THE PREFERRED CLIENT GROUP - Key Persons
Andrew J. Bott leverages his 35+ years of business experience and relationships to empower business owners and entrepreneurs to protect and maximize the value of their businesses and personal financial affairs. Andrew Bott is an...
Andrew Bott is an entrepreneur himself, with a background as CEO and principal of a corporate hospitality and catering company, which he cofounded in 1978 in Red Bank, NJ. With multiple banquet facilities and over 400 employees, Merri-Makers Caterers became one of the leaders in the industry providing on and off premise events for the tri-state area. In 2014, he decided to change careers and enter the financial planning industry.
As a longtime client of the Preferred Client Group, it was a natural fit to join the team and share his experiences. Andrew uses his 35+ years of business knowledge, personal relationships and entrepreneurial spirit to assist business owners and their families plan for the financial future they want, and deserve.
Philanthropy has always been a large part of Andrew's personal and professional career. He has served on multiple non-profit boards: The Community YMCA, The Monmouth Medical Foundation, The Jinka Foundation, The Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (Board Chair) and as owner of a large hospitality company, he donated business and personal resources, time and effort to many other charitable organizations.
Andrew received his B.S. degree in Finance and Economics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. He and his wife Mary currently reside in Farmingdale, NJ. They have 3 daughters: Alexis, Emily and Victoria.
Daniel E. Sommers Jr.* has over forty years of specialized pension planning service and experience which he brings to the clients of the Preferred Client Group in the business marketplace.
Dan has worked with thousands of businesses, providing independent consulting services in the design, implementation and ongoing administration of qualified retirement plans. He works with plan sponsors and trustees to select benefit plan provisions and establish fiduciary standards and implement investment policy statements. He assists in the selection and monitoring of investment vehicles and the design and presentation of participant education programs.
Dan began his career in the group pension industry in November of 1973 (Pre-ERISA) with Mutual Benefit Life of Newark, NJ. Throughout his career he has been exposed to all facets of pension service, sales and administration. He has drafted plan documents, performed plan administration, prepared actuarial valuations, and prepared competitive proposals/sales presentations as well as employee enrollment presentations.
The services and consultations he provides to the clients of the Preferred Client Group are all inclusive. With most clients, he assists in the plan design, brokers the investment vehicle and conducts the group enrollment meetings as well as the individual participant one-on-one investment sessions.
Along with other team members of the Preferred Client Group, he continues to meet with each of our clients at least annually to assist them with their fiduciary due diligence duties and responsibilities.
Dan has access to all of the vendors whom he would consider the major "players" in the small to medium size plan marketplace. As a registered financial representative of Park Avenue Securities, he is not required to offer or represent any single vendor. This degree of independence permits Dan and the Preferred Client Group to access the most competitive pension products and pair the best vendor/product with our client's specific needs and desires.
Dan and his wife, Maureen, live in Toms River, NJ.
As a financial advisor, David* concentrates his efforts working with closely held businesses, their executives and families. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of financial planning and wealth management and brings a wealth of diverse experience to his practice, including specialties in investment services, asset and income protection strategies, and personal and business planning.
Through innovative business and value maximization techniques, David focuses his efforts developing clients' maximum wealth potential by educating and empowering them to make sound financial decisions using a macro-economic approach.
David received an athletic scholarship to Wake Forest University. While in college he earned a B.S. degree in business from the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy with a concentration in finance and marketing. After college David worked for Woolf Associates in Boston, Massachusetts, a sports management and marketing firm. He then went on to attend the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. At Babson, he graduated with a Masters of Business Administration with emphasis in finance, entrepreneurship, and marketing.
David and his wife, Vanessa, currently reside in Mendham, New Jersey, with their three children. He makes a difference in the lives of families, friends and the community by spending time with various charitable endeavors and is a founding board member of the Middletown South Football Alumni Association which provides scholarships to student-athletes. Additionally, he is a board member of the Middletown High School South Hall of Fame in which he was inducted with the inaugural class in 2005.
Donna works in the new business department handling all aspects of the underwriting process. She has over 30 years of experience as a specialist and is a highly valued team member of the Preferred Client Group, assisting the group with their clientele.
Donna and her husband, Bill, reside in Iselin, NJ.
Gary M. Beinhaker, CLU® is also a Chartered Financial Consultant who works with business owners and executives in the areas of net worth creation and conservation. His specialties include executive compensation, estate conservation and employee benefits.
He has a B.S. in economics and has been in the industry since 1965. Gary has often lectured, taught and written articles on the attributes of using life and health insurance as a financial tool. He also has been the Technical Editor of a newsletter on insurance planning.
Gary has long been active in industry and community affairs. He has served as a Director of the Newark Association of Life Underwriters and President of the Greater Newark Chapter of CLU®/ChFC®. In addition, he is past Chairman of the Board of Governors of Daughters of Israel Geriatric Center, a non-profit nursing home in West Orange, New Jersey, also a board member of The Healthcare Foundation of NJ, and is actively involved in several charitable fund-raising endeavors.
Melanie has worked in the investment and insurance marketplace for over twenty years. She currently oversees all matters regarding compliance and investment related activities for the team members of the Preferred Client Group via PAS.
Melanie* has worked in the investment and insurance marketplace for over twenty years. She currently oversees all matters regarding compliance and investment related activities for the team members of the Preferred Client Group via Park Avenue Securities.
Melanie works closely with their office to insure that all members comply with FINRA and SEC regulations, and assists all representatives in maintaining a current status in all aspects of licensing.
She currently lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, Todd, and their two sons, Jacob and Joshua.
Vince Cirianni is a financial specialist with over twenty years of industry experience. He specializes in holistic planning for closely held business owners, families and executives.