Speakers

View the agenda.

Tony Sirianni

Publisher & CEO

  • Tony Sirianni is a 35 year industry vet, the publisher of two of the most successful Financial Advisor magazines in the industry, and the force behind the AdvisorHub website, the number one news site for Financial Advisors. He is the host of the top rated Tony Sirianni podcast, which features the industry's best  CEOs, advisors, and thought leaders. He created an Advisor focused events business that gives thousands of advisors access and networking opportunities, along with national recognition in his annual 1,000 Advisors to Watch list.

    He is a consultant for Fortune 100 banks and Advisory firms, and a minority interest investor in a portfolio of RIAs. He is a founding partner in Steward Partners and Washington Wealth management, which later became Kestra Private Wealth, and a former Managing Director at 3 Wirehouse firms.

    Tony has a Law degree and a Masters Degree and lives in Virginia with his family.

Danielle Singer, CFA®, CAIA®

Head of Platforms Due Diligence

  • Danielle Singer is Head of Platforms Due Diligence at Invesco. In this role, she leads the team responsible for delivering the firm's investment capabilities, including SMAs, mutual funds, models and alternatives, to the research teams of wealth management firms across North America. Additionally, Ms. Singer is responsible for elevating the platform relevance of private markets offerings and provides direction on the overall private markets strategy.

    Ms. Singer joined Invesco in 2014. Prior to her current role, she served as head of North America and EMEA client solutions and alternatives strategy with Invesco Solutions and held various roles with the Multi Asset team, including portfolio manager. Before joining the firm, Ms. Singer was a strategist with UBS’s Global Investment Solutions group. She is a frequent industry speaker and subject matter contributor to global financial associations. Ms. Singer entered the financial services industry in 2002.

    Ms. Singer earned a BA degree from Middlebury College and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst® (CAIA) charterholder. Ms. Singer holds the Series 7, 24, and 66 registrations.

  • Shannon Reid is the president of the Independent Contractor Division after previously working closely with independent advisors and branch owners in the Northeast division of Raymond James Financial Services. Prior to her current role, she was divisional sales manager for the Eastern division of Raymond James & Associates. She has also led the firm’s initiatives to educate and coach advisors, branch managers and teams around strategies and resources that can help them improve and grow their practices. She has extensive experience working with internal and external partners to identify, design and deliver quality processes, tools and resources that help our advisors pursue their growth objectives. She plays an active role in designing content, delivering innovative programs, and directly coaching advisors and managers.

    At Raymond James, she has also been responsible for the development of effective tools, resources and education to attract and retain clients in or transitioning to retirement as well as to help establish the firm’s advisors as leaders in providing professional and effective advice around this next stage of life. She led the introduction of new financial planning software to the firm and has created award-winning tools for advisors and their clients. Shannon Reid joined Raymond James in June 2007 to lead the redesign of Raymond James cash management services. She built the Private Client Group Strategy & Planning team, where she led strategic development, marketing and management of initiatives and projects.

    Prior to joining Raymond James, Shannon was a vice president with Goldman Sachs, where she led the firm’s efforts to develop an offshore strategy that resulted in the creation of GS India and managed from Atlanta the Southeast division of the private wealth management business, which covered 10 states.

    Shannon earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and her BA in political science and economics from Duke University. She has college aged twins and resides in Tampa, Florida, with her husband, dog and two cats.

Shannon Reid

President, Independent Contractor Division

Casey Jorgensen

Head of the Dynasty Institute for Adaptive leadership (DIAL)

  • Casey Jorgensen joined Dynasty Financial Partners in 2020 and currently serves as the Head of the Dynasty Institute for Adaptive Leadership (DIAL) within the Service Team. In this role, she collaborates with some of the wealth management industry’s largest and most sophisticated firms, helping them optimize operational efficiencies, maximize growth, and expand margins. Casey has been instrumental in the build-out of DIAL, which includes the Advisor to CEO, Whole Family Advisor®, and Emerging Advisor Programs. She has also expanded the reach of the Dynasty Women’s Network and established herself as a thought leader in the independent wealth management space.

    Prior to joining Dynasty, Casey worked at Raymond James within the Private Client Group Education and Practice Management department as a Business Development Strategist. In this capacity, she focused on integrating efforts across experienced advisor coaching, new advisor development, branch associate development, advisor inclusion networks, and educational programs and events. Additionally, Casey spent three years in the Succession and Acquisition Planning department, where she assisted advisors in planning, building, and transitioning their legacies.

    Casey’s insights and expertise have been published in Barron’s and AdvisorHub, and she has been featured in Financial Advisor IQ and FA Magazine. She frequently participates as an expert panelist at top industry conferences.

    Outside of the office, Casey is actively involved in her community. She serves on the Mainsail Art Festival Committee and is a Founding Friend of the Patrick Brett Foundation. A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Casey is an avid supporter of the Bucs, Bolts, Rays, and Rowdies. Alongside her professional and personal interests, Casey enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Grady and her daughter, Shay.

    Casey received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with honors from Furman University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Whole Family Advisor® Associate, and a Registered Corporate Coach™. Additionally, she holds Series 7, 66, and 9/10 licenses.

Carol “Rollie” Flynn

President

  • Drawing on three decades at the Central Intelligence Agency, Carol “Rollie” Flynn will share anecdotes and insights  on how to exploit situations and opportunities and avoid the hidden traps that can prevent women from achieving their optimal personal and professional growth.  

    Ms. Flynn is currently the President of The Arkin Group, an international intelligence, security, and risk consulting firm.  She served in senior positions at the CIA including Executive Director of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center, Associate Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Director of the Office of Foreign Intelligence Relationships, and Director of the CIA Leadership Academy.  Ms. Flynn also has extensive experience in operating undercover overseas including as a Chief of Station in major posts in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and as a Clandestine Operations Officer in Africa and Southeast Asia.

    Ms. Flynn is also President Emerita and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), a nonpartisan think tank in Philadelphia which produces analysis focused on the foreign policy and national security challenges facing the United States. She taught for nine years as an adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service/Security Studies Program and McCourt School of Public Policy where she created and led graduate seminars on intelligence, counterterrorism, and security. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Advisory Board of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC and the Board of the Jamestown Foundation. Ms. Flynn has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College and a Master of Science degree in Cyber Security from University of Maryland.  She has also served on the Foundation Board of Holy Cross Hospitals of Montgomery County, Maryland.

  • Beth’s superpower is making people feel seen, heard and understood and has been doing just that for more than 25 years at RBC Wealth Management. Beth assumed leadership of the team in 2020, proudly carrying forward a rich legacy as the third generation of this women-led business. Beth graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance in 2002. In 2006, she achieved the certification of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and in 2015 Beth also earned RBC Wealth Management’s internal designation of Accredited Wealth Manager (AWM). Beth is passionate about helping her clients thrive and community prosper. She has served on the board of directors for several organizations including Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, YWCA Madison, Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison Foundation, and more.

Beth Norman

Managing Director, Financial Advisor

Greg Banasz

Founding Partner & CMO

  • Greg Banasz serves as Director of Business Development, a Wealth Manager, and is a founding partner at Steward Partners Global Advisory. He has 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. Greg most recently held the role of First Vice President of Wealth Management and Complex Business Development Officer for Morgan Stanley.

Isabel Barbosa

Director, Social Media & Marketing Manager

  • Isabel Barbosa joined Steward Partners in June 2020. With over 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, she specializes in strategic campaign planning, content creation, and digital asset management. Her expertise includes social media strategy, website management, and brand storytelling to enhance engagement and visibility.

    Her diverse background in digital marketing, social media strategy, and brand development across various industries has given her a well-rounded perspective on audience engagement and content optimization. She has worked with different organizations and gained valuable insights into tailoring messaging for specific audiences, leveraging analytics to refine strategies, and staying ahead of evolving digital trends. This experience allows her to create compelling, data-driven campaigns that drive engagement and business growth.

    Isabel holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA in Marketing Management. Originally from Brazil, she lives with her son, Matt, in Woodbridge, VA. Outside work, she enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, and spending quality time with family and friends.

  • I was fortunate to learn at an early age about the opportunities afforded by financial confidence and preparation. This may be a reason that client care has always been among the most rewarding aspects of my work as an Edward Jones financial advisor: forming deep relationships allows me to help my clients visualize and plan for long-term, even generational, wealth.

    My parents encouraged my fledgling interest in stocks. Later, while studying international studies and German at Colgate University, I noticed how few people, regardless of their walks of life, received education on investing or finance. I also discovered how much I love to help people.

    Client care is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work as a team at Edward Jones. We aim to form deep relationships with our clients, which affords us the opportunity to help our clients define their own financial success, visualize and plan for long-term generational wealth and prepare for the inevitable transitions in life. Our client-first approach, combined with innovative technology and partnerships with trusted legal and tax professionals allows us to help our clients develop a sense of ease and security that comes with financial confidence. Our team looks forward to earning your trust and working with you and your families to meet your wealth-building goals.

    In addition to 20 years in the financial industry, since 2010, I have taught a course on navigating retirement, “30 Years Without a Paycheck,” at Duke University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. I have the Series 7 and 66 registrations, life and health insurance licenses, as well as the CFP® certification and CRPC™ designation.

    In my free time, I enjoy playing with my three children, improving my tennis game and traveling the world with my husband, Brad.

Julie Kelly

Principal, Financial Advisor

Katie Stockton, CMT

Founder & Managing Partner

  • Katie Stockton, CMT is Founder and Managing Partner of Fairlead Strategies, LLC, an independent research firm and investment advisor focused on technical analysis. She is the portfolio manager for the award-winning Fairlead Tactical Sector ETF (TACK), launched in March 2022. Prior to forming Fairlead Strategies in 2018, Katie spent more than 20 years on Wall Street providing technical research and advice to institutional investors. She served as Chief Technical Strategist for BTIG and Chief Market Technician at MKM Partners, and she has worked for technical strategy teams at Morgan Stanley and Wit Soundview.

    With help from the Fairlead Strategies team, Katie provides research and consulting services to institutions, investment advisors, and individuals. Katie holds the distinction of being the youngest female to have attained the Chartered Market Technician (CMT®) designation in 2001. She has played a significant role in the CMT Association, serving as Vice President from 2012 to 2016.

    Katie graduated with honors from the University of Richmond and now serves on the business school’s Executive Advisory Council. She contributes to her community by mentoring young women, guest lecturing at universities, and serving on the Endowment Investment Committee for her church. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Cary Street Partners, a leading independent wealth management firm.

    As an official CNBC contributor, Katie frequently shares her market perspectives with investors worldwide. She is quoted often by financial news publications like Barron’s and MarketWatch, and she has a wide following on social media.

Anne Owen Ashton CFP®, CWS®

SVP, Financial Advisor, Portfolio Manager

  • Anne started her career at D.A. Davidson working the front desk during her high school and college summers. After graduating from Whitman College and working a brief stretch at Nordstrom as the Dolce & Gabbana specialist for the West Coast, she rejoined the firm in 2009. Anne spent the next year as a member of the transition team where she helped to onboard financial professionals and open branches across the Pacific Northwest. In 2010, she joined her father’s practice in her hometown of Bozeman, Montana, bringing her soon-to-be husband with her. Anne has spent the last 15 years working as a financial advisor, building a team with her brother, and carrying on her father’s 35-year legacy at D.A. Davidson. Anne has never been shy when it comes to asking for incremental improvements and has been a part of creating a more structured maternity leave policy and expanding upward mobility of the client associate role at D.A. Davidson. She has served as committee chair for the Women Financial Advisors’ Network and is currently the advisor representative on D.A. Davidson’s board of directors. Anne is a mother to three beautiful children (10, 8, 6), and loves to ski, ride horses, travel, garden, and generally be creative. She loves the mountains and her hometown where she is surrounded by family and friends.

Karen McColl

SVP, Wealth Management

  • Karen joined Commonwealth in February 2021 as senior vice president, wealth management. In this role, she oversees the Advanced Planning, Annuity Research, Insurance, Investment Consulting Services, and Retirement Consulting Services teams, ensuring that we consistently provide our advisors with the indispensable support and resources they need. In addition, she works with senior leadership to help identify and solve the biggest wealth management industry challenges Commonwealth faces.

    Karen has seen firsthand the impact that sound financial advice and decisions can have on people's lives, and she believes that sticking to a disciplined investment approach is what helps people achieve their goals.

    "I have seen the power of this throughout my life from immigrants who came to the U.S. with little and became wealthy, entrepreneurs who launched successful businesses, and parents who sent their kids to the best schools and still retired early, all because they had the right advisor as a partner," she says.

    Karen spends much of her free time with her husband, John, and their two daughters, Reagan and Finley. She enjoys strength training, traveling, trying different cuisines, reading psychological thrillers, and listening to music, specifically Latin pop rock, reggaeton, and salsa. Karen was born in Colombia, a country rich in food, culture, music, and natural beauty.

    Education: Bachelor's degree in international relations and Latin American studies from Boston University and MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management

    Industry designations: CFA® charterholder, FINRA Series 7, 24, 26, and 63 securities registrations

Amy Schlager

Executive Vice President

  • Amy Schlager is the Executive Vice President for Equitable Advisors’ Carolinas Branch, where she is one of five female EVPs in the United States. Amy began her career with AXA Advisors (now Equitable Advisors) as a financial professional in 2001 and was promoted to Divisional Vice President in 2003.  She worked in this position managing a team of 18 Advisors and winning the “Developing Management” Award in 2005.  In April of 2010 Amy was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Portland branch eventually merging with Seattle in 2017 to serve as Executive Vice President of the PacNW.  In January of 2021, she took a new opportunity to lead the Carolinas Branch.  Under her leadership, the Carolinas Branch has emerged as one of the top performing branches in the country in sales and recruiting efforts. She has gone on to win 4 President’s Trophy’s including 2 Gold President’s Trophy’s back-to-back in 2018 & 2019.

    Amy was elected as the Honor Guard Secretary Treasurer in 2024 and will go on to serve as Honor Guard President in 2026.

    Amy has been involved in several organizations including American Heart Association’s Circle of Red, WIFS, NAIFA and FINSECA. In addition, she has been nominated for the “5 Star Wealth Management” Award as well as the Willamette Week’s “Portland’s Best Boss” Award. Amy holds a BS in Sports Medicine and an MBA.  Amy resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband Jason.

Beth Fitzgerald

Co-Founder

  • Beth Fitzgerald is a High- Performance consultant and coach specializing in working with females in finance.  Beth is a certified John Maxwell Coach and a member of the Forbes Coaches Council.  As a Master EFT Practitioner, Beth works with clients to transform their lives.

    Beth is an accomplished writer and author of The Wake up Call, a career and daily success guide which is like having a coach in your back pocket every day for a year.  She is also an international speaker and blogger where she offers eye opening motivation and tools for participants to live their best lives.

    Beth brings over 20 years of experience from her time working on Wall Street at a boutique hedge fund, at Prudential Financial, and at Oppenheimer Management. She has worked closely with large financial institutions as well as individual corporate clients. Her expertise lies in high performance,  sales,  leadership excellence , and personal and professional growth.

Holly Reimel

Co-Founder

  • As a High-Performance coach and consultant, Holly’s goal is to help women in financial services achieve their peak performance both in and out of the work space.  Holly has spent over 20 years partnering with Financial Advisers and Entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses and maintain a sustainable and happy lifestyle.  

    Holly has been a senior leader for major financial services companies where she has served as Head of Sales, and in National Account roles.  She has also enjoyed being a successful entrepreneur currently running two fun businesses!  Holly has presented internationally on topics including Women and Investing, The Mutual Fund Academy and Using What you Have. 

    The latter part of her career has been spent working with Performance Development companies including Franklin Covey where she honed her skills in helping her corporate and individual clients succeed.  Her expertise lies in helping others define and achieve their dream lives. Holly is a Master Energy Practitioner which is one tool she uses to help women achieve inner peace, outer success, and work-life harmony.  Her current and favorite role couples her experience and her passion to help change the narrative between the Financial Services industry and women.

Carol Davidson, ACC, AICI, CIP

Executive Image Consultant

  • Carol Davidson is an experienced and certified image consultant, life coach, and educator. As one of only 25 Certified Image Professionals (AICI, CIP) in the NY area, Carol helps executives and entrepreneurs transform their appearance, wardrobe, and self-esteem into tangible tools for success. Her expertise has helped thousands tackle their careers and personal lives with confidence and enthusiasm.

    In 1999, Carol established StyleWorks of Union Square Inc—an image consulting company that helped clients make wardrobe choices that aligned with their physical characteristics, personal style, and professional goals. As an image consultant, she’d always known that it wasn’t just about the clothing, but rather what the clothing empowered her clients to do. So, in 2016 Carol added certified life coach to her list of credentials. This was an exciting step that provided Carol with additional tools and skills to help others become their best selves, inside and out. To better reflect this new scope of service, she rebranded her company to Carol Davidson Inc – Life.Style.Strategy.

    Before owning her own company, Carol managed a Personal Shopping team at Macy’s By Appointment (now known as My Stylist @Macy’s) in NYC. Through her talented and nurturing consulting, she became one of the most successful shoppers in the department’s history, with well over $1 million in annual sales. She conducted on-site corporate seminars as part of their Business Smart program, an initiative educating corporate clients about appropriate business casual attire. She also worked on store events, fashion shows and TV makeover shows.

    A respected educator in her field, Carol co-created the Image Consulting Certificate curriculum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she taught for 20 years. She is a Past President of the New York Tri-State chapter of the Association of Image Consultants International and now serves as the chapter’s trusted mentor and advisor. She has also contributed her time and talents as a volunteer for Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that helps low-income women make tailored transitions into the workforce.

    Based in New York City, Carol consults virtually or in-person with private clients throughout the U.S. Her true joy is helping others elevate their image, enhance their style, and ease their way.

Sheena L. Gray

CEO

  • Sheena Gray serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the Association of African American Financial Advisors (AAAA), where her dynamic leadership and strategic vision have positioned the organization as a pivotal force in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the financial advisory profession. With a master’s in business administration in Management from DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology of Law, Sheena leverages over two decades of executive experience to champion the professional development and advocacy of Black/African American financial advisors nationwide.

    Under her stewardship, AAAA has become a recognized leader in legislative advocacy, connecting financial advisors with key policymakers to influence equitable decision-making in the industry. Sheena’s efforts have catalyzed initiatives that promote financial literacy, generational wealth building, and community empowerment. As a trusted connector in the financial community, she forges meaningful collaborations between corporate sponsors, industry professionals, and academic institutions to expand opportunities for Black financial advisors and enhance their impact on the communities they serve.

    Throughout her career in wealth management, commercial banking, global financial crimes, cybersecurity, legal compliance, and risk management, Sheena has built a reputation as an innovative and transformational leader. Her early rise in financial services demonstrated her ability to navigate complex regulatory frameworks, develop robust risk mitigation strategies, and foster cross-functional collaboration. She held executive roles in HR, Legal/Compliance, Diversity and Inclusion and Global KYC/Cybersecurity where she spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives in talent acquisition, leadership development, and inclusive workplace culture.

    As CEO of AAAA, Sheena continues to align her passion for diversity with her strategic expertise. Her focus on creating a culture of innovation and collaboration has driven the organization’s growth, allowing it to serve as a beacon of support for financial professionals. Recognized as one of the “10 People to Watch in Wealth Management in 2025” by MSN, Sheena is celebrated for her ability to drive meaningful change and elevate the voices of Black financial advisors across the industry.

    Outside of her professional commitments, Sheena is a devoted mother to six children, seamlessly balancing her executive responsibilities with an active and fulfilling family life. She enjoys golfing, skiing, and cherishing time with her family, embodying her belief in the importance of work-life balance and personal fulfillment.

    Sheena’s inspiring leadership and dedication to advocacy have not only advanced the mission of AAAA but have also contributed to the broader conversation about equity and inclusion in the financial services sector, making her a respected and influential figure in the industry.

Chris Mone

EVP, Head of Wealth Management

  • Chris Mone is an Executive Vice President of Wedbush Securities. He serves as the Head of the Wealth Management division, and is a member of the Presidents’ Executive Committee and Management Committee of the firm. He has over 28 years of experience in the finance industry, formerly holding roles  with Wilmington Trust Wealth Advisory, BNY Mellon Wealth Management,  UBS. He was also a top Financial Advisor with Prudential Securities and Edward Jones.

Mary Ann Bartels

Chief Investment Strategist

  • Mary Ann Bartels is a recognized and an award winning strategist that spent 35-years on Wall Street analyzing and communicating trends in the economy, equities, bonds, commodities and exchange traded funds. Ms. Bartels held many roles at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. She also held portfolio manager roles at Zweig-Avatar in New York and Batterymarch in Boston. For many years Mary Ann was responsible for contributing to the thought leadership for investment guidance and portfolio solutions for Merrill Lynch advisors and clients. Mary Ann’s name became synonymous with high-quality portfolio strategy and research, earning her the respect of clients and her peers in the industry. Mary Ann is an Institutional Investor All-American Research ranked analyst for six consecutive years for her work in Technical Analysis. She is also highly regarded for development of proprietary models for equity pairs trading and for her stock, sector and industry selections, as well as her extensive work on Hedge Funds. Ms. Bartels has pivoted her career to understanding and educating the cutting edge new technology in Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Cryptocurrency, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse. Mary Ann has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox Business and has been often quoted in various publications including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Barron’s. Ms. Bartels earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Business and Economics from Fordham University. She is a graduate of the LondonReal DeFi Academy Accelerator program. She serves on several advisory boards including her Alma Mater Fordham University and We4C. Mary Ann has been invited into Marquis Who’s Who in 1998 as a Global Portfolio Manager and in 2019 as an Investment Strategist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. She is also a member of the LondonReal DeFi Academy Investment Club.

  • At Merchant, Tim is engaged across all aspects of the Firm, with a day to day focus on driving the company’s key growth initiatives and directing the overall corporate strategy. Prior to Merchant, Tim was an early stage Partner at Dynasty Financial Partners, where he was in charge of strategic implementation and advisor identification firm-wide for the Dynasty Network. Prior to Dynasty, Tim was Head of Global Platforms for New York-based alternative asset manager, SkyBridge Capital, where he was in charge of building and managing the Firm’s global platform sales activities.

    Previous to SkyBridge, he was an original member of the Permal Group’s Hedge Fund of Fund US Private Client Platform Distribution Team, where he launched and developed the firm’s US distribution arm and brand. Earlier, he worked on Permal’s Institutional Sales team which involved interfacing with pensions, endowments, foundations and institutional consultants across the Permal product suite. Tim currently serves as Special Advisor to the Board for the Family Office Association in Greenwich, CT and is on the Membership Committee of the Core Club in New York. He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University.


Tim Bello

Managing Partner, Co-Founder