Our Team

As Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Z Advisory Innovations, I help individuals and families manage, preserve, and protect the wealth they have spent years building. With more than three decades of financial-services experience, my work focuses on investment management, risk management, retirement planning, and helping clients navigate complex financial decisions with greater confidence.

A Personal Approach to Financial Security

My understanding of financial security began long before I entered the financial-services industry.

I was born into poverty and was not expected to attend college. When I told my high school counselor that I wanted to continue my education, she helped me gain admission to Lake Superior State College. After earning near-perfect grades, I realized I was capable of more and applied to the University of Michigan.

I was accepted and moved to Ann Arbor, but with no financial resources or family support, I was forced to leave school. Rather than give up, I became determined to understand the system. I learned how to navigate financial aid, support myself while studying, and ultimately returned to complete my degree at the University of Michigan.

That experience taught me how to navigate complicated systems, overcome uncertainty, and keep moving forward when the stakes are high. Those lessons eventually helped me enter Wall Street and begin my career as a stockbroker with Shearson Lehman Brothers in downtown Detroit.

For me, protecting wealth is personal. I understand how quickly financial security can change and the fear that can come with uncertainty. I have spent decades developing the experience, investment knowledge, and risk-management processes I now use to help clients protect what they have built and enjoy their lives with greater financial confidence.

Professional Background & Experience

I began my financial-services career in 1990 with Shearson Lehman Brothers and have since worked with several major investment and securities firms, including Merrill Lynch, Robert W. Baird, J.P. Turner, Newbridge Securities, and Z Advisory Innovations.

Throughout my career, I have worked across investment management, securities, retirement planning, alternative investments, insurance, and risk-management strategies. These experiences have shaped an approach centered on understanding the client’s circumstances first, evaluating risk carefully, and building strategies around the long-term purpose of their wealth.

Education & Qualifications

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Bachelor of General Studies, Business, Communication & Psychology | December 1986

Securities Industry Exams

• Series 7 General Securities | October 1990
• Series 63 Uniform Securities State Law | October 1990
• Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser | May 1994
• Series 31 Futures Managed Funds | December 2009
• Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) | October 2018

Insurance Licensing

• Health, Life & Variable Insurance Agent | 1996 – Present

Professional Experience

Z Advisory Innovations | 2024 – Present
Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer. Leads the firm's investment philosophy, portfolio management, risk-management process, financial strategy, and client advisory services.

Newbridge Securities | 2015 – 2024
Provided investment and securities services to individuals and families while helping clients navigate investment, retirement, and wealth-management decisions.

J.P. Turner | 2010 – 2015
Worked with clients on securities, investment management, and financial strategies.

Robert W. Baird | 2003 – 2010
Provided investment and wealth-management services to clients seeking long-term financial guidance.

Merrill Lynch | 1991 – 2003
Worked with individuals and families on investment management, securities, retirement planning, and wealth-building strategies.

Shearson Lehman Brothers | 1990 – 1991
Began his Wall Street career as a stockbroker in downtown Detroit.

Areas of Additional Experience

Comprehensive Wealth Management | Cannon Financial Institute

Certified Retirement Counselor | InFRE

Deferred Sales Trust Financial Manager | Estate Planning Team

Principles of Free Market Economics | Hillsdale College

Certificate of Alternative Investments | iCapital

Blockchain Technology | iCapital

My path as a compliance officer and co-founder at Z Advisory Innovations exemplifies impossible odds through perseverance, growth, and strategic risk-taking.

I matured in Chicago, which offered limited opportunities for advancement. My father recognized my potential and repeatedly extended an invitation to join his firm.

Initially, I resisted this call, valuing the independent life I had built in Chicago. However, Chicago did lose its appeal.

In 2017, I joined Zoellner Whole Financial PLLC. Under my father's mentorship, I honed my expertise in financial operations, transforming into a capable contributor. This period of growth not only elevated my capabilities but also propelled the firm's success, becoming a strategic leader equipped to navigate complex challenges.

The culmination of this journey arrived in 2024, when we seized an opportunity to establish Z Advisory Innovations. As co-founder and compliance officer, I now ensure regulatory integrity and ethical service guiding clients with honor, dignity and security from outside forces.  This reflects calculated risks and persistent transformation where we can forge enduring success for our clients in an ever-changing landscape.

I serve as Co-Founder, Chief Compliance Officer, and Registered Investment Advisor at Z Advisory Innovations, overseeing compliance procedures, providing registered investment advisory services, and managing client relationships. My responsibilities include conducting monthly client calls, account management and client services, monitoring regulations and updates, general accounting, mentoring team members, performing daily due diligence, and analyzing market trends and economic activity. I also focuses on updating and reviewing compliance procedures to ensure adherence to industry standards.

Education:

• Graduate of Harold Washington College

Professional Designations:

• Series 7 License
• Series 66 License

Professional Achievements:

• Proven Compliance Officer developing and implementing comprehensive frameworks, ensuring full adherence to regulatory standards, thereby safeguarding client’s interests and organizations integrity.
• Professional in conducting internal audits and risk assessments, identifying potential vulnerabilities and instituting corrective measures that resulted in enhanced operational efficiency and zero regulatory violations.
• Expert Alternative Investment Advisor, specializing in generating supplemental income for clients during their retirement years.
• Substantial command in public speaking and event planning, organizing and presentation at numerous seminars.
• Employed at Newbridge Securities from 2017 to 2024, gaining extensive experience in securities and investment advisory services.
• Co-Founded Z Advisory Innovations in 2024, serving in leadership roles to drive innovation in advisory solutions.