One commitment. All of UBS.

Sailboat splashing in water

To Diane Johnston, the why of a journey lies within the fabric of a story. She believes that much can be uncovered to help navigate a plan, family or business through the waters of opportunity by listening and discovery.

As a UBS Institutional Consultant and nearly 30-year veteran of the markets, Diane embraces the why of how a person’s story got them to today before formulating any guidance. She uses a highly personalized discovery process to unearth beliefs, heuristics and interconnectedness to past and future outcomes. Her advice centers on elevating the ethos of a mission or a goal, or both. Whether she is working with an investment committee, entrepreneur or a family, a sound mission becomes her beacon for advice.

The nucleus of your team
Diane founded The Excelsior Consulting Team with UBS because she wanted her clients to be connected to the vast, global resources that UBS Financial Services Inc. has to offer. The Excelsior Consulting Team acts as the nucleus to a network of not only thought leaders and institutional investors, but art lovers, philanthropists, family office resources, ERISA experts and innovation drivers, to name a few.

Together the Excelsior Consulting Team and our extended network of experts have the navigational skills to create an elegant plan that integrates your why and serves as the lighthouse for your assets. Capital, after all, is much greater than dollars—and to achieve financial success, it must include human and emotional capital as well.

Art viewer

Diane's Podcast

Winged & Ready
Using real stories to understand the pivotal moments and critical skills to get you and your business winged and ready to take flight, move nimbly and stop waiting (in the wings).

Connecting you to the deep resources of UBS

By seeing the big picture, we provide access to the global platforms and the financial and intellectual strengths of UBS’s experts in Wealth Management, Asset Management and our Private and Investment Banks.

Institutional consulting

Why does A.I. in space matter?

compass

A way forward

Advice for business owners

Preparing your business

Who we work with

Pursuing your goals together

Our mission is to provide quality strategies customized to your needs. Our goal is to be your primary source of financial advice. To this end, we concentrate our efforts on developing long-term relationships through a commitment to quality client service.

  • Diane Johnston

    Diane Johnston

    Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

    Institutional Consultant, UBS Institutional Consulting Program

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    • CT
    • DE
    • FL
    • MI
    • NY
    • VA

    I am a navigator! I navigate complex situations to pilot deal structures to help business owners monetize and also solve for asset allocation and investment fiduciary duties for small institutional plans (ERISA plans or E&F). My clients take care of so many people that they often don’t have time to take care of themselves. That’s where I step in to help them with their wealth. Often that includes plans that fall under ERISA or Endowments and Foundations, and I help with employee and donor education.

    For over two decades, I have brought sophisticated solutions to complex investors to position them for optimal outcomes. I help to uncover unique beliefs and goals to form a financial road map not only for specific circumstances, but for dreams and ambitions, all while using an institutional skill set and toolbox.

    Challenges that business owners face today are all too real. From regulatory and tax concerns to remaining passionate about a business or mission that may face outsized obstacles; being winged and ready is more important now than ever. The more an owner can pre-experience financial decisions and conditions, the better connected to their wealth creation’s success they will be.

    Endowments and foundations, and ERISA plans, face their own unique set of circumstances that have only increased as headwinds blow harder. Unfortunately, limited time and resources can make for missed market opportunities and governance missteps. As a seasoned finance leader, I identify the roadblocks to success and curb them by bringing alternative solutions to navigate choppy conditions.

    I live on Long Island with my husband, Doug, and am the proud mother of four young men. I enjoy racing and cruising with my family on our sailboat, and am learning to transition away from being a distant runner and finding new sports. I also like to stroke my artistic side as much as possible through writing, painting and sketching.

      • Sewanee: The University of the South, B.A., Economics
      • Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, Executive Certificate in Business Administration
      • Yale School of Management, Investment Management Theory & Practice, Executive Education
      • Institutional Consultant, UBS Institutional Consulting Program
      • Certified Investment Management Analyst®
      • Series 7, 24, 31, 55, 63, 66
      Institutional consulting
      Cash management
      Business owners
      Exit planning
      Philanthropy
      Corporate executives
      Alternative investments
      One Jericho Plaza
      Suite 205
      Jericho, NY 11753
    • taylor

      Taylor Gray

      Financial Advisor

      Institutional Consultant | Portfolio Manager

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      • CT
      • DE
      • FL
      • MA
      • NC
      • NJ
      • NY
      • VA

      Taylor’s range of experiences and passion for learning serve as the basis for his qualitative and quantitative approach to investment management and philanthropic engagement. 

      Early in his career, Taylor had a role in systems implementation at JPMorgan, pioneering the use of PCs for backend information analysis.  A move to BankBoston provided opportunities to be a business unit CFO and refine the bank’s global cost allocation program which was critical to business unit Economic Value-Added (EVA) measurement.  Taylor returned to New York to co-found Analytic Asset Management with his father where they managed investment portfolios for HNW and Institutional clients while Taylor additionally managed all operational, compliance and administrative aspects of the business.  Taylor and his partners sold their firm to Fieldpoint Private where he remained for a decade before joining UBS in 2022.

      As an Institutional Consultant, Taylor brings to bear his extensive experience - both as an institutional RIA and as Trustee and Treasurer of a private foundation - and is versed in the fiduciary requirements of UPMIFA, grantmaking, and annual audit readiness and regulatory disclosure.  Taylor is a thought leader regarding optimizing and utilizing third-party charity measurement platforms such as Candid’s GuideStar.

      As a Portfolio Manager, Taylor brings 20+ years of discretionary investment experience to bear via UBS’ Portfolio Management Program which places a select group of qualified FAs in the role of a client’s personal portfolio manager.  As a PM, he provides nimble, efficient decision making on his client's behalf by designing and delivering customizable investment strategies that can be tailored to individual preferences and needs.

        • New York University Stern School of Business, Master of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting
        • Colgate University, Bachelor of Arts in Economics
        • Institutional Consultant | Portfolio Manager
        Financial planning
        Philanthropy
        Legacy planning
        Custom portfolios
        Asset allocation
        Alternative investments
        Institutional consulting
        Sustainable investing
        709 Westchester Avenue
        Suite 400
        White Plains, NY 10604
      • Ellen Spathis

        Ellen Spathis

        Wealth Strategy Associate

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        • AZ
        • CT
        • FL
        • MI
        • NJ
        • NY
        • SC
        • TX

        Ellen has over 21 years of experience in the financial services industry. Ellen’s background is in retirement planning and investment consulting, with experience at Taft-Hartley Defined Benefit Funds and Health & Welfare Funds. She also worked with Morgan Stanley and Marcum Wealth, an independent advisory firm. She began her career at Goldman Sachs & Company in private wealth management.

        Ellen’s primary focus is on client relationships, assisting with account inquiries, account opening and maintenance, and effective communication to provide relevant information in a timely manner. She provides support to the team and implements an overall positive client experience.

        Ellen earned a BBA in International Business and MBA in Finance from Hofstra University. She currently holds her Series 7, Series 6, Series 63 and Series 66 licenses, and has a certification in the Essentials of Investment Consulting Certificate Program from the Investment Management Consultants Association. Ellen and her husband and family reside in Plainview. 

              One Jericho Plaza
              Jericho, NY 11753
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