You face a range of opportunities as well as complexities. We offer a limited number of individuals and families boutique-like service, broad global resources and customized financial strategies to help simplify your life so you can spend more time pursuing what matters most to you.
Meet the Team
The private wealth advisors with Merrill Private Wealth Management are rigorously trained to help meet your specialized needs with relationships based on trust and personalized service.
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Joe has provided investment services and strategies to high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families since 1999. He began his wealth management career at Goldman Sachs, where he was an ultra-high-net-worth private client advisor. In 2003, he joined UBS, where he continued his focus as an accredited ultra-high-net-worth advisor. Over the course of his career, Joe has worked in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Boston.
Joe joined the Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch in 2008, where he heads The Cefalu Group, a dedicated high and ultra-high-net-worth team. Joe, his team, and their associated investment partners, and an extended team of wealth structuring specialists, work with individuals, families, family offices, and corporate executives throughout the United States in addressing their investment and wealth management needs.
Joe draws upon extensive corporate experience in serving the needs of business owners and executives. Prior to working in investment and wealth management, Joe was Managing Director of CRD Consulting, a strategy consulting firm, where he advised CEOs of Fortune 500, mid-cap, and emerging growth companies on issues of strategic positioning and market differentiation. Joe was also a senior management consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, LLC, where he advised CEOs and senior executives on enterprise and market strategy.
Joe holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, and a B.S.B.A. from Babson College. Joe Cefalu is a qualified Portfolio Manager who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their objectives by buildng and managing his own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill Lynch model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies. When servicing clients through the firm's Investment Advisory Program, a Portfolio Manager may manage his strategies on a discretionary basis.
Joe presently serves on the Boards of Overseers for The Celebrity Series of Boston, a performing arts and educational organization, where formerly he was a Director. He is a past Board of Director for Noonan Scholars, now SCS Noonan, whose mission is providing mentoring and educational scholarship opportunities for promising inner-city Boston area high school students. Other past community service includes Board of Directors for private schools, Board of Directors for the YMCA of Ipswich, MA, committee membership for Boston Children's Theater, and serving as a one-to-one youth mentor through Friends and Family Services of Salem, MA.
Kathy joined Merrill and The Cefalu Group in 2019. Kathy's role and focus on the team is optimizing Practice Management via Technology, Infrastructure, and Operational Systems. Kathy will also specifically oversee the role of Client Associate and is currently in that position to provide client services directly to our clients while training other client associates for our team.
Prior to joining Merrill, Kathy worked for Universal Studios as Director of Strategic Marketing, and as a Planner at the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency with key roles in Leo Burnett's McDonald's and Coca-Cola product development teams, as well as their branding and advertising work.
She holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University and has lived and worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston.
Peter joined The Cefalu Group in 2016 following his graduation from college.
Peter’s prior work experience includes equity research analyst for Granite Point Capital Management, investment banking analyst for Tianjin Bohai Security Co., and Assurance Analyst for Price Waterhouse Coopers. Born and raised in Tianjin, China, Peter attended high school at Shattuck St. Mary’s School in Minnesota. At Babson College, Peter was President of the Chinese Student Association.
Peter earned his B.S. in Business from Babson College, majoring in both Finance and Mathematical Computational Finance. Peter is Boston based and has lived and worked in Boston and Tianjin, China and is language fluent in both English and Mandarin.
Elena is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Investments from Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She is also a member of the Honors Program.
Prior to joining The Cefalu Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management, she worked in marketing for Dezer Real Estate Development in Miami, FL.
Elena's focus on our team is financial and investment research, analysis, performance management, and reporting.
Elena has lived and worked in Venezuela, Miami, and Boston.
Elena is also fluent in English and Spanish.
Elena Mangialardo
Seasonal Client Associate
Addy is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance and Psychology from D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Prior to joining The Cefalu Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management, Addy worked in corporate accounting for Education First in Cambridge, MA. She focused on treasury functions and vendor relationship management.
Addy's focus on the team is leading rationalization of business, client and practice management processes, and investment research and analysis.
Addy has lived and worked in Sydney, London, Houston and Boston.
Andrew is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business concentrating in Finance and Entrepreneurship from D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Prior to joining The Cefalu Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management, Andrew worked in the Finance area of Rusitec in Buenos Aires, and also in marketing and systems at Belle & Bella in Metro New York City, as well as in operations at Immersive Play in Rio de Janeiro.
Andrew's responsibilities at The Cefalu Group include digital media strategy, researching historical and relevant transactions, and market segmentation research.
Andrew has lived and worked in New York City, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Boston.
Andrew is fluent in English and has limited working proficiency in Spanish.
Andrew Browne
Seasonal Client Associate
Martina is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance and Economics from D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Prior to joining The Cefalu Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management, Martina worked in Finance at HBCV Advisor SA in Quito, Ecuador, and in Investment Operations at Manulife Asset Management in Boston, MA, as well as in Financ at Banco del Pichincha in Quito, Ecuador.
Martina's responsibilities at The Cefalu Group include digital media strategy, researching historical and relevant transactions, and market segmentation research.
Martina has lived and worked in Quito, Boston, and Sydney.
As a client of Merrill Private Wealth Management, you have access to services and resources ordinarily reserved for the world’s largest institutions. We work with individuals, families spanning multiple generations, business owners and executives. Using a goals-based wealth management approach, we put our clients at the center of every personalized strategy.
Our Approach
A Commitment to Service
Merrill Private Wealth Management is committed to providing a select group of clients with highly personalized one-on-one service. When you work with us, our knowledgeable, rigorously trained private wealth advisors will gain a deep understanding of your goals, help you develop a multigenerational wealth strategy, and help you update your approach as needed. We are committed to providing you access to the investment insights of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America, and Merrill will continue to invest in client tools and new technology to enhance your overall experience as you and your private wealth advisor pursue what’s most important to you.
Our Philosophy
We believe your unique goals should be at the center of all of your financial decisions and form the foundation of your financial strategy. Because significant wealth requires customized goals-based financial strategies, we believe in building lasting relationships with a limited number of clients, taking the time to understand your most important priorities for today, tomorrow and your long-term future. Our philosophy celebrates collaboration. Working with a team of specialists, we draw on the resources and insights of a global financial institution to create strategies that reflect your aspirations for yourself and current and future generations of your family. Finally, we believe that while significant wealth brings complex challenges, our experience, passion and perspectives can help you simplify your life.
Focused on Investment Performance
The Cefalu Group is distinctive in its emphasis on investment performance and accountability. We inherently recognize that prudent investment management drives wealth preservation and enhancement. Clients who select our team recognize the significant tangible value of investment results over time; we invite performance-based metrics in defining our competitive edge.
Our investment philosophy is anchored by wealth preservation and downside risk management. We eschew tradition-bound, generic, and rigid investment approaches, and seek to preserve simplicity and flexibility in our portfolios. In a dynamic and constantly changing marketplace, we work to assess the risk/reward opportunity set of varied investment choices in order to manage downside risk and achieve long-term tax-sensitive compounding of investment returns.
Deliberate in Scale and Scope
The Cefalu Group does not attempt to be all things to all people. We work with a select group of affluent clients who appreciate our highly personalized approach, our detailed knowledge of the issues posed by significant wealth, and our deliberate restraint in fostering an intimate relationship with a limited client base. Clients know us well, and we know them well. Clients have a one-to-one relationship with Joe Cefalu, our team leader, who is integrally involved with the management and execution of our services and offerings.
We typically work with clients who have investable assets exceeding $5 million and net worth exceeding $10 million. Entrepreneurs, public company executives, and hedge fund portfolio managers represent a significant portion of our clients.
Practical in Advice and Execution
Clients come to us seeking simplicity, not complexity. We work to streamline their range of wealth management decisions, applying our real-life experience and hands-on knowledge. By presenting clients with our “bottom line” analysis, we provide them with the knowledge and comfort they need to make informed, practical decisions. We see little value in “throwing the book” at clients, and overwhelming them with numerous exotic, but little used strategies.
Tapping our expansive network of Merrill strategic partners and specialists, we connect clients with a wider group of advisors who can provide them with the informed advice they need to manage a broad range of wealth management needs.
A Commitment to Service
Our Philosophy
Focused on Investment Performance
Deliberate in Scale and Scope
Practical in Advice and Execution
Create a plan that is all about you.
Merrill Personal Wealth Analysis™ can help us build and document a personalized plan, centered on your goals and focused on what you want to achieve.
For clients of substantial means, Merrill Private Wealth Management provides an experience that is both powerful and personal. We are dedicated to helping you pursue your goals for today while developing an approach designed to support your family members for the years to come.
Your private wealth advisor and team of specialists work with a limited number of clients, enabling them to focus their time, training and passion on helping you simplify your personal and business finances and prepare your next generation.
Boutique-like service with the access to the investment resources of Merrill and banking convenience of Bank of America
We combine the personalized attention and feel of a smaller firm with the power and insights of a global financial institution, creating financial strategies tailored to your unique situation.
A relentless commitment to transparency and customized strategies
As our client, know we are working in your best interests, providing goals-based financial strategies designed to anticipate and help meet your evolving financial needs.
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