Experience

As a founding member of GKB & Associates, Joe coordinates the team’s investment strategy, asset allocation models and investment selections. He focuses on helping clients develop retirement planning strategies that emphasize both wealth creation and distribution.

Joe began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1985, after graduating from St. John’s University with a degree in political science and accounting. He holds a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificate, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He also holds the Chartered Financial Consultant, CHFC and Chartered Life Underwriter, CLU designations.

Joe lives in New Jersey with his wife and their two children.

As a founding member of GKB & Associates, Steve is the managing partner and is responsible for the management of the team as well as its daily operations.  In addition, he focuses on helping clients develop strategies to achieve their families’ goals and objectives.

Steve began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1989, after graduating from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. During his tenure at the firm, he earned his MBA in finance from Fordham University.

Steve lives in New York City.  He has a daughter in Law School.  As a cancer survivor himself, Steve is actively involved with LRF-Lymphoma Research Foundation.

As a founding member of GKB & Associates, Stefani is responsible for developing wealth preservation strategies. She comprehends what is most important to clients and/or their businesses. Based on her analyses, she recommends investment and balance sheet strategies, on both the asset and liability sides, designed to target specific needs including access to the credit and lending services at UBS Financial Services.

Stefani began her career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1997 after graduating from Lafayette College with a degree in economics and business.

Along with four other executives, Stefani founded the Merrill Lynch Women’s Mentoring Program in 2006. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children. 

Daniel helps executives, families and successful business owners pursue their financial goals. He forms long-term client relationships based on trust, dependability, financial planning, and superior service.

Daniel began his career in 1998 working for Merrill Lynch on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. He re-joined Merrill as a Financial Advisor in 2009. Dan has an MBA from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.  Daniel holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

He grew up in New York City and currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

As a member of GKB & Associates, Connor is responsible for leading the team’s financial planning strategies for a diverse group of clients including executives, investment professionals, business owners, and professional athletes, helping them design individualized plans. His approach is centered on building strong relationships and simplifying clients' financial lives so they can focus on what matters most.

Connor graduated from Providence College where he played basketball for the Friars and earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics. Connor holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

Connor was born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut where he currently lives with his wife and three children, Louise, Vivian and Peter.

Ruth has been advising high-net-worth clients for over 35 years, beginning her career with Merrill Lynch in 1986 before joining UBS. She provides wealth management and investment management strategies for individuals, families, businesses and retirees. Ruth is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. She also holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation

She graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in English and from Bank Street College with a master’s degree in education. Prior to joining the industry, Ruth taught at The Little Red School House in Greenwich Village, New York. She also owned and operated the Meeting House Day Camp in Amagansett, Long Island. Ruth is an avid horseback rider and has enjoyed riding adventures in India, Africa and Wyoming. She resides in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Julia joined The GKB & Associates Group at Merrill in 2015. She holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC®) designation from the College for Financial Planning and earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in Finance and a minor in Law and Policy from Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. As a planning specialist, Julia analyzes extensive financial information with the end goal of creating a robust financial plan for our clients. She leverages the firm’s internal specialists to explore opportunities in areas of estate and gift taxes, philanthropy, trust structures, and income tax planning to meet client needs and goals. Julia strives to be an excellent and reliable resource for all our clients and leads the team’s client experience, onboarding, communication, and client review process. Her main goal is to simplify the lives of the individuals and families we work with by addressing their complex needs by proactively educating them about the various suite of solutions, digital tools, and platforms across the enterprise.

Originally from Latvia, Julia currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Tally and daughter Lily.

Dorothy is a Rutgers University graduate with a degree in Economics and with over 25 years of financial services experience, beginning her career at Merrill Lynch in 1999. She is committed to delivering personalized financial guidance by understanding and addressing clients' unique needs. Living in New Jersey with her daughter and partner, who has ALS, Dorothy integrates her professional experience with her dedication to philanthropy, particularly ALS awareness and advocacy. Dorothy manages client portfolios reviews, financial analysis, net worth evaluations, and tailored asset allocation strategies. Her focus on customized solutions ensures her dedication to clients achieving their financial goals with a continuous emphasis on progress.

Mathew joined GKB & Associates in 2022. In his current role, his responsibilities include investment manager research, strategy implementation, tracking investment performance, generating investment proposals, and trading.

Mathew holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation and is a member of CFA® Society New York. He is also a CAIA charterholder. Mathew received a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and business management from Skidmore College where he was also a member of the baseball team.

He currently resides in New York City with his rescue dog, Maddison.

Christine joined The GKB & Associates Group at Merrill Lynch in 2022.  She is the first point of contact for clients and assists them with their administrative needs. Christine helps clients and the advisor team with support tasks such as scheduling meetings, sending funds transfers and checks, and managing required minimum distributions.  She strives to build positive client relationships and maintain satisfaction through effective communication. She was born and raised in Central New Jersey and currently resides in Hoboken.

Mike joined UBS in November 2023.  His responsibilities include daily monitoring of client accounts, assisting with account updates, and technology support.  He enjoys speaking with clients and working behind the scenes to ensure each client’s request is fulfilled efficiently with the highest level of service.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College.  He currently resides in New Jersey and is excited to continue fostering relationships and maintaining the confidence that clients have placed in GKB & Associates.