For the last 14 years, Andy has helped guide families and business owners through all aspects of their financial lives, from investment management and retirement strategies to business transitions and estate planning. In addition to serving clients directly, Andy has played a key role in growing Vantage Financial’s capabilities and expanding its service offerings.
He has helped build out a robust investment team to support plan-driven portfolio strategies, launched an in-house tax practice to deliver more integrated planning, and led the development of the firm’s legal consulting arm to help clients address estate and entity planning needs with greater coordination.
Furthermore, Andy helped launch a private real estate and equity entity that continues to grow, enabling meaningful investments and opportunities for individuals within his professional network.
Andy is active in the local community while staying passionate about helping clients take control of their time and future through proactive, tailored advice.
“I want to help people take control of their time by aggressively planning for the future they want while hopefully having the time to enjoy the present.”
Outside of work, Andy enjoys spending time with his wife, their two kids, and their dog. He values time with family and friends, and loves being active outdoors—traveling, hiking, golfing, and making the most of each season.
Some people have called Ian McKenna the OG of AdviceTech. By the time he established Financial Technology Research Centre in 1995, long before the term “Fintech“ became part of the industry lexicon, he already had two decades of experience in the industry. Having started work with Guardian Royal Exchange in 1974 before mobbing to a London broking firm in 1976 he opened his first independent insurance and financial advice practice in 1981. A parallel entrepreneur, he runs a consulting firm and three Fintech start-ups as well as holding a number of pro bono industry roles.
He has been the U.K.’s leading AdviceTech columnist for over 30 years; the last 27 with Money Marketing (moneymarketing.co.uk), and three before that with FT Adviser.
In 2019, he founded ProtectionGuru.co.uk, a technical information site for life insurance advisers. In 2022 he was given the UK Life Insurance Leader of the Year award by LifeSearch the U.K.’s largest independent life insurance advice firm.
The following year saw the launch of Protection Guru Pro, a value-for-money based life insurance comparison. In July this year Protection Guru Pro completed a hat trick of wins in consecutive years at the European Fintech awards, twice as European InsurTech of the Year and once as Disruptor of the Year. Benefits Guru, a workplace pensions comparison service, was launched in 2020.
In 2021 McKenna launched AdviserSoftware.com, an advice tech review site which now includes analysis of over 250 different advice tech propositions produced by a team of analysts, each with at least a decade experience working in advice firms. In July, he commenced publishing the monthly AdviceTech & AI – Everyone You Need To Know report.
He passionately believes advice tech should be global. While the World Bank recognises that there are 190m+ middle class and above consumers in the US, i.e. the natural target for financial planning, the bank also identifies that there are over 3.8 billion middle class and above consumers globally. McKenna believes there is a massive opportunity to use AdviceTech to make financial planning affordable to that additional 3.6 billion consumers globally and is attending Advise AI to meet with technology providers firms who wish to launch their propositions in other countries around the world.
Stephen Marshall, CFA is the Chief Product Officer at Aidentified, where he leads the company’s overall product vision and strategy. With more than 25 years of experience in financial services, Steve has held leadership roles spanning data & analytics, digital transformation, software development, and investment management. Before joining Aidentified, he held senior positions at BNY Mellon and State Street Corp. Steve received a BS degree in Communications from Boston University and an MBA from The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
Stefan is the Chief Technology Officer and a Partner in the New York office. He is responsible for the ongoing development and supervision of the firm’s technology platform. He leads the firm’s Data Engineering, Software Development, Cybersecurity, and IT Infrastructure teams. Stefan serves as a member of the firm’s Leadership Team, Cybersecurity & Risk Steering Committee, and Cyber Response Team.
Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Stefan was the Director of Technology at GM Advisory Group, a Registered Investment Advisor in New York. Before GM Advisory Group, he was the Vice President of Technology at Dynasty Financial Partners, where he managed a team that worked with over 40 RIA’s across the US in leveraging technology to scale their businesses.
Michael Kitces is the Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning and helping to make financial advisors better and more successful.
In addition, he is the Head of Planning Strategy at Focus Partners Wealth, the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, New Planner Recruiting, fpPathfinder, and FA BeanCounters, the former Practitioner Editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, the host of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, and the publisher of the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View.
In 2010, Michael was recognized with one of the FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication and work in advancing the profession.
Zane Keller, brings a modern approach to wealth management and business strategy. Prior to launching Ducere Wealth, Zane grew a number of teams and initiatives in the financial services, consulting, and technology industries. Zane leads the firm’s strategy and operations, focused on delivering innovative approaches to better serve clients.
Zane has completed the Blackrock RIA Leadership Lab and is currently involved in the Schwab Executive Leadership Program. He has served on the advisory board of several wealth management fintech firms and currently serves on the JP Morgan RIA Advisory Council.
Outside of work, Zane is a proud alumni of Seton Hall University, where he continues to serve as an instructor for the Professional Foundations course through the Leadership Development Honors Program with the Stillman School of Business. Zane completed a Business Analytics program through the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and six business and technology programs from the University of California. Aside from being a Certified Financial Planner™, Zane is also a devout husband, son, and friend.
Jeremi Karnell is Chief Product Officer at VastAdvisor, the AI-powered organic growth OS for wealth management firms, where he leads product strategy, platform architecture, and the development of VastAdvisor IQ — the platform’s core intelligence layer. He has spent his career at the intersection of financial services, decision intelligence, and applied AI. Jeremi co-founded and served as CEO of Truelytics, the advisor intelligence platform acquired by Envestnet in 2022. At Envestnet, he served as Head of Data and Analytics, building the firm’s decision intelligence practice and launching enterprise AI products — including Generative Business Intelligence and Insights AI — that turned advisor data into actionable opportunities across thousands of workflows. At VastAdvisor, he’s focused on the industry’s most neglected problem: wealth management has spent decades building infrastructure to manage assets, and almost none to grow them.
Dr. Jordan Hutchison is a growth-oriented thought leader in the financial industry, consistently at the forefront of innovation. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and General Business from the University of Montevallo, he discovered his passion for finance, subsequently obtaining a Master’s in Financial Planning & Counseling from the University of Alabama. He began his career as a financial advisor, focusing on the behavioral side of finance, and later pursued a Doctorate in Behavioral Finance, specializing in positive psychology and financial planners.
In 2018, Jordan transitioned from financial advising to FinTech, helping startups create innovative solutions for advisors and their clients. He has contributed significantly to companies like SignatureFD, Monstro.AI, XY Planning Network, and Shaping Wealth, by managing enterprise relationships, assembling wealth technology platforms, leading sales, and coaching advisors. His expertise now drives his role as VP of Technology and Operations at RFG Advisory, where he works on enhancing technology and strategies to improve client and advisor experiences.
Additionally, Jordan is an adjunct professor at Kaplan’s College for Financial Planning, teaching courses in Behavioral Finance and Psychology of Financial Planning. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife Leslie and their two children, Roman and Sabina, as well as reading, watching sports, and continuing his education. A basketball enthusiast, his favorite teams are the Duke Blue Devils and the Boston Celtics.
Liam Hanlon is Head of Insights at Jump, the AI Meeting Assistant for Advisors. He leads the team that analyzes over one million advisor-client conversations annually to extract behavioral and predictive insights that drive advisor performance, client outcomes, and firm strategy. Liam translates conversation patterns into actionable intelligence and partners closely with product and design to embed insights directly into the Jump advisor experience.
Prior to Jump, Liam spent seven years at EY in the Wealth and Asset Management Business Consulting practice, where he focused on designing and conducting experiments on financial products and services to improve key business outcomes.
Angela Giombetti is the Chief Marketing Officer at Wealthspire Advisors and has dedicated her 20+ year career to the financial services industry. She is an accomplished ghost writer of multiple nationally published books and a frequent speaker at industry conferences. She is also the founder of The In Crowd, an inclusive network for financial marketers, and the host of The In Crowd podcast. In 2024, Angela was recognized as Chief Marketing Officer of the Year at the 2024 WealthManagement.com Industry Awards.