Our Team

Brian Werdesheim is a founding member of The Summa Group. Brian serves on The Summa Group’s Investment Committee that oversees investment policy and due diligence. In addition, he heads the team’s coordination of fiduciary services, which provides comprehensive wealth management services to the clients of leading accountants, attorneys, business managers and family offices. Day-to-day, he continues to manage the team’s largest, most complex and dynamic client relationships.

Brian has been providing financial advice since 1993 and has learned much about the challenges, anxieties and concerns his clients share. With wealth comes a profound level of complexity that requires a financial advisory team equipped with the experience, resources, humility and know-how in order to deliver strategies and advice that can make qualitative and quantitative differences in the game of life. Through a commitment to education and client advocacy, Brian and his team are committed to elevating their client’s quality of life by solving for their most pressing objectives.

Brian has been recognized as one of the Nation’s top 250 financial advisors by Forbes|Shook, a reflection of his dedication, experience, vision and commitment to excellence. As a partner of the Summa Group, he is proud of the team’s recognition as a top 100 wealth management team in the USA by Forbes|Shook. Brian is a long time Oppenheimer Asset Management Roundtable participant and Chairman’s Council member, which is comprised of the Firm’s top 40 Financial Advisors. Brian has been a frequent speaker at Oppenheimer & Co. events as well as the Forbes | Shook annual Top Advisor conference, sharing his best ideas and views on client advocacy, team building and best practices.

Passionate and committed to improving the lives of at-risk youth, Brian has dedicated much of his time and resources for over 20 years to educational, social and health related causes. Serving on the Board of Governors of The Fulfillment Fund since 2003, he is proud of the work done to help level the playing field when it comes to college access. Wanting greater control of how his philanthropic capital was being deployed, Brian Co-founded The Summa Children’s Foundation (SCF) in 2004. The SCF allocated millions of dollars to deserving, lesser-known non-profits committed to improving the lives of our most at-risk youth. In 2017, The SCF was re-branded into The Banyan Foundation, a youth leadership organization committed to teaching philanthropy, leadership and social enterprise to high school students coming from diverse backgrounds. Having graduated from USC, he continues a close association with the school and served as an Advisory Council Member for the Lloyd Grief School of Entrepreneurial Studies, the leading program of its kind in the U.S. Brian served on the Board of Trustees for The Buckley School; a Private K-12 School located in Los Angeles.

Brian graduated from the University of Southern California in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He also attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and Richmond College in London, England.

Brian and his wife Janelle live in Studio City. They have 2 children. Brian dedicates his free time to a number of activities including fly fishing, golf and travel.

Jeffrey is a founding member of The Summa Group. Jeffrey is attentive to the complex needs and desires of individuals and families with substantial and complex balance sheets. Through education and client advocacy, he brings actionable and high impact guidance to help solve the Summa Group’s clients most pressing objectives. Jeffrey and the team at The Summa Group serve affluent families in the both the public and private company sector. Jeffrey serves as the group’s CEO overseeing the research team, the highly skilled administrative staff and the Summa Group’s service platform, which is critical to the success of the business. Additionally, Jeffrey oversees the asset management services for charitable entities, divorcees and widows, and works closely with the top tax and legal professionals who serve the business, athletic and entertainment community.

Jeffrey began his career with Shearson Lehman Brothers and has been a Managing Director within the Private Client Group at Oppenheimer since 1992. Jeffrey has been an Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s Roundtable member for the past 29 years and is a member of the Firm’s Chairman’s Council which recognizes the top 40 advisors nationwide. Jeffrey has been recognized as one of the Nation’s top 250 financial advisors by Forbes|Shook, a reflection of his dedication, experience, vision and commitment to excellence. As a partner of the Summa Group, he is proud of the team’s recognition as a top 100 team in the USA by Forbes|Shook.

In 1998 he completed the Certified Investment Management Program at The Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania and received the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation from the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA). Jeffrey graduated from San Diego State University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.

Jeffrey and his wife Kimberly live in Calabasas and are the proud parents of four daughters. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, traveling, playing golf, mountain biking and attending a variety of sporting events. His CA insurance license is OA55118.

Robert Dalie is a Managing Director of Investments with The Summa Group, a leading wealth management team specializing in comprehensive investment & financial planning. With a strong focus on wealth preservation and a deep understanding of analytical planning, Robert has gained recognition for his exceptional ability to simplify complex financial matters and provide tailored advice to high-net-worth individuals and families.

With a passion for client advocacy, Robert goes above and beyond to establish a profound understanding of his clients' needs, uncovering the issues and concerns that keep them up at night. By adopting a holistic approach and collaborating with clients' trusted advisors, including CPAs, estate and business planning attorneys, trustees, and banking professionals, he develops strategic planning strategies that align with their overall goals.

Robert's expertise lies in guiding entrepreneurs, senior executives, fiduciaries, and founders who have recently experienced or are preparing for life-changing financial events. His specialized work with sudden wealth resulting from inheritance, divorce, stock sales, estate planning, and closely held business sales has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor within the industry.

The Summa Group, a highly regarded wealth management team, has been consistently recognized by prestigious publications such as Forbes, Barron's, and Research Magazine. As a central figure within the group since its inception in 2003, Robert has played a key role in its success, providing invaluable insights and expertise to clients. As a partner of the Summa Group, he is proud of the team’s recognition as a top 100 wealth management team in the USA by Forbes|Shook.

Robert holds the esteemed Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He is an active member of the Los Angeles Financial Planning Association (FPA) and remains committed to staying at the forefront of industry trends and best practices. A graduate of Pepperdine University, Robert earned a BA in business administration and a BS in sports medicine. During his time at Pepperdine, he excelled both academically and athletically, participating in water polo. His commitment to excellence extends beyond his professional life, as evidenced by his achievement of Eagle Scout rank and his ongoing involvement in philanthropic endeavors.

Robert resides in La Canada with his wife, whom he met during his time at Pepperdine, and their four children. In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling, cooking, sports, scouting, and actively giving back to the community.

Introduced to the financial services industry by a childhood coach who was a financial advisor, David remembers early on wanting to have a career in the financial services industry. In 1996, while still in college, David started as an intern with Jim Miles, Co-Founder of The Summa Group at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. He found the industry to be as interesting and challenging as he imagined and he has never looked back.

Today, David holds the title Senior Director-Investments where he is responsible for the team’s performance analytics and keeping historical data organized according to each client’s preference. David has an extensive background in asset allocation and is actively involved in team discussions about investments both on the team’s recommended list as well as on their watch list. David also heads the trading and model rebalancing activities for the Summa Group.

David graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Economics.

David is a former semi pro soccer player. He and his wife have a son and daughter with strong roots in Los Angeles.

One of David’s favorite charitable organizations is HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles).

Gary develops investment strategies for high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pensions and profit-sharing plans. Before his entrance into the financial community in 1967, Gary proudly served in the United States Army. He initially worked at Merrill Lynch, where he was a Vice President and was on the President’s Council. Gary joined Oppenheimer in 1977 and has been a member of the Firm’s prestigious Executive Council for over 25 years and the Oppenheimer Asset Management Round Table for over 20 years. As a partner of the Summa Group, he is proud of the team’s recognition as a top 100 wealth management team in the USA by Forbes|Shook.

Gary graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S in Business Administration and Economics and was the proud recipient of the 2018 UA Professional Achievement Award.

Gary and his wife have been married for almost 60 years. They have four sons, all of whom are college graduates, and they have eight grandchildren. Gary and his wife are very active in many community and charitable organizations.

Stan’s career includes 27 years of managing, trading, analysis and research for large financial firms. He brings this quantitative background, knowledge and experience to the Summa Group.

Stan is currently Head of Group Portfolio Analytics at The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., where he oversees the group’s research efforts, including manager due diligence, asset allocation policy and product development.

Previously, Stan spent 20+ years with Savos Investments of AssetMark. As Director of Trading he oversaw all aspects of trading involving equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and futures. As Director of Research he oversaw the Firm’s manager due diligence process as well as assisted in the Firm’s product development efforts. He also regularly provided propriety rankings for mutual funds for the Financial World magazine.

Stan has earned several designations including the CFA® (Chartered Financial Analyst) from the CFA Institute and the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) from the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association. He is a member of both CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Los Angeles (CFALA).

He holds an MBA in Finance from California State University at Northridge, graduating with honors. He also graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.

Stan is originally from South Korea where he played varsity soccer. He moved to the Denver area for college and never left the United States. His wife, Michelle, is from Vietnam and together they enjoy traveling the world.

Stan is also interested in history, geopolitics, behavioral finance, and Denver/L.A. pro sports teams. Stan and his wife live in Santa Clarita.

Valerie is a Senior Director/Senior Analytics Associate with the Summa Group. Valeria and the Research Team is in charge of investment research, portfolio management, and developing financial planning strategies in the group. At Summa Group, asset allocation, and risk mitigation are key components for the success of client investment. They are also responsible for the day-to-day investment due diligence process and allocation decisions and risk management. She strives to come up with optimized portfolio strategies for clients by using the breadth of Oppenheimer resources and diversified investment vehicles, ranging from active to passive, and public to private investments.

In addition, Valerie works with clients on developing appropriate financial planning strategies before making investment recommendations. Client types range from executives with large stock options that need exit strategies to individuals that are planning for and approaching retirement. Valerie also collaborates with clients’ other fiduciaries such as CPAs, attorneys and business managers to make sure investment recommendations, allocations and planning strategies fit well with the overall circumstances and goals of clients.

Today, Valerie is working with clients one on one, and is proficient in client servicing and education. Her background and expertise in overseas markets make her a great resource and connection for Chinese-speaking and cross-border clients. To enhance client experience, Valerie writes research papers on various market and economic forces, including recession, asset class performance, innovation, and investment insights in China.

She joined the Summa Group of Oppenheimer in 2012 as an analyst, where she focused on quantitative research, risk modeling, and mutual fund research. She is proficient in computer programming and has designed sophisticated reporting templates.

Valerie is a member of the Los Angeles Financial Planning Association (FPA). She holds a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering from UCLA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Mathematics from Purdue University. She has earned the FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations, and holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Valerie is an advocate for female immigrants and entrepreneurs, and a builder of the community where bonds and rapport grow deep and organically to foster growth in business.

Valerie is from Tianjin, China, and moved to the United States to pursue her college degree when she was 18, and currently resides in Los Angeles. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, surfing, hiking, and traveling to different parts of the world. She performs at concerts at times and has competed at an international piano competition in Paris. She loves art and is a regular visitor to museums and galleries, and enjoys exploring various cuisine with her friends.

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Savannah Pincus is Senior Director at The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Her time spent working with the group while in college helped shaped her decision to build a career helping individuals to better their financial lives.

Beginning on the Summa Research Team, her role provided a strong foundation of knowledge of capital markets, the ever-changing macroeconomic landscape, asset allocation, and portfolio construction.

Savannah now specializes in plotting out comprehensive financial plans for a wide range of clients with an array of financial goals – from young clients with an eye to the future, to clients entering retirement, to those prioritizing philanthropic endeavors. Her deep understanding of financial planning, portfolio construction/management, investment research/analytics, and risk management can be brought to bear on behalf of the client.

She collaborates with clients’ other trusted advisors to help ensure that all pieces of the puzzle fit together seamlessly. When working with clients, Savannah emphasizes financial education, in order to demystify the nuances of the financial world, and help clients gain confidence in their decision making ability. Savannah has a passion for philanthropy, which she exerts by working with the Banyan Foundation (since its inception in 2017) and at the side of founder and Chairman Brian Werdesheim. The Banyan Foundation is led by its Youth Leadership Council, comprised of 9th-12th graders who engage in activities designed to enhance their awareness and abilities in the areas of philanthropy, social enterprise and leadership.

Savannah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Financial Services from San Diego State University, and has earned the FINRA Series 7 & 66 Registrations.

Savannah was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California. In her free time, she spends as much time as possible with family and friends. She loves travel, lake trips, and all things related to music.

Daniela is well known for her proactive and organized approach and her distinct ability to make the client experience both friendly and efficient. She is a seasoned veteran who is appreciated by many at The Summa Group for her experience and leadership. She has been with The Summa Group since 1998.

Her responsibilities include the coordination of all administrative activities as well as her primary role in the client service process. Daniela has a strong knowledge base in compliance and operations, is responsible for all team procedures involved in account opening, wire and securities transfers, account reconciliation and many of the other everyday needs that foster strong relationships with clients.

Daniela resides in Tarzana with her husband, their high school daughter and 3 little pups. Her older daughter is studying nursing at the University of Utah. When she’s not at work she enjoys gardening, snowboarding and camping at the beach in her motorhome.

Engrid Mirzaie started in the financial services industry in 1997 with Morgan Stanley-Beverly Hills as a Senior Sales Assistant working with Financial Advisors. In 2002 she started at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., and provided high level administrative support to the Regional Manager. In 2018, she joined The Summa Group as a Senior Client Service Associate.

Flexibility, patience, the ability to take in a lot of details prioritize and process them are attributes that Engrid lists as she describes what it takes to run a financial planning practice with a single minded focus on client services. My job is to operate our practice so seamlessly, so that clients think of me as an extension of their relationship with the Advisors.