interacting with clients; her personable attitude is Heather's first means to be both accommodating and expedient regarding her attention to clients' requests.
Along with being Director of Operations, she has added integrated payroll, event planning and office management into the job description.
Heather attended Chatham University, where she studied Accounting. She previously held positions as a payroll/tax assistant and retail service specialist. She currently lives in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Investment Operations and Performance
Jordan started investing at a young age and helped manage a portion of Nebraska Wesleyan University's Endowment in the Student Investment Group. He will be a knowledgeable asset on the Trading Team and will provide trade support to all of Carson Group's advisors and external offices.
Jordan grew up in Beatrice, Nebraska and worked on the family farm. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a degree in Economics and earned his minors in Finance, Business Administration, and Writing.
Jordan spends most of his time outdoors where he enjoys farming, hunting, trap shooting, and fishing. He volunteers for Pheasants Forever and the National Wildlife Turkey Federation as a firearms education volunteer, and helps with his hometown annual food drive.
Job Titles:
- Trading Operations Analyst
As a Trading Operations Analyst, Kaleigh ensures the data reported by Carson Group is accurate so advisors can use it effectively in Client Experience Optimizer (C.E.O). With a background in reconciling various data feed and problem solving, she uses her expertise to find efficiencies in the current reconciliation process. She specializes in helping financial professionals maintain the accuracy of their clients' accounts.
Kaleigh graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Banking and Finance degree. Prior to joining the team in 2018, she worked for a back- office portfolio account solutions firm for over six years.
Kaleigh was born and raised in Omaha. Kaleigh enjoys reading, crafting and spending time with her husband Don and son, Grayson.
Job Titles:
- Senior Trade Operations Analyst
Kellie brings over 25 years of experience in the Financial Industry to her role of Sr. Trading Consultant. Previous positions include Product Strategy Consultant, Registered Office Assistant, Trading Analyst and Sales Supervision Principal. She is known for her attention to detail, relationship building and outgoing personality. She has several FINRA registrations including Series 7, 24, 66, 53 and 4 along with her insurance license.
Kellie has been married for 25 years and has two sons, ages 20 and 23. She has lived in the Omaha area her entire life and enjoys spending time with her husband now that they are empty nesters. She also enjoys reading and binge-watching Netflix.
Kellie is not affiliated or registered with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC. Any information provided by this individual is provided entirely on behalf of CWM, LLC and is no way related to Cetera Advisor Networks or its registered representatives.
Kevin has 15 years of experience in the financial industry including management roles in both operations and trading. Kevin's experience implementing best execution practices will be utilized to enhance the overall client experience at Carson Group.
Kevin graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Prior to working at Carson Group, Kevin worked for a large RIA with the majority of the experience managing an institutional trading team. Kevin currently holds FINRA Series 6, 26, and 65 registrations.
Kevin has been married to his wife Lyndsay since April 2015 and they have two young daughters. Kevin enjoys spending time with his family and friends and is a huge sports fan. Kevin's favorite sports teams are the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Royals. Kevin likes staying active by running races and golfing.
Kevin is not affiliated or registered with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC. Any information provided by this individual is provided entirely on behalf of CWM, LLC and is no way related to Cetera Advisor Networks or its registered representatives.
Mark Petersen's business career spans 35 years of which 30+ have been as a Certified Public Accountant. In the early 90's Mark transitioned to the investment business as a Registered Investment Advisor and has added CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner to his credentials. Mark is insurance licensed in Nebraska where he is a lifelong Nebraskan with Midwestern values and work ethic. 13 years of Mark's career were spent in the state of Texas. Mark joined the Wealth Enhancement Group of Carson Wealth Management Group in 2005. Today his role is Vice President, Affluent Wealth Planning, which allows him an opportunity to work with high and ultra high net worth families on complex planning decisions involving cash-flow needs, business succession planning and generational asset transfers.
Away from the office Mark enjoys time with his wife and the family's Meyers parrot. You are likely to find Mark on the golf course in good weather, followed by a stint behind the grill. In 2016 Mark had his vintage 1979 Raleigh road bike restored and enjoys long distance bike rides. Mark is motivated to be the best he may be in everything he does, but especially enjoys helping others make well reasoned choices when faced with life's forks in the road.
Job Titles:
- Representative of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
- Vice President, Insurance
Matt is responsible for building, leading and managing Carson Group Insurance, an insurance offering that supports Carson Group in the preparation, presentation and implementation of insurance for clients of the firm. Matt works to ensure that our advisors have the best solutions to meet their clients' every need when it comes to insurance and how it fits into their overall financial plan.
Matt has spent the last 22-plus years working for a major insurance carrier both in the corporate home offices in a variety of roles and as the Managing Director of a large field office. Matt excels in relationship-building and the development of skills around insurance concepts, needs analysis and proper solution placement.
Matt attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and is a die-hard Husker to this day. Matt has been married to his wife, Amy, for 25 years and has two sons - Jacob, 21, who is a senior at the University of Nebraska, and Ryan, 18, who is a freshman at the University of Nebraska. Over the years, Matt has enjoyed watching both of his sons play travel and high school baseball. Matt also loves to play golf and travel, and as an avid cook he spends a lot of time in the kitchen or by the grill/smoker.
Matt Lewis is a non-producing registered representative of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC.
Matthew received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, he majored in Investment Science & Portfolio Management. He also has an Associate of Arts in Persian-Afghan from the Defense Language Institute and an Associates of Intelligence Studies and Technology from the Community College of the Air Force.
Matthew's diverse work history includes trading roles at TD Ameritrade & Cor Clearing, managing two family businesses, as well as over a decade of service in the United States Air Force.
Outside the office, Matthew spends as much time with his wife Aeh and their boys, Aiden & Otto as well as the always rambunctious Schnoodle puppy, Rocky.
James has been in the financial services industry since 2006. He gained most of his career experience with Wall Street firms in both the institutional and retail sectors of the market coupled with a lifetime of entrepreneurial experience in his family's business.
James is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Aptus Wealth Planning®. He takes a comprehensive approach to providing financial advice that is centered around educating clients first. As a big believer in strong communication, James values deep conversations and sharing his experience to help his clients make the most informed life decisions possible.
James and his fiancé, Maria, live together with their lovely daughter, Lucy. They are active members and volunteers of their local Greek Orthodox Church and hold family life among their top priorities. Given time to himself, James enjoys warm weather, golfing and acquiring new skills.
Patrick has a broad background across different parts of the finance industry, but much of it has been devoted to serve clients, both internal and external. Working in investment management and also having experience in debt and foreign currency markets, he is able to use a lot of different knowledge to formulate solutions. When Patrick sets out to research something new, he tries to be as thorough as possible and leave little room for surprises later.
Patrick earned a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then later obtained both an MBA and Masters of Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management (MSAPM) from Creighton University. He also holds the FINRA Series 65 license.
He started his career in financial services with Fisher Investments in California, working in both the Private Client and Institutional groups. Patrick later spent four years trading foreign currency with First National Bank of Omaha on behalf of their clients. After that, he worked in the Conagra Brands Treasury department doing foreign currency trading and helping to manage employee pension investments. Prior to joining Carson Group, Patrick was a Portfolio Manager at TS Banking Group, where he selected and reviewed investments for wealth management clients and the bank holding company.
Patrick spends most of his time outside of work with his wife and children. He also listens to a lot of music and an assortment of podcasts (comedic, true crime, scientific).
Sarah received her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She spent the first 15 months after undergraduate as a Fulbright Scholar in Hamburg and Bonn, Germany. She then moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked in marketing and public relations for several international companies. After nearly nine years in Florida, Sarah moved back to Nebraska to attend law school at the University of Nebraska College of Law. Since law school Sarah has been working in Omaha in trust services for two national banks. She has completed three years of trust school and earned a designation as Certified Trust and Financial Advisor, CTFA. Sarah has also earned her CAP® (Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy) in 2019 and AEP® (Accredited Estate Planner) designation in 2020. Sarah is an executive board member and past president of the Omaha Estate Planning Council and volunteers for the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. She is a member of the Methodist Professional Advisory Group, and is a board member of the Omaha Farmers Market.
When not spending time with her children, Sarah loves attending concerts, riding her bike, walking her dogs, and tending to her flock of backyard chickens.
Michael graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Business degree in Economics. Out of college, he spent two and a half years with Mutual of Omaha working in life and disability insurance sales and briefly as a financial advisor.
He went on to work at TD Ameritrade toward the end of 2018 as a client service representative and became a licensed broker in 2019.
He has a small, close-knit family with one older sister and one younger sister. His father John was an Omaha police officer for 30 years and recently retired. His mother Patty is still working as a recruiter for temporary staffing companies.
When Big Red is playing, they're watching - at home or preferably at the stadium!
Mike is a portfolio manager for the QBI Investment Team at Carson Group. He manages and oversees the QBI Low Volatility strategies.
Mike brings more than two decades of experience with systematic strategies to Carson, including 16 years as a portfolio manager with Chicago Equity Partners. There, he led a four-member equity portfolio management team responsible for the oversight of more than $1 billion in domestic and international equity strategies.
He earned his bachelor's degree and MBA from DePaul University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute.
In his free time, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, biking, running and pickleball.
Mike is a non-registered associate with Cetera.
Neal McGrath - Founder, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Managing Director
- Wealth Advisor
- Member of the Financial Services Institute
Neal McGrath is a Founder, Managing Director, and Senior Wealth Advisor of Aptus Wealth Planning®️. His focus is working with individuals to help them make confident financial decisions and live simpler, more productive lives. Neal strives to accomplish this by providing knowledgeable, objective advice and being a resource for any and all financial and investment questions.
Neal has a unique view on the opportunities available to those of us who live in the United States. Neal's parents were first generation immigrants from the developing nation of Trinidad and Tobago, and he spent many summers in his parents' native country as a child. This helped him understand, at an early age, the imbalance that exists in the world and solidified his desire to make the most of the opportunities afforded to him in this country.
As a lifelong Pittsburgh resident, Neal lives here with his wife, Anne, and three children, Colman, Norah, and Gabriel. Anne is an Estate Planning attorney practicing in the Pittsburgh area. They both enjoy spending time with their sons and daughter and working on their home, which was built in 1900. They also enjoy reading, traveling, and exploring new restaurants.
Neal is also actively involved in the community. He has taught several retirement planning classes at local universities. Neal has served on the Board of Directors for Autism Speaks and served as a committee chair for the Pittsburgh Walk to End Alzheimer's.
Prior to founding Aptus Wealth Planning®️, Neal spent the first 15 years of his career with Ameriprise Financial, wherein, he achieved their highest distinction of Private Wealth Advisor. He then established Aptus Wealth Planning®️, an advisory firm, held to a fiduciary standard, to focus on serving the complex needs of successful individuals, families, and organizations. Neal is proud to be named one of Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (PA) for 2022. Neal is one of 17 financial advisors out of the more than 4,000 in the Pittsburgh area who has qualified for the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for 7 years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
Neal graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Finance. He also completed the "Executive Certificate in Financial Planning" program through Duquesne University. Neal has successfully passed the Series 7, Series 63 and Series 65 and his Life/Accident/Health examinations. He holds the following designations: ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY ® (AIF ®), CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR® (CRPC®) and ACCREDITED ASSET MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST® (AAMS®).
Neal is a member of the Financial Services Institute (FSI) along with the Pittsburgh Society of Investment Professionals (PSIP). He is also a part of the Financial Educators Network (FEN) and a member of the Society of Financial Awareness (SOFA) "A Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation". Neal is a current member of the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®).
Pat comes to Carson Wealth with over 40 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant with a dense background of working with various clients to surmount tax complexities. Prior to joining Carson Wealth, Pat was a general and founding partner of the accounting firm Mangin, Carter & Co, located in Vincennes, Indiana.
Pat grew up on a farm in southern Indiana and graduated from Indiana State University with degrees in Business Administration and Aerospace Technology. He later completed his accounting studies at Indiana University. He developed a passion for accounting and tax work while employed by Kemper CPA Group, LLP, which he joined upon completing his accounting studies at Indiana University.
Pat lives in Vincennes, Indiana and enjoys hiking in Northern California and the Arizona areas. Pat has three children: Brook, Brandi and Brittney, who all have entered various professions after graduating from college. He also enjoys being owned by a Weimaraner!
Job Titles:
- Director of Client Relations
Ray Hayes has been with the Financial Advisory industry since 2003. Prior to entering the Financial Advisory industry Ray was owner and publisher of the Apartment Rental Guide magazine of Pittsburgh. Ray sold the periodical to For Rent Magazine in 2001. He believes his previous experience was an ideal foundation for his work in the financial industry.
Ray excels in his position as Director of Client Relations due to his 10 year role as a financial advisor. This background gives him a level of knowledge that enhances his ability to assist clients with day to day client service issues that arise. Ray successfully passed the FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 examinations.
Ray is happily married to his lovely wife, Addie, and has two sons and three lovely daughters. Away from the business, he enjoys offering his service as a religious volunteer in his community, traveling to explore various regions of the world, restoration of a historic Victorian home located in the Mexican War Street section of Pittsburgh and spending time with family and friends.
As a member of the Advanced Solutions Team, Ryan Yamada enables Carson's Wealth Advisors to have deeper conversations with their clients in the pursuit of their life and financial goals. From building tax-efficient retirement strategies and discussing ideas on multi-generational wealth transfers to creating content and conducting training for Partner firms, Carson's A.S.T. serves in a number of different roles that change day by day.
Ryan ‘Hawaiian' grew up on the island of Oahu. Ever the beach-bum, he traded in his surfboard and rubbah slippahz to brave the frigid Nebraska winters at Creighton University. Following his graduation, Ryan began working at a Fortune 500 insurance company where he served in a number of roles from client services, sales team lead, and ultimately helping to lead a team of Financial Advisors.
Throughout his time in the world of financial product sales, Ryan developed a desire for holistic financial planning. Centered around the ideas of conflict-free advice, technical excellence and the principles of Life Planning, Ryan's commitment to growth and learning in his work is never-ending. Ryan has earned the prestigious designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, as well as various investment registrations and insurance licenses.
When Ryan is not nerding out on the latest and greatest in financial planning, he can be found taking photographs of his most recent culinary creations or taking a leisurely stroll through the Old Market where he and his family live. Ryan is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and a member of the Axios Academy Competition team, The Blackfish.
Job Titles:
- Associate of Cetera Advisor Networks
- Senior Wealth Planner
As a Senior Wealth Planner on the Advanced Solutions Team, Scott helps advisors navigate and solve complex problems through planning.
A graduate of Millsaps College with a degree in Business Administration, Scott has nearly a decade of experience in the financial planning industry. He has long enjoyed the process of working through complicated problems, which led to him choosing his profession and earning his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation.
Outside the office, Scott can often be found cooking, paddleboarding or listening to blues music. He counts marrying his wife as his biggest accomplishment in life thus far.
Scott Budd is a non-registered associate of Cetera Advisor Networks.
Job Titles:
- Senior Investment Analyst
- Senior Investment Analyst / Research Department
Sonu has over 15 years of experience in the Asset Management industry. Before joining Carson, he was a Partner and Director of Research at Convex Capital Management where he co-managed portfolios, advised clients and led the research effort, including creating a proprietary leading economic index for 30 countries and systematizing investment processes. Prior to that Sonu worked independently with hedge fund managers and high-net worth individuals to develop quantitative investment models for trading equities, options, ETFs and closed-end funds.
Sonu started his career in finance during the final year of his Ph.D. at Purdue University, when he got an opportunity to do options modeling work. He finished his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2006, with his dissertation focused on simulating blood flow in diseased arteries. However, he decided to pursue finance as he enjoyed the mathematical modeling aspect of it, and the challenges thrown up by human behavior in markets. Prior to his Ph.D., Sonu received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue and Bachelors in Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (Trichy) in India.
Sonu and his wife love to travel and are looking forward to doing a lot more of it as their twins grow up. They also enjoy listening to an eclectic selection of music as a family and being outdoors in the city (Chicago weather permitting). At home, you may find him hanging out with the family with a guitar in his hands, cooking or if the kids are asleep, watching TV or reading. He is also passionate about teaching Math - including statistics, probability and personal finance - at the community college in Chicago downtown.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Client Relations
Susan Weber is a Manager of Client Relations of Aptus Wealth Planning®️. Susan has been in the wealth planning and financial industry since 1999. She previously trained as an advisor with Ameriprise Financial. She has since transitioned into the role of a Manger of Client Relations as she enjoys cultivating relationships with clients more so than building a book of business.
Susan successfully passed the FIRA Series 7 and Series 63 examinations. She holds a bachelor of science with a specialty in finance from West Virginia University.
Susan currently lives in Baldwin Township with her husband, Jason, and two children, Katie and Alex.
Thomas Brown - Founder, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Managing Director
- Wealth Advisor
Tom Brown is a founder and Managing Director of Aptus Wealth Planning®️. Tom has been focused on wealth management and financial planning since 2000. Before founding Aptus Wealth Planning®️, Tom spent his first 13 years of his career at Ameriprise Financial whereby he achieved their high distinction of Platinum Financial Advisor. He has always focused his practice on working with successful individuals to help them make more sound financial and life decisions. He accomplishes this by providing unbiased and objective advice while being a resource for any and all financial and investment questions. Aptus Wealth Planning®️'s strategic alliance with Carson Partners in 2013 allowed Tom to bring an incredibly deep bench of resources to bear when approaching sophisticated issues that require complex solutions. This wealth of knowledge helps him achieve his mission of making the complex simple in his client's lives.
Tom is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA®) and the Financial Services Institute (FSI).
Tom currently resides in Sewickley with his wife, Kriszti. They enjoy their frequent trips back to Europe to visit Kriszti's family in Budapest, Hungary. Tom loves his morning workouts, days on the golf course, a nice glass of red wine and spending time with their two dogs: Maci and Mojo.
Tom graduated from Virginia Tech in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Finance. He has successfully passed the Series 7 exam (held through Cetera Advisor Networks) and Series 66 exam (held through CWM, LLC) and his Life/Accident/Health examinations. Tom holds the following designations: CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR® (CRPC®), ACCREDITED PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT ADVISOR® (APMA®), ACCREDITED WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISOR® (AWMA®) and ACCREDITED ASSET MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST® (AAMS®).
Job Titles:
- Senior Institutional Trader