Our Team

There are certain seminal moments in our lives that shape our behaviors, our outlook and our personalities. Steve began managing client assets in 1987 – one week before that year’s market crash in what is now commonly referred to as Black Monday. The second defining moment was September 11, and most recently, we have endured the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is these events that have helped shape Steve’s approach to managing client portfolios – both through bull and bear markets. He is incredibly sensitive to peoples’ needs and experiences and takes great care to understand all aspects of an investor’s financial life. The result is that he creates customized solutions to meet each individual’s specific stage of life. This knowledge and experience gives Steve the ability not only to understand his clients’ investment goals and tolerance for risk, but also to help clients understand the team’s investment process – an exercise at which Steve excels. Within the team, Steve is responsible for setting investment strategy and asset allocations and maintaining relationships.

Throughout his career, Steve has worked predominantly with individuals, helping them grow, preserve and transfer their wealth and small to mid-sized businesses on their cash management and retirement planning. A large sub-component of the team’s client base is widowed and single women – a focus that came about as a result of Steve’s work with the families of the victims of 9/11 and is supported by his Charted Divorce Financial Analyst designation.

Steve holds a B.A. from Haverford College and currently resides in Purchase, NY with his wife Julia. Steve is an avid golfer and serves as president of his country club. He is the former president of his homeowner’s association, the Old Greenwich- Riverside Community Center and Trustee of the Bronx Prep Charter School.

George Zaki is a co-founder of Guggenheimer Zaki Wealth Advisors at Janney Montgomery Scott. He began his career at Neuberger Berman, a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers, in the midst of the financial crisis in 2007. The lessons he learned from this volatile period continue to influence him and the way he positions client advice. In addition to managing client relationships, George is responsible for portfolio construction of client assets. Utilizing the custom financial plans that the Team puts together for each client, George works to assemble and maintain an asset allocation that matches a client’s near term needs and long term goals. These objectives are often multi-generational and may include: tax planning, strategies around saving for retirement and college tuitions, social security optimization, life insurance and liability reviews and cash flow analysis of current spending and savings habits. George measures his success through seeing clients achieve their goals. It is this proven, long-term disciplined approach of Goals Based Wealth Management that drew George to his role and is the same financial planning process George and his wife have in place for themselves and their two sons.   

After having recently gone through many of the typical household formation events, George understands the challenges younger investors and families are up against with today’s complexity of balancing full-time “everything” – from professional life to personal life and all that needs to get done in between; such as house hunting, travel, childcare and weekend activities. He is also acutely aware of what it’s like to care for parents and worry about planning for what comes next. This is why a financial planning process needs to be easy, straightforward and comprehensive – without adding to the burden of an individual’s responsibilities. 

George resides in Fairfield County, Connecticut and he prides himself on his sous vide cooking skills and is willing to pit his New York Strip Steak against any of New York City’s finest steakhouses. He has long promised a cooking vlog called “The Foo[d] Fighters” once time allows. In the meantime, he has dedicated some of his free time to volunteering with the Brownsville Community Culinary Center and is a board member of his local parish, Saints Peter and Andrew Coptic Orthodox Church. Fun fact, George has cooked with the founder of the world’s number one restaurant on more than one occasion and in more than one country – even doing so while listening to The Beastie Boys – since he is a Brooklyn native.  

Courtney began her career in the financial services industry in May 2013 as a Registered Client Service Associate at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. In April, 2015 she joined Guggenheimer Zaki Wealth Advisors.

Driven by a desire to enhance her knowledge and understanding of the business, Courtney worked to obtain her Certified Financial Planner^™ (CFP^®) professional designation. In her current role on the team, Courtney constructs financial plans for both clients and prospects – it is through holistic financial planning that our team is able to provide custom solutions for every individual, family, business and organization we work with. Additionally, she oversees client requests and manages the team’s projects and marketing campaigns. 

Courtney holds a B.A. from Drew University and currently resides in New York City. She is an enthusiast of charity work and has volunteered working with a number of organizations within New Jersey and New York. 

With over a decade of experience in financial services at RBC Wealth Management in Toronto, Laura joined the Guggenheimer / Zaki Team in 2019 as a Registered Private Client Associate. Within the group, Laura is responsible for administrative support, and strives to provide the highest level of client service.

Laura has a BA in Business Administration from Trent University, holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and has obtained her New York State Life, Accident and Health Insurance License. Residing in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children, Laura is active in her school parent association, serving on various committees and fund-raising efforts. She is also a supporter and active participant in the Cycle for Survival annual event to raise funds for rare cancer research.