Our Philosophy: Aligning Life & Wealth^®

Michael Conway is the visionary founder and CEO of Conway Wealth Group. After working with esteemed families for 35 years, Michael has heard over and over: money isn’t the most important thing. It’s family. His passion lies in removing the disconnect in most financial conversations by using bespoke solutions that blend financial and estate planning strategies with a unique values-based investment approach.

Big or small, crazy or not, all families follow a little bit of a different structure. Michael helps guide professionals like successful entrepreneurs, C-suite executives and Wall Street decision-makers to align their life and wealth—building a legacy that will make their success last generations of their family.

Michael lives what he preaches, cherishing moments with his wife, Leslie and their three children (and beloved dog, Leo) in New Jersey above all else. He wants to live life to the fullest, finding solace in church, backpacking, scuba diving, and horseback riding. These fuel his boundless enthusiasm for life’s endless possibilities.

Michael has been named 100 Most Influential Advisors by Investopedia and is frequently recognized in the media including Barron’s, the Wall Street Journal, Investment News, and Investor’s Business Daily. He holds credentials as a Certified Financial Planner® and a Chartered Financial Consultant®.

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Zachary Conway a is managing director of Conway Wealth Group.

With more than nine years of experience in the financial industry, Zachary oversees business operations and strategy for the practice. In addition, Zachary works directly with clients to provide ongoing advice and financial planning guidance. Zachary also writes on important industry topics with various media outlets and as a contributor for Forbes.

Zachary graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in Economics. He currently lives in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey with his wife, Meghan, and three daughters, Cora, Logan and Addison. He enjoys fly fishing, scuba diving, golf, traveling and writing.

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Certifications: ChFC®, American College

Licenses: SIE, Series 7, 63, 66, and 55

As a designated Charter Financial Consultant Michael brings over two decades of experience in the financial services industry to Conway Wealth Group.

Using a holistic approach, Michael works with closely held businesses, senior corporate executives and Wall Street professionals helping them properly evaluate their needs and implement strategies to protect their futures.

Michael holds a BA from the University of Maryland, and ChFC® from American College.

Michael and his wife, Jodi live in Berkeley Heights NJ with their two boys.

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Licenses: SIE, Series 7, 6, 63, 66, and 26

As a successful and well-respect financial advisor, Michael brings over 30 years of wealth management and financial planning experience to Conway Wealth Group.

Using a holistic approach, Michael creates a personalized plan integrating all aspects of a client’s unique goals and objectives. Utilizing a deep bench of legal, tax, and financial planning experts, Michael places YOU at the center of your planning.

Michael develops a deep understanding of clients’ financial goals and objectives and integrates excellent firm expertise and cutting-edge technology to maximize the client experience for families and business owners alike.

Michael resides in Monmouth County, NJ and has two children. He enjoys spending time with his kids and friends while being a surf fishing and running enthusiast.

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Charlie Cernosia is a registered financial advisor and Managing Director at Conway Wealth Group. As an advisor within our organization, Charlie will continue to deliver outstanding advice and service to his clients.

A CFA® Charterholder with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Charlie most recently led a team of foreign exchange options traders for HSBC in Hong Kong and was global head of the Yen book. His previous experience includes trading and management roles for Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers, and Citigroup in London, New York and Singapore.

Charlie received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University.

Charlie resides in Morris County, NJ. He has been married for over 20 years and has two sons in college and a daughter in high school.

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Neil Cashes, CFP® is Director of Wealth Planning with Conway Wealth. He began his career in financial services in 2013. Neil has experience in all aspects of financial planning working closely with clients on budget and cash flow analysis, retirement planning, asset allocation, and insurance planning solutions. He holds his Series 6, Series 63, Series 7, and Series 66 securities licenses in New Jersey as well as his Life and Health insurance licenses in various states. He also holds his CFP® designation.

Neil played college baseball at Drew University. He currently resides in Tinton Falls, New Jersey with his wife, Katie and his son, Tucker. His interests include, baseball, ice hockey, the beach, and traveling.

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Ava is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor AWMA® with nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she is a proud member of the College for Financial Planning Association. Ava’s expertise spans various roles, including Private Wealth Relationship Manager, Portfolio Manager and Trust Advisor with previous experience at Merrill (Bank of America) and Northern Trust.

At Conway Wealth, Ava is passionate about positively impacting her clients’ lives. She offers personalized wealth services, including estate, insurance, retirement and tax planning. Ava’s approach focuses on understanding clients’ priorities and goals, designing tailored financial plans to help them achieve long-term financial success.‍

Ava believes in a comprehensive holistic approach to financial planning, integrating all aspects of a client’s financial life to create a roadmap to financial independence. Her dedication to honesty and integrity forms the foundation of her professional reputation.

Outside of work, Ava resides in Atlanta, GA. She can be found in her spare time cheering on the GA Bulldawgs, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Hawks as an avid sports fan! Ava also enjoys playing golf and volunteering for financial literacy programs in low-income school districts, participating at the Ronald McDonald House for Charities, and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.‍

Ryan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he is a proud member of the Financial Planning Association. Ryan’s expertise spans various roles, including financial advisor, analyst, and planner, with previous experience at Vanguard Inc. as a Financial Planner.

At Conway Wealth, Ryan is passionate about positively impacting his clients’ lives. He offers personalized wealth services, including estate, insurance, retirement, and tax planning. Ryan’s approach focuses on understanding clients’ priorities and goals, designing tailored financial plans to help them achieve long-term financial success.

Ryan believes in a comprehensive approach to financial planning, integrating all aspects of a client’s financial life to create a roadmap to financial independence. His dedication to honesty and integrity forms the foundation of his professional reputation.

Outside of work, Ryan resides in Southeastern PA with his wife Jessica, their three children, and their chocolate lab. He enjoys watching his children participate in various sports and spending time with friends and family.

Jake Piasecki is Head of Growth with Conway Wealth.

With a career spent in both the pharmaceutical and financial services sectors, Jake brings nearly 15-years of marketing and business development experience to Conway Wealth. He is responsible for creating and maintaining high net worth client relationships, strategic partnerships, and implementation of business development strategies. In addition, Jake provides strategic direction and implementation for Conway Wealth’s integration of life and wealth services.

Jake graduated from Quinnipiac University. He currently lives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey with his wife, two sons, and golden retriever. He enjoys playing music, hiking, fly fishing, skiing, golf, and traveling.

Kenneth serves as Head of Strategy and Experience, developing and implementing efficient processes to ensure top-notch client service and advice, while significantly growing businesses.

He brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, spanning from startups to large enterprises, and a diverse background in advisor and leadership roles.

Throughout Kenneth’s career, a commitment to excellence and a passion for delivering exceptional client experiences have been central to his approach. This has been at the heart of his success with strategically scaling teams to drive revenue and profit.

Kenneth holds an MBA in Finance and a BBA in Real Estate. As a Certified Financial Planner® and holding additional certifications as a Certified Investment Management Analyst and Chartered Market Technician, Kenneth provides comprehensive financial solutions to meet the unique needs of each client.

Outside of work, Kenneth enjoys spending time with his wife and son in Colorado. They can be found hiking, skiing, and cooking.

Susan, a FINRA licensed Series 6 and Series 63 holder with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments (PKS) and 20-year veteran of Summit Financial Resources, the predecessor firm to Summit Financial, LLC, has joined Conway Wealth Group as operations specialist. After studying business administration at William Paterson University, Susan started her career with Summit Financial Resources, Inc. in the compliance department where she served as a compliance specialist for 10 years where she worked directly with the president and chief compliance officer of Summit Financial Resources, Inc. and Summit Equities, Inc.

After learning the nuances of the wealth advisory business, Susan transitioned to 10 additional years as Executive Administrative Assistant to John Pappadopoulos, co-Founder, and shareholder of Summit Equities, Inc and Summit Risk Management, Inc.

Susan currently resides in Caldwell, NJ, with her daughter Maria, son Anthony, and their dog Tracer. In her free time, Susan enjoys traveling, exercising, and cooking.

Summit Financial, LLC, a SEC registered investment advisor established November 2018, is the successor firm to Summit Equities, Inc. (registered with the SEC in 1991) and Summit Financial Resources, Inc. (registered with the SEC in 1983) for all of their investment advisory and financial planning business.

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Kim Kushel is the Director of Client Engagement for Conway Wealth.

Kim has worked in the financial services industry for more than 25 years. Her specialization in client services and operations means that she has the knowledge to provide the five-star service Conway Wealth Group clients deserve and have come to expect.

Kim’s responsibilities include scheduling appointments, coordinating and preparing for client review meetings, monitoring and implementing account changes, providing assistance on investment reports and preparing tax packages.

Kim earned a degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Delaware. She and her husband, Scott, live in Livingston, New Jersey with their three children and two dogs. Kim was born in Baltimore, Maryland and is an Orioles and Ravens fan, as well as a Giants and Yankees fan. In her free time, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, going to the gym, reading and attending concerts.

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Laurie has been affiliated with Summit Financial, LLC and its affiliates for over 30 years, providing outstanding support to both partners and high-net-worth clients alike.

As an executive administrative assistant to Summit Financials’ Frank Araneo for over 20 years and Kevin Rex for 10 years, Laurie has experience and expertise handling all aspects of client engagement.

Laurie has two children, Lindsey and Garrett, and resides in New Jersey with her husband, John and dog, Cooper. In her free time, she enjoys biking, baking, and playing board games with her family.

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Ken Kovacs is Director of Client Services for Conway Wealth Group.

Ken is responsible for delivering a concierge client service experience to the successful entrepreneurs, c-level executives, Wall Street professionals, and professional athletes that compose the practice’s private client group. He solves any account related problems clients may have by administering trade requests, preparing client review meetings, coordinating insurance premiums and investment reports, preparing tax packages, and providing bill paying services.

Ken brings 29 years of experience to the practice. Since 1995, Ken has worked in financial services marketing and client service for Fortune 500 companies like New York Life, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and MassMutual. He holds a Life & Health insurance license for Pennsylvania.

In his spare time, Ken enjoys hiking, target shooting, close-up magic, and going to comedy clubs and water parks with his wife and two daughters.

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Linda Yacus has recently joined the Conway Wealth Group as operations specialist after being the administration manager for John Pappadopoulos, co-Founder, and shareholder of Summit Equities, Inc and Summit Risk Management, Inc., for over 35 years.

Her extensive background has enabled her to serve all aspects of client needs on a day-to-day basis.

Linda earned a degree in Business Administration from Seton Hall University. She lives in Hillsborough, New Jersey, and enjoys gardening, scrapbook/card designing, reading, and travel.

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Nancy Chung is currently a Client Services Consultant for the Conway Wealth Group.

After almost 20 years as the Director of Client Services with our team, Nancy has retired. However, she will be available as a consultant.

With 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Nancy plays an integral role in Conway Wealth Group’s concierge service strategy. She acts as a liaison to contact banks and mortgage brokers ensure competitive rates and terms when clients have loan or mortgage needs. She also provides transaction and client service support and advice on bill paying as such requests arise.

Nancy earned a degree in Business Administration at the University of California-Berkeley. She lives in Chatham, New Jersey and enjoys hiking, camping, art, and travel.

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Gary Matthews has been providing financial services to clients since 1979, when he joined one of the large international accounting firms. He became a licensed CPA in 1981 and a tax and financial planning manager in the firm in 1983. Later, he became a partner and the Head of Tax for a regional CPA firm in Albany, NY.

Since 2000, he has been a financial advisor working with individuals, small businesses, not-for-profit and religious organizations specializing in socially responsible investing (SRI) and ESG investing strategies, helping his clients employ their values directly in the construction and management of their investment portfolios.

Gary holds a variety of undergraduate and graduate college degrees, including an MS in Accounting from the University of New York at Albany, and a PhD in Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Gary lives in Madison, NJ with his wife, Lisa, and they have two grown sons and two lovely granddaughters. Gary has always enjoyed physical activities and is an experienced meditator. He has practiced the Yang form of Tai Chi and TM® Meditation for over four decades, and is a retired 3rd degree black belt in traditional moo doe, Oom Yung Doe style.

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