Lisa knows the capital markets inside and out, having worked in the financial services industry for close to twenty-five years. She spent the first half of her career at Goldman Sachs in New York, followed by a short chapter at Barclays and just shy of 10 years at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in Los Angeles. Lisa got her degree from UC Berkeley (GO BEARS).

While some might feel the toll after working decades in a demanding industry, Lisa feels energized — not only from the rush working with a team she considers family, but from meeting the talented and dynamic humans that become clients along the way.

Making a strategic introduction can move the needle more than picking the right stock in Lisa’s book, which is why she is so keen to understand each client holistically. Building a deep rapport not only gives her necessary investing insights, but she can also use this intricate knowledge to better exercise the “network effect” of professional resources she’s built during her career.

A “Super Connector”

One of Lisa’s favorite roles is helping place the high-level pieces of a comprehensive wealth strategy for clients: everything from tax and estate planning to educating the next generation of investors.
She credits overcommunicating the risks and rewards of one’s custom investing thesis as a huge factor in her team’s continued success. This also means ensuring involving not only her team, but all key members of a family, including both spouses and mature children, as well as other trusted advisors to the client. This “family first” mentality reinforces what we stand for: developing deeper relationships to help catapult each clients’ goals.

Outside the Office

Lisa lives a healthy lifestyle between daily early morning workouts and overseeing her acre-sized edible garden at her ranch in the Ojai Valley. A self-described foodie and travel enthusiast, she also finds time to be involved in several community organizations. She lives in Marina Del Rey and Ojai with her husband, Sam, children, Jake and Eve, and Bernedoodle, Uno.

For as long as he can remember, Jerry has been driven by growth: whether it’s his clients’ wealth, his lifelong learning or community involvement.
Jerry’s multi-decade career has taken him aboard YPs at the U.S. Naval Academy, to USC’s campus where he earned his MBA, and to the ground floor of his own business, which he and his team have grown from nothing to billions in assets under management.

Delivering Value

Jerry delivers value beyond allocating assets. As an entrepreneur himself, he understands the sweat equity and 24/7 challenges of owning a business. He feels his shared experiences and “Golden Rolodex” to make the necessary introductions for when clients need capital — and helping maximize their business’ equity value when their company goes public — are a strength.
In addition, he focuses on generating net growth through tax minimization and multi-generational trust services. Along the way, he underlines the importance of removing emotion from investing by sticking to one’s custom wealth thesis. Instilling the proper temperament can not only separate one investor from another, it also demonstrates this team’s commitment to helping empower clients to make the best decisions for their individual goals.

Outside the Office

As a former member of the armed services, Jerry feels honored to support various veteran organizations, including the Navy Seal Foundation and Operation Mend at UCLA Hospital. He and his wife, Laura, live in Brentwood with their daughter, Isabella and three dogs they rescued from a local shelter. You’ll also find him and his lifelong friend (plus AGR co-founder) Larry Roth barbequing on their Green Eggs to feed the team.

Many think they’ll be indescribably free once they achieve substantial wealth. But they often become paralyzed and indecisive about what to do with what they’ve earned.

That’s where Larry comes in.

He sees it as his job to protect clients from the “big machine” that is Wall Street. He helps accomplish this by following Warren Buffett’s two rules of investing: First, never lose money. Second, refer to the first rule.

As a seasoned Private Wealth Advisor with extensive skills in creating dynamic, fixed income strategies, he strives to protect his clients from downside volatility and excessive taxation while also adding risk-adjusted opportunities into holistic investment strategies.

Building Trust

Larry can’t help showing excitement while he educates clients. To him, explaining technical investing matters in everyday language is key to building trust. And when investors feel comfortable, they are more likely to participate in developing and following their personal investing strategy.
This down-to-earth approach runs through AGR Wealth Management Group. Larry strives to extend the same close-knit feel his team shares with each of their clients, always keen on developing meaningful, multi-generational relationships. Because success for him, isn’t measured materially. It’s measured in the difference he makes.

Outside the Office

Larry was a Naval aviator and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he studied economics (and earned an N-Star for beating Army as a varsity swimmer). He then earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and has worked for Barclays, Northern Trust and Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Larry sits on the Board of Directors of the Chase Foundation, which supports the Child Life programs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Larry is an adventure seeker and can be found in or around the water on his surf board, stand up paddle or on the mountain, skiing He owns a surf shack off the grid in Mexico where he enjoys surfing and scuba diving with his son, Jake. They are both advanced PADI certified divers, on their way to Rescue Diver. He looks forward to next building a home on their Middle Caicos Island property.
He and his wife, Heather, have been together since high school. Their home in Malibu is where the family loves to take in sunsets with their three rescue puppies.

Many investors find success by sticking to their investing thesis. The same goes for wealth managers and their convictions.

Mike summarizes his in these five words: Be skeptical of Wall Street.

It’s a contrarian take, but one that Mike believes has served him — and his team’s clients — well.

His rationale is this: Investors can pick and choose from any number of pre-packaged ideas that look good on paper. But to deliver the kind of service that wealthy clients demand and deserve, the numbers need to be questioned, scrutinized and backed up by verifiable data.

A Numbers Nerd

Mike wears many hats. He is a seasoned leader and serves as the team’s de facto CIO.

Informally, he’s the in-house numbers nerd — a title he prefers.

With more than 20 years of investing experience, he personally vets many of our advanced strategies and recommendations. Only those that meet his high standards are presented to clients.

His combination of analytical thinking, straightforward explanations and friendly personality are essential for providing the type of elevated service and strategies those with substantial resources require.

Getting to Know Me

Michael lives in Newport Beach with his daughter, Abigail. You’ll find him front and center watching her participate in karate. With an MBA from USC already under his belt, Michael is pursuing a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. A former co-owner of HuppoCross Cellars, he still enjoys the occasional glass of grenache.

Everyone on this team will tell you they need to make two people happy: First, the client, of course. But Kelly is a close second because she’s the who makes things happen.
You’ll find an “outstanding list” on her desk of important tasks that need to be completed: Getting signatures, wiring funds, communicating with CPAs, etc. — and crossing items off that list one by one gives Kelly a true sense of satisfaction.

While she doesn’t create investing strategies, her work ethic and attention to detail can make or break client relationships — especially when sizeable wealth and complex portfolios require precise follow through on tight deadlines.

Kelly has worked with this private wealth team for twelve years, and she’s been in the industry for over twenty years. She represents everything they stand for: warmth, outstanding client service and professionalism delivered with a “We’ll make it happen” mentality.

Outside the Office

JKelly explores abroad whenever she gets the chance, with Australia topping her list. She and her husband, Chad, live with their two children in Los Angeles. If she’s not on an airplane, you can find her volunteering at her children’s schools

Sammy, the team’s newest addition, brings with him a collaborative and energetic attitude that has facilitated a smooth transition into our tightly-knit group that has been working together for well over a decade.

As a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Sammy leverages his deep understanding of alternative investments to offer interesting opportunities to the team’s ultra-wealthy clients, spanning real estate, hedge funds, and private equity. Sammy’s proficiency in conducting due diligence and presenting new investment avenues is a skill he brings to the team that directly contributes to their clients’ success in reaching their goals.

Clients Come First

Sammy extends his product-agnostic philosophy through the entire portfolio construction process to meet and maintain ideal client asset allocations. For him, doing what’s best for the client should be the gold standard for the business.

And doing what’s best for clients means adapting to different personalities and understanding the personal motivations that drive each of their unique needs. With that knowledge, custom roadmaps can be created to provide direction, even in the most complex scenarios. Planning is foundational here at Team AGR — and Sammy plays an instrumental role in quarterbacking the implementation process.

Outside the Office

Sammy lives in Century City with his wife and college sweetheart, Rebecca. On any given weekend, you’ll find them exploring the latest restaurants around Southern California/