Experience

John has over 30 years of experience in the finance industry. He started his career in corporate finance working at First Interstate Bank and later Banque Paribas, focusing on the Media and Telecommunications industry. He then shifted into investment management about 20 years ago and worked at Morgan Stanley before joining UBS in 2006. 

John uses his knowledge of investment banking and investment management to help families deal with everyday issues including retirement planning, investing, college saving, selling closely held businesses and estate planning.

John received his MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and his BS from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He also obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™  and Certified Investment Management Analyst®  certifications. John resides in Manhattan Beach with his wife and two children. John, an Eagle Scout, is passionate about helping others through his involvement with the Boy Scouts, Rotary, and charities serving the developmentally disabled. John enjoys golf, tennis and skiing among other sports.

At UBS, John concentrates on in-depth wealth management strategies and comprehensive financial planning. In addition to being a Senior Vice President of Wealth Management, he is a Senior Portfolio Manager for Bel-Air Wealth Management, specializing in portfolio management.

John's background and experience span over 40 years in finance including investment banking, financial services and banking regulation. His career in wealth management began 20 years ago with Merrill Lynch and he eventually managed their office in Santa Monica. He joined UBS in 2005 and in 2010 he became a member of Bel-Air Wealth Management. He holds an MBA in finance from the University of North Texas and a BBA in finance from the University of Iowa. He holds his Series 7, 8, 66 and 31 securities licenses in addition to being a Certified Investment Management Analyst® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. 

John and his wife, Ellen, live in Beverly Hills and enjoy tennis, skiing and traveling. They are active members of the Riviera Tennis Club, the Jonathan Club and Friends of Contemporary Art.

Mark started with UBS in 2016 and has more than 30 years of investment management and finance experience. Mark has extensive expertise working with high net-worth and ultra-high net-worth clients and their families to design customized investment strategies to protect and grow their wealth.

Prior to joining UBS, Mark worked at Bel Air Investment Advisors, LLP, a boutique wealth management firm serving ultra-high net-worth clients. Before that, Mark founded and was the Managing Partner of Lionshead Capital Management, LLC, an investment management firm which made direct structured equity and debt investments into publicly-traded small and mid-cap companies. Mark also held the roles of Senior Vice President at Tucker Anthony Sutro in Los Angeles and at Morgan Stanley in New York.

Mark received his B.A. with honors from UCLA and his M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management.

Mark lives in Westwood with his wife and three boys. He served on the board of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center and is an active supporter of Children International and UCLA.

After graduating from UCLA in 1986 with a BA in economics, David joined one of the country's largest accounting firms, Deloitte Haskins and Sells. After earning his CPA designation as an auditor and tax specialist, he spent the next two decades building a career as a family office CEO and business manager focusing on high net worth individuals and families in the media and entertainment fields. In both roles, David managed all aspects of his clients' financial lives including estate, tax, insurance, philanthropy and investment planning, as well as real estate development, and property management.

In 2000, David pivoted to focus exclusively on investment advice and financial management, and joined JP Morgan. After 15 years, he and his team moved to UBS and formed Palisades Advisors. As a founding partner, Senior Portfolio Manager, and chief strategist, he is responsible for developing all of the team's investment platforms.

For over 20 years, David has been passionately involved in animal rescue and animal welfare causes. In 2008, he formed Used Pets, a 501(c)(3) public charity which helps fund a foster network that provides care and safe homes for rescued dogs. He is also a founding board member of the Best Friends Animal Society’s "No Kill LA" initiative, a PETA Vanguard Director's Circle Member, and an active voice and donor to Wags And Walks. In addition to his work with animals, David is part of a Veteran's mentoring program through American Corporate Partners (ACP) where active service members and veterans connect with business leaders who assist them with career exploration, work life balance issues, and networking opportunities.

After his football career ended with graduation from Yale University with a BA in Economics, Todd joined J.P. Morgan in 2005 as a client service associate.  In 2015 he joined UBS and co-founded Palisades Advisors.  In addition to being the team's lead trader and point person for our financial planning initiatives, he assists with asset allocation modeling, portfolio reviews, investment vehicle selection, and proposals.  Todd also serves as the team's lending specialist, assisting clients with residential and commercial mortgage needs, as well as security based lending and margin loans.  Todd has earned his insurance license and helps clients obtain life insurance and long-term care coverage.

In addition to his love for sports, Todd is a muscle car enthusiast and still has his first car... a 1967 Chevy Nova SS.  Todd lives in Westlake Village with his wife Jenn.

Barbara is a Wealth Strategy Associate with several years of experience in the financial services industry. While studying for her undergraduate degree at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Barbara interned for two years with UBS in our downtown branch. Following her graduation, she received a full time offer as a client service associate. She joined our team in 2017 and is responsible for providing portfolio management support, assisting with business development and marketing efforts.

Barbara is a Los Angeles native who grew up in Pacific Palisades. She aspires to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and in her spare time Barbara enjoys traveling.

Ling is responsible for leading the team's client service and administration efforts. She brings a unique perspective to her role. She approaches every relationship with empathy, understanding and a commitment to helping clients move successfully through financial challenges toward their goals. Her meticulous attention to detail and follow up are invaluable to our team and our clients.

Ling earned a BA in Biology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1999 she began her career in wealth management and joined UBS in 2008. Ling holds the following securities industry licenses: Series 7, 63, 65, 9 and 10. Outside the office, Ling frequents Disneyland and LEGOLAND with her husband and their two young daughters.

Liliana Burneo-Brown has been working in financial services for over 27 years. She practices a holistic approach in servicing clients. A priority for Liliana is making sure clients’ needs are satisfied with great attention to detail. Liliana enjoys spending time with her son, who will be a freshman in college this year. Liliana is an advocate for transitional youth leaving the foster care system. In her spare time, Liliana is an avid hiker and loves Pilates and hot yoga.

Grant is a Registered Client Service Associate who has a few years of experience in wealth management from working at UBS’s home office and joining our team in 2021. He brings a special perspective with his empathetic and interpersonal approach. His primary focus is helping our clients with administrative and operational services.

Being a Los Angeles native growing up in Manhattan Beach, Grant attended Chapman University earning a BS in Business Administration while also studying psychology, piano performance, and movie score composition. He aims to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and has passions for art, music, animals, and above all, helping others.

Jordan was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, where he studied International Relations and Global Business. While at USC, he served as a research assistant for the former Chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council. He joined Bel-Air Wealth Management in January as a team associate.

Jordan is an avid sports fan who roots for the Lakers, Dodgers, Trojans and Arsenal Football Club.

In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and going out with friends.