OUR FIRM’S LEADERSHIP

Richard C. Romano, Founder and Chairman

Richard Romano has acted as General Partner and President of Romano Brothers since 1964 and is currently Chairman. He oversees all aspects of the investment management and securities brokerage business. Dick served on the FINRA Board of Governors, the self-regulating arm of the securities industry, from 1985-88 (Vice Chairman 1986-87) and again from 1999 to 2003. He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the NASDAQ Stock Market and remains very active in community work and philanthropy. Dick earned his B.S. from the University of Illinois and M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Joseph R.V. Romano, CFP®, President

Joseph Romano joined the firm in 1995. Joe is engaged in general securities and portfolio management and works in partnership with his father, Richard Romano. Together they manage nearly $500 million in client assets. Joe directly oversees all day-to-day operations of the firm and leads the Investment Committee. He also served as President of the Illinois Securities Industry Association (ISIA) from 2005-2007. Joe is a past member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) District 8 Committee, served as Chair of the FINRA Small Firm Advisory Board, and served on the FINRA Board of Governors alongside other prominent Wall Street executives and public regulators from 2015 to 2018. He earned his B.A. in Economics with Honors from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

Douglas N. Geisser, Vice President

Douglas Geisser has more than 40 years of industry experience and has served as Vice President of the firm since 1990. Doug oversees the fixed-income department, including bond research, underwriting and trading operations. He is a registered investment advisor and manages over $250 million of equity and fixed-income portfolios. In addition, Doug acts as a fixed-income advisor to bank trust departments and other investment professionals. He earned his B.A. in Economics and Business from Lake Forest College.

Eric Bederman, Chief Operating & Compliance Officer

Eric Bederman is the Chief Operating & Compliance Officer for Romano Wealth Management. Eric has been with Romano since 2016 and a manager in the securities industry since 1991. Eric is active in industry affairs and is a past member of the FINRA District Committee-District 8 and the FINRA Continuing Education Content Committee. He is also a past member of the FINRA Small Firm Advisory Board (SFAB). Prior to Romano Wealth Management, Eric served as Chief Operating & Compliance Officer for Bernardi Securities, Inc., a fixed-income broker-dealer, and as National Operations Officer for Ernst & Young Investment Advisory Services. Eric holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management-Chicago along with the FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 27, 53, 63, and 65 licenses.

Deborah L. Cross, Portfolio Manager

Deborah Cross joined the firm in 2003 after serving as an Investment Executive for National Securities Corp. Her background also includes over 20 years business and management experience as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Circle K Ind., Inc. and Territory and Materials Manager, National Steel Services Center, Inc. Deb earned her B.A. degree from Allegheny College.

Brett Larson, CFP®, Portfolio Manager

Brett Larson joined the firm in 2006 after two years as a Personal Banker at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. Brett manages $35 million of client assets. He received a B.S. in Finance with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of Iowa, and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification*. Brett’s licenses include the FINRA Series 6, 7, 63 and 65.

Scott Miller, CFP®, Portfolio Manager

Scott Miller joined the firm in 2013 after 14 years as a Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab & Co. overseeing client assets in excess of $300 million.  Scott is a member of Richard and Joe’s investment management team.  He received his B.S. in Finance from Illinois State University.  Scott’s licenses include the FINRA Series 7 and 66, and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification*.

Peter M. Hemwall, CFA®, CFP®, Portfolio Manager

Peter, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), joined the firm in 2014 after three years at Merrill Lynch and now manages over $100 million in client assets.  He received his BS in Finance from Miami University and currently holds his FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses. Peter also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification*.