Biographies

Garry W. Bridgeman, CIMA^®
Retired - Investment Management Executive
Institutional Consulting & Private Wealth Advisor

Garry W. Bridgeman recently retired following a successful 40-year career as an Institutional Consultant and Private Wealth Advisor. He is serving as Co-Chair of the Investment & Wealth Institute’s THRIVE Coalition which is seeking to advance diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry. He was a senior vice president for Merrill Lynch from 1979 to 2013; he became an advisor to the senior management of Merrill Lynch early in his career and later chaired the firm’s diversity effort. He was honored with the distinction of being the firm’s Top African American Financial Advisor in the country. After thirty-four years with Merrill Lynch he joined Morgan Stanley’s Graystone Consulting-Atlanta’s business helping to lead its team of investment consultants. He was selected by Barron’s Magazine as one of the “Top 1000 Advisors” in the country for three consecutive years. He has served on the board of directors for a number of not-for-profits, including the University of Georgia Foundation, where he was named an Emeritus Trustee. Recently, he joined the Advisory Council for Columbia University’s Master of Professional Studies in Wealth management. Garry received his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University and earned the accredited Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation from the Investment & Wealth Institute. He was elected, President of the Institute’s board of directors in 2008 and was awarded the title director emeritus in 2014 for his service distinguished service. 

 

Kevin Sánchez, CIMA^®, CPWA^®, CFP^®, MBA
UBS Institutional Consulting

Kevin Sánchez has served as chair of the Annual Conference Committee and board liaison to the Membership Committee for the Investments & Wealth Institute. He joined the Board of Directors in 2012. He is a senior institutional consultant with UBS Consulting in Walnut Creek, CA. He works with boards of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and endowments on prudent investment policies, portfolio designs and implementation, and fiduciary liability review. His experience includes comprehensive wealth management for affluent families, and he lectures frequently on this topic.

 

Elizabeth "Libet" Anderson, CIMA^®
ProEquities, Inc.

Libet Anderson is the president of ProEquities, Inc. Before joining ProEquities as managing director of advisory and planning, Libet Anderson was director of guided solutions at Edward Jones where she led development on their first advisor directed fee-based solution. She has held a variety of leadership positions at Sterne Agee Asset Management, Edward Jones, and Pioneer Investments, Inc. She earned her CIMA certification in 2008 and currently chairs the Annual Conference Committee.

 

Desiree Maldonado, CIMA^®, CPWA^®, CFP^®
Popular Securities, LLC.

Desiree Maldonado, is a financial advisor at Popular Securities, LLC. Maldonado has served clients with Popular, Inc. since 2004. With over 20 years of experience, Maldonado has dedicated her career to assisting high net worth individuals and families manage and preserve their assets. Maldonado and her team offer comprehensive investment and financial planning services, and she specializes in helping clients plan for financial independence, manage risk, and plan their legacies. She has the unique distinction of being the first CPWA certificant in Puerto Rico and one of only a handful in Puerto Rico to have earned the CIMA, CPWA and CFP designations. Maldonado has been an active member of the Institute since 2004 and has served as chair of the CPWA Certification Commission.

 

Todd Wagenberg, CIMA^®
Integrated Fiduciary Advisory Services

Todd Wagenberg joined the Investments & Wealth Institute's board of directors in 2015 and is chair of the  Finance, Audit, and Investments Technical Committee. He is currently managing partner at Integrated Fiduciary Advisory Services. He served previously as managing director–Investments and senior institutional consultant at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he provided investment counsel to affluent families, nonprofit organizations, and institutions. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors, he traded currencies for Chemical Bank and National Australia Bank in New York. Mr. Wagenberg earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan and an MBA from Wayne State University.

 

Kelly Walsh, CIMA^®, RCC^®
Director, Global Wealth Consulting and Capital Markets at CGI

Kelly Walsh has been an active member since 2006. She is Director of Global Wealth Consulting and Capital Markets at CGI. During her 25 years in the financial services industry, she has held a variety of leadership positions with Raymond James and BMO Wealth. She earned a bachelor's degree and business administration certificate from the University of Victoria in British Columbia and the Registered Corporate Coach designation from Advantage Coaching and Training and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches.

 

Scott Welch, CIMA^®
WisdomTree Asset Management

Scott Welch has been an Investments & Wealth Institute member and CIMA professional since 2004. A frequent conference speaker and active member of the Investments & Wealth Monitor Editorial Advisory Board, he joined the Investments & Wealth Institute's board of directors in 2017. Mr. Welch is the chief investment officer–Model Portfolios of WisdomTree Asset Management, a provider of outsourced investment research, portfolio management, technology, and practice management solutions to RIAs and advisory teams making the move to independence. He was the founder of UnconstrainedThought, a macro-economic, investment, and wealth management consultancy. He was also a co-founder and former chief investment officer of Fortigent, LLC, a provider of outsourced investment research and technology solutions to RIAs and banks that served high-net-worth investors. Prior to joining Fortigent and its predecessor firm in 1998, he spent more than 12 years on Wall Street, where he focused on capital markets, corporate finance, and derivatives.

D.A. Abrams, CAE
CFP Board

David Anthony (D.A.) Abrams, CAE joined the CFP Board as Managing Director for the Center for Financial Planning in November 2019. In his role, D.A. is responsible for the following: Cultivating a quality workforce to ensure the profession can recruit and retain the talent it needs to grow; Fostering a more diverse financial planner workforce that reflects the changing demographics in the United States; and Elevating the discipline of financial planning to increase the stature and recognition of financial planning faculty and educational programs and provide practitioners with cutting-edge knowledge to thrive and provide outstanding service to clients.
Mr. Abrams is the immediate past Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), a position he assumed in February 2012 and concluded prior to joining the CFP Board. During his 26 years with the USTA, D.A. served as the Executive Director for two (2) of the Association’s 17 Section offices; USTA Eastern, and USTA Missouri Valley. In addition, Mr. Abrams served as the staff member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Hispanic Engagement Advisory Group, and was chair of the D&I Advisory Group at the USTA. Further, Mr. Abrams was the chair of the USTA’s Accreditation Review Committee. Currently, D.A. serves as the Diversity & Inclusion Sports Consortium President, the National Association of Asian American Professionals Board Treasurer, and is an Advisory Board Member of Diversity MBA. He played collegiate tennis at Millersville University in Pennsylvania where he earned his undergraduate degree in business administration, concentration – accounting. Subsequently, D.A. earned a master’s degree in management from Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis,

 

Gary Chateram
Mackenzie Investments

Gary Chateram joined Mackenzie Investments in March 2020 and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Retail distribution. With over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, Gary began his career in 2004 with AIC Ltd. In 2007, he moved to a role at Fidelity Investments covering downtown Toronto IIROC advisors. He was later promoted to an Institutional Sales role at Fidelity in 2010, where he covered defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans.
Gary’s extensive experience in financial services is strengthened by his commitment to learning. He has achieved two undergraduate degrees, one in Molecular Biology and another in Finance from Concordia University, and a M.Sc. in Administration from the John Molson School of Business. He has both CIMA and CIM designations and currently sits on the Canadian advisory board of the Investment & Wealth Institute. Gary recently completed the Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.

Ira W. Cox MBA, CIMA^®, CPWA^®
Amundi US

Ira is a Senior Vice President, Distribution Americas with Amundi US, previously known as Pioneer Investments.  He is also a Leadership Ambassador for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion focused on education, employee engagement and recruiting.  Ira is on the Board of Advisors for Queens University in Charlotte and also serves as Chair of the Investment Committee with Towson University Foundation in Baltimore. 
His experience includes advisor and institutional consulting, portfolio management, practice management, sales and marketing.  After many years of working in the wirehouse environment, he is currently focused on the Independent Advisors and RIA business. Ira received a Bachelor of Science degree (Finance) from Towson University, his MBA from Hugh McColl School of Business (Queens University), and earned both, the accredited Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®) designations from the Investment & Wealth Institute in 2004 and 2008 respectively. He resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife Gail and their youngest daughter, currently attending UNC Chapel Hill.

Anuj Gupta, CIMA^®, CPWA^®
Envestnet

Anuj Gupta is a senior financial services professional with over 20 years of industry experience. For the past 5 years he has been a Vice President in the Strategic Solutions group at Envestnet focused on helping businesses and advisors tailor their services and offering by creating and implementing tools and best practices to help their investors achieve financial wellness. Prior to Envestnet he was a Senior Advisor with Fortigent (acquired by LPL in 2012). During his time at the firm, he held various roles across research and due diligence, client relationship management, operations, and business development where he played an integral part in building out the technology platform providing investment and reporting services to RIAs, MFOs, SFOs, and banks targeting the HNW and UHNW market.  Anuj graduated American University with a B.S.B.A in Finance and Business Information Technology and holds the CIMA® and CPWA® designations. Anuj is also part of the IWI annual conference committee which aims to provide relevant educational content to industry peers.   

 

Karen Heath-Wade
American Century Investments

Karen Heath-Wade is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Client Strategy and Service for American Century Investments, an independent, privately controlled, pure-play asset management firm founded in 1958. Karen’s expertise includes strategic planning, business development, relationship management, process and talent management. Across American Century’s global distribution organization, she leads exceptionally engaged teams to deliver to clients the highest-quality experience. She is a member of the firm’s Expanded Management Committee, a senior leadership team responsible for offering perspective on the establishment and execution of strategic priorities. She also is a member of American Century’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee. Before joining American Century Investments in 2018, Karen was Director, Head of U.S. Sales for Allianz. Previously, she was Vice President of Mutual Fund Sales, Head of Distribution for Nationwide Financial Services.
Karen works to inspire innovation, build engaged teams, and develop tomorrow’s leaders. She serves on Investments & Wealth Institute’s government relations committee and is a member of the Membership Experience Committee for Money Management Institute. Karen is a board member of Bottomless Closet, an NYC-based organization that provides women with tools and resources to enter the workforce and achieve success. Karen earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s in business administration from Loyola University of Chicago. She holds a CIMA designation and is a Certified Business Coach through Worldwide Association of Business Coaches.

 

Mark B. Lewis 
University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education

Mark Lewis has served a key role in the development of Executive Education programs for Fortune 100 and 500 corporations, and currently serves as the Executive Director of Executive Education at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education, leading business administration. The position encompasses budget management, custom, open, and association programs, and faculty relations. In this role, Mr. Lewis promotes and increases enrollment in programs that strengthen executive skills in accounting, communication, economics, finance, leadership and general management, private wealth management, information technology, and sales and customer relationships. Mark offers more than 30 years of experience, and has created extraordinary contributions to the growth and continued success of the Executive Education department are immeasurable. He is credited with building a strong network of relationships with alumni, professional associations, and other referral sources global. He possesses the knowledge and experience to manage operations, new program development, and innovations that include an online educational pilot program and programs in Asia and Latin America. Mark is also a member of the National Black MBA Association National Advisory Council Board Additionally, Mark serves as Co-charirman of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Staff Diversity Equity and Inclusiion initiative and committee. Research Committee Member UNICON, and on the THRIVE Diversity Board for the Investment Wealth Institute. Prior to his current role, Mark served as the Principal of MB Lewis and Associates LLC, as the Director of the Center for Organizational Development with The University of Akron College of Business Administration, and in positions with the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and School of Dentistry. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Continuing Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Morehouse College. Mark is very active in his community, working in various volunteer, civic, and philanthropic organizations. He resides with his wife of 30 years in Flossmoor, Illinois, and has two grown daughters.

Ed Louis
Cerulli Associates

Ed is a senior analyst in Cerulli’s Wealth Management practice and leads research for the U.S. Intermediary Distribution report. His research focuses on distribution strategies for retail asset management products sold through financial advisors, advisor product use, and portfolio construction trends. Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Ed worked as an internal wholesaler at Wells Fargo Asset Management. There, he spent nearly a decade working with financial advisors in the wirehouse, independent broker/dealer, and RIA channels.

Asif Nasim
Nasim Management

Asif is an experienced entrepreneur, investor and financial services industry expert. In his twenty-year career, he has helped financial services companies expand their business, grow their brands and enter new markets. Over the past 10 years, Asif was a joint partner running a creative agency that drove brand and marketing value for over 70 financial services clients in Canada and the U.S. He grew revenue by a factor of eight over the 10-year period and led significant transformation of the organization and capabilities as digital became increasingly more relevant. After their 10-year success, he and his business partner decided it was time to pursue new ventures.  Prior to running his own business, he worked at some of Canada’s leading boutique investment firms including Russell Investments/ First Asset, AIC and Spectrum Investments. Today, Asif works with financial services clients and helps them find solutions to their complex business challenges. Asif holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Carleton University, serves on the Canadian Board of Investments & Wealth Institute and is an advisor to several start ups.

 

Craig Pfeiffer
Money Management Institute

Mr. Pfeiffer joined MMI as President and CEO in 2015. Additionally, he is a board director for Westfield’s Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, Co-Founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of RiskBridge Advisors llc and serves as an operating partner at Corsair Capital. Previously, he served as the Executive Chairman for Inlet, a joint venture between Broadridge and Pitney Bowes that was successfully sold to a strategic buyer. Craig is a proven senior financial services executive with 40 years of industry experience. He spent 29 years with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MSSB) and its predecessor firms. He transitioned from MSSB in 2012, where he was Vice Chairman and on the Executive Committee. From 2003 to 2011, he held a progression of senior positions including the national sales group with responsibility for marketing strategy and client communications, desktop technology, and brokerage-based banking. Additionally, he has been responsible for other businesses including retirement services and corporate equity solutions. From 1982 to 2003, Craig advanced through field management roles, starting as a financial advisor and transitioning through all levels of field management. He is an alumnus of Indiana University Kelley School of Business and currently serves on the Dean’s Council.

Marina Shtyrkov
Cerulli Associates

Marina specializes in retail financial advisor trends across all affiliation models. She generates data-based insights on the competitive dynamics underlying marketshare shifts, and the challenges, risks, and opportunities facing financial advisors. As a member of the Wealth Management practice, she leads research for two annual reports: U.S. Advisor Metrics and U.S. RIA Marketplace. She also contributes to the Cerulli Edge series and generates quantitative analysis to support strategic consulting engagements. Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Marina was at Baystate Financial.  In her role, she managed the pre-sales process for a financial planning practice, facilitated case design, and helped implement individualized client strategies. Marina graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a B.A. in English and dual minors in Mass Communications/Media Studies and Entrepreneurial Leadership.