David Finby

Robert Firth is a Private Wealth Advisor with Merrill Private Wealth Management. He leads Team RJF, a wealth management team that serves a select group of entrepreneurs, executives, and family offices. In his role, he directs macro-economic analysis, asset allocation, structured products analysis, and estate planning services, focusing on portfolio strategy and developing practical strategies tailored to the realities faced by business owners and executives. Firth has been in financial services since 1995. Before joining Merrill in 2008, he was National Sales Manager at Neuberger Berman and began his career with Sanford C. Bernstein. His prior experience includes owning and operating a technology firm, providing him with firsthand insight into business ownership. Over his career, he has participated in over 200 business sale transactions, offering guidance during significant financial crossroads while being attentive to clients’ family, personal, professional, and philanthropic priorities. He holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation and is a qualified Portfolio Manager, able to build and manage personalized investment strategies. Firth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University. His professional designations include Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, hiking, and traveling, and he is a former board member of the Lamplighter School in Dallas.

Scott Mercier is the Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He has been in the financial services industry since 2000 and joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Scott focuses on developing strategies and recommendations for successful individuals, families, and businesses to help them meet their short- and long-term financial goals. Scott's approach to wealth management is consultative, objective, and comprehensive, emphasizing the efficient allocation of client resources. His analysis includes both sides of the balance sheet: assets and liabilities. He has expertise in family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, socially responsible and ESG investing, sports and entertainment, and retirement income. Scott grew up in Telluride, Colorado, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990. He also holds a Master's degree from Harvard University Extension. He holds several professional designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR, Personal Investment Advisor, and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor. Before his financial career, Scott was a professional cyclist from 1993 to 1997. He was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team in Barcelona, Spain, and raced with the US Postal Services Cycling Team. He has been recognized by the United States Anti-Doping Authority for his career as a clean athlete. Scott is a published author and has served as chair of the Community Hospital Board of Trustees and as a board member of Roaring Fork Cycling. He also writes a cycling column for the Aspen Times and has addressed military academy cadets on topics such as moral courage and integrity. Scott enjoys reading, writing, cycling, mountain biking, and skiing. He and his wife, Mandie, live in Basalt.

Barry Smith is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with more than 20 years of experience. He works with high-net-worth individuals across Texas and 25 other states, developing integrated wealth management strategies tailored to clients’ personal and professional goals. Barry has built long-standing relationships with clients that often span multiple generations, and he leads a multi-generational team including his son, Barry III, to ensure continuity of service for client families. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Barry was a Certified Public Accountant and worked in institutional sales for seven years, providing him with a perspective that supports clients in addressing tax consequences and market volatility. He helps translate complex financial principles into clear concepts to give clients confidence in their investment decisions. Barry’s areas of focus include college education planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. Barry earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Dallas and raised in Houston, he resides in Houston with his wife, Mary, and their son. Barry enjoys basketball, bicycling, hiking, racquetball, tennis, and spending time with his family. He also helps manage a scholarship fund that provides tuition support for medical students.

Steven Penton is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining Merrill in 1994, he has been part of the select group of Merrill Institutional Consultants, providing integrated consulting services to institutional clients including Taft-Hartley retirement plans, corporations, foundations, endowments, and nonprofit organizations. His expertise encompasses executive wealth management, advisory services, managed money, and equity and fixed-income analysis. Steven is authorized to offer consulting services for complex defined-contribution investment plans, assisting retirement plan sponsors with the design and administration of 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans, as well as nonqualified defined-contribution plans and supplemental executive retirement plans. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation, the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential, and is a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute™. He earned a high school diploma from Western Reserve Academy and a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Steven resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with his wife and two sons. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he enjoys skiing, running, golf, and bike riding.