Advisors

Advisors

Within the world of financial advisors, we see ourselves as Goldilocks. Not too big, not too small. Just the right size to relate to you comfortably, human to human, and yet ensure that there’s always a member of the team available to address any issues that come your way.

 

Whether you’re just out of school and starting your career, trying to figure out how to save for your kids’ college, or thinking about retirement, grandkids, and your legacy, we offer you the resources and expertise to fully explore your options at every point.

 

At the same time, we strive to provide the individualized and personalized attention that gives you a meaningful level of comfort and confidence—knowing that we see you not as a number, an account, or simply a client, but as the particular person you are, with your own unique family situation, goals, and priorities and your own way of relating to your financial life.

David N. Navarro, ChFC®, CFP®, MSFS, CRPS®

President

Dave has been president of Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group since 1997. He is a registered securities principal of Commonwealth Financial Network® with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. His passion for helping people, coupled with his wealth management and financial planning skills, have earned him the respect of clients and colleagues alike.

Dave provides his clients with customized solutions to pursue their specific financial goals. Education is extremely important to Dave as a way of helping his clients reach their goals. He believes that financial success is not merely measured in dollars, but in how well it allows people to realize their dreams for themselves and their families.

Dave is active in his community and coaches youth soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He has served on the board of Chicago's Entrepreneur Organization and the board of his church in Glen Ellyn, and he has taught courses for aspiring ChFC® and CFP® professionals. Dave resides in Wheaton with his wife and three children. Dave is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a degree in economics and political science. He also holds an MS in financial services and is both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®).
 

 

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David N. Navarro is proud to have been recognized as a Chairman’s Level advisor for 2022—a distinction based on annual production that places him among the top 4 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. 

Each year, Commonwealth, the broker/dealer–RIA that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Chairman’s Level advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Chairman’s Level advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.  

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Frank Kautzky, CIMA®, ChFC®, AIF®

Chief Operating Officer

Frank was promoted to chief operating officer for Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group in July 2013 after having served as director of operations since rejoining the firm in January 2008. Frank is a registered principal of Commonwealth Financial Network®, and clients and the firm both benefit from his expertise in compliance supervision and his previous business ownership experience. In addition to operating duties, Frank is also responsible for investment research and selection and personnel oversight.

A former small business executive, Frank owned and operated a franchise business in the Fox Valley area and also served as an executive vice president of a holding company that owned and operated six different subsidiaries. Frank began his career in finance with Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group as a financial advisor in 1999.

Frank received his BS in finance from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Frank is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designee. Frank resides in western Aurora with his wife and three boys. In his free time, Frank enjoys coaching Little League baseball, playing golf, skeet shooting, and watching the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears.

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Jae W. Ha, ChFC®, CRPS®

Financial Advisor

Jae has been serving in the financial services industry since 1998. As an experienced wealth management advisor and financial planner, Jae’s success comes from not only managing money but understanding each client’s unique situation and how to navigate the ups and downs of the journey. To do this, he employs a comprehensive approach for each client according to his or her goals and needs. As a former business owner, Jae specializes in creating plans for successful business owners, as well as families.

Jae is actively involved in his community. He volunteers as a Sunday school teacher and a choir member for his church, and he has served as the vice president of the Midwest Korean Junior Chamber Association (Jaycees) and as a board member of the Korean American Association of Chicago.

Jae is a member of The National Unification Advisory Council. The NUAC advises by request and makes proposals to the president of the Republic of Korea regarding policy development and implementation for a democratic and peaceful inter-Korean unification. 

Jae graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a BS in accounting. He is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®). Jae has been living in the metro Chicago area for more than 30 years with his wife and two sons.

 

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Jae W. Ha is proud to have been recognized as a Summit Club advisor for 2022—a distinction based on annual production that places him among the top 19 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.

Each year, Commonwealth, the broker/dealer–RIA that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Summit Club advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Summit Club advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.  

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John A. Ferrante II, ChFC®, CRPS®

Financial Advisor

John began working in the financial services industry in 1995 at Prudential Financial, advising clients primarily on insurance matters. John joined Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group in 1998 to further his development as a financial advisor and to deliver superior service, products, and technology to his clientele. 

John enjoys working with young professionals in the technology arena and with small business owners. He takes a personal interest in working intimately with his clients in helping them achieve their financial goals and objectives.  

John is a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. While with the Air Force, he specialized in the intelligence division and served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

John is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and a Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®). He studied finance at Western Illinois University. John is an avid fitness guru and enjoys nearly all sports and outdoor activities. He is very passionate about sports when it comes to the professional teams of Chicago. John, his wife Mayra, and sons Gavin and AJ live in Batavia, Illinois.

 

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John A. Ferrante II is proud to have been recognized as a Founder’s Club advisor for 2022—a distinction based on annual production that places him among the top 35 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.

Each year, Commonwealth, the broker/dealer–RIA that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Founder’s Club advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Founder’s Club advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership.  

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Brett Sherpan, CFP®, CRPS®

Financial Advisor

Brett's career began in information technology, where he developed simple solutions to abstract problems and excelled at translating the obscure and the complex into concise, understandable concepts. In 2002, he left the IT industry to embark on a new journey—joining Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group. 

Brett now works with families, savers and inheritors, corporate executives, business owners, widows and widowers, retirees, and want-to-be retirees, helping educate and navigate them through difficult and complex financial situations.

Brett is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and an alumnus of Roosevelt University. He is also a Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®) designee.

If you are ready to develop a financial plan and put it into action, seek counsel on investments and estate planning, or have recently experienced a life transition such as a divorce, a pending retirement, or starting or selling a business, contact Brett and his colleagues at Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group.

 

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Brett Sherpan is proud to have been recognized as a Founder’s Club advisor for 2022—a distinction based on annual production that places him among the top 35 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.

Each year, Commonwealth, the broker/dealer–RIA that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Founder’s Club advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Founder’s Club advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership.

 

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Carlo J. Airdo, CFP®, CRPS®, MBA

Financial Advisor

Carlo joined Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group in April 2014 after spending more than 20 years with HSBC, one of the largest banks in the world. A lifelong student of money, an avid reader, and having spent his entire career in financial services, Carlo brings a holistic perspective to financial planning. He believes that in order to truly enjoy all-around success, it’s important to have balance and strength in all aspects of your life—emotional, intellectual, financial, physical, social, and spiritual.

Carlo earned a BS from Elmhurst College and an MBA with a concentration in marketing from DePaul University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and a Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®) designee. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network® and is a licensed insurance producer. In addition to helping individuals and families manage their wealth, Carlo leads Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group’s retirement plan business, supporting small and midsize companies that offer 401(k)s and other retirement plans to their employees. 

Carlo is a longtime Chicago Blackhawks fan, starts his day at 4:15 A.M. with a trip to the gym, and is an unabashed coffee snob. He enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends. Carlo and his family currently reside in Elmhurst.

Wealth creation is a marathon, not a sprint, and short-term sacrifices—especially early in your career—can pay dividends over the long term. Carlo welcomes the opportunity to help you and your family define what your financial dreams are, remove the mystery you may find in financial planning, and craft a plan to achieve a life of financial confidence. 

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George Kinsella, CFP®, CRPS®

Financial Advisor

George joined Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group in August 2013, after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BS in economics in May 2013. He interned at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). George is a Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM designee and in 2019, George furthered his studies to obtain his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.

Born in Chicago, George won’t be found in Wrigleyville on game days—he’s a big Chicago White Sox fan. Outside of work, George enjoys golf, baseball (he pitched for Colorado’s club team for four years), fishing, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Eric N. Otto, AIF®

Financial Advisor

Eric helps his clients keep their expectations in check and works with associated professionals to develop sensible strategies for correlating the accumulation, retirement, and estate planning phases of the investment cycle. He helps clients structure their portfolios and then manages them based on reasonable goals, with an emphasis on tax and risk management, using either a discretionary or collaborative approach.

Before joining Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group in 2011, Eric was a founding member of Otto & Associates as well as Otto & Dunne Financial Group. Previously, he was a financial advisor for UBS Financial Services and its predecessors. Prior to working in wealth management, Eric was a corporate account executive for AT&T, helping to manage telecommunication needs for businesses.

Eric earned a BS in economics from Colorado State University. He is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designee and holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, as well as an Illinois life and health insurance license.

Eric and his wife, Laura, live in Northfield, Illinois. They have twin daughters, Emily and Heidi. Eric likes to hunt, trap, skeet shoot, play golf, and ski. 

Brendon J. Pierce, CIMA®, CEPA®

Financial Advisor

Brendon learned about financial education and awareness at a young age. The mistakes he saw his loved ones make became lifelong lessons and started him on a journey to pursue his goal of working in the financial services industry. Brendon has spent the past 16 years advising top Financial Advisors on educating their clients and growing their practices. He spent the last 11 years with Allianz Global Investors and Wells Fargo Asset Management in the Pittsburgh area and recently moved with his wife Katie and their young family to the Chicago area where they have roots. In November of 2021 he joined the Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group as a Financial Advisor specializing in helping individuals, families, professionals, and corporations with making informed and efficient decisions in all areas of their financial lives, including…

  • Retirement & estate planning
  • Education savings
  • Tax planning
  • Legacy or charitable planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Cash flow analysis and debt management
  • Risk management and insurance
  • Small business planning

When he isn’t in the office Brendon enjoys spending time with his family and friends, cheering for his favorite Boston sports teams, traveling to Cape Cod, golfing, and reading about the capital markets and all things crypto related.  Brendon is passionate about supporting organizations that are doing great work around the community. He volunteers for the Kid’s Golf Foundation and the local YMCA and has coordinated and taught several Starting New At Golf classes. Brendon resides in Sugar Grove with his wife Katie and daughters Millie and Elle.  

Brendon graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and Economics. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®). Brendon holds FINRA Series 7, 6, 65 & 63 Securities registrations as an Investment Advisor through Commonwealth Financial Network®. 

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