Our Team
John Campbell, AIF®| Managing Principal
John is the founder and Co-President of Benefit Financial Services Group. For over 25 years, he has been working with retirement plan fiduciaries to improve and enhance retirement plan offerings. As the Managing Principal of Institutional Services, he helps to direct the firm’s vision while overseeing its activities.
John earned an Associates’ Degree in radiology from Orange Coast Community College in 1982 and attended California State University, Long Beach from 1982 to 1984. John is an Investment Advisor Representative with BFSG, LLC, and became an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) in 2004.
Patrick Powers, CFA®, CPA, CFP® | Managing Principal
With over 30 years of investment experience, Patrick is a Managing Principal at Benefit Financial Services Group. Patrick is a CFA® charterholder, a Certified Public Accountant with a Personal Financial Specialist Designation (CPA/PFS), and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Patrick is a member of the Investment Committee.
Patrick has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from California State University, Fullerton.
Grace Y. Lau, MBA, CFA® | Managing Principal
With over 35 years of investment experience, Grace leads the wealth management division’s Phoenix, Arizona office. Prior to starting her own firm, Pacwest Financial Management, Inc., which merged with BFSG, LLC. in 2017, she worked in various portfolio and wealth management roles at First Interstate Capital Management, Barclays Private Bank and Northern Trust.
Grace is a CFA® charterholder. She earned a master’s degree in International Business and Finance from George Washington University in 1975 and a bachelor’s degree in Biology & Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in 1973. She attended Pacific Coast Banking School and graduated as an Honor Graduate in 1983.
Steven Lee Yamshon, PhD | Managing Principal
Steven Lee Yamshon is a Managing Principal at Benefit Financial Services Group and a member of the Investment Committee. With over 35 years of experience, Steve provides valuable insights and perspectives on the economy, markets, and investments.
Prior to joining BFSG, LLC, Steve was managing clients and investments at Stevens First Principles Investment Advisors and Security Pacific National Bank. He has been teaching investment finance at UCLA for over 25 years. He has written 2 books and 32 research papers and case studies on investments, economics, and management. His dissertation Human Action and the Securities Markets was praised for its breakthrough research on the melding of Modern Portfolio Theory and the Austrian Trade Cycle Theory.
Steve earned his Bachelor of Science Degree with honors in Environmental Resources from CSU, Sacramento. His master qualifications and post-doctorate certificate in Management and Finance is from the University of Oxford, Said Business School. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Owner President Management Program and earned his Certificates in Digital Transformation, Technology, and Innovation from Sloan School of Management at MIT. Steve also studied finance, economics, and management at the Doctoral Degree level at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA as a Visiting Scholar. His PhD is from the International Post Graduate School, Universidad de San Jose which merged into Fundacion Empresarial in 1996. He is on the Board of Governors at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and is a volunteer field ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.
Christopher Rowey, AIFA® | Principal | Senior Retirement Plan Consultant
Christopher joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2007. His responsibilities include serving as primary Investment Consultant to a number of corporate, public and higher education retirement plan clients. His extensive industry experience dates back to 1987. Prior to joining BFSG, Chris worked for the Capital Group/American Funds where he held a wide range of roles within the corporate retirement and institutional investment market, including developing Capital Group’s first full service 401(k) product offering.
Chris graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1985, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature. He is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC, and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® (AIFA®).
Darren Stewart, JD | Principal | Senior Retirement Plan Consultant
Darren joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2006 and currently serves as the primary Investment Consultant to a number of corporate and public clients. His legal background is instrumental in the review of contracts and service agreements on behalf of BFSG’s clients and during his tenure he has contributed significantly to the development and innovation of BFSG’s processes and service model.
Darren received his Juris Doctorate with Tax Law Emphasis from Chapman University in 2007. While at Chapman, he received the CALI Award for Excellence in the Study of Qualified Pension and Profit Sharing. In 2004, he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Financial Economics at the University of Redlands. Darren is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Tina Schackman, CFA®, CFP® | Principal | Senior Retirement Plan Consultant
Tina re-joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2019 after spending 7 years with Prudential Retirement. Tina was originally with BFSG from 2004 to 2011 and primarily served as an Investment Consultant to a number of corporate and public clients. Tina currently serves as a Principal and Senior Retirement Plan Consultant. Her expansive background in the retirement industry allows Tina to contribute to the firm’s overall vision and best practices.
Tina received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the California State University, Fullerton in 1994. In 2003, she graduated from the Keller Graduate School of Management with a master’s degree in Accounting and Financial Management. Tina is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Michael Allbee, CFP® | Principal | Senior Portfolio Manager | Chief Compliance Officer
Michael is a member of the Investment Committee. He is also our Chief Compliance Officer, ensuring that we are in compliance with all government regulations. Michael’s main responsibilities include managing and monitoring client portfolios, researching and monitoring our mutual fund investments, and reviewing portfolios with clients. He has been with our firm since 2007.
Michael has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and is a notary public.
Thomas J. Steffanci, PhD | Senior Portfolio Manager
Thomas is a Senior Portfolio Manager and his main responsibilities include portfolio management and strategy, and economic and investment research. Prior to joining our team, he was involved in portfolio management and strategy at Trust Company of the West, Fidelity Investments, AER Advisors, Inc and Glencrest Investment Advisors, Inc.
Thomas earned a PhD in Monetary Economics from the University of Connecticut in 1978, a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of New Hampshire in 1968 and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Providence College in 1966.
Nora Rascon-Brooks, FPQP™ | Senior Operations Manager | Portfolio Administrator
As the Senior Operations Manager, Nora handles the wealth management division’s internal organization, including financial management, and organizational effectiveness to create an outstanding client service environment. She also assists with portfolio administration, which includes providing clients with account assistance, such as requests for funds, balances, standing instructions and any other account administrative services. With 15 years of experience, she previously worked in technology and architectural environments.
She earned the Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ designation from the College for Financial Planning.
Paul Horn, CFP® , CPWA® | Senior Financial Planner | Wealth Manager
As a Senior Financial Planner & Wealth Manager, Paul takes an active role in educating clients to help them grow, manage and protect their wealth. Paul assists clients in various aspects of wealth management including clients in transition, retirement planning, succession planning for business owners and planning for executives. Paul is also a member of our investment committee.
Paul is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor™. Paul holds a Master of Science degree in Portfolio Management and Security Analysis from Creighton University. Paul joined the firm in 2019.
Arash Navi, CPA, CFP® , AWMA® | Controller | Wealth Manager
As the Controller, Arash oversees the firm’s accounting functions, including monthly GAAP financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting. He works closely with the Chief Compliance Officer to meet SEC and Sarbanes-Oxley regulatory requirements.
Arash is also a Wealth Manager at BFSG. His responsibilities include analyzing securities and reviewing portfolios with clients. Arash works with clients to help them realize their short and long-term goals by delivering personalized financial plans and retirement analysis.
Arash received a Bachelor of Science in Economics with Distinction from the University of Victoria. He is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, and earned his Accredited Wealth Management Advisor℠ designation from the College for Financial Planning.
Kyle Nixon | Operations & Systems Manager
Kyle is responsible for all of our back office operations including our portfolio management and performance reporting system, accounting, budgeting, meeting all of our technology and computer needs, and anything else needed in order to keep our practice running smoothly, using all of the systems and information available to us.
Kyle has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Fullerton. He is also a notary public.
Chad A. Noorani, QKA | Retirement Plan Consultant | Operations Manager
Chad joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2011 and is currently a Retirement Plan & Investment Consultant to a number of corporate and public clients. In addition to his client responsibilities, Chad is responsible for leading the design and development of new client deliverables and creating efficiencies within BFSG’s in-house reporting process. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the CFA® Society Orange County and is the Education Committee Co-chairperson, as well as being the sitting President of the Society’s educational foundation..
Chad graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. He currently holds the ASPPA Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation. Chad is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Braden Priest, CFA® | Retirement Plan Consultant
Braden joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2015 and is currently a Retirement Plan & Investment Consultant to a number of corporate and public clients. His current responsibilities include serving as the Client Service Manager to a number of public and private retirement plan clients. He began his career at Aon Hewitt, administering client retirement plans in the Large Market Division.
Braden graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. In 2019, Braden earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Mark L. Blom, CFP® | Senior Wealth Manager
Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and his main responsibilities include managing and monitoring client portfolios, researching and monitoring our mutual fund investments, financial planning and reviewing portfolios with clients. Prior to joining our team, Mark was involved in portfolio and wealth management at Charles Schwab & Co. and Clarity Financial, LLC.
Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Central College.
Keith Johnson, CFP® | Senior Education Specialist | Financial Planner
Keith is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 24 years of financial sector experience. He has extensive experience conducting financial planning workshops, seminars and has acted as key-note speaker at several national conferences. As a Senior Education Specialist, Keith takes an active role in educating clients to help grow, manage, and protect their wealth. Among conducting educational workshops, Keith’s expertise includes transitioning clients into retirement, succession planning, and assisting clients in transition.
Additionally, for more than 10 years Keith was part of UCLA’s Life-Long Learning Program as an instructor of Personal Financial Planning for one of the the University’s fastest growing segments, UCLA Extension. Keith is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Justin Nardo, MBA, CFP® | Senior Relationship Manager
Justin rejoined the firm in 2019 and is responsible for the overall client experience and financial planning. He has assisted high net worth individuals and families with financial planning and wealth management at TIAA, Fidelity, and Vanguard.
Justin is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds his MBA and undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University. He is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran and served 8 years in the Army, Army Reserves, and Arizona National Guard.
Robert Verdugo, CMFC®, APMA®, CMT® | Financial Analyst
As a Financial Analyst, Robert assists in the execution of trades, account analysis, and performance reporting. He has previously worked for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, LLP in their finance department.
Robert graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics. He currently holds the Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor ℠ and Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor℠ designations from the College for Financial Planning. He was awarded the Chartered Market Technician® designation in 2022.
Aksana Munoz, QKA | Lead Client Service Manager | Plan Compliance Specialist
Aksana joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2013 and currently serves as a Lead Client Service Manager and Plan Compliance Specialist for a number of corporate and public clients. Her previous experience includes risk analysis of daily executed energy trades for Exelon Corporation, as well as providing assistance for a business development team at JP Morgan Chase, Investment Bank.
Aksana graduated from Drexel University, Philadelphia, in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Finance. She currently holds the ASPPA Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation and is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Nicole Chou | Client Service Manager
Nicole joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2018 and currently serves as a Client Service Manager for a number of corporate and public clients. Prior to joining BFSG, Nicole worked in real estate and was a Collateral Management Specialist at State Street.
Nicole graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Pacific with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship. While enrolled, Nicole was Chief Operating Officer of the school’s investment fund and helped manage and allocate the fund’s $2.9M in assets. She is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Antonia Lipovac | Client Service Manager
Antonia joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2020 and currently serves as a Client Service Manager for a number of corporate and public clients. Prior to joining BFSG, Antonia worked for a private wealth management firm as a Financial Advisor Associate.
Antonia graduated from the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. She is an Investment Advisor Representative of BFSG, LLC.
Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®| Wealth Manager
Henry is a Wealth Manager where his main responsibilities are constructing and monitoring financial plans pursuant to each client’s unique goals as well as being a member of the investment committee for BFSG. Prior to joining BFSG, Henry worked for a private wealth management firm as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Investment Analyst.
Henry received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California Lutheran University. Henry is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
Brent Chou | Investment Research Analyst
Brent joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2020 and currently serves as an Investment Research Associate. His responsibilities include investment and retirement plan research, plan reporting, and cost analysis. Prior to joining BFSG, Brent worked as a Derivatives Specialist at State Street.
Brent graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Pacific with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. While enrolled, Brent was Chief Investment Officer of the school’s investment fund and helped manage and allocate the fund’s $3.7M in assets.
Erin Schneider | Investment Research Analyst
Erin joined Benefit Financial Services Group in June 2021 as an Investment Research Analyst. Her responsibilities include investment and retirement plan research, plan reporting, and cost analysis. She provides overall support to our Consultants and Client Services Managers.
Erin graduated from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a concentration in Personal Financial Planning. While there she was captain and cofounder of the Women’s Club Ice Hockey team tasked with running the organization and providing leadership.
Xiaomei Huang, MBA, MS | Securities and Financial Analyst
As a Securities and Financial Analyst, Xiaomei’s current responsibilities include analyzing securities using fundamental research. Prior to joining Benefit Financial Services Group, she worked in the media and she approaches security analysis like how a journalist chases a story.
Xiaomei holds her MBA degree from Xiamen University and her Master of Science degree from University of Strathclyde. She graduated with Distinction from UCLA Extension in Finance. She is also pursuing her CFA® designation.
Kirk Masci, MFin | Investment Analyst
Kirk is an Investment Analyst at Benefit Financial Services Group. He is responsible for conducting investment research using fundamental and technical analysis. He previously held a position at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he was a Financial Solutions Advisor helping clients plan for retirement and helping them achieve their general investing goals. His passion is conducting equity research to potentially find undervalued securities and implement these findings into portfolio construction.
Kirk received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance. After graduating, Kirk went on to earn his Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Arizona. He is currently a Level II candidate in the CFA® program.
Laura Pistoresi | Client Service Manager
Laura joined Benefit Financial Services Group in 2018. As a Client Service Manager she focuses on the client relationship experience and continuing our tradition of striving to exceed client expectations.
Laura graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communications. Prior to joining our team, Laura was involved in the insurance industry, with years of experience in both the health and life insurance markets. Her experience in management and natural connection to people made her the ideal fit as our Client Service Manager.
Sandi Stratford | Client Service Specialist
As the Client Service Specialist, Sandi focuses on the client relationship experience and provides portfolio administration, which includes providing clients with account assistance, such as requests for funds, balances, standing instructions and any other account administrative services. She has worked in the financial industry since 1995 and previously worked at Financial & Estate Planning International.
Katie DeSantis | Client Service Specialist & Social Media Coordinator
As the Client Service Specialist & Social Media Coordinator, Katie provides ongoing administrative support along with management of records and documents, and superior customer service. She has previously worked as an administrative assistant for over four years and in customer service for over ten years. Katie completed her associates degree at Saddleback College.
Elsie Khoury | Administrative Assistant
Elsie joined Benefit Financial Services Group in April 2012 as an Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for 3 years as a talent recruiter in the education industry. Elsie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sales from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. With more than 7 years of experience in customer service and administrative support, she helps ensure that the office operates smoothly and efficiently.
*Please Note: Limitations. Neither the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, nor any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results or satisfaction if Benefit Financial Services Group is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services.