Experience

Makes all the difference

Ajay Desai

Managing Director–Wealth Management

Private Wealth Advisor

Delivering the advice and solutions exceptional families seek
As the senior partner on his team, Ajay is lead Advisor and relationship manager for their most sophisticated clients and prospects. He is an architect of the team’s strategic vision and also advises on asset allocation and alternative investments, given his deep capital markets expertise.

As a Private Wealth Advisor and Family Office Consultant (FOC), Ajay has a particular focus on managing generational wealth and philanthropic planning. With access to the extensive global resources of UBS, he and the team provide solutions to challenging problems and concerns of ultra-high net worth clients, and more specifically to those facing exceptional families.

FOC is a UBS business designation reserved for Financial Advisors with a track record of understanding the investment, business, passion and legacy needs of sophisticated clients and aligning them to the full suite of UBS capabilities. FOCs undergo rigorous training to strengthen their industry knowledge.

Previous experience

  • Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
  • Merrill Lynch Private Bank
  • Founded and operated hedge fund
  • Co-founded cash management firm
  • Consultant with Accenture (formerly Anderson Consulting)

FINRA registrations and designations

  • Series 3, 7 and 66 securities licenses

Life

  • Ajay has three children, all active in sports that he thoroughly enjoys watching.
  • He is a fitness enthusiast who plays tennis regularly.
  • Ajay supports his personal charity for education and mentors young entrepreneurs.
  • He was elected and sits on the Board of Governors for Iowa State University, his alma mater, and is active with Pi Kappa Phi, his fraternity.

Registered States:
  • AL
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • GA
  • IA
  • ID
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MA
  • MD
  • MI
  • MN
  • MO
  • MT
  • NC
  • NE
  • NJ
  • NM
  • NY
  • OH
  • OR
  • RI
  • TN
  • TX
  • VA
  • VI
  • WA
  • WI
  • WY

Recognized as an industry leader:

  • Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
    The Barron's rating is awarded annually in March and is based on information from the prior year Q3. 
  • Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2020, 2021, 2022The Forbes rating is compiled by Shook Research and awarded annually in April based on information from a 12 month period ending June of the prior year.

Eligibility is based on quantitative factors and is not necessarily related to the quality of the investment advice. For more information on third party rating methodologies, please visit ubs.com/us/en/designation-disclosures

Education

  • Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, M.B.A.
  • Iowa State University, B.B.A.

Credentials

  • Private Wealth Advisor
  • Family Office Consultant
  • Series 3, 7 and 66 securities licenses

Our advice is comprehensive. We help diverse clients in a broad range of areas, including:

Family Offices
Philanthropy
Alternative investments
Lending services
Estate planning strategies
Asset allocation
Sustainable investing
Multi-generational families
One North Wacker Drive
Suite 3300
Chicago, IL 60606

Email Me

James Stirling

Financial Advisor

Chartered Financial Analyst®

Managing wealth with the experience and wisdom of five decades
Jim has been at the firm for more than 56 years, including positions at the UBS Investment Bank and Private Wealth Management, as well as serving as the chairman of the UBS Midwest Advisory Board. It’s in his Private Wealth career that Jim feels he truly delivers value to our clients. It brings him great satisfaction to work with his team of professional, caring Advisors who are completely committed to helping clients and their families achieve their goals, while delivering all aspects of the firm.

Previous experience

  • UBS Private Wealth Management
  • UBS Investment Bank (50 of 56 years at UBS)
  • Assistant to US Secretary of Commerce, Elliot Richardson during the Ford Administration

FINRA registrations and designations

  • Chartered Financial Analyst®
  • Series 3, 7 and 66 securities licenses

Life

  • Jim cares deeply about his community and is passionate about participating and staying involved in the issues that affect all of us.
  • He is the founding chairman of the Northwestern Medicine Professional Council for Philanthropy and former Chairman at Northwestern Memorial Management Company.
  • Jim is Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Council, and formerly the CFA Leadership Council of Chicago.
  • He also served as Trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

 

Registered States:
  • AL
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • GA
  • IA
  • ID
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MA
  • MD
  • MI
  • MN
  • MO
  • MT
  • NC
  • NE
  • NJ
  • NM
  • NY
  • OH
  • OR
  • RI
  • TN
  • TX
  • VA
  • VI
  • WA
  • WI
  • WY

Education

  • Stanford University, M.B.A.
  • Princeton University, B.A.

Credentials

  • Chartered Financial Analyst®

Our advice is comprehensive. We help diverse clients in a broad range of areas, including:

Cash management
Philanthropy
Family Offices
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

Email Me

Ross Siegel

Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

Private Wealth Advisor

Ross specializes in advising wealthy clients and their families with regard to their entire financial picture. He and the team leverage the resources of UBS while developing a deep understanding of the client’s needs and objectives. Each client requires a unique solution as all have their own individual circumstances in terms of family, liquidity, cash flow, goals, and more. This approach provides every client with the access and resources of a global wealth management firm while enjoying the benefits of a boutique relationship.

Previous experience

  • Prior to joining UBS in 2020, Ross spent 12 years in private banking with J.P. Morgan and Citigroup in Chicago.
  • That followed two years as a financial advisor with Edward Jones. 
  • Ross first entered the financial industry in 2002 when he traded futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange leading to the formation of a market neutral hedge fund which he managed until 2007.
  • Previously Ross worked in business development for Transora Corporation, a business to business exchange in the consumer packaged goods industry, as well as a Global Business Analyst for Baxter Healthcare, where he had the opportunity to live in Vienna, Austria.

Education

  • Ross has a BBA in both Accounting and Management from the University of Wisconsin School of Business in Madison.

 

Life

  • Ross and his wife Heather reside in Deerfield, IL with their three children, Hayden, Isabelle, and Brenden and their dog, Badger.
  • When not attending a hockey, dance, or volleyball activity, Ross attempts to play golf and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Registered States:
  • AL
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • GA
  • IA
  • ID
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MA
  • MD
  • MI
  • MN
  • MO
  • MT
  • NC
  • NE
  • NJ
  • NM
  • NY
  • OH
  • OR
  • RI
  • TN
  • TX
  • VA
  • VI
  • WA
  • WI
  • WY

Education

  • Wisconsin School of Business- Madison, B.B.A.

Credentials

  • Private Wealth Advisor
  • Series 7 and 66 securities licenses
  • Certified Exit Planning Advisor

Our advice is comprehensive. We help diverse clients in a broad range of areas, including:

Business owners
Estate planning strategies
Alternative investments
Family Offices
Corporate executives
Sustainable investing
One North Wacker Drive
Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60606

Email Me

Randy Bruns

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Chartered Financial Analyst®

Focus:  Capital Markets Solutions & Trading, Cash Management and Analysis

Prior Roles: Registered Marketing Associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Trader on Municipal Bond Desk with Merrill Lynch

Education: B.S. in Finance, Miami of Ohio University

Registered States:
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • GA
  • IA
  • ID
  • IL
  • IN
  • LA
  • MA
  • MD
  • MI
  • MN
  • MT
  • NC
  • NE
  • NJ
  • NY
  • OH
  • OR
  • PR
  • RI
  • TX
  • VA
  • WA
  • WI
  • WY

Education

  • Miami of Ohio University, B.S. in Finance

Credentials

  • Chartered Financial Analyst®
  • Series 3, 7 and 66 securities licenses
One North Wacker Drive
Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60606

Email Me

Grace Hemmer

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Focus: Portfolio & capital markets analysis, performance reporting and team administration

Education: B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan

Registered States:
  • AZ
  • CA
  • CO
  • DE
  • FL
  • GA
  • IA
  • IL
  • IN
  • KS
  • LA
  • MD
  • MI
  • MN
  • MT
  • NE
  • NJ
  • NY
  • OH
  • OR
  • RI
  • TX
  • WI
  • WY

Education

  • University of Michigan, B.A. in Psychology

Credentials

  • Series 7 and 66 securities licenses
One North Wacker Drive
Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60606

Email Me