John Q Smith
Senior Vice President–Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Portfolio Manager
John joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 with more than 25 years of wealth
management and investment banking experience. His previous
achievements include helping to establish an investment services
group exclusively for ultra-high-net-worth clients at a prominent
investment bank.
John is a qualified portfolio manager who, in addition to providing
traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their
objectives by building and managing his own personalized or defined
strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds,
Merrill Lynch model portfolios and third-party investment strategies.
When servicing clients through the firm’s Investment Advisory
Program, a portfolio manager may manage his strategies on a
discretionary basis.
He has lived and worked abroad in London and Tokyo. His
educational credentials include a bachelor’s degree in economics
and government from Bowdoin College and an MBA in finance
from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
John is a member of both the Medinah Country Club in Medinah,
Illinois, and The Chicago Club. He is a member of the board of trustees
of La Rabida Children’s Hospital. John lives in Clarendon Hills,
Illinois, with his wife, Karen, and their three children, Mark, Craig,
and Helen.
James H. Davis
Senior Vice President–Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Portfolio Manager
James draws on more than 20 years of financial and business
consulting experience to assist families and individuals in
managing their wealth. Before joining Merrill Lynch in 2009, he
was a private wealth advisor at two other investment firms.
Previously, he was a manager in the strategy consulting practice
of a large international consulting firm.
James is a qualified portfolio manager who, in addition to providing
traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their
objectives by building and managing his own personalized or
defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and
bonds, Merrill Lynch model portfolios and third-party investment
strategies. When servicing clients through the firm’s Investment
Advisory Program, a portfolio manager may manage his strategies
on a discretionary basis.
Jim graduated from the Honors College at the University of
Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy,
then earned an MBA degree at that university’s Ross School of
Business. He is a partner with Social Venture Partners Chicago,
a partnership of philanthropically-minded individuals focused
on building a scalable social enterprise community in Chicago.
He lives in Hinsdale, Illinois, with his wife, Amrita, and their
two children, James and Hudson.
Jeffrey J. Morse
Senior Vice President-Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Portfolio Manager
Jeffrey joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 with more than 10 years of
previous wealth management experience with two investment firms.
Before embarking on a financial career, he worked in engineering
and robotics for a high-technology company in Silicon Valley.
Jeff is a qualified portfolio manager who, in addition to providing
traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their
objectives by building and managing his own personalized
or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks
and bonds, Merrill Lynch model portfolios and third-party investment
strategies. When servicing clients through the firm’s Investment
Advisory Program, a portfolio manager may manage his strategies
on a discretionary basis.
Jeff graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and earned an MBA degree
in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
He is a member of the board of trustees of the Music Institute of
Chicago. He and his wife, Christine, live in Winnetka, Illinois, with
their four children, Connor, Charles, Josephine and William.
James P. Beickert
Assistant Vice President
Private Wealth Relationship Manager
James joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 with three years of previous financial industry experience. He works directly with clients to facilitate account administration, wires and transfers. James also has responsibility for strategic analysis and next-generation wealth transition.
James graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta with a bachelor's degree in English literature. James and his wife, Kia, live in Evanston, Illinois, with their two children, Diego and Marco.
Nicole R. Meihofer
Registered Private Wealth Associate
Nicole joined Merrill Lynch in 2014 with previous experience in client service. Among her responsibilities on the team are to organize client events and special meetings. She works directly with clients to facilitate account administration, wires and transfers. With her creative, energetic and polite approach, she works to understand the individual needs of each client and to help access the specific resources they might need. Nicole graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Iowa. Nicole is a resident of Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood.
Jonathan L. Sobilo
Private Wealth Analyst–Investments
Jonathan joined Merrill Lynch in 2013 and The Smith-Davis-Morse Group 2015. He believes in treating each client as important and unique, striving to deliver an exceptional client experience. Jon works as investment and research analyst for the team. While at Indiana University, he served as senior vice president of the Kelley Student Diversity Council, a group focused on the development of social inclusion and diverse talent development.