Meet Our Team
We have a diverse team of smart, friendly and professional personnel committed to making your financial life easier. We take time to understand the intricacies of your life and we assist you in streamlining the various tasks associated with managing your financial wealth.
Our wealth management team serves you in the way that best addresses your own special circumstances, sensitivities and concerns. We are ardently focused on delivering results and exceeding expectations.
Our culture is based on individual accountability, integrity and rewarding staff committed to broadening their financial competency. We work as a team and our interests are aligned with those of our clients.
We welcome you to learn more about our cross-functional team, their experience and life outside our organization.
Wealth Management Advisors
Kevin Luchetta, CFP® AEP® began his career as a financial advisor in 1996. Kevin is a Wealth Management Advisor and a Partner of Pioneer Financial, which was formed in 2005, based in New York, NY. Pioneer Financial consists of 22 highly credentialed financial professionals, including seven that hold their CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, two that have earned their Accredited Estate Planner designations, one that has their Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and two that have earned their Retirement Income Certified Professional designation. They collectively service over 1.1 billion dollars, as of 12/31/18, of family wealth, corporate pensions, trust assets and privately held stock through Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. They have secured approximately 4 billion dollars, as of 12/31/18, of in-force life insurance over their collective careers.
Kevin earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics while attending Rhode Island University. His commitment to higher learning has allowed him to not only differentiate himself from his peers but significantly advance his competency, knowledge and skill set. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification, and the ACCREDITED ESTATE PLANNER® designation.
Kevin has achieved various professional accomplishments over the years including qualifying for membership with the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®. In 2018 was named one of the Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors. He is also a Worth Magazine Leading Wealth Advisor™. He has qualified for Forum ten times between 2007-2018, which is an accolade achieved by the most elite financial representatives within the Northwestern Mutual distribution system. He was honored in Northwestern Mutual’s 2016 Annual Report for the meaningful impact he made on his client’s life, helping him to leave Wall Street for a career in medicine by creating a holistic financial plan.
Kevin meets individually with high net worth/emerging high net worth individuals and business owners to develop a financial plan suited to their unique situation. He creates a financial blueprint and road map for his clients and their families to follow. His approach is very simple; through a qualitative process he gets to know his clients, their goals and objectives. Utilizing that information, he takes a quantitative approach to design a distinct customized plan. This can range from simple needs-based life insurance planning to complex estate planning designed to protect one’s assets upon transfer.
Stephen began his career in financial planning in 1999. Stephen is a Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and a founding member of Pioneer Financial. Stephen is an Insurance Agent with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 6, 7, 63 and 66 registrations and his Life, Accident & Health Insurance license. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional having earned his certification in 2005 and in 2015 he earned his Accredited Estate Planner™ designation.
Stephen graduated from Quinnipiac University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He resides in Manhattan, NY with his wife Gretchen and their daughter Olivia. Steve enjoys working out, cheering on his home town New York Mets, and traveling the world.
James L. DiNardo , CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, MSFS
Partner
James L. DiNardo , CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, MSFS
Partner
Jim began his career in financial planning in 2000. Jim is a Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and a member of Pioneer Financial. He is an Insurance Agent with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 7, 63 and 66 registrations and his Life, Accident & Health Insurance license. Jim also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification, Chartered Life Underwriter® designation and Chartered Financial Consultant ™ designation.
Jim graduated from Hamilton College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy. He later received his Masters of Science in Financial Services from The American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. Jim resides in Larchmont, NY with his wife Mary and their daughters Cadence and Reagan. Jim enjoys competing in triathlons and the occasional IronMan competition.
Paul has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2001 and for several years ran his own wealth management practice. He is a Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and a Partner and Founding Member of Pioneer Financial. Paul is an Insurance Agent with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. He facilitates the day-to-day practice in the areas of strategy, company vision and business development.
Paul grew up in Larchmont, NY. He graduated from Manhattanville College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Paul is the ex-Chief of the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department and served the community for over 15 years in the roles of firefighter and officer. He resides in Westport, CT with his wife Maria and their three daughters, Katelyn, Malena, Evelina, and their dog Yoda. Paul enjoys both competitive and recreational clay target shooting.
Advisors
Brandon has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2010 and joined our team in 2011. Brandon is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 6 and 63 registrations and his Life, Accident & Health Insurance license. Brandon also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification, Chartered Financial Consultant™ designation, Chartered Life Underwriter® and Retirement Income Certified Professional® designations.
Brandon grew up in Kailua, Hawaii and moved to New York in 2005. He is a graduate from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Education. Brandon is on the Junior Board of Read Ahead, a non-profit organization focused on mentoring children to succeed in school through literacy. He resides in the Bronx, NY with his wife Miho.
Lucas joined Pioneer Financial in 2016. Lucas is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 7 and 63 registrations and his Life, Accident & Health Insurance license. Lucas is a co-creator of Pioneer Financials’ Retirement Income Philosophy and also sits on the firm’s Investment Committee.
Lucas was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor's of Science in Finance with a Minor in Accounting. Academically, Lucas was a four-time Horizon League Honor Roll Student. Athletically, he competed for the NCAA Division 1 Golden Grizzlies for 4 seasons in a late-bullpen role and was a two-time Captain of the Oakland University Baseball Team.
Lucas’ hobbies include riding his motorcycle, weight lifting, and fishing. He currently resides in Long Island City, NY with this fiance Elizabeth.
Michael joined Pioneer in August of 2020 as a Lead Advisor. He graduated from the CW Post Campus at Long Island University in 1994, summa cum laude, majoring in Marketing. He brings to Pioneer Financial a wealth of knowledge and experience in both financial planning and servicing high net worth individuals. Early in his career, he worked as a market-maker/trader on one of the busiest OTC trading floors at the time.
Later in his career he shifted his focus to planning and eventually worked to obtain his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional designation in 2012. Michael grew up on Long Island, NY and now resides in Massapequa with his wife and two teenage children. He enjoys running, boating, and pretty much anything that involves his family.
Ray has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2011 and joined our team in 2013. Ray is an Insurance Agent with Northwestern Mutual and a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 6 and 63 registrations and his Life, Accident & Health Insurance license.
Ray grew up in Rockaway Beach, NY. He graduated from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought. While there he balanced his time between academics and athletics, playing point guard on the varsity basketball team. Ray has a passion for music and currently lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife Sarah and their baby boy Kieran.
Research & Planning
Stephen began his career in finance in 2008. He is an Investment Analyst with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, maintaining securities Series 7 and 66 registrations. Stephen earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2015 and Certified Financial Planner professional certification in 2017. Prior to joining the firm Stephen worked in Institutional Sales at Sidoti & Company where he covered hedge funds and mutual funds in Boston and New York City, and he has experience working in private wealth management from his time at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
Stephen grew up in Pelham, New York. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and minor in Economics. He resides in Manhattan.
Jim began his career in finance in 2009 and joined our team this past year. Jim has been instrumental in developing the company's investment plan as well as asset allocation models. Jim is an Investment Analyst with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 7 and 66 registrations. Jim also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Designation and Enrolled Agent (EA) Designation issued by the IRS. He is currently a CFA Level 3 Candidate. Prior to joining the company he worked for a family wealth management office in Fairfield NJ as well as Ernst & Young where he held a tax services position.
Jim grew up on the Jersey shore. He graduated from Caldwell University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance & Economics. While there he balanced his time between academics and athletics, playing soccer for the men’s soccer team. Jim resides in Caldwell, NJ, along with his English bull dog Rupert.
Andrew Manganelli , CFP®, RICP®, M.S.
Director of Financial Planning
Andrew joined our team in 2014. His primary role is focused on the creation and management of financial plans for prospective and active clients. Andrew is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. He is a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 7 and 63 registrations.
Andrew previously served as an assistant to partner, Paul Tortorella. His responsibilities included a wide range of activities related to IT, operations and human resources. In all three areas, Andrew was instrumental in creating new systems and process efficiencies.
Andrew has spent most of the past 6 years living abroad in different countries including China, Russia, the UK and Syria. He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science and from the London School of Economics with a Master of Science in International Relations. Andrew currently lives in New Rochelle, NY with his wife, Batma.
Song started his career in finance in 2015 and joined our team in 2019 as research analyst, responsible for investment analysis and research. Previously he exceled in different roles including securities consultant, M&A analyst and risk analyst which gave him in-depth analytical experience of different investment activities across United States and China.
Song grew up in Beijing, China. He majored in Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence in college and graduated from Brandeis University with Master of Science degree in finance. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ. He loves travelling, outdoor sports and films.
Operations
Jenn is an Associate Financial Representative of Northwestern Mutual and has been a part of our team since 2001. She currently works with us in the areas of new insurance business coordination and policy owner services and holds her Life, Accident and Health Insurance license. She has most recently earned the Certified in Long-Term Care designation.
Jenn lives in Freeport, New York with her husband Pete and their two daughters, Harley and Kendall.
Rita has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2006 and she joined our team in 2008. Rita is an Associate Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. She is a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining securities Series 7, and 63 registrations. Her responsibilities include a wide variety of investment operations activities including account and trade processing.
Rita graduated from Hunter College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Rita has a passion for travelling, she speaks fluent Russian and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Dmitry.
Kenneth joined Pioneer Financial in 2016 but began his financial services career in 2006. Kenneth is an Associate Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. He is a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. He maintains the securities Series 7 and 63 registrations and the Life, Accident, & Health license. His responsibilities include a wide range of investment operations activities from client onboarding to trade reconciliation.
Kenneth graduated Cum Laude from St. John's University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Kenneth is a born and bred New Yorker who resides on Long Island.
Andrew joined our team in 2018 as the assistant to the partner Paul Tortorella. His primary responsibilities included IT, operations, and human resources. Now Andrew is an Investment Operations Associate where his responsibilities includes investment operations activities and account administration.
Andrew graduated from Wilkes University in 2018 with a degree in Marketing and Management. While in college Andrew was a part of the Men’s Tennis Team and served as captain his junior and senior year. He also has interests playing basketball, golf and spending time with his family and friends. Andrew currently resides in Englewood, New Jersey.
Wealth Management Support Team
Sarah joined the Pioneer team in 2016 and continues to deepen her knowledge to best serve our clients. She graduated in 2015 with her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, where she was a member of the Women’s Volleyball Team, winning the Heartland Conference in 2007, and also participated on the university’s Cheer Team.
Sarah was born and raised in Texas, and now resides in Buffalo, NY with her husband Mihai and their son Luca. She has a passion for music and singing, travelling with her husband, outdoor sports, food festivals, serving in her community, and making new friends. Learning excites her and continual growth is what she strives for.
Amy began her career at Northwestern Mutual in 2009. She has been a part of our team since 2010. Amy is responsible for handling client service, scheduling and manages the daily operations. She is an Associate Insurance Agent with Northwestern Mutual and holds her Life, Accident and Health insurance license and is certified in the Long-Term Care designation.
Amy grew up in Marlboro, NY. She graduated from Berkeley College in NYC where she earned a Bachelors in Business Finance. She is fluent in Hungarian and resides in New Jersey.
Alis is a graduate from Berkeley College and holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. She joined Pioneer Financial in the spring of 2019 as a Lead Advisor Support Associate.
Originally from Chicago, she has lived in New York City since 2010 and currently resides in the Financial District with her husband Raj.
Alis enjoys traveling and has visited 17 countries to date. She is a true foodie and a dedicated elephant advocate.
Victoria joined Pioneer in April 2020 as Assistant to the COO. Victoria graduated magna cum laude from the Sawyer Business School of Suffolk University, where she was elected to the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society.
She worked as a wealth management consultant at a major financial institution in Boston, and later served as office manager for a technology company in New York City. Victoria has also worked in fashion sales.
Victoria’s interests include baking, traveling and finding cool new restaurants to try in New York City. She is a native New Yorker, living with her family, her cat, Baby, and the family dog and cat.
Jessica joined Pioneer Financial in June 2020 as part of the Executive Assistant team supporting Stephen Schwartz. She is responsible for handling client service, scheduling and operations management. She graduated from Ithaca College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and began her career in the fields of event planning and corporate social responsibility.
Jessica resides in New York City with her husband, Adam, and their mini goldendoodle, Lily. She enjoys exploring all the city has to offer and is always trying to see Broadway shows, discover the latest pop up and eat at new restaurants. She is passionate about traveling and learning how to incorporate environmental sustainability into her everyday life.