Thurston Thies

Brandon Haag is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his financial services career in 1998 and holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Brandon earned his high school diploma from Wichita Southeast and a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. Brandon specializes in helping clients build comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to their individual needs. His expertise includes divorce transition planning, family wealth management, retirement income and planning, portfolio management, tax minimization, and services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits. As a qualified portfolio manager, he offers personalized investment strategies that may incorporate individual securities, Merrill Lynch model portfolios, and third-party strategies, and he provides discretionary management through the firm’s Investment Advisory Program. Brandon is committed to transparent communication and uses a disciplined process to support clients’ current lifestyles, retirement goals, and legacy planning. In addition to his professional work, Brandon is actively involved in his community. He serves on the Board of Directors for CASA of Sedgwick County, supporting children in finding safe and permanent homes. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, hiking, running marathons, skiing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Taylor Gilmore is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in assisting executives with managing concentrated stock positions and navigating significant life transitions such as retirement, inheritance, or the sale of a business. Taylor also provides access to Bank of America Private Bank trust and estate planning services, as well as credit, lending, and banking solutions. He collaborates with clients' external attorneys, accountants, and other advisors to coordinate comprehensive financial and legacy plans. Taylor holds a Bachelor's Degree from Wichita State University, where he was a member of the baseball team. He carries the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. His client focus includes college education planning, divorce transition planning, executive and equity compensation, family wealth management, services for endowments and non-profits, managing new wealth, sports and entertainment, and retirement income strategies. He is actively involved in community organizations including Knights of Columbus, March of Dimes, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and St. Catherine of Siena Men's Club. Taylor’s personal interests include baseball, basketball, cooking, football, golfing, traveling, and watching movies.

Cynthia Laub is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She has been with Merrill Lynch since 1993, beginning her career immediately after graduating with a degree in Business Administration, emphasizing Economics and Marketing, from Phillips University. Her professional focus is on wealth management consulting, particularly in designing portfolios for high-net-worth clients and assisting families with retirement planning challenges. This includes healthcare planning, estate planning services, education, and asset allocation. Cynthia has earned several professional designations, including the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). She works closely with both retirement plan sponsors and participants, aiming to support clients not only to retirement but through retirement. Her expertise encompasses divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, employee financial health, personal retirement planning, and retirement income. Her career achievements include multiple recognitions by Forbes, such as being named to the "Best-In-State Wealth Advisors" list for seven consecutive years and to the "America's Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State" list for four consecutive years. Additionally, she was included in the Working Mother/SHOOK Research Top Wealth Advisor Moms list in 2021. Outside of her professional work, Cynthia enjoys basketball, boating, cooking, gardening, golfing, interior decorating, music, singing, spending time with her family, and watching movies.

Ronald Rivas is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In his role, he focuses on understanding clients' priorities to help develop strategies for pursuing short-, mid-, and long-term financial goals. Ronald provides guidance on a range of financial matters, including general investing, retirement planning, and preparing for unexpected expenses. He also facilitates access to Bank of America specialists for banking, credit, home financing, and small business solutions. Ronald holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) professional designations. He earned his high school diploma from Derby High School. Outside of his professional work, Ronald enjoys bowling, chess, cooking, football, golfing, music, pickleball, spending time with his family, and watching movies.

Kyrstin Segura is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She works with high-net-worth individuals and their families to develop and execute custom financial strategies tailored to their personal goals. Her expertise spans a comprehensive understanding of taxes, real estate, generational wealth, estate planning strategies, investments, entrepreneurship, and insurance, aiming to address all aspects of a client's financial life. Kyrstin holds multiple professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered SRI Counselor (CSRIC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). She earned her bachelor's degree from Colorado Mesa University and completed a master's degree in financial planning at the College for Financial Planning in 2023. Kyrstin’s approach is informed by a commitment to integrity shaped by her upbringing in a military and law enforcement family, combined with her extensive training and experience. Based in Grand Junction, Colorado, Kyrstin lives with her husband, a firefighter since 2000, and their two children. Outside of work, she stays active through hiking, running, pickleball—participating with the Western Slope Pickleball Club—and enjoys cooking with her family. She emphasizes connecting all aspects of clients’ financial lives to help prioritize and pursue the goals that matter most to them.