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 is a seasoned financial expert with over 40 years of industry experience. He has established a strong reputation working with high-net-worth families, focusing on effectively managing client assets and guiding wealth transfers across generations. Since 1990, Doug has served as Vice President of the firm, where he leads the fixed-income department, overseeing bond research and trading operations. As a registered investment advisor, Doug manages diversified client portfolios in both equity and fixed-income investments. In addition to portfolio management, he provides trusted fixed-income advice to other investment professionals. Doug holds a 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 $125 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*.
Megan Naydenova, Portfolio Manager
Megan joined the firm in 2024 after 5 years at Morgan Stanley as a Wealth Advisor Associate and Financial Advisor where she managed $28 million of client assets. She received her B.A. in Economics with a Business minor from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Megan’s licenses include the FINRA SIE, 7 and 66. Megan is pursuing her Certified Financial Planner designation as well.
Kyle Munson, Associate Portfolio Manager
Kyle Munson joined the firm in 2023 after 4 years as a Financial Consultant and Financial Services Representative. He received his BS in Finance Agribusiness from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Kyle’s licenses include the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) License, FINRA Series 7 and 66. He is working toward his CFP as well.
Valerie Romano, Operations & Client Services Manager
Omar Haq, Financial Services
Caryn Okubo, Client Services
Laurie Koniarski, Operations Support
Kim Carter, Client Services
Veda Sidney, Administrative Support
*CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards,Inc.
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and CRPC® are trademarks or registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning in the United States and/or other countries.
