How We Work
Financial planning isn’t always just about investments and account balances – we believe it is something more. It’s about helping people live with greater clarity, authenticity and confidence. It’s about the assurance of a well-planned future. That perspective shapes how we approach every relationship and every decision. We are here to help you navigate risk, wealth and uncertainty with steadiness and perspective.
The Team Behind the Team
While our relationships are highly personal, clients also benefit from Baird professionals who work alongside us as an extension of our team. These specialists share our commitment to our clients and complement our guidance with deeper expertise in areas such as tax, trust and advanced planning – stepping into conversations directly when need to address more complex questions. Through this collaborative approach, we ensure clients receive thoughtful, well-rounded insight across every aspect of their financial lives.
Advanced Planning
Kathy Blake Carey CFA®
Director of Research & Advanced Planning | Director
Jessica Bell, JD
Senior Estate Planner
Katherine Schoen, CFA®, CAIA®
Baird Capital & Private Equity
Scott Grenier CFP®, AEP®
Manager of Estate Planning | Senior Vice President
Tim Steffen CPA-PFS, CFP®, CPWA®
Director of Tax Planning
Kelly Kontowski
Manager, Investment Consulting & Support
Veruschka Halligan, CFP®
Wealth Planner
Who We Serve
Executives
When you lead a business or serve as a key executive, your financial life is often closely tied to your company. Compensation structures, equity awards and ownership stakes can create meaningful opportunity but also concentrated risk. We help you make sense of those dynamics so you can make informed decisions with a clear view of both the upside and the exposure.
We work alongside your attorneys, accountants and other advisors to navigate decisions around equity compensation, concentrated positions, liquidity planning and long-term financial strategy. As your circumstances evolve, we help you evaluate how much risk to carry, when to diversify and how to align your personal wealth with your broader goals.
Retirees & Those Approaching Retirement
As you approach or enter retirement, financial decisions take on a different weight. The focus shifts from building wealth to turning it into a reliable source of income while managing uncertainty around markets, longevity, healthcare and taxes.
Together, we work through the details that shape a sustainable retirement — from structuring income and managing investment risk to evaluating Social Security, Medicare and long-term care needs. We also help clients balance competing priorities, align their portfolios with their goals and put the right estate plans in place.
Families
Many of our client relationships span generations, and some of the families we serve have worked with us for decades. Over that time, we’ve been honored to walk beside them through marriages, career changes, caregiving, loss and new beginnings — moments of both grief and joy.
Whether we’re helping a client feel comfortable spending the money they’ve spent decades saving, guiding a family through difficult conversations or simply being the person they call when life feels uncertain, we genuinely care about what’s happening in our clients’ lives.
Women
We are proud to create an environment where women feel comfortable and supported asking questions, expressing concerns and having honest conversations about money. We recognize that these conversations can feel deeply personal and, at times, emotionally vulnerable.
Many of our clients are women managing wealth independently, often for the first time — navigating divorce, inheritance or loss. They are often seeking guidance grounded in patience, transparency, education and trust. Our goal is to provide clear perspective, without judgment, so they can make decisions with confidence.
The LGBTQ+ Community
We believe every client should feel respected, understood and able to show up as themselves when talking about money. We work to create a space where members of the LGBTQ+ community can speak openly, ask questions and feel confident that their experiences are recognized and taken seriously.
The financial decisions our clients face are often shaped by circumstances that don’t always fit neatly within traditional planning assumptions. We approach those decisions with care and attention, offering guidance that reflects the realities of their lives and supports long-term stability, independence and security.
Those Navigating Life Transitions
Some of the most important financial decisions arise during periods of change. The death of a spouse, divorce, an inheritance, a career transition or another major life event can bring financial decisions to the forefront at a time when everything else may already feel uncertain.
During these moments, we provide a steady perspective and a thoughtful place to turn. We help clients understand their new financial picture, prioritize immediate decisions and work through the longer-term implications with care and clarity. Our role is not simply to manage the numbers, but to help bring a sense of order and confidence to what can be an overwhelming time.
For Every Client
No matter who you are or where you come from, you likely have questions in common with others:
- Am I ready to retire?
- Will my money last?
- How much can I safely spend?
- How do I create reliable income?
- How do I care for aging parents while planning for myself?
- What happens if healthcare costs increase?
- How do I transfer wealth thoughtfully to my children or grandchildren?
It is our honor to help clients work through these questions without judgment, so they feel respected, supported, and comfortable being fully themselves. We do this through clear communication, humility, empathy, proactive planning, and steady guidance.
Our clients are never simply accounts or portfolios to us. They are people with stories, relationships, fears, goals, and responsibilities that matter deeply. Our role is to help them feel prepared, understood, and able to move forward with confidence in their decisions.