Radical Career Development and Building a Foundation for Success
Eddie Kramer, MBA, CFP®, EA | Abacus Planning Group
Eddie Kramer, MBA, CFP®, EA serves a dual role as Financial Advisor and Director of Business Development at Abacus Planning Group, Inc., a financial advisory and investment counsel firm managing over $1,200,000,000 in assets for 225 families. In addition, Eddie is an adjunct professor at California Lutheran University where he teaches Retirement Income Planning, Social Psychology of Leading Clients, and Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits.
Eddie was named “10 Young Advisors to Watch” in May 2015 by Financial Advisor magazine and Investment News honored Eddie by including him in the 2016 “40 Under 40” Class (the same class as the esteemed Dr. Harness). Eddie facilitated Financial Planning Association NexGen Conference in 2017.
Eddie’s professional experience in both boutique fee-only financial advisory investment counsel at Abacus Planning Group, Inc. as well as large-scale Wealth Management advisory services at USAA Wealth Management broadened his understanding of the financial services industry allowing him to have unique insight into two vastly different business models.
Eddie served as President and Chairman of Texas Tech University Alumni Advisory Board in 2014-2015. Eddie is also a proud member of The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), Financial Planning Association (FPA), and National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA).
Live Life on Purpose: How to Make Time to Achieve Your Goals in an Overworked World
Travis Parry, Ph.D. | Make Time Institute
Travis Parry, Ph.D., is the founder of Make Time Institute, and an expert in personal and family systems. He has consulted with and trained dozens of family-owned and private businesses, all with the goal of helping them be more productive and navigate the family-business through generation transfer.
Parry graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. His professional journey began in 2002 as a financial advisor whose natural market was business owners and young married professionals. Wanting to better understand how to help couples, he pursued a master’s in psychology in 2010 from the University of Phoenix while publishing the e-book Rescue Your Marriage: How Couple Development Can Save Your Ship. Parry earned his Ph.D. in family and human development from Utah State University in 2016.
Authorship: A Written Legacy
Jim Whiddon, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® | The Old School
CEO, entrepreneur, and business author J.N. “Jim” Whiddon, who focused much of his executive career in the financial services industry, has owned and operated thriving companies for more than 30 years. He was the host of his own investment radio talk show for five years, including a stint with CNN Headline News in Dallas. Whiddon has been frequently interviewed and quoted by national media outlets including Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.
Navigating Family Governance & Legacy Planning Issues for Ultra High Net Worth Families
Elizabeth Chand | Morgan Stanley
Elizabeth Chand is the Ultra-High Net Worth (“UHNW”) Planning Specialist for Morgan Stanley’s Family Office Resources, covering the Central Region. In this capacity, Elizabeth provides specialized expertise to Financial Advisors and their UHNW clients, educating and advising across a broad spectrum of family wealth management concerns, including customized asset allocation and portfolio construction, strategic estate and financial planning, philanthropy management, family governance, wealth education and lifestyle advisory.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. degree from Chapman University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in California and Kentucky. Elizabeth lives in the Dallas, Texas area with her husband, four daughters and dog Zoe.
How Did You Know That? Transferring Knowledge from Founders to G2
Janet Briaud, CFP® | Briaud Financial Advisors
Janet Briaud founded Briaud Financial Advisors in 1986 because she saw a need for a company that would treat clients the way she herself would want to be treated. She has held leadership positions at all levels of the profession, including the board chair of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. Her financial planning and investment advice has been featured in virtually every publication in the financial and trade press, along with some surprising ones like Men’s Health magazine.
Janet grew up in Canada, and is a fluent French speaker. Before moving to the United States in the late 1970s, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Physical Education from the University of New Brunswick and the University of Ottawa, respectively.
How Did You Know That? Transferring Knowledge from Founders to G2
John Bohnsack, CFP® | Briaud Financial Advisors
John Bohnsack is a Financial Planning Associate at Briaud Financial Advisors. He joined the team in 2011 and earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification in 2012. He is active within the financial planning profession, serving on several national committees within the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He is also involved in the Bryan/College Station community, serving as a board member for the Brazos Valley Symphony.
He grew up in rural North Dakota, working on the farm that has been in his family for over 120 years. Growing up on a farm taught John about hard work, careful planning, risk, and reward. He received his B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Family Financial Planning from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota.
