OUR STORY
Personalizing Financial Services
At Atlas Point, we believe empowering people to express how they think and feel about their money, so that’s why we combine empathy and insights enabled by a platform to support more personalized financial conversations . We support this approach with outcome-driven tools and cutting-edge insights that guide Financial Professionals as they facilitate meaningful conversations with clients and prospects alike. Our methodology combines the best of behavioral finance theory with actionable coaching frameworks that make complex strategies practical and easy to apply in real life. This is the Atlas Point advantage.
Atlas Point was founded on a simple concept – to create something of value for the industry that we love. To do this, we conducted numerous focus groups and worked closely with Financial Professionals to identify challenges, frustrations, and pain points in financial conversations. We learned that while Financial Professionals may define success differently, they face a series of common concerns regardless of firm or client segment. These early findings clarified our core goal of reimagining financial conversations as less intimidating, more empathetic, and personal to each investor.
In pursuit of this goal, Atlas Point offers innovative technology solutions that help Financial Professionals consider each client’s unique way of thinking about financial decision-making. With deeper understanding as a strong foundation, Financial Professionals can start better conversations that efficiently address goals, tactfully respond to behavioral tendencies, and set the stage for long-term financial growth.
Our leadership team has collectively consulted with 40+ firms in the financial services industry. We are curious problem solvers who eagerly examine the changing wealth management landscape in search of opportunities to enhance and optimize the person-to-person financial experience.
who we are
Our Team
carrie.nelson@theatlaspoint.com
Carrie Nelson is a corporate executive-turned-entrepreneur who is passionate about helping Financial Advisors and investors have better, more empathetic financial conversations. Carrie brings over 20 years of experience to Atlas Point, including significant practical knowledge in consulting, business development and entrepreneurship. She gained much of her expertise in her roles as a data strategy leader at Experian, a Principal at EY and the head of Firm Strategy at Edward Jones.
Through her wealth management consulting experience, Carrie identified an opportunity to connect character science and behavioral finance in a way that allows investors to express how they think and feel about money. This powerful combination leads to more personal and personalized financial conversations and has become a core principle of Atlas Point’s products and strategy.
Carrie was a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her degree in business administration through UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. She currently serves as the Finance Committee Chair for the Concordance Academy of Leadership’s Board of Directors.
Carrie lives in Charlotte with her husband and daughter and enjoys boating, hiking, and exploring new places with her family.
“My Financial Virtues profile highlighted for me a moment when my familiarity bias and anchoring bias was holding me back from letting go of a financial investment that was no longer serving me. The awareness allowed me to make a more rational financial decision and achieve a greater return.”
Bryant is Atlas Point’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). Bryant has over 20+ years designing, developing, and launching innovative solutions for financial professionals and their clients across wealth management, brokerage, and retirement. Previously, he held industry leadership positions at management consulting firms EY and Accenture, and he led the U.S. Wealth Management practice at Capco. Prior to his return to consulting, Bryant was Director, Advice and Brokerage Technology at TIAA, building and launching products and experiences supporting both the institutional retirement and wealth management retail channels.
Bryant graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S., Business Administration, from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, two teenagers, and two active Welsh terriers. Bryant enjoys cooking and eating a good meal, listening to a wide range of music, and traveling as often as he can to experience the world. He can often be seen strolling through his neighborhood listening to his favorite podcasts.
Jeff is Atlas Point’s Chief Technology Officer and CISO. Prior to joining Atlas Point, Jeff helped build the first cloud based- digital only – commercial bank in the US. Jeff has previously served as the Global CTO for Thompson Reuters wealth business and served in the Wealth Management practice at EY. Jeff is a retired Air Force Lt Colonel. As Atlas Point’s CTO/CISO, Jeff works to deliver and scale solutions that help Financial Advisors engage clients in more meaningful financial conversations.
Jeff enjoys being the family handyman and helping his daughters with projects around their homes. Jeff is also an avid runner and tinkerer.
My Financial Virtues profile reminded me that I need to involve my wife more in our financial decisions and that I may move too quickly.
Mary is a gifted listener, problem solver and accountability partner who helps advisors create their ideal business. With over a decade of experience, Mary focuses her energy, enthusiasm and analytical thinking towards helping individual advisors and their teams improve not only their professional lives, but their personal lives as well.
Mary’s career in the financial services industry began in 1999, under the shingle of First Union Securities, focusing on process improvements from new account opening to advisory products and services. Having a broad view of investment services has made her empathetic to the challenges advisors face in an ever-changing environment. Mary has experience with more than 300 individual advisors, equating to over 5,600 hours of coaching engagement.
With her roots in the Midwest, Mary earned a B.S. in Advertising from Ball State University. She holds the General Securities Representative (Series 7) license, is a Registered Corporate Coach (RCCTM), holds the Accredited Behavioral Finance ProfessionalTM designation, and completed the Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate through the Investment & Wealth Institute.
Mary lives in rural Montpelier, Virginia with her husband Tommy and their daughter Sarah. She spends time caring for her gardens, furry friends and many projects. She also serves as a Chief Officer of Elections for Hanover County and is very active with her Church.
My Financial Virtues profile helped me better understand why I react to certain market changes and have this feeling that I’m being left behind. The information helps me now understand my own strengths and feelings about my family’s finances.
Carsten is Atlas Point’s Head of Data Science. Prior to joining Atlas Point, Carsten held senior positions in analytics and credit across multiple fintech startups. Carsten was a postdoctoral scholar in Behavioral Decision Making at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and he has published research on consumer financial decision making and capital markets. He received his PhD in Finance and MSc in Business Administration from the University of Münster.
Carsten lives in Alexandria, VA, and enjoys traveling to new destinations near and far.
“My Financial Virtues profile helped me better understand that I enjoy researching investment opportunities, and to balance micro and macro trends when evaluating existing investments.”
Allie Morgan leads Atlas Point Advisor Support. She is passionate about helping Advisors grow their business. She is a continuous learner and a skilled problem solver. Prior to joining Atlas Point, Allie worked for AlphaSights in NYC focused on strategy and marketing consulting. She graduated Magna cum laude from Texas Christian University with a major in communications and a double minor in business and psychology. She brings a growth mindset and she is client-focused which helps her to serve Advisors the way they want to be served, uniquely.
In her free time, she creates recipes (her favorite being pasta), hikes, reads thriller books, and travels.
My Financial Virtues profile helped me understand that I am receptive to new ideas and like to collaborate with others when it comes to my money.
Alexia Kenney is the Project Manager and helps support the technology team. She graduated with a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of West Florida after transferring from The University of Alabama (Roll Tide) where she studied Aerospace Engineering. Recently, she has completed a certification in Cybersecurity through ISC2 and a certification in Project Management through the University of South Florida.
She was a dual collegiate athlete, riding for the University of Alabama Equestrian Team and Cheerleading for the first-ever West Florida Football season.
She lives in St. Petersburg with her cat Millie and enjoys beach days, reading, and caring for her extensive plant collection.
My financial virtues taught me that I am grounded and realistic when it comes to financial matters and that my attention to detail helps me make thoughtful, well-informed decisions.
Cara is a Senior Software Engineer at Atlas Point. Prior to joining Atlas Point, she helped design and build technical solutions for clients and companies across multiple platforms and industries, including being a part of the launch team of a financial banking app.
She’s a graduate of the Grace Hopper Program at Fullstack Academy and has a B.A. in History from Stony Brook University.
She lives in New York City and enjoys reading, hiking, cooking and traveling.
Dr. Lamar Pierce is an economist and behavioral scientist focused on improving productivity and sales performance through experimentation and data analytics.
Lamar is Professor of Organization & Strategy at Washington University in St Louis, and was previously on the faculty at University of Texas and Carnegie Mellon University and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He has published over forty peer-reviewed papers in economics, psychology, and management. His industry positions include operations management at Boeing, VP of Business Services at Wellspring, and Scientific Advisor at CivicScience and Maritz. Lamar holds a PhD from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley as well as economics and music degrees from the University of Puget Sound.
At Atlas Point, Lamar’s focus is on enabling Financial Advisor expertise through principles of behavioral economics and psychology.
Lamar lives in St Louis with his family and enjoys hiking, piano, and playing Minecraft with his son.
“My Financial Virtues profile revealed my need to more frequently update data and evaluations on existing financial investments, as well as to better hedge risk on uncertain investments with large downsides.”
Sonia has over 25 years of experience in driving growth and scaling organizations. She has extensive experience in all facets of business across several segments within financial services: Banking, Insurance Brokerage, P&C, Wealth Management, Broker Dealer, RIA, TPA, FinTech, InsurTech, etc. She has led several financial services firms through transformation and growth journey leading to accelerated growth and improved margin.
Sonia has a track record of working with private equity and venture capital firms and has led several portfolio companies through successful exit and monetization events. She has extensive expertise in M&A, strategy planning, marketing, change management, and shared services. She is passionate about leveraging technology to create value for customers, advisors, and stakeholders.
She is an ultramarathon runner and likes to run longer-distance races in extreme, challenging conditions.
Coaches
Bill joined the firm in June 2008 as a Practice Management Consultant. He has 19 years of training and coaching experience with Prudential Financial, LLC and AT&T. Before Wells Fargo Advisors, Bill was the Southern Territory Manager of Training for Prudential Financial and was responsible for the development of new Financial Advisors. He also coached all veteran advisors toward higher productivity and new product implementation.Bill has 24 years of industry experience including 10 years of personal production which began as a Registered Representative with Equitable, Registered Corporate Coach (RCCTM), Series 6, 7, 24, 65 and 66 licensed, Assoc. of Science, Western Missouri State U., Bachelor of Science, Lindenwood University, L & H, P & C Insurance licensed, LUTCF®, The American College. Bill worked for Ozark Air Lines, Inc. for eight years after graduating from college in 1976. Even though Ozark is no longer around, he is still close to his friends who worked there. He is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon national fraternity and has had an annual reunion with the frat brothers for 43 consecutive years. Bill resides in Wildwood, MO, and has lived in the St. Louis area for most of his life. Hobbies include sports, boating, and fitness. He had his dream home built in 1998 and enjoys being there and much of the summer at Lake of the Ozarks.
Bill joined the firm in June 2008 as a Practice Management Consultant. He has 19 years of training and coaching experience with Prudential Financial, LLC and AT&T. Before Wells Fargo Advisors, Bill was the Southern Territory Manager of Training for Prudential Financial and was responsible for the development of new Financial Advisors. He also coached all veteran advisors toward higher productivity and new product implementation.Bill has 24 years of industry experience including 10 years of personal production which began as a Registered Representative with Equitable, Registered Corporate Coach (RCCTM), Series 6, 7, 24, 65 and 66 licensed, Assoc. of Science, Western Missouri State U., Bachelor of Science, Lindenwood University, L & H, P & C Insurance licensed, LUTCF®, The American College. Bill worked for Ozark Air Lines, Inc. for eight years after graduating from college in 1976. Even though Ozark is no longer around, he is still close to his friends who worked there. He is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon national fraternity and has had an annual reunion with the frat brothers for 43 consecutive years. Bill resides in Wildwood, MO, and has lived in the St. Louis area for most of his life. Hobbies include sports, boating, and fitness. He had his dream home built in 1998 and enjoys being there and much of the summer at Lake of the Ozarks.
Carolyn began her financial services career at Wheat, First Securities (a Wells Fargo predecessor firm) in 1982. After a brief stint in a branch office, she joined the Syndicate Department in the Richmond, VA headquarters. Her experience in the Syndicate Department provided an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge of investment products and a strong understanding of the brokerage business. In 2008, Carolyn moved to St. Louis, Missouri to join the newly formed Wells Fargo Advisors Practice Management team. During her time as a Practice Management Consultant, she coached hundreds of advisors and their teams and valued building strong working relationships with her clients. She earned the Registered Corporate CoachTM Designation in 2010. A native of Maryland, she relocated back to the East Coast and currently resides in Baltimore.Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is a fan of the Baltimore sports teams and is always on the lookout for the opportunity to travel to new places.
Carolyn began her financial services career at Wheat, First Securities (a Wells Fargo predecessor firm) in 1982. After a brief stint in a branch office, she joined the Syndicate Department in the Richmond, VA headquarters. Her experience in the Syndicate Department provided an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge of investment products and a strong understanding of the brokerage business. In 2008, Carolyn moved to St. Louis, Missouri to join the newly formed Wells Fargo Advisors Practice Management team. During her time as a Practice Management Consultant, she coached hundreds of advisors and their teams and valued building strong working relationships with her clients. She earned the Registered Corporate CoachTM Designation in 2010. A native of Maryland, she relocated back to the East Coast and currently resides in Baltimore.Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is a fan of the Baltimore sports teams and is always on the lookout for the opportunity to travel to new places.
Jermal is a solution driven business strategist who helps his clients focus on their goals and execute. Jermal believes by helping clients identify business priorities and focus resources, clients can improve business operations and achieve their goals with greater efficiency. Jermal has over two decades of experience, helping clients become more focused and effective in the execution of their business. As an attorney, Jermal practiced general business/corporate law helping clients build their businesses. Jermal joined Wells Fargo Advisors in 2012, focusing on helping advisors build better businesses by implementing effective business and client management strategies helping hundreds of advisors and their teams increase productivity, client engagement and their bottom line. In 2018, Jermal served as the Chief Strategy Officer of a community bank integrating new business and systematic client engagement strategies into community banking. In addition to providing coaching services, he also serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for his family’s company and is a consultant and business advisor to variety of startups and small businesses. Jermal earned a B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana and his Juris Doctorate from Washington University School of Law. He held the General Series 7 and Series 66 licenses, is a Registered Corporate Coach (RCCTM), and completed the Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate through the Investment & Wealth Institute.Jermal lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter Avery and son Leo. Jermal serves as a Director on the Industrial Development Board for the City of St. Louis and the Planned Giving Committee with the St. Louis Art Museum. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and fitness.
Jermal is a solution driven business strategist who helps his clients focus on their goals and execute. Jermal believes by helping clients identify business priorities and focus resources, clients can improve business operations and achieve their goals with greater efficiency. Jermal has over two decades of experience, helping clients become more focused and effective in the execution of their business. As an attorney, Jermal practiced general business/corporate law helping clients build their businesses. Jermal joined Wells Fargo Advisors in 2012, focusing on helping advisors build better businesses by implementing effective business and client management strategies helping hundreds of advisors and their teams increase productivity, client engagement and their bottom line. In 2018, Jermal served as the Chief Strategy Officer of a community bank integrating new business and systematic client engagement strategies into community banking. In addition to providing coaching services, he also serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for his family’s company and is a consultant and business advisor to variety of startups and small businesses. Jermal earned a B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana and his Juris Doctorate from Washington University School of Law. He held the General Series 7 and Series 66 licenses, is a Registered Corporate Coach (RCCTM), and completed the Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate through the Investment & Wealth Institute.Jermal lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter Avery and son Leo. Jermal serves as a Director on the Industrial Development Board for the City of St. Louis and the Planned Giving Committee with the St. Louis Art Museum. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and fitness.
Advisory Board
Prior experience includes CEO, Wells Fargo Advisors; President of both the Private Client Group and Wealth Brokerage Services at Wells Fargo Advisors; and MD and Head of Private Banking & Investment Group at Merrill Lynch.
Tony Leal has worked at Envestnet MoneyGuide since its inception in 1997. As President, Tony focused on overall growth strategy, execution, and operations. He also had technical and management responsibility for the development of the MoneyGuide systems, enterprise customer satisfaction, and was the system architect for all integrations and customized versions of their products. In January 2023, Tony transitioned to a consultant role as Advisor to Envestnet WealthTech. He is focused on overall strategy for WealthTech products across the Envestnet ecosystem. With over 35 years of experience, Tony has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing computer systems for client companies, and he has spent the last 25 years designing, developing, and supporting software systems in the financial services industry. Tony earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Information Systems from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC
Bob joined Wheat First, a Wells Fargo legacy company, in 1992. From 1992 through 2021 he held a variety of leadership positions, including Group Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Governance Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, regional director of the Private Client Group, and assistant General Counsel. Bob also served as group risk officer for Wells’ Wealth Investment Management and was responsible for the execution of the enterprise regulatory compliance risk management program in WIM, prior to his role as WIM Control executive. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Bob served as a special assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York on the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. He also worked three years as senior counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement.
Pete has over 35 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry. He served as the Head of Operations for Wachovia Securities, responsible for the clearing and custody of $1.4 trillion AUM and a staff of 2000+ associates globally. During that time, Pete headed the largest, retail Books and Records conversion of the time. Pete moved on to utilize his platform knowledge in support of Wells’ Clearing arm in Client Relationship, while aiding the business development team. Pete moved on to serve his numerous industry relationships consulting them on strategic, platform initiatives at Oyster Consulting LLC.; where he later created the Strategic Planning and Execution Practice. His practice currently focuses on Strategic Planning, Platform Consulting, and Negotiation (Clearing and Acquisition). Pete has a proven track record in platform design for financial services firms (Brokerage, RIA, Banking, Insurance, and third-party providers). Through his years in the business, Pete’s success is driven through connecting the relationships he developed and fostered to market opportunities.
Prior experience includes leading branch team performance nationally for Edward Jones. Randy started his career as a Financial Advisor and grew into regional leader with over 1,200 branch teams. He then moved into home office as a Principal and focused on Client Strategies and Client Transitions before leading Branch Team Performance responsible for the strategic direction, training, coaching, and motivation to drive performance across 19,000 Financial Advisors.