Bennett Marks  |  President, Chief Investment Officer

Ben’s tenacious commitment to our clients’ prosperity rightfully makes him the namesake and president of our firm. While most of us are still asleep, Ben is busy chipping icicles off of his eyebrows from winter morning bike rides. Ben plays hard, but he works even harder, especially when it comes to managing your investments. Ben has over 30 years of wealth management experience and simply put, he knows what works and what doesn’t. Just ask our clients. When MGWM launched in 2008, we had a 96% client retention rate.

Ben and MGWM have received accolades from the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and the Star Tribune, but his greatest accomplishment is having a network of clients and employees who trust and respect our firm’s vision.

When Ben isn’t covering new terrain in the investment world, he’s covering it outside of the office on his mountain bike. In his free time, Ben also studies architectural design and cherishes time with his wife, Brenda, and their three children at the family cabin on Lake Namakagon.

Email:    ben.marks@marksgroup.com

John Feste  |  Managing Principal

Two minds are better than one. In the case of the MGWM leadership team, two minds are a force to be reckoned with. John is Ben’s trusted partner who acts as the firm’s strategic director and oversees relationship management for many of our key clients. With over 13 years of wealth management experience, John’s business and market insight help shape our biases and outlook, which ultimately drive our investment strategies and model portfolio decisions.

In 2013, John was honored by The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in their “40 under 40” list, an annual celebration of the Twin Cities’ emerging business and civic leaders. John has also provided market commentary on Fox 9 News and has been published in the Star Tribune.

John has a big heart as well and leads the firm’s charitable efforts, including volunteer work with Children’s Hospital of Minnesota where he was a patient as a child. He is also a skilled outdoorsman, and his eye for smart investments is even sharper in a duck blind. A lifelong Minnesotan, John lives in Deephaven with his wife Katie, children Frank and Jane, and their two dogs.

Email:    john.feste@marksgroup.com

Mariann Montagne, CFA®  |  Senior Investment Analyst

Driven by an inquisitive nature, Mariann is able to piece together the mosaic of our Core Equity, Alternative Strategy, Fixed Income and International portfolios to create sound investment strategies for our clients. As a Chartered Financial Analyst with twenty years of experience, Mariann has a vast knowledge of both domestic and international industry patterns.

Mariann graduated from the University of Detroit with a B.S. in Finance. As a travel enthusiast, she loves to learn from the locals, and when she’s not in the air traveling, she’s in the water racing sailboats. Mariann is the proud mother of three grown children. Aside from being a front-runner professionally, Mariann was also awarded a Blue Ribbon for her pickles at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair.

Email:    mariann.montagne@marksgroup.com

Jeremy Schmidt, CFP® | Director of Asset Management

As the team’s Certified Financial Planner, Jeremy works both behind the scenes and alongside clients to implement investment strategies with the firm’s management team. Jeremy plays an active role in our firm’s investment committee meeting and oversees many of the macro investment decisions. Thanks to a deep understanding of the investment process, Jeremy’s insight helps ensure our clients’ investments perform at their best.

A native of Bismarck, ND, Jeremy received a B.A. in Financial Management from the University of North Dakota. Outside of the office, Jeremy is an alley cat who bowls a 165 average, and is a devoted Sioux fan that bleeds Kelly green (but hey, nobody’s perfect). Jeremy lives in Plymouth with his wife Brooke, and the couple welcomed their first daughter, Bryn, in the summer of 2012.

Email:    jeremy.schmidt@marksgroup.com

Patrick J. Deeg, AAMS  |  Vice President – Investments

A natural in the financial industry, Pat’s ambition has helped him consistently earn recognition as a “Five Star Advisor” from Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine/Twin Cities Business. Backed by an impressive track record, Pat joined MGWM in 2010 after establishing his own successful advisory practice. As a member of our investment committee, Pat focuses his work on high-net worth families and small company retirement plans, while also leading our firm’s business building initiatives.

A Minnesota native, Pat received a B.A. in Business Management and Marketing from St. Mary’s University. In the summer, Pat and his wife Kelli love spending time on Madeline Island, and in the fall Pat and his dog Kula are an ace pheasant and duck hunting team. Pat is also a first-time father who celebrated the arrival of his baby girl, Grayson, in late 2012. But unlike the investment world, daughters become more difficult to understand as time goes on. Sorry, Pat.

Email:    patrick.deeg@marksgroup.com

Brett Angel  |  Vice President – Investments

After five years of going it alone as an investment advisor in downtown Minneapolis, Brett teamed up with MGWM in 2011. As a member of the investment committee, Brett stresses honesty, awareness, and accessibility as guiding principles when working with our clients. A journalism degree from the University of Minnesota makes Brett a key contributor to our regular MGWM publications. He also advises condo, townhome, and homeowners associations (HOAs) on the responsible investment of their reserve accounts and financial well-being.

Brett’s personal résumé includes paid employment as the lead in an opera, country club sous chef, and Gophers beat writer. He is a lifelong soccer player, dedicated Gopher fan, and enjoys developing his craft as a capable home brewer. Brett lives in Edina with his wife Kristen and their two dogs, Zeus and Werlee.

Email:    brett.angel@marksgroup.com

Karly Zimmerman | Financial Advisor

Part marketing maven, part new business builder and part client relationship manager; Karly plays a unique role within our firm. As a Jacqueline of all trades, Karly is a versatile member of our team who manages anything from our marketing campaigns to various client relationships.

A Bloomington native, Karly graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Economics. A self-proclaimed foodie, Karly loves visiting new restaurants across the Twin Cities. But, that isn’t to say she’s just a customer; Karly also loves to create her own signature dishes and recipes. When she’s not pleasing her palate, Karly is a bit of a fashionista as well. In fact, she’s still crossing her fingers that “Vogue” will start covering financial news someday.

Email: karly.zimmerman@marksgroup.com

Shelly Aeshliman | Administrative Coordinator

If MGWM is a well-oiled machine, then Shelly is our mechanic. With more than 25 years of financial industry experience, Shelly manages the firm’s administrative duties while handling daily requests from our clients.

Outside of the office you can find Shelly relaxing at her family cabin, being an active member of her church and spending time with her three children and granddaughter. We don’t know if Shelly has any tattoos, but we do know she has a wild side and loves roaming the country from the back of a Harley.

Email:    shelly.aeshliman@marksgroup.com

Deb Schaust | Client Service Coordinator

Deb has over 11 years of experience in the financial industry, and acts as the first point of contact for our clients. Deb handles all incoming calls and coordinates all client meetings, but more importantly, she helps ensure that every client has the best experience possible.

Prior to entering the financial industry, Deb worked with special needs children in the Delano School District. She loves to spend time with her family as the proud mother of three children, and the proud “Meemaw” of two grandsons. Deb also enjoys gardening on her family farm in Delano. Despite our requests, she still won’t drive her tractor to the office.

Email:    deb.schaust@marksgroup.com

Bill Patterson, CFA® | Senior Equity Consultant

As MGWM’s trusted Senior Equity Consultant, Bill Patterson has an impressive track record that speaks for itself. A finance graduate from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Bill is a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 25 years of Wall Street experience. An innovator in the field, Bill has a reputation for managing index-beating portfolios with his self-designed proprietary tracking model. Prior to consulting for MGWM, Bill formed Second Avenue Capital and previously managed a $200 million long-short portfolio at Deephaven Capital.

When he’s not flexing his mental muscles, Bill enjoys hockey, golf, and off-piste skiing. But like most devoted dads, you can also catch Bill chauffeuring his three kids to hockey and lacrosse practice. He and his wife Joanne live in Edina.

Bill Patterson is not affiliated with LPL Financial.