JOURNEY STRATEGIC WEALTH - Key Persons
Adrienne Conrad supports the business in providing the best experience for our clients, scheduling appointments, managing calendars and keeping our team organized. Her strong attention to detail and consistent eagerness to help others make her a valued part of the team.
As a mother of four boys, Adrienne has become an expert on multi-tasking and prioritizing schedules and calendars, from managing club sports teams to running school fundraising events.
Adrienne is a UCLA graduate with a diverse background in marketing and project management. In her previous position as the in-house marketing manager for a top-tier mechanical construction company, she thrived under fast paced and time sensitive conditions.
She lives in Moraga with her husband Mike, and their sons. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and watching her boys play sports.
Job Titles:
- Investment Operations Manager
Amanda began her career in the financial services industry at Northwestern Mutual in the Philadelphia network office where she wore many hats, most notably Assistant Director of the Financial Planning Department. She also has experience in the RIA space, most recently working in a client service and operations role at Bell Rock Capital in Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Amanda is excellent at providing operational and client support for advisors and is passionate about investment operations. She is also currently pursuing a planning designation.
Amanda grew up in Binghamton, NY and holds a B.S. in Economics from The University of Scranton.
Currently residing in Southern Delaware, she enjoys spending time at the beach and hanging out with her pup, Mae.
After taking a break from the corporate world for 7 years to be a stay-at-home mom, Angela began her career in financial services when she joined Mark's team in 2007. She enjoys providing guidance to clients to help ensure their overall financial success and well-being. Angela takes pride in cultivating strong client relationships through superior servicing.
As a wealth advisor, Angela believes in a holistic approach to financial planning. She is responsible for investment strategies and implementation. She understands that there is no cookie-cutter solution that applies to everyone. Each client needs recommendations that are specific to their personal needs and goals.
Angela enjoys spending time with her family, especially her college-aged son and their new rescue puppy. She is a lover of all things in her native state, North Carolina, especially the beaches and Carolina Panthers. On a Fall weekend, you are likely to find her visiting a Virginia winery with friends.
Angela is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She holds the CFP™ designation. She is life and health licensed in Virginia and has the series 7 held through LPL Financial and the series 66 held through LPL Financial and JSW. Angela is a notary public for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Brett Agnew started in the financial industry in 1993 and transitioned to wealth management in 2017. Brett has developed a talent and passion for financial planning. He is responsible for our financial planning process and works together with our clients and team to problem solve the many complex puzzles of creating comprehensive plans for our diverse clients.
Previously in his career, Brett worked with several regional investment banks based in San Francisco, focusing on supporting their trading desks. During that time, he developed his knowledge of capital creation, institutional trading, the financial markets and risk management.
Brett is a CFP® professional. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California Chico and holds his Series 7, 63 as well as CA Life and Health License.
Brett lives in Clayton with his wife Elise and their two children, Ronan and Mikayla. His favorite pastime is spending time with his family, traveling and coaching youth sports.
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- Managing Partner
- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
Brian is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Journey Strategic Wealth.
Brian has over 15 years of experience in the financial advisory and wealth management arena covering family offices, ultra-high net worth individuals and institutional clients. Brian works closely with clients on their diversified investment strategies, concentrated stock positions, wealth transfer, and multi-generational financial planning. Brian has been quoted in the Financial Times, Financial Advisor IQ, WealthManagement.com and RIABiz.
Prior to founding Journey Strategic Wealth, Brian was a Managing Director at Magnus Financial Group. Brian has previously held positions at Dynasty Financial Partners, Merrill Lynch and DHF Capital.
Brian has a B.S. from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware, where he was a member of the varsity baseball team. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two children. Brian is a resident of Summit, New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Co - Founder
- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
Damian LoBasso has spent the entirety of his 15 year career in the financial services industry in various investment banking, corporate finance and consulting roles. He is a founding member of Journey Strategic Wealth and as CFO of the firm's corporate operations, is responsible for overseeing all corporate verticals throughout the firm in addition to leading all strategic growth and M&A initiatives.
Prior to founding Journey, Damian was Founder and CEO of Compass CFO Solutions, the first accounting firm solely dedicated to the wealth management industry. Preceding Compass, Damian was Vice President of alternative asset manager Coventure, and led the finance and accounting divisions of RIA platform services provider Dynasty Financial Partners. He began his career as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank Securities.
Damian regularly speaks at industry conferences on key market trends, optimizing firm operations and M&A, and is a contributor to Forbes and various wealth management publications. He has a degree in accountancy from Providence College where he also played on their Division I soccer team.
Married and living in New Jersey, Damian enjoys staying active with his wife Brielle, daughter Vienna and golden retriever Oliver.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Client Satisfaction
Danielle joined Mark's team in March of 2021, after a 20-year career in restaurant management. Her extensive managerial expertise has provided her the skill set to transition seamlessly to the director of operations for the firm. She oversees the day-to-day operating activities which include client service, marketing, and scheduling.
In filling the role as director of operations, Danielle applies her exceptional organizational skills combined with a desire to deliver a top-notch client experience. She has quickly become a valued member of the team and is eager to learn and grow in the financial services field.
Danielle is a graduate of Longwood University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Studies specifically in Elementary Education. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio but has lived in Richmond, Virginia for most of her life. She enjoys spoiling her two dogs and loves spending time with her family and friends, especially if the Cleveland Browns are playing.
Erin Moeller is the Chief of Staff at Journey Strategic Wealth, LLC where she skillfully manages administrative duties and client relations for her colleagues. She is responsible for a wide range of critical functions including managing all administrative workflow, client and firm communications, and vendor relationships.
Prior to joining Journey, Erin spent over 11 years at TD Ameritrade where she began building her career in the financial services industry. There she excelled in a variety of professional executive assistant positions, worked closely with the Board of Directors, and most recently supported the President and CEO.
Erin has a proven track record of exceptional performance in high-volume and high-pressure environments, outstanding communication and collaboration skills, and meticulous attention to detail.
She is an active member of The American Society of Administrative Professionals and is continuously invested in professional development through an outward mindset lens.
Erin grew up in Latham, NY and holds an Associate of Science degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education, and her initial teaching certificate to teach English to grades 7-12. She is passionate about organizations including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, SAY, and Habitat for Humanity.
Job Titles:
- Director of Portfolio and Wealth Advisory
Jason recently joined Journey Strategic Wealth as the Director of Portfolio and Wealth Advisory. With over 16 years of experience, Jason brings a great deal of executive experience to his role.
Previously, Jason was the COO of an Institutional Broker-Dealer and also served as the Director of Investments with a Registered Investment Advisor. In these past roles, he led the Investment Committee, conducted manager research, and managed the portfolios of Ultra High Net worth individuals.
Having earned his BS in Finance from the University of Delaware, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is an active member of the CFA Society of New York. Jason lives in New Jersey with his wife Caroline and his daughter Ava Marie.
John Solik has over 35 years of institutional financial market experience and investment knowledge. Prior to joining Journey Strategic Wealth, John held several positions at top investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, Salomon Brothers, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. In 1989, John began his career at Goldman Sachs's Fixed Income Division. At Goldman, John traded complex collateralized mortgage obligations and asset-back securities. In 1994, Salomon Brothers, Goldman's largest competitor, sought out and hired John as a Product Manager in the Fixed Income Division. Over the next several years, John held various senior positions and played a significant role in the success of Salomon Brothers Emerging Markets Division and Citigroup's Structured Products Division. In 2015, John made a bold decision to join Veterinarian Stem Cell Therapies, a start-up stem cell company for animals. John held the position of CFO where he advised the founders on the company's finances and capital-raising needs. In 2018, John was hired by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, where he excelled as a Fixed Income & Alternative specialist, and in 2020, he was promoted to Portfolio Manager.
John attended the University of Michigan, studying Economics, and was a Big Ten Tennis Champion. He is the father of 3 boys and enjoys golf, tennis, and travel in his free time. John supports the Boys and Girls Club of America; Part of the Solution, Mercy Haven, and Metropolitan Mortgage Officers Society, and frequently teaches free tennis lessons to young aspiring tennis players.
Justin has over 20 years of experience in the financial services and wealth management industries in various research, operations, business development, and consulting roles. He joins JSW as the Chief Growth Officer to lead the strategic growth and M&A initiatives.
Prior to joining Journey, Justin was the Founder and CEO of Antrim Bay & Co, providing consulting services and M&A guidance to financial advisors in addition to capital sourcing for private investments. Preceding Antrim Bay, Justin was Sr. Vice President of Business Development and Distribution at Carson Group and led the National Sales and National Accounts divisions of asset manager Swan Global Investments. He began his career working in alternative investments at Goldman Sachs.
Justin has a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Kansas. He resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, Meredith, and their three, highly active children, George (9), Frank (7), and Eleanor (2).
Job Titles:
- Investment Operations Manager
Karen has a diverse financial services career, with exposure to retail brokerage, benefits and investment solutions, trade support and portfolio administration. She takes a business analyst approach to financial operations with the end goal of elevating the client experience. She has spent the latter part of her career as an Assistant Vice President with a large RIA working in overlay management optimizing trading and operations workflow for separately and unified managed accounts.
Karen excels at identifying barriers to success and scalable solutions. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity College and M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and would like to apply her education in this industry in the realm of behavioral economics.
Kathleen grew up in a family of six, where she first learned the importance of order and planning. Prior to becoming a financial advisor she worked in real estate. However, the 2008 recession and the financial lessons it delivered, steered her toward her new career.
As Kathleen built her advisory practice, she connected with women with stories similar to her own-tales of women conquering the world who then found the rug pulled out from beneath them.
Kristin Bartlow left a career in property and casualty insurance in 2009 to pursue the entrepreneurial opportunity and relationship-focused work of financial planning. Kristin wanted to work with clients through the various phases of their lives.
In 2016, she founded the non-profit organization "100+ Women Who Care, Contra Costa County". Their mission is for 100+ women to commit to contributing $100 four times a year to local charities. Kristin is inspired by the vision of women pooling their resources to make a greater difference in the community.
Kristin was recognized in 2020 by being named one of America's Top 500 Women Wealth Advisors by Forbes as well as making it on the Working Mother & Shook Research Top Wealth Advisor Moms list! She attributes her professional growth to continual learning, effectively listening and communicating, and recommending the right strategies for her clients at the appropriate time.
Kristin's grandmother, Jean, was only 42 when she lost her husband. She had two young children then, ages 13 and 15. Jean lived until the age of 98 without financial worry due to the planning that was put in place so many years ago. It's that kind of impact which drives Kristin's passion for financial planning every day.
Kristin lives in Alamo, CA with her daughters Samantha (born in 2013), Robin (born 2015) and their mini Goldendoodle Rosie. Her family is her pride and joy. When not working, being a Mom or volunteering, Kristin enjoys cooking, entertaining, hiking and leading her professional team to new opportunities. Kristin received a BS in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder (2002).
Kyndal began her marketing and strategy career at Texas Tech University while she was a student. Upon graduation, she accepted a position with a Colorado Media Agency where she worked while completing her master's degree. She has since held marketing, communications, and strategy positions in a number of industries, allowing her to gain years of knowledge and experience that she now brings to Journey Strategic Wealth.
Kyndal graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in Media Strategies and a Master's in Strategic Communication and Innovation. In her time at TTU, she worked as the Media Coordinator at TTU Rec Sports, where she won the NIRSA Creative Excellence Award for Digital Marketing and was one of three students recognized as Media Strategy Student of the Year.
Kyndal is passionate about helping brands find and project their voice and really enjoys using her creative and design abilities in bringing those brands to life. She was born and raised in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, but now lives in Durango, Colorado, with her Australian shepherd, Roscoe.
In her personal time, Kyndal spends most of the winter months snowboarding at various Colorado ski resorts and the summer months paddle boarding on the lake and horseback riding. She enjoys watching sports but is particularly loyal to the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Tech University Red Raiders. Her dream is to one day attend the Winter Olympics - as a spectator.
A fourth-generation Seattleite, Laurie received her BA from the University of Washington, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. She is a Legacy Council member of Seattle Children's Hospital, regularly participates in other volunteer work in her community and has worked in the public, private, and non-profit sectors both nationally and internationally.
Laurie built a successful career with multinational companies in fashion, art, and venture capital while living all over the world. Her extraordinary life was interrupted when her father suffered a traumatic brain injury. She left her life and home in Tokyo returning to Seattle to support her family.
Reestablishing her Seattle roots after 20 years away, Laurie entered a career in financial planning that utilizes the abilities she developed in the corporate arena.
Today, after 15 years as a financial planner, Laurie brings clients peace of mind as she shares her gift for transforming complex financial issues into understandable plans.
Laurie serves select clients across the US offering financial planning, investment management, including retirement planning, estate planning, and philanthropic planning. Her detailed and compassionate "client-first" approach helps her clients to envision and achieve their financial plans in a comfortable learning environment.
Mark began his career in the financial services industry in 2005 and heads the Investment enterprise of Journey Strategic Wealth. Previously, Mark was the Chief Investment Officer of a Multi-Family Office catering to cross border entrepreneurs. In his previous role, he headed the Investment Committee of the firm, managed multiple Special Purpose Vehicles and was tasked with providing market commentary and client communications.
He has also worked in many capacities over the last 16 years- Investment, Advisory and Consultant including firms like Moody's, TIAA and Schwab. He earned his BA in Economics from the University of Maryland and received an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University. He currently holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is an active member of the CFA Society of New York. Mark lives in New Jersey with his wife Wendy and his sons Drew and Mason.
Mark started his professional work life as a consultant with Accenture, where he helped clients for 14 years. He founded The Bleakley Financial Group of Virginia in 2005. Prior to graduating from university, he was an auto mechanic, was in the auto parts industry, and spent time as a retail store manager. Mark's focus has always been either providing advice or fixing things. What drives Mark is helping others reach their goals.
Mark's role is primarily as lead advisor and client strategist of his division at JSW. Mark's passion is ensuring that his team is completely focused on properly caring for you, that you enjoy working with us, and that you receive value from everything the team does for clients.
Mark believes both financial freedom and fun can occur concurrently. You will find that he has an active (sometimes too active!) sense of humor. He's quite proud that his teammates, Angela and Melissa, have been with him for 14 and 12 years and will do everything possible to make sure Danielle stays "forever", as well. He's a little nutty about college basketball, golf, and several other sports. In addition, he loves taking beach and golf trips with his family and is an avid reader.
Mark holds an Accounting degree from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as the CFP® and RICP® designations. He is life and health licensed in Virginia and has the 7 registration held through LPL Financial and the 66 registration held through both LPL Financial and JSW.
Job Titles:
- Director, Financial Planning
Melissa began her career with Mark's team fresh out of college in 2010. As the director of planning, Melissa develops all the financial plans for the firm. Melissa is thankful for the opportunity to begin each day with a job she loves and the people she admires and appreciates.
Melissa was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and loves the city on the river that she calls home. She enjoys spending time outdoors, and you can find her exploring all the parks and trails the city has to offer. She also enjoys live music and anything old that has a story to tell.
Melissa is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Longwood University. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. She is life and health licensed in Virginia and has the 7 and 63 registrations held through LPL Financial and the 66 registration held through both LPL Financial and JSW. Melissa is a notary public for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor
- Managing Partner
- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
Michael brings over 40 years of financial services experience and is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Journey Strategic Wealth LLC. Mike was previously a Senior Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee at Magnus Financial Group. At Dynasty Financial Partners, he was a Partner and Director of Wealth Management. Michael began his career as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch, helped form the Special Equity Transactions Group at Bear Stearns and was head of the domestic Private Bank for ING Barings.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Anthropology from Columbia University and currently serves as Class Chair and sits on the President's Committee on Athletics. Michael received All-Ivy League honors in both football and baseball. In addition, he serves on the Board of Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund at New York Presbyterian Hospital and is a Board Member of the Great Oaks Foundation.
Achievements:
At U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, he was a Managing Director and Wealth Management Advisor. Michael has been quoted in various publications including InvestmentNews, Financial Planning, WM.com & Reuters.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
- President
Penny Phillips has spent most of her career coaching and consulting financial advisors and institutions. She is the co-founder and President of Journey Strategic Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser built for advisors seeking independence and hands-on practice management support.
Prior to founding Journey, Penny founded Thrivos Consulting, a practice management coaching company. She has worked in various leadership positions across the financial services industry and has authored multiple practice management training programs focused on helping financial advisors prepare for the next generation of wealth holder.
As an industry speaker and sought-after facilitator, she has spoken at financial services conferences across the US and Canada. She is a monthly contributor to Wealthmanagement.com and runs an advisor practice management community called The Study Group.
Penny was nominated for Thought Leader of the Year at the 2021 Wealth Management Industry Awards, and Innovator of the Year in 2022.
On a personal note, Penny is certified in Advanced Behavioral Analysis. She earned dual degrees in Economics and Corporate Finance from The Macaulay Honors College of New York. She was was born and raised in New York City, is of Greek descent and speaks fluent Greek.
After graduating from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2019 with a degree in Finance, Ryan started his career in the Financial Services industry with Northwestern Mutual. While at NM he held multiple positions, most recently as an AFR to a top-producing firm within the Philadelphia Agency. His focus was based on investment operations with a mix of Insurance and planning.
Ryan is pursuing his MBA with a focus in Financial Management from The Fox School of Business at Temple University. He enjoys coaching Lacrosse, going to the beach, and snowboarding during the wintertime.