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Management Team The twelve managing partners lead Commonwealth with an unparalleled combination of industry experience and management expertise, as well as an unwavering commitment to our advisors and their clients. Please read on for more about these exceptional individuals and what each brings to our firm.Joseph Deitch Chairman  Joe is the founder of Commonwealth Financial Network® and has been at the helm of the firm for the past 31 years. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with a BA in International Relations, as well as an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, having completed the Owner/President Management Program in 1989. He has dedicated his professional career to the dual goals of quality and community, constantly trying to create and refine “the ideal environment.”Joe began his financial services career in 1974 with Mass Indemnity and soon moved to New England Life. In 1978, he founded the Cambridge Group to provide sophisticated financial planning for affluent individuals. According to a 1981 Becker Research poll, Boston-area financial advisors considered the Cambridge Group to be the most prominent financial planning firm in the area. Joe formed Commonwealth in 1979 to offer unbiased and superior investment brokerage services to the burgeoning ranks of financial advisors like him. Since that time, Joe and Commonwealth have remained true to the original vision of providing indispensable service and cultivating a supportive environment where all affiliated professionals can thrive. Joe’s success and leadership style have afforded him the honor of being featured in most industry magazines over the years, and he has spoken extensively to financial services professionals on topics of leadership, practice management, marketing, and strategic planning. In 2010, Investment Advisor magazine named Joe one of the 30 most prominent leaders in and around the planning profession over the last three decades. Wayne Bloom CEO  Wayne is the chief executive officer of Commonwealth. A member of the firm’s senior management team since 1999, he is responsible for managing our primary objective of providing indispensable products and services to our network of independent financial advisors.Wayne began his career at Commonwealth in the firm’s Accounting department in 1989, and, over the past 20 years, he has gained experience in virtually every facet of the firm. As one of the pioneers of our wealth management initiative, he has an extensive background in managing the firm’s research, insurance, financial planning, retirement, and registered investment advisory divisions. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Wayne was employed at Fidelity Investments. Wayne is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, having graduated from the Owner/President Management Program. He received a BS in Business Management from Northeastern University, graduating with honors. Wayne also served as chairman of the IAFP’s Financial Products Advisory Council. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities licenses. Wayne lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts, with his wife, Veronica, and children, Kevin, Molly, Aidan, and Callie. He enjoys playing sports, coaching his children’s teams, kayaking, windsurfing, and spending time with family on Cape Cod—and he is thrilled to have finally seen the Red Sox win it all! Peter Wheeler President  Peter was hired as a due diligence officer for Commonwealth in 1984. Over time, his straightforward manner and commonsense business approach earned him more and more responsibility. Today, Peter is president of Commonwealth, overseeing Human Resources and the Compliance and Legal departments.Peter’s debut into the financial services industry was as a trust administrator at Old Colony Trust Company. He received a BA from the University of Colorado and his MBA from Babson College. Peter has served as vice chairman on FINRA’s District II Business Conduct Committee and currently serves as a member of the Independent Dealer/Insurance Affiliate Committee. He is also on the board of directors for the Financial Services Institute, an organization whose purpose is to act as the voice for independent contractor broker/dealers nationwide. He holds FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 53, 63, and 65 securities licenses. Peter is married and has three children. He enjoys many sports, including skiing, surfing, windsurfing, and mountain biking. Kathy Lafreniere Managing Principal, Communications  Kathy first came to work in the Marketing department at the still-fledgling Commonwealth in December 1985. Today, she is the managing principal of communications, overseeing the Marketing and Conferences & Events departments.Over the years, Kathy’s creativity and attention to detail have contributed to Commonwealth’s reputation for hosting world-class educational events. Her talented team has also been instrumental in creating and expanding Commonwealth’s brand awareness in the industry. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Kathy was a marketing specialist at PetroData, Inc., an oil and gas investment firm. She studied classical piano performance at the New England Conservatory of Music. Kathy treasures her time with her husband, Dave, whether it’s at home or traveling. Her interests include cooking, all types of design (interior, landscape, graphic, fashion), running, cycling, and kayaking. Richard Hunter Managing Principal, Chief Financial Officer  Rich began working at Commonwealth in December 1988 as the firm’s controller. He also oversaw the firm’s information systems development and technology deployment. Today, as chief financial officer and financial principal, Rich oversees all financial activity of the firm, including general ledger accounting, forecasting, commission accounting, year-end audit coordination, implementation of internal controls, and strategic planning.Prior to joining Commonwealth, Rich worked primarily in the banking industry, first as a senior financial analyst for Shawmut Bank, and later as a subsidiary accounting manager for a large mortgage company. Both FINRA Series 7 and 27 securities-licensed, Rich holds a BS in Finance from Salem State College and is an MBA candidate at Babson College. He served as co-chairman of the first MIS Committee meeting of the IAFP. Rich is an outdoor person who enjoys golfing, hiking, and skiing. He treasures family time and puttering around his house in Westwood, Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife, Linda, and their three sons, Christopher, Ryan, and Griffin. An aspiring writer, Rich pens a popular quarterly communication to Commonwealth employees on the firm’s financial and operational performance. Rich is proud to be part of Commonwealth’s success and considers himself lucky to have a job where he “loves coming to work every day.” John Rooney Managing Principal, San Diego  John came to Commonwealth in 1988, after spending five years as a vice president at Moseley Securities in Boston. Arriving to work in the Product department, he handled mutual funds, partnerships, commodities, variable annuities, qualified plans, and individual issues. Over time, he has helped to engineer the growth of not only the Product department, but also of Commonwealth as a whole. He is relied upon by all parties for his advice and perspective on the direction of the firm.John opened and now manages Commonwealth’s West Coast office in San Diego. He has been a guest on numerous television shows and nationally syndicated radio programs, and he is regularly called upon for his expertise by the financial industry’s trade publications. John is a graduate of Colby College with a BA in Government, and he attended Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program. He also holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities licenses. Besides voraciously reading about the financial industry and markets, John enjoys wine, sports (especially softball and golf), and playing with his sons, Chase and Kellen, and daughter, Joscelyn. David Kelly Managing Principal, Technology and Brokerage Operations  Dave came to Commonwealth in 1991, serving as one of three traders responsible for handling all trading and servicing of our advisors’ client accounts.Today, Dave is the principal responsible for leading Commonwealth’s Technology department. This includes software development, technology infrastructure, Web services, the Rep Tech HelpDesk, and advisor- and client-facing Internet-based applications. He also maintains a role in overseeing Commonwealth’s brokerage operations, which includes the Account Services team and the Trade Desk. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Dave traded for Fidelity, J.T. Moran, and R.G. Dickinson & Co. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1986 with a BA in Economics. He holds FINRA Series 4, 6, 7, 24, 53, 55, 63, and 65 securities licenses. Dave is married and has three young children. An energetic sort, he can be spotted in his off hours playing hockey, softball, or golf—or riding his Harley. Janet Reckman Managing Principal, Chief Operating Officer  As chief operating officer, Janet focuses on the effective balance of people, process, and technology in delivering indispensable service to our advisors. She develops consensus around the establishment of indispensable service standards, promoting measurable goals throughout the firm’s operational areas. Janet has led several internal service campaigns to ensure that employees are empowered to create and implement their own ideas for enhancements, encouraging a wellspring of continuous process improvement throughout the firm.
Janet first worked at Commonwealth from 1984 to 1989, serving as executive vice president and director of investor services for First Cambridge Properties (a Commonwealth affiliate). After seven years with Pitney Bowes, she returned to Commonwealth in 1997 as vice president, internal operations and later acquired direct management responsibility for several operational departments. Janet received a BS in Psychology from Tufts, a graduate Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard, and an MBA from Simmons School of Management. She holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 securities licenses. Janet enjoys traveling to out-of-the-way places, reading biographies, and dreaming up better ways to get just about everything done. Kate Creagh Managing Principal, Human Resources  Kate has been with Commonwealth since 1998. She and her team are responsible for all employee-focused programs developed to attract and retain a high-quality talent pool and to make the four tenets of our mission statement—indispensability, profitability, individual development, and fun—come alive every day in the workplace. These programs include robust professional development offerings, competitive rewards, creative staffing, clear and engaging communications, fun employee events, and effective performance management systems. It is through hiring the best—and the right—talent that Commonwealth is able to maintain its unique culture. The firm has placed in the top tier of the Boston Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in Massachusetts for the last five years, taking the number-one seat in 2005. In 2008, Commonwealth was honored by the Boston Globe as the #1 Best Place to Work in the midsize category and by Computerworld for the second consecutive year as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. In 2007, Computerworld singled the firm out for its topnotch focus on training, retention, and career development. Kate began her career in human resources at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. Since then, Kate has worked in several successful and fast-growing entrepreneurial organizations. Kate and Joe Deitch have been invited to speak to the New England Human Resources Association, sharing their best practices for creating a unique culture of employee engagement. Kate enjoys kayaking in rural Maine and cooking great interesting meals with family and friends. Andrew Daniels Managing Principal, Field Development  Andrew joined Commonwealth in 1998 as director of account services. In his 16 months in that role, he worked with his team to develop process improvements; implement new, uniform training procedures; and instill a greater focus on indispensable service. In July 1999, Andrew joined the Field Development team, blending his enthusiasm for Commonwealth with his outgoing personality to tell the firm’s story to advisors in search of a new broker/dealer.As managing principal, field development, Andrew coordinates and integrates the efforts of the Marketing, Recruiting, and Transition departments. As a recruiter, he shares the uniqueness of each corner of the firm with prospective advisors and strategizes with existing advisors in developing their practices. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Andrew worked as a brokerage operations manager with Fidelity Investments, as an associate with an economic development consulting firm, and as a deck officer on two ocean-going tall ships, specializing in sail training and oceanographic research. Andrew has a BA in Religion from Dartmouth College. His passions are surfing and family. Joni Youngwirth Managing Principal, Practice Management  Joni is a recognized expert in the financial services industry for helping advisors adopt the best practices, and develop the mindset and systems, to grow their businesses to the next level. She has written and been featured in articles for leading industry publications, such as InvestmentNews, Solutions, Boomer Market Advisor, Investment Advisor, Financial Advisor, and Morningstar Advisor Edition. She has also spoken at leading industry conferences, including the Financial Planning Association Annual Conference and the Million Dollar Round Table.Prior to joining Commonwealth in 1998, Joni was vice president of corporate development for Private Healthcare Systems, Inc., where she spearheaded the company’s improvement initiative while providing executive coaching and business advice. She also spent 10 years as a director at Organizational Dynamics, a consulting firm, where she was a key driver of business development in the areas of customized consulting and training services. Joni holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 66 securities licenses. She attained the rank of first lieutenant in the United States Air Force. She earned her MBA and MS degrees from Boston University, as well as a BS degree from South Dakota State University. Joni is an avid cyclist. She resides with her family in Lexington, Massachusetts. Darren Tedesco Managing Principal, Innovation and Strategy  Darren’s tenure at Commonwealth began in 1994. Initially hired as a staff accountant, he has filled many roles since then, including assistant controller and director of commissions. Since moving to Technology in 2000—largely due to the infamous Y2K nonevent—his focus has been on Commonwealth’s software. In his current role as managing principal of innovation and strategy, Darren creates and supports critical business strategies by setting the direction of Commonwealth’s business systems. He also investigates the use of new technologies and business opportunities to enhance the customer experience. He speaks regularly at industry conferences and is frequently quoted in industry publications for his knowledge of software in the financial advisor community.Darren received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut in 1993 and his MBA with honors from Bryant College in 1999. He became a certified project manager (PMP®) in 2005. Darren lives in Boston with his wife, Tonya, and his two children, Dillon and Noah. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and just about any type of sport and outdoor activity, including golf, swimming, hiking, scuba diving, and skiing. Back to Top |
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