WealthPoint Hires Five New Employees for Succession, Legacy, Insurance Planning Business

WealthPoint LLC, a provider of succession planning, legacy planning and life insurance planning to high wealth clients throughout the United States, today announced it has hired five new employees. The company was formed in May 2010 by Managing Director Ryan Barradas.

“When you launch a new business it’s critical to surround yourself with top people, and that is what I believe we’ve done with these five professionals,” said Barradas. “All of them have experience in financial services and will work internally and externally to ensure WealthPoint delivers exceptional client service.”

The new employees include:

• Joe Worden, Director of Business Development. Worden is charged with overseeing and growing the firm’s marketing efforts and strategic relationships with corporate partners and associations. He has extensive experience and expertise in the areas of private equity, mergers and acquisitions and business development. Joe has spent 14 years in corporate finance and business development, with the last six focused specifically on legislatively driven distribution challenges in the financial services industry.
• Valerie Juhl, Client Coordinator. Juhl is responsible for the development and management of day-to-day operations, workflow/case management and administrative support. She has a background that includes mortgage banking, graphic design and business.
• Kathy Grenert, Director of New Business and Policy Service. Grenert is responsible for client services, new business administration, and medical underwriting. She has 30 plus years experience in the electronics industry, sixteen of those as owner of Southwest Sales, Inc., a manufacturer’s representative company serving the semiconductor industry.
• Drew Velasquez, Design Analyst. Velasquez heads the firm’s case design team. He began his career in public accounting in Seattle while specializing in the issues that affect corporate and personal income taxes, ownership transition, value realization, strategic management, and tax structures of closely held businesses. He has personally consulted with hundreds of clients regarding strategies ranging from simple estate documents to negotiating on behalf of clients for the sale of a business.
• Shelley Forman, Controller. Forman handles the firm’s day-to-day accounting duties, financial analysis, and business operations. She started her career in Boston as an auditor with KPMG, specializing in mutual funds and real estate investment trusts. Since that time, she has held Accounting Manager and Controller positions with two publicly held technology companies including work on two initial public offerings.