Jim Fitzpatrick is the President and CEO of Nicsa, a global asset management trade association with a mission of connecting industry participants in order to advance leading practices. Jim joined Nicsa in 2015 with 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles within the asset management industry. Working closely with the Board of Directors, Jim has set the strategic direction of Nicsa, which includes the launch of the Diversity Project North America in late 2018. The Diversity Project promotes an inclusive asset management industry and seeks to achieve diversity across all dimensions through collaborative leadership from senior business executives.

Previously, Jim was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management with responsibilities that included senior leadership responsibilities in both global operations and global sales roles during his career. In addition, he served as an officer of the Goldman Sachs Funds for fourteen years and served as an Independent Trustee for the Hays Series Trust until December 2017. Jim began his career with The Boston Company and later First Data Investor Services Group, a subsidiary of the surviving entity, First Data Corporation, where he held several senior management positions during his tenure.

Mark Giuliano is Senior Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Invesco. In this role, his responsibilities include overseeing Technology, Investment Services, Global Security, North American Transfer Agency, Hyderabad Operations, Global Strategic Intelligence, Enterprise Services, Enterprise Data, and Internal Consulting.

Mr. Giuliano joined Invesco in 2015 as managing director and global head of security, technology, and operations and served as Invesco’s chief security officer (CSO). Prior to joining the firm, he spent 28 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Mr. Giuliano served in several leadership roles at the FBI before retiring as deputy director and chief operating officer. He also served as a special agent in charge of the Atlanta division after serving as the executive assistant director (EAD) of the National Security Branch. As EAD, he was responsible for ensuring the FBI successfully executed its national security mission to defend the United States and its interests from threats. He also served as the FBI’s lead intelligence official, responsible for coordination and liaison with the US director of national intelligence and the broader intelligence community. Before his role as EAD, Mr. Giuliano held the position of assistant director of the counterterrorism division, where he oversaw the FBI’s global counterterrorism efforts.

Mr. Giuliano earned a bachelor's degree in business economics from the College of Wooster.

Jessica Ruggles is a Corporate Vice President, leading financial wellness thought leadership and market insights for New York Life’s Financial Wellness practice. Jessica is a passionate wellbeing advocate with thesis work in psychology and communication theory and published work on financial resiliency, equitable total rewards, and the links between mental and financial health. With over a decade of wellbeing, financial services, and benefits consulting experience, Jessica focuses on a holistic and data-driven approach to wellbeing research, customer insights, and perspectives, including advisement on DE&I, financial security, and financial health solutions and strategies to drive businesses forward through offerings that best meet the needs of individuals and their families. 

In this role, Jessica builds and leads thought leadership to drive awareness and consideration of New York Life, speaking on a wide range of topics including financial wellness, health and productivity, the multi-generational workforce, employee experience, building a culture of wellbeing, and ways businesses can leverage benefits offerings to support broader human capital initiatives. Prior experience includes leading wellbeing brand concept development for a major American airline, advising Public Service Loan Forgiveness strategy for a Nonprofit Health Care System, and partnering with distribution and product teams to deliver financial wellness strategies for Fortune 500 companies that led to human capital and benefits outcomes. 

Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in communication (summa cum laude) from the University of Hartford and an M.B.A. with dual concentrations in Management and Marketing from the University of Connecticut.  Jessica is a Series 6 and 63 registered representative and holds Life and Health Insurances licenses.

Across 20 years, Lauren has partnered with Fortune 500 and 1000 institutions to build and implement innovative community-based solutions that bolster deeper connections with communities, drive measurable and scalable impact, and tell a differentiated story. Lauren has spent nearly a decade helping to build and scale EVERFI's Financial Capability Network, which today represents over 700 financial institutions across the globe and provides financial education solutions to over 6 million learners annually from grade school to the senior population. Lauren is a member of EVERFI's Executive Team and speaks regularly on key education trends in the U.S., Impact-as-a-Service™, financial inclusion, and scalable education programs. Lauren is a graduate of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, two sons, and a third furry child.

Melinda (Mel) currently leads the multicultural segment in the Client Strategy Office for Wealth Management USA. An accomplished strategist with a commitment to inclusive growth, Mel is responsible for the firm’s forward-looking strategy to cultivate an inclusive investor experience and support the growth of multicultural financial advisors. Partnering closely with other senior leaders across the firm, she

expands thought leadership, champions product and solutions innovation, and identifies business opportunities.

Mel joined UBS from J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she managed large client relationships and served as a trusted wealth management advisor to technology and health care entrepreneurs, executives, and investors. In addition, she drove engagement strategies for diverse prospects and clients as well as select firm wide diversity partnerships. Previously, Mel was a Vice President with ICONIQ Capital, a privately-held investment firm and family office. Prior to her work at ICONIQ, she was a member of the Tax Group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where her practice included counseling family offices and private foundations. She began her career in 2000 as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mel has a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. A Detroit native, she currently lives in San Francisco.

Jamila Abston Mayfield is a Partner in the EY Financial Services Business Consulting practice where she provides risk, compliance, and regulatory consulting services to key wealth and asset management, private equity, hedge fund, and banking and capital markets clients. She is also the EY Financial Inclusion Leader, and she and her team assist financial services firms in developing strategies, products, and services that create access, equity, and inclusion opportunities for underserved communities.  Jamila rejoined EY from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she served as the Assistant Regional Director for the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations. In this role, Jamila served as an expert advisor for the SEC Examinations program, specializing in compliance program effectiveness, risk analytics, enterprise risk management, and cybersecurity for the asset management industry. She led and participated in hundreds of SEC Examinations and Enforcement investigations of investment advisers, investment companies, broker-dealers, transfer agents, alternative funds, and other industry participants.

Prior to the SEC, Jamila was a Manager in the EY Fraud Investigations and Dispute Services practice where she led restatements, investigations, and litigation support matters for healthcare, manufacturing, government, and technology clients.  Jamila is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF). She has a BA in Accounting from Florida A&M University, a MS in Accountancy from the University of Virginia, and an MBA in Asset Management from Yale University.  She was recently appointed to the SEC Investor Advisory Committee – a group that advises the Commission on regulatory priorities, trading strategies, fee structures, the effectiveness of disclosure, and other initiatives to protect investor interests.

Jamila is on the leadership team of the EY Black Professional Network and the EY Anti-Racism Task Force focusing on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of minorities.  She is a Lifetime Member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and an active member of the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Association for Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Jamila also serves on the Yale School of Management’s Council for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) and is on the Board of Directors of Sanctuary for Families, New York’s leading service provider for domestic violence survivors. Jamila has received numerous accolades, including the Crain’s Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting Award, the Yale Alumni Association Leadership Award, and the SEC Community Service Award, among others.

Cassie is a Senior Manager in EY's Wealth and Asset Management Consulting practice, where she works with leading global asset management firms on large-scale transformation initiatives aimed at navigating an evolving industry landscape. She helps asset managers enact strategic and sustainable change through harnessing the power of innovation to improve alpha generation and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Prior to joining EY, Cassie worked in fixed income investment management and private equity. She has experience in social entrepreneurship and finding creative ways to expand social impact within traditional finance.

Cassie holds a BSc in Business Administration from Northeastern University with special focus on Finance and Entrepreneurship and is also currently serving as co-chair of the Nicsa Diversity Project North America Benchmarking Committee.

Justine Phoenix is Head of Diversity Project North America and Vice President of Distribution & Broker Dealer Engagement at Nicsa. Justine joined Nicsa with over 30 years of experience in asset management and intermediary distribution in the areas of relationship and client management, business development and operations. In her current role, Justine is responsible for building and enhancing Nicsa programs that engage and support distribution and BD executives. Before joining Nicsa, she was Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager at Fidelity Investments. In this role, she was head of relationship management for Fidelity FundsNetwork® and was responsible for overseeing all functions related to managing relationships with over 600 asset managers. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Justine was Director of Operations for the Investment Company Institute (ICI). In her role, she was responsible for all activities associated with mutual fund operations and distribution, including the Transfer Agent Advisory Committee and the Broker Dealer Advisory Committee. She also held leadership roles at Massachusetts Financial Services and Boston Financial Data Services prior to joining the ICI.

Nicole is Head of Global Investor and Distribution Solutions for the US market. Servicing over 200 clients on the buy and sell side, our asset manager and brokerage solutions team services some of the largest and most complex financial institutions in the US. Nicole’s leadership responsibilities include revenue growth, strategic client relationship management, service delivery and satisfaction, product offerings and future vision, risk management, along with talent management and development for a team of over 2,000 associates. In this role, Nicole will lead the organization into the next generation of our service model and portfolio offering demonstrating to the marketplace how meaningful it is to partner with an organization focused on exceeding commitment expectations while continuously expanding platform capabilities to meet client’s evolving needs.

With almost 20 years of financial services experience, Nicole has strategically managed and grown relationships across SS&C with our largest global clients by building trusted partnerships and focusing on our technology suite and talent to solve the complex challenges of today’s dynamic marketplace. In her sales, business development and executive leadership roles servicing the regulated investment industry, Nicole has extensive experience partnering with the industry’s premier asset and retail alternative managers. Her responsibilities and areas of expertise include executive and board engagement, organizational development, business transformation, developing and leading high-performing teams, strategic relationship management and partnership development.

Nicole is a graduate of Boston College, where she earned a B.A. in Economics. As a previous member of the Division 1 Women’s ice hockey team at Boston College and long-distance endurance athlete, Nicole is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and athletes. Her volunteerism also includes inaugural chair of the Neenan Society, Executive Committee for the Council for Women of Boston College, Hall of Fame Committee and Alumni Board for both Boston College and Tabor Academy. Nicole is most passionate about her young, blended family and being a mom to four energetic, adventurous, curious and adorable kids.

Eric Brothers, Managing Director, leads Accounting and Reporting Product Engineering within the Aladdin Product Group. In this role, Eric is developing a scalable, industry-leading Accounting & Reporting platform to serve client demand.

Previously, Eric worked for Goldman Sachs where he was a Managing Director responsible for leading research technology and knowledge management in the Investment Management Division. Eric has over 20 years of experience designing software for the financial services industry with deep knowledge of both buy-side and sell-side systems and processes.

Eric has also led machine learning and data science efforts for portfolio management engineering teams and holds an MBA with a specialization in financial instruments and markets from New York University.

Michael is the global head of Digital Assets and Advanced Solutions at BNY Mellon.

After joining the bank in 2019, he led the establishment of the Advanced Solutions Group – an enterprise-level capability designed to define our strategic approach, build out and deploy our assets around artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and other emerging capabilities. The group builds solutions that enhance existing services
as well as develop value-adding client products.

For digital assets, Michael led the establishment of enterprise-level Digital Assets Unit to accelerate the development of new products and solutions to support our clients’ Digital Asset needs. The unit explores extending the bank’s existing services to digital assets (cryptocurrencies, digital cash as well as tokenized assets), modernizing banking infrastructure through blockchain/DLT and launching new digital assetsspecific products and services.

Michael has over 20 years of experience in technology, financial services and strategy consulting. He joined BNY Mellon from State Street, where he led transformation programs enabled by robotics and artificial intelligence. Prior to State Street, Michael was a management consultant at Booz & Company and an engineer at a division of United Technologies developing clean tech energy solutions.

Michael holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering, from the University of Kentucky, an MSc in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA
from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Tod is a Director out of the Boston office. He is the Global Head of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for the Data, Digital, and Innovation team within Securities Services. Tod joined Citi in 2022.

Prior to Citi, Tod spent three years with Alpha Financial Markets Consulting where he was a client director responsible for the public and private market strategy, design, and implementation of transformative change for some of North America’s largest Asset Managers and Asset Owners. In addition, Tod was the North America head of the ESG and Responsible Investing Practice.

Before joining Alpha, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Prudential’s Portfolio Management Group in London, where he oversaw technology, operations, and data for the £180b multi-asset manager. Prior to that, at NN IP, he was a Senior Quant, Head of Portfolio Analytics, and member of the Quant Leadership Team.

When was the last time you said yes to an opportunity that you knew might fail? How polished is your talk track for why you shouldn’t take that leap of faith? And what has fear ultimately cost you? It is time to stand in the face of fear and know that these are the exact moments in life where you can rise to be your best self. So, ask yourself, “What would I do, if I knew I could not fail?” This is the question that leadership expert Ryan Leak is asking of leaders in Fortune 500s, all-stars in the NBA and over 50,000 people that he reaches monthly through his keynotes. Ryan shares the blueprint for Chasing Failure, rather than running from it, and ultimately achieving your biggest goals and dreams.

Ryan Leak is a sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and author with deep domain expertise in empowering leaders to reclaim responsibility for leadership and followership in the workplace by designing and delivering a new version of self-leadership that starts with self-awareness. 

Rooted in the idea of Chasing Failure, and not being afraid of stretching further, Ryan has been hired by Fortune 500 companies and professional sports franchises to work internally with specialized teams, add value for leaders and their customers, and create new initiatives for the business to better connect with the broader world. Ryan trains 15,000+ entrepreneurial leaders and speaks to over 200,000 people each year as a curator of relevant content and transformational storytelling.

Seen as a commercially aware coach and connector who can seamlessly operate across the spectrum of a business, Ryan helps leaders better understand where their teams are capable of going by addressing the friction of where teams stand today. Using humorous wisdom and poignant narrative, he inspires audiences to recognize the value in chasing failure to become even more than they are – to become the best version of themselves.

Ryan uses his unique principle-based perspective as a keynote speaker to create significant value to organizations of all shapes and sizes that recognize the tremendous impact in responding to changes in employee mindset and expectations. Ryan’s virtual workshops and on-stage presentations have gone from an employee engagement perk to a massive competitive advantage for an organization. 

Cultivating innovation by bringing in an outside entrepreneurial perspective, Ryan has taken notable residency positions teaching and speaking with popular churches such as Eagle Brook Church, and Covenant Church.  Ryan is the CEO of the Ryan Leak Group, a leadership development firm.  He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife Amanda and two sons, Jaxson and Roman.

Scott Brady is the head of US Product Development and Strategy for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Mr. Brady joined Columbia Threadneedle Investments in 2016.

Previously, Mr. Brady was Head of Global Mutual Funds at Merrill Lynch. Prior to that, he served as Head of U.S. Mutual Funds and Director of Asset Transition Services. Before joining Merrill Lynch in 2004, Mr. Brady held various roles within Eaton Vance and Putnam Investments. He has been a member of the investment community since 1995.

Mr. Brady received a B.S. in Finance from Boston College. He holds Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses with FINRA.

Dr. David Kelly is the Chief Global Strategist and Head of the Global Market Insights Strategy Team for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. With over 20 years of experience, David provides valuable insight and perspective on the economy and markets to the institutional investor and financial advisor global communities.

David’s research focuses on investment implications of an evolving economic environment. He has written extensively on all aspects of the U.S. economy and his proprietary U.S. economic forecasting model helps shape his views on both the economic landscape and prospective asset class returns. He currently sits on JP Morgan Fund’s operating committee.

Throughout his career, David has developed a unique ability to explain complex economic and market issues in a language that financial professionals can use to communicate to their clients. He is a keynote speaker at many national investment conferences and a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and other financial media outlets.

Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Asset Management, David served as Economic Advisor to Putnam Investments. He has also served as a senior strategist/economist at SPP Investment Management, Primark Decision Economics, Lehman Brothers and DRI/McGraw-Hill.

David is a CFA® charterholder. He also has a Ph.Dand M.A. in Economics from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Economics from University College Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

Carolyn McPhillips is President of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum.  Carolyn joined the Forum's staff in July 2005. She was the Forum's Senior Counsel until June 2020, when Carolyn became the President of MFDF. Immediately prior to joining the Forum, she lived in Naples, Italy. She was an associate in the Financial Services Group of Dechert LLP from 2000 to 2003.

Barry Benjamin is an independent trustee on the Morningstar Funds Trust board and chairs the board's audit committee. He is also an Affiliate Instructor in Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business and chairs the Sellinger Management and Organizations Department’s advisory board.  He retired as a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2018. During his 37-year career with PwC, Barry served in several leadership roles, including Global Asset and Wealth Management sector leader, US Asset and Wealth Management sector leader, and the Baltimore, Maryland office managing partner. He also served as lead engagement partner, overseeing teams providing assurance, tax and advisory services to many of the firm’s largest asset management clients in Boston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. 

Barry was the chair of the board of Business Volunteers Maryland, a non-profit organization seeking to strengthen the Baltimore community by making strategic connections between people, businesses and non-profits. He also served on the board and as treasurer of NICSA.

Maureen Leary-Jago is an independent trustee on the Edward Jones Bridge Builder Funds and the Edward Jones Money Market Fund boards.   Maureen retired from MFS Investment Management Company as a Senior Global Advisor providing executive oversight and strategic counsel regarding operations, technology and systems.   During her time at MFS, she also served as President of the MFS Investment Service Company, responsible for all aspects of the business, including domestic and international operations, technology, customer experience and strategic development.  Prior to MFS, Maureen held senior management positions at EquiServe (now Computershare), PPFC Global Fund Services and 440 Financial Group.      

Maureen was the past Lead Independent Trustee of the Edward Jones Money Market Fund, Past Chairman and Vice Chairman of NICSA and past Chairperson of the International Operations Advisory Committee. She has also served as a past member of the MFS Heritage Trust Board, the New England College of Business and Finance Industry Advisory Board and the ICI Operations Committee.  

Maureen is a past recipient of the Money Management Executive Magazine Top Women in Asset Management Award, the NISCA Nova Visionary Leadership Award, and the Expect Miracles Inspirational Contributor Award.

Fred Naddaff has a proven track record of leadership success in both executive management and board level environments spanning a career of over 40 years. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of fund operations, including transfer agency, fund accounting, administration, technology and regulatory and compliance. Fred currently serves as Lead Independent Trustee of the Symmetry Panoramic Funds Board of Trustees.

Before retiring, Fred served as Chief Operating Officer of Transfer Agency and Investor Services at FIS Global. Prior to FIS Global, Fred joined Citi Investor Services as part of the BISYS acquisition in 2007 and assumed the role of North America Business Head for Citi Fund Services. He also served as President of Citi Fund Services, Inc. and provided executive oversight of Citi’s North America outsourcing services. Pre-Citi, Fred was President of BISYS Fund Services, Inc., responsible for all aspects of the business, including domestic and international operations, technology, and strategic development. Before joining BISYS, he spent 10 years with First Data Investor Services Group (now BNY Mellon Asset Servicing), serving the last three years of his tenure in the role of Chief Operating Officer, managing all aspects of the operation. In addition, he previously held senior management positions at State Street Bank and Boston Financial Data Services.

Fred is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is widely quoted in areas of asset management. He has authored numerous published articles and papers on a wide range of industry topics. He is actively involved in industry groups including previously serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nicsa. He is also a member of the Independent Directors Council, as well as the Expect Miracles Foundation Leadership Council, an industry- based cancer charity. Fred was the recipient of the 2016 Robert L. Gould Award which recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who has helped the mutual fund industry better serve its investors by improving the quality of customer service, providing thought leadership in the areas of regulation and compliance, and reducing shareholder expenses through implementation of technology and back office streamlining.

Sabaha Ahmed is a VP in Credit Research at HSBC Asset Management. She was selected as HSBC’s 2021 Honoree for Diversity Project North America’s Rising Star program. Prior to HSBC, Sabaha held roles at Guggenheim Partners and Albridge Solutions. She graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology, is a CFA Charterholder, and achieved a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute.

With more than 25 years of financial services industry experience, Scott leads Cerulli’s research efforts focused on investor behavior and advisory relationships. In his time at Cerulli he has authored more than thirty in-depth reports on topics ranging from wholesale distribution to digital advice platforms. His research helps Cerulli’s clients understand how to optimize their platforms given the evolving demand for financial advice.

In recent years his research has been focused on helping client firms design and implement strategies that help their advisory teams feel empowered rather than endangered by the progression of digital engagement models.

Scott, who received his B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University in Economics and his M.B.A. from Bryant University, started his career wearing a headset at Putnam Investments’ service center in 1996, before moving to more strategic roles at MFS Investment Management starting in 2000, and then to Cerulli in 2007.

Sandy leads the strategic direction and management of the Ameriprise Advice & Wealth Management product and solutions offering, including Advisory, Alternative Investments, Equities, Options, Fixed Income, UITs, Mutual Funds, ETPs, IRA, Retail retirement plans, third party Insurance & Annuities, Brokerage, Trading, Product Sales Consulting, Product Marketing, Product Communications, Performance Reporting and Investment Research and Due Diligence.

Sandy is the former Head of Managed Investments within the Investment Solutions Group for Bank of America. In this role, Sandy led the delivery of the firm’s investment product offerings across all channels, including Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Merrill Private Wealth Management, Bank of America Private Bank, Merrill Edge Self-directed and Merrill Guided Investing. Sandy’s responsibilities included product development, management and ongoing governance and investment oversight for domestic and offshore mutual funds, global exchange traded products, separately managed accounts, model portfolio solutions and money market funds. She was also Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council for the Investment Solutions Group.

Sandy was previously Head of Investment Solutions for Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon company, and held Product and Marketing leadership roles at TD Ameritrade, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Sandy earned a Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute Executive Development Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Sandy is also a Member of the Board of Directors for Expect Miracles Foundation – Financial Services against Cancer.

Stephen L. Patrickakos, CFA, CIMA® is a Managing Director and Head of Managed Investments. In this capacity Stephen leads the delivery of the firm’s investment product offerings across all channels, including Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Merrill Private Wealth Management, Bank of America Private Bank, Merrill Edge Self-directed and Merrill Guided Investing. Stephen’s team includes product management professionals who are responsible for product development, management and ongoing governance and investment oversight for domestic and offshore mutual funds, global exchange traded products, separately managed accounts, model portfolio solutions and money market funds.

Before taking this role, Stephen was Head of Model Portfolio Solutions. In that role, Stephen oversaw the review and approval of Bank of America CIO, BofA Research-based and third party model strategies on the platform. Previously, Stephen was Head of Investment Strategy and oversight for advisor discretion strategies in ISG.

Stephen began his Career with Morgan Stanley and held various positions, including Associate Director of the Separately Managed Account Platform and Program Manager of the Graystone/Institutional Consulting Platform. Stephen was also the lead due diligence analyst at Ryan Beck and Company, providing investment research coverage on separately managed accounts, mutual funds and alternative investment vehicles. Most recently, Stephen was the Director of Investment Advisory Platforms in Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management Division, serving the ultra high net worth and non-profit segments.

Stephen graduated from Providence College with a B.S. in Business Management, holds a Culinary Arts Degree from the French Culinary Institute, is a CFA Charterholder and holds the CIMA designation.

Greg Weiss, Managing Director, is the Head of BlackRock's Managed Accounts business responsible for setting the strategic direction, marketing and sales strategy, new product development, and cross-functional leadership driving toward business goals both internally and with key partner firms.

Prior to joining BlackRock, Mr. Weiss worked for 18 years in Global Wealth Management at UBS and Merrill Lynch in a number of leadership positions like running Fee-Based Advisory Platforms, heading product for Private Bank & International Division, and helped UBS's turnaround by building Transformation Management Office. Mr. Weiss comes from a family of entrepreneurs and brings a similar passion and spirit to his work.

Mr. Weiss earned his BA in Economics from Rutgers University and MBA from Rider University.

Tyler Mathisen co-anchors CNBC's "Power Lunch" (M-F, 1PM-3PM ET) one of the network's longest running program franchises, as well as "Nightly Business Report," an award-winning evening business news program produced by CNBC for U.S. public television. In 2014, NBR was named best radio/TV show by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW).

Previously, Mathisen was managing editor of "CNBC Business News," responsible for directing the network's daily content and coverage. He had been the co-anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell."

Mathisen has reported one-hour documentaries for the network including "Best Buy: The Big Box Fights Back," "Supermarkets Inc: Inside a $500 Billion Money Machine" and "Death: It's a Living." Mathisen was also host of the CNBC series "How I Made My Millions."

Before joining CNBC in 1997, Mathisen spent 15 years as a writer, senior editor and top editor for Money magazine. Among other duties, he supervised the magazine's mutual funds coverage, its annual investment forecast issue and its expansion into electronic journalism, for which it won the first-ever National Magazine Award for New Media in 1997.

In 1993, Mathisen won the American University-Investment Company Institute Award for Personal Finance Journalism for a televised series on "Caring for Aging Parents," which aired on ABC's "Good Morning America." Mathisen served as money editor of "GMA" from 1991 to 1997. He also won an Emmy Award for a report on the 1987 stock market crash that aired on New York's WCBS-TV.

A native of Arlington, Va., Mathisen graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia.

Follow Tyler Mathisen on Twitter @TylerMathisen.

Riley Etheridge Jr. is president of the Wealth Management Client Group at Capital Group. He has 37 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for four  years. Earlier in his career at Capital, he was director of Global Asset Class Services and head of Client Analytics. Prior to joining Capital, Riley was managing director and head of Client Segments and Advisor Development for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Louisiana State University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst®, Certified Financial Planner™ and Chartered Financial Consultant® designations. Riley is based in Los Angeles.

Lena Haas leads Wealth Management Advice and Solutions at Edward Jones, which equips client teams with advice and guidance, financial tools and resources, products, services and solutions throughout the client journey. Lena serves on the Enterprise Leadership Team, which is responsible for providing advice and counsel to the managing partner in helping the firm grow its impact and create value for clients, colleagues and communities today and in the future. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Edward Jones Money Market Fund and Bridge Builder Trust.

Lena joined Edward Jones in November 2017 to lead the firm's Banking and Trust areas and subsequently expanded her leadership to the Investment Advisory and Products areas. In 2022, she became head of the Wealth Management Advice and Solutions division. Lena was named an Edward Jones principal in January 2018.

Lena helps support the firm's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by serving as the senior executive sponsor for Latinx/Hispanic Business Resource Group. She also represents the firm on the SIFMA Private Client Committee.

Prior to joining Edward Jones, Lena was a senior vice president with E*TRADE Financial, where she led the Wealth Management business and served as president of E*TRADE Capital Management. Before joining E*TRADE, Lena held a variety of leadership roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Fidelity Investments.

Lena earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in Boston and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She has also completed Kellogg School of Management Women’s Senior Leadership program. Lena and her husband, Bjorn, live in St. Louis with their two sons, Andrew and Daniel. Lena is passionate about bringing art to the community and serves on the board of Craft Alliance.

Michael Lane is Head of iShares U.S. Wealth Advisory and a member of the US Wealth Advisory and US iShares Executive Committees. Working with financial advisors for nearly three decades, Michael oversees the development of advisor centric solutions, due diligence and implementation of iShares, helping advisors build better portfolios with core, fixed income, factor and model-based ETFs.

Prior to joining iShares at BlackRock in 2018, Michael served as the Global Head of Strategic Retirement Initiatives at Dimensional Fund Advisors, responsible for the strategic development and global distribution of retirement solutions for one of the world's premier asset managers. During his 14-year tenure at Dimensional, Michael played a range of leadership roles, including CEO of Dimensional SmartNest LLC, providing customized managed account solutions for defined contribution plans. He additionally worked in the office of the chairman as well as leading the development of the retirement, broker-dealer, bank and TAMP businesses. Prior to Dimensional, Michael served as a director of advisor services at TIAA-CREF.

Michael has published three books, including Secrets of the Wealth Makers, as well as a range of articles on financial planning and advisory practices. A member of the Carson Wealth FinServ Advisory Council, he is kicking off the FinServ Foundation’s Next-Gen program – an initiative that will focus on bringing diverse talent to the financial services industry.

An '89 graduate of Binghamton University in New York, he serves as an Executive Committee member of the Binghamton University Foundation Board and received the Medal of Distinguished Service in 2019. As a former men’s tennis student-athlete at Binghamton, the tennis complex was renamed the “Lane Tennis Center,” based on his passion for the sport and involvement with the program.

Most importantly, Michael is a father of three, residing with his family in Austin, Texas.