Author: Simone Paz

Trish Koontz, Compliance Officer

Trish Koontz serves as Compliance Officer for Arax Advisory Partners, overseeing the firm’s compliance program and helping ensure adherence to SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory requirements. She is responsible for compliance policies and procedures, regulatory filings, employee registrations and disclosures, risk management, and compliance training.

Prior to joining Arax, Trish held compliance roles with SEC- and FINRA-regulated firms, supporting regulatory compliance programs and examinations. She works closely with regulators and firm leadership to help maintain effective compliance practices and support business objectives.

Licenses Held: Series 7, Series 66, and Series 24.

Brian Mackey is the Chief Financial Officer of Arax Advisory Partners.

At Arax, Brian oversees financial operations and reporting while supporting the firm’s acquisition and integration strategy. He has helped centralize the financial operations of a multi-entity organization and strengthen its reporting processes. During his tenure, Arax has grown from approximately $7 billion to $12 billion in assets through a series of RIA acquisitions and advisor team additions.

Prior to joining Arax, Brian served as Chief Operating Officer of Schechter Investment Advisors, a $4 billion wealth management firm, where he oversaw operations, finance, investment operations, and marketing. He helped lead Schechter’s sale to Arax, including financial modeling, due diligence, transaction planning, and post-closing integration. Earlier in his career, Brian was the Co-Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Hutchinson & Walter, CPAs, an accounting and consulting firm. During his tenure, he led the firm’s strategy, financial management, operations, technology modernization, and talent development.

Brian previously spent nearly eight years at Adviser Investments, a private equity-backed registered investment advisor that grew from approximately $2.4 billion to more than $6 billion in assets during his tenure. He became a partner in 2014 and ultimately served as Deputy Director of Research. In that role, Brian co-led the firm’s investment research function, managed investment analysts, and oversaw due diligence across asset classes. He also helped integrate acquired advisory firms, including a $1 billion RIA acquisition, and contributed to the expansion of the firm’s retirement plan advisory business.

Brian holds a B.A. in Economics from Elon University and is a CFA charterholder.

Brian Durkin serves as Chief Compliance Officer of Arax Advisory Partners, where he leads the firm’s regulatory and supervisory framework and fosters a culture of compliance grounded in fiduciary care and ethical responsibility. He partners closely with advisors and firm leadership to keep the compliance program practical, risk-aware, and aligned with the long-term interests of clients.

Brian brings more than 35 years of experience across financial services, with a career spanning audit, relationship management, operations, corporate finance, and regulatory oversight. He has worked across a wide range of business models — retirement services, institutional asset management, registered investment advisory, and multi-family office environments — experience that shapes a pragmatic approach to governance: strong controls that support growth.

Prior to joining Arax, Brian held senior compliance and leadership roles with several respected Boston-area investment firms, including Fidelity Investments, Putnam Investments, and Lake Street Advisors. He also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of GFP Private Wealth.

Outside the office, Brian values work-life balance and time with family. He and his wife have four children. He follows Boston sports closely, enjoys gardening, and spends summer days along the beaches of Marshfield, Massachusetts.

Education & Credentials

Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional® (IACCP®)
FINRA Series 65
B.A., Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Brittany Hall is a Compliance Officer for Arax Advisory Partners.

At Arax, Brittany is responsible for overseeing the firm’s compliance program and helps to ensure adherence to SEC and other regulatory requirements. In this role, Brittany monitors regulatory developments, supports risk management initiatives, and maintains policies and procedures that promote a strong culture of compliance across the organization. Early in Brittany’s career, analytical and finance-focused roles provided a strong foundation in financial services, regulatory oversight, and operational risk management.

Prior to joining Arax, Brittany served as a Compliance Officer at an SEC- and FINRA-regulated firm, overseeing regulatory compliance initiatives, risk management programs, and firmwide efforts to address evolving regulatory requirements. During this time, Brittany obtained Series 6 and Series 26 licenses and developed extensive experience navigating complex regulatory frameworks. Throughout this experience, Brittany worked closely with the SEC, FINRA, and state regulators, providing guidance on compliance matters and supported organizations in meeting their regulatory obligations. Brittany brings a practical, risk-based approach to compliance and governance, helping Arax maintain effective compliance practices while supporting business objectives.

Brittany earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance and Economics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an MBA with a concentration in Data Analytics from Maryville University of St. Louis.

Ryan Stuart is Head of RIA Operations at Arax Advisory Partners.

In this role, Ryan is responsible for overseeing and driving operational efficiencies across the Firm’s technology platforms, including the client relationship management system (CRM), portfolio management system (PMS), custodians, trading, research, and integration of new acquisitions. Prior to joining Arax, Ryan spent five years with KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm, in Economic & Valuation Services (in Denver) and Transfer Pricing (in Sydney, Australia). Most recently, Ryan joined an Arizona-based start-up RIA that grew from $20M in AUM to $400M in nine years where Ryan served as Chief Compliance Officer, Operations Director and Investment Committee Member.

Ryan holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and a Quantitative Finance Certificate from University of Colorado Boulder (2010). Ryan also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation which requires successful completion of three rigorous exams and four years of relevant work experience.

Outside of work, Ryan is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys adventuring with his family and coaching his two sons’ ice hockey teams.

Mike Riordan is the President of Arax Advisor Partners.

At Arax, Mike is responsible for managing the firm’s advisory business, Arax Advisory Partners. He is responsible for supporting and enabling our advisor teams and, in turn, their clients. Mike and his team support all of AAP’s existing teams as well as manage the onboarding and integration of new RIAs and advisor teams to AAP.

Mike’s predecessor firm, SRS Capital Advisors, partnered with Arax in 2024. Mike was one of three Managing Director partners at SRS, joining the firm in 2011. At SRS, Mike was responsible for managing all aspects of the firm, including investments, operations, compliance, HR, and finance.

Prior to joining SRS, Mike worked for a global consulting firm leading their analytics practice and helping Fortune 100 financial services and technologies develop and refine their go to market solutions.

Mike holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia as well as an M.B.A. from Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

Zbynek Kozelsky is the Head of Compliance and Supervision of Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, Zbynek oversees the firms regulatory and legal work, and helps leverage compliance and risk management resources from acquisitions. Prior to joining Arax, Zbynek oversaw supervisory and operational functions of Deutsche Bank International Private Bank, including US and Latin America Investment Advisory. He had been with the bank for 23 years, including working with Key Client Partners of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management.

Zbynek holds a B.A. from New England College, and an MBA from Sacred Heart University.

Sumit Handa is the Chief Investment Officer at Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, Sumit is responsible for the day-to-day investment activities. Prior to joining Arax, Sumit served as Managing Director/Partner, and Co-Head of the investment committee at Pennington Partners & Co., a multi-family office. Before Pennington, Sumit was the Head of Asset Allocation at Tiber Capital/Insight Investment/BNY Mellon, where he was responsible for structuring of transactions, and managing assets for global insurance & reinsurance companies. Prior to joining Insight Investment, Sumit served as the Chief Investment Officer for the City of Philadelphia Board of Pensions Retirement Plans and was also a portfolio manager primarily at DKR Capital.

Sumit is active in the community, and currently sits on the Board of Young Audiences.

Sumit holds a BS in Finance and a JD from St John’s University.

Seth Waugh is Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor of Arax Investment Partners. Prior to joining Arax, Seth was the CEO of the PGA of America, guiding the business and overall strategy of one of the world’s largest sports organizations, serving its more than 31,000 PGA Professionals.

Before joining the PGA of America, Seth served as Managing Director at Silver Lake and continues as a Senior Advisor. In 2016, he was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Alex.Brown. Waugh spent 13 years at Deutsche Bank, including 10 years as CEO of the Americas. He also served as Deutsche Bank Americas Advisory Board Chairman until 2017. A former CEO of Quantitative Financial Strategies, Waugh also spent 11 years at Merrill Lynch, culminating as Global Debt Markets Co-Head. He previously managed Salomon Brothers’ Corporate Bond and International Trading desks.

Waugh sat on the Board of Directors for the International Golf Federation, World Golf Foundation, Official World Golf Ranking, and is currently on the board for Franklin Templeton Advisors and Yext. He also serves on Workday, Inc.’s Advisory Board, as well as Cabot Advisory Board. Waugh served on the FINRA board. His philanthropy includes serving as Chairman of the West Palm Beach Golf Park and Honorary Chair of the National Links Trust. In the past, he was on the boards of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation; RISE; Children’s Healthcare Charity; YMCA of Greater New York; Multiple Sclerosis Society of Greater New York; Executive Committee of Partnership for New York City; St. Vincent’s Services of Brooklyn; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and Harlem Village Academies. He was the Lawrenceville School Board President and a Wake Forest University Trustee. For years, he championed the Women on Wall Street Conference. He was also a Captains Club Special Advisor for The Memorial Tournament.

In 2022, Waugh was honored by March of Dimes with the Sports Leadership Award. Also in 2022, Waugh was recognized by the One Hundred Black Men of New York with the Judge Robert Mangum Diversity Champion Award for his groundbreaking work in sports. In 2024, Waugh received the MGWA Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals, as well as organizations, for their contributions and service to golf.

Seth holds a B.A. in Economics and English from Amherst College.

Joseph Osonitsch is the Head of FP&A of Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, Joseph is responsible for the reporting and analysis of key metrics, financial management, business planning, and more across the Arax ecosystem. Prior to joining Arax, Joseph was a Finance Director at Morgan Stanley supporting the Wealth Management business. In that role he was focused on the development and implementation of key metrics and reporting procedures for a number of channels across Wealth Management.

Joseph graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from Binghamton University.

John O’Connor is the Chief Operating Officer of Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, John is responsible for overall operations and technology strategy and execution. Prior to joining Arax, John was President and COO of Brosnan Risk Consultants where he developed a small, regional, security and consulting firm into an innovative, industry leading, national business growing 15x over 10 years with over 6000 employees in 48 states.

John’s other previous leadership experiences include: KPMG Partner, where he was responsible for the build-out of the U.S. insurance operations consulting practice, COO of Endurance Specialty Insurance (now Sompo International), where he was responsible for building and running a global shared services organization to support the company’s geographic and product line expansion, and Accenture Partner, where he was responsible for strategic client relationships, alliances and multi-year transformation programs within the global financial services industry, including post-merger integration, shared services and technology strategy and implementation.

John holds a B.S. from Fairfield University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow of the Life Management Institute.

Haig Ariyan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, Haig oversees all operations, strategic direction, and leadership of the firm. Prior to joining Arax, Haig was the President and CEO of Alex. Brown, America’s first investment banking firm. While at Alex. Brown, Haig oversaw 220 Financial Advisors in 18 offices and $70B in client assets. Haig was the Head of Global Wealth Solutions, the product and solutions platform supporting all of Raymond James’ more than 8,000 affiliated advisors. Prior to leading the sale and integration of Alex. Brown to Raymond James Financial, Haig was the head of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management in the Americas.

Haig joined Alex. Brown & Sons in 1996 as a client advisor in Greenwich, Connecticut. After several years of building a successful practice working with high-net-worth families and playing an integral role in Deutsche Bank’s acquisition of BT Alex. Brown, Haig was named Regional Executive of the Greenwich office. In 2005, he was promoted to manage the midtown New York City office, while continuing to oversee the Greenwich business. He was also responsible for opening Deutsche Bank’s Wall Street branch. In 2009, Haig served as Head of the Eastern Region of Private Client Services and one year later was appointed the Head of the American wealth management franchise. Haig started his career at Dean Witter Reynolds.

Haig is active on the board of trustees of the Diocese of the Armenian Church as well as the central council of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). He has served as chairman of the Armenian Church Endowment Fund’s investment committee and is a member of the board of the Dadourian Foundation, a private family foundation based in New York. Haig is also a member of the board of the MassMutual Trust Company. 

Haig holds a B.S. from Rutgers University.

Emma Verhaegen is the Executive Assistant of Arax Investment Partners.

Prior to joining Arax, Emma was a recruiter at WhiteCap Search, where she helped companies find talent for their teams in various services areas within the financial services sector. Before that, Emma was a talent acquisition manager at Premiere Response.

Emma holds a B.S. from The Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Diego Galan is the Chief Financial Officer of Arax Investment Partners. 

At Arax, Diego is responsible for all financial-related activities, operations, and the company’s medium-to-long term strategy. Prior to joining Arax, Diego was the co-founder and COO of Bento Engine, a FinTech that combines a powerful advice engine, a proprietary content library and timing expertise to make Financial Advisors more impactful and efficient.

Between 2016 and 2021, Diego was the CFO and Head of Strategy of Alex. Brown and Raymond James Global Wealth Solutions, which provides the investment solutions platform for the Private Client Group’s 7,400 financial advisors. Diego was responsible for financial operations, strategy and broad change initiatives, including product strategy and roadmap, technology, acquisitions, and joint ventures.

Prior to Raymond James, Diego was the Head of Strategy and Corporate Development for the Deutsche Bank Wealth Management business in the Americas, leading a team responsible for strategy and business development for Deutsche Bank’s Private Bank and Brokerage businesses in the US and Latin America. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Diego was a Project Leader with The Boston Consulting Group, where he managed BCG and client teams on large-scale strategy and process improvement projects in the US, Europe and Latin America.

Diego holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from the Universidad Catolica Argentina, a Masters in Finance from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

David Vertsberger is the Controller of Arax Investment Partners. 

At Arax, David is responsible for cost structure optimization across the Arax ecosystem for middle- and back-office functions including billing, accounting reporting, IT and more. Prior to joining Arax, David was the Legal Entity Controller of Summit Health, an approximately $9bn healthcare company, where he focused on financial reporting and accounting. David began his career at City MD and has a proven track record, successfully centralizing the finance function within HoldCo. David is CPA certified. 

David holds an M.S. in Accounting from Yeshiva University.

Christiana Didizian is an Associate of Arax Investment Partners.

 
At Arax, Christiana is actively involved in all stages of the acquisitions across the company. As a member of the investment team, she focuses on sourcing new opportunities, executing due diligence processes and supporting the firm’s day-to-day investment activities. Christiana also assists with the firm’s marketing strategy and initiatives.

Christiana holds a B.S. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

Brian Purcell is the Chief Technology Officer at Arax Investment Partners, where he leads the firm’s technology vision and strategy. He is responsible for streamlining and integrating the technology stacks across Arax’s operating companies, ensuring they are primed for scalability and long-term growth.

Before joining Arax, Brian served as Director of Platform Strategy at Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he oversaw the integration, deployment, and management of key wealth management technologies, including portfolio management systems, CRM platforms, financial planning tools, and document management solutions.

Prior to Mariner, Brian was Head of Technology at AdvicePeriod, a boutique wealth management firm specializing in servicing ultra-high-net-worth clients. At AdvicePeriod, he played a pivotal role in modernizing the firm’s technology stack to support the complexities of their ultra-high-net-worth clientele.

Earlier in his career, Brian was an equity derivatives trader at PEAK6 Capital Management and later at Caiman Trading in Chicago, where he specialized in broad-based volatility arbitrage strategies.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Design Computing from the University of Sydney, Australia. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children, as well as surfing and skiing in Northern California.

Amy Rizzo is the Chief Growth Officer of Arax Investment Partners.

At Arax, Amy leads recruiting, integration, and business development efforts. Amy’s 20 years in financial services began with roles at PaineWebber and Legg Mason, followed by 16 years at Alex. Brown where she acted as Regional Executive in South Florida. Most recently, Amy transitioned to the independent advisory space, consulting with advisors looking to break away from the wire house environment, as well as independent advisors seeking change for various reasons. Amy led due diligence efforts and supported advisors in some of their biggest life decisions. Subsequently, she became a Regional Director at Apollon Wealth Management, a fast-growing RIA where she led M&A efforts and spearheaded operational and platform enhancements.

Amy holds a B.A. from the University of Miami.