Meet Our Team

John has more than 30 years of experience providing consulting services to families and institutions including foundations, endowments, and retirement plans. Prior to serving as Managing Director - Investments for The Armillary Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, John spent four years as President and Co-Founder of Captrust Financial Advisors, a national consulting and brokerage firm. He also served as Director of Wachovia Securities Consulting Services Group (a predecessor of Wells Fargo Advisors) for six years. Before Wells Fargo Advisors, John served as a Director of the Managed Accounts Group for Paine Webber and started his career as an analyst with E.F. Hutton & Company.

John graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. A firm believer in the value of education and staying abreast of industry trends, John is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business Securities. He has obtained numerous certifications, including Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and Certified Portfolio Management Program.

John is a member of the Investment Advisory Board, The Salvation Army - Southern Territory, and Past Chair and Board Member - Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).

Ed is a Managing Director – Investments for The Armillary Group of Wells Fargo Advisors and has worked in the investment and financial services industry for over three decades. He joined Interstate/Johnson Lane in 1981 as a financial consultant and subsequently held various management and executive positions with the firm and its successor, Wachovia Securities, Inc., which ultimately became Wells Fargo Advisors. Ed also served as Managing Principal of CAPTRUST Financial Advisors and as President of Wachovia Securities, Inc.

Ed is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MBA from Duke University. He is also a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Away from the office, Ed currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Central Piedmont Community College, and he also serves on the Executive Committee of the Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts of America. In addition, he has previously served in the following capacities:

• Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) Foundation and Chair of the Finance Committee

• Chairman of the Board of the Community School of the Arts in Charlotte

• The Board of the Middle Atlantic District of the Securities Industry Association (now SIFMA)

• The Regional Firms Committee of the Securities Industry Association

• The Sales and Marketing Committee of the Securities Industry Association

• The Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest School of Business

• The Business Advisory Council of the Belk College of Business Administration of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

He and his wife, DeeDee, live in Charlotte and have three children, Elizabeth, Carolyn, and Eddie.

Matthew Favreau leads our Group's Retirement Plan Consulting Practice. Matthew provides our defined contribution clients—comprising both 401(k) and 403(b) plans—with comprehensive retirement plan consulting services including plan design analysis, investment policy statement (IPS) review/development, vendor review and search, investment analysis and performance review, plan benchmarking and fee review, education (participant and plan sponsor) and communication development, and retirement plan committee meetings.

Matthew entered the investment industry in 2001 as an analyst for a regional brokerage firm. Prior to joining The Armillary Group in 2005, he previously served as an analyst for an institutional consulting team focused on defined contribution plans at a national brokerage firm. As the team's analyst, Matthew's responsibilities included fund menu design, investment analysis and performance monitoring, and participant education.

Matthew earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from The McColl School of Business at Queens University, where he was selected as a McColl Senior Fellow. Matthew has also earned several professional advanced designations, including the Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

Matthew has served on several not-for-profit boards and committees including Sustain Charlotte, 24 Hours of Booty, Loaves and Fishes, and the McColl School Alumni Association.

Hunter is a Financial Advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and has been serving clients since joining The Armillary Group in 2014. He leads the team's high-net-worth consulting practice and provides comprehensive planning to clients and their families, which includes retirement and investment planning, risk management, and education planning. Though our team members cannot provide tax or legal advice, Hunter can work with clients' outside professionals and is happy to coordinate estate and tax-efficient strategies.

Hunter graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. While at Furman, he served as a member of the investment club and was a four-year letterman on the varsity baseball team. 

Prior to joining the team in July 2019, Matthew attended Miami University's Farmer School of Business and earned his BS in Finance. While at Miami University, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Miami Business Consulting, a student-run consulting organization. He also interned at the University’s Treasury Services, where he worked alongside the Chief Investment Officer. During his collegiate career, Matthew interned for two years at Service Logic, where he aided with the company's business intelligence development and implementation, data management, accounting, due diligence, and asset tracking.

Away from the office, Matthew enjoys giving back to his community and has volunteered with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, South Carolina Ocean Restoration and Enhancement Program, and numerous food banks.

Phyllis began her career at Wells Fargo Advisors (formerly Interstate Johnson Lane) in 1997 as an operations coordinator and now has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is responsible for all chief administration, services, and operational support. By leveraging her financial knowledge and service background, she is able to positively influence client satisfaction and to assist advisors in dealing with a wide variety of client needs. Phyllis is committed to client satisfaction and has a vast array of knowledge and best practice skills.

She is a graduate of Kings College and was recognized as a Premier Client Associate by Wells Fargo Advisors every year from 2012 to 2017. This distinction is held by a select group of Registered Client Associates within the firm, nominated by their management for their consistent display of professionalism, integrity, and core leadership values.