Elena Israel
Elena Israel
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
As a Director of Operations, Elena oversees all aspects of client operations and strategic development of workflows and internal processes that ensure superior client experience. Elena has over 10 years of experience in wealth management with a focus on operations and client relationship support.
Prior to joining CCA in July 2021, Elena was a Director of Client Relationship Services at EP Wealth Advisors where she had oversight over the department’s strategic planning and focused on creating and implementing internal policies and procedures that supported client service excellence. Elena was also a co-chair of the Investing in Women Initiative of EPWA. She started her career at EPWA as an operations associate providing advisor support and managing client relationships.
Elena earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Tyumen State University in Russia before moving to California in 2009. She lives in Westchester and in her spare time enjoys hiking, going to the beach and spending time with her husband and son.
Elena is passionate about supporting women in the financial services industry and inspiring young professionals to have fulfilling careers in wealth management.
Lisa Sandoval
Lisa Sandoval
VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT EXECUTION
Lisa is the Vice President of Product Execution at CCA, focusing on product execution, trading, and client relationship management.
Prior to joining CCA. Lisa was an Investment Operations Associate at Prudential Financial, where she provided daily management of Executive Benefit Plans. Lisa’s responsibilities included benefit plan implementation, account funding, and trading. Lisa also produced the portfolio performance reports and assisted her clients in understanding their performance to make sure their investment goals were being met. Lisa started her career at HSBC Bank where she held positions that exposed her to investments and financial planning.
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. Her hobbies include mountaineering, scuba diving, and reading. Lisa is a Los Angeles native.
Marina Hirokane
Marina Hirokane
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Marina is the Vice President of Marketing and Relationship Management, responsible for firm marketing and branding, managing portfolio analysis, and key client relationships.
Prior to joining CCA, Marina was a Commercial Finance Associate at California First National Bank, a commercial bank located in Irvine, California, where she managed multiple client accounts, focusing on commercial loan origination. Marina graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2016 with a degree in Business Economics and minor in Business Management. During her time at UCI, she was an Operations Manager at the Anteater Recreation Center, and submerged herself in various different internships and activities. These included wealth management, marketing, and data analysis.
Marina is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. She has volunteered at Minds Matter of Los Angeles and beach cleanups. She currently resides in Culver City and enjoys yoga, running, and spending time outdoors.
Stephanie De Wyn
Stephanie De Wyn
VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE SERVICES AND COMPLIANCE
Stephanie is the Vice President of Corporate Services and Compliance, responsible for supporting the firm’s personnel and human resource functions as well as managing the talent acquisition process. She also assists in all firm SEC compliance and financial management operations of the company.
Prior to joining CCA, Stephanie was a Client Services Associate at Raymond James, where she managed books of business for multiple advisors, handling client correspondence and account maintenance. Stephanie started her career in finance as an Administrative Assistant at Anchor Capital Management Group where she was exposed to the client service side of the business. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies.
Stephanie is originally from Las Vegas, NV and now resides in Los Angeles. Out of the office she enjoys hiking, painting, spending time at the beach, and with family and friends.
Luca Pasquini
Luca Pasquini
SENIOR INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE
Luca is a Senior Investment Associate at CCA, responsible for supporting advisors, strategy development, and managing client relationships.
Prior to joining CCA, Luca was a Junior Associate at LPL Financial in Fresno, California, where he was responsible for marketing campaigns, equity analysis, research projects, and client service. Luca graduated from San Jose State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. Luca also completed his Master of Science degree in Finance from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2020. Luca’s prior experience and education have cultivated a profound interest in markets and the financial services industry.
Luca is originally from Fresno, CA and now resides in Los Angeles. Out of the office, he enjoys golfing, playing basketball, and spending time with his wife and their cat.
Kevin Kiely
Kevin Kiely
SENIOR INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE
Kevin is a Senior Investment Associate at CCA, responsible for advisor support, strategy development, portfolio maintenance, and managing client relationships.
Prior to joining CCA, Kevin was a tax consultant at Deloitte in Los Angeles, California where he was responsible for tax compliance, structuring, and research for asset management firms in public and private markets. Kevin’s experience working with asset management firms prompted him to pursue a career in finance and wealth management at CCA. Kevin graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with a BBA in accounting.
Kevin is originally from Orange County, CA and now resides in Los Angeles. Outside of the office, he enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Shane Levi
Shane Levi
SENIOR PRODUCT EXECUTION ASSOCIATE
Shane is a Senior Product Execution Associate at CCA, responsible for managing daily trade execution, providing pre and post-trade support, and overseeing data management processes for performance and reporting purposes.
Prior to joining CCA, Shane was an Operations Associate at SS&C Technologies in New York, where he provided trade and administrative support to east coast based hedge funds. Shane’s responsibilities included conducting reconciliations of client funds, processing money movements, and managing an international team to provide trade and audit support. Shane received his Bachelor of Science from Fairfield University in Connecticut majoring in Finance with a concentration in Economics.
Shane is originally from New Jersey, and currently resides in Los Angeles. Out of the office, Shane enjoys attending concerts, playing beach volleyball, and fishing on the Southern California coast.
Brian Shortsleeve
Brian Shortsleeve
SENIOR OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE
Brian is a Senior Operations Associate at CCA, responsible for managing account opening, account maintenance, and client requests.
Prior to joining Checchi, Brian worked directly for the co-founder EP Wealth Advisors, managing client service and support for a $1bn book of business. Before that, Brian took a slight detour from his career in financial services, working as a screenwriter in Los Angeles for several years. Originally from Massachusetts, Brian began his career working for Fidelity Investments in their retirement planning group.
Brian graduated from Providence College before moving to Los Angeles where he met his wife, Amanda. Last year they welcomed their first child, Evan. Outside of work, Brian enjoys playing basketball, hiking, golf, creative writing, and spending time with his rescue dog, Archie.
James Kenyon
James Kenyon
INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE
James is an Investment Associate at CCA, responsible for trade execution, account maintenance, and client requests.
Prior to joining CCA, James was an Operations Analyst at iTrust Capital LLC in Irvine, California, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of outflow protocols of various digital assets, workflow optimizations, portfolio analysis and data cleaning. James completed his undergraduate degree at Newcastle University in 2021, attaining a BSc in Business Management and Marketing. Whilst completing his undergraduate degree James studied abroad at Norges Handelshøyskole (NHH) in Bergen, Norway, completing a host of modules in banking, finance and financial technology, in addition to spending his final year in Berlin, Germany, where he completed crucial research contributing towards his thesis on the impact of Blockchain within the Recorded Music Industry.
James is originally from Manchester, UK, and now resides in Newport Beach, California. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, golfing, surfing, and spending time with family and friends.
Courtney Benjamin
Courtney Benjamin
OFFICE MANAGER
Courtney is the Office Manager at CCA, responsible for maintaining and ensuring that the office runs smoothly for our team and our clients. Prior to joining CCA, Courtney worked as a Legal Assistant at Asher Law Group in Century City, California, where she prepared complex legal documents and supervised general office duties such as managing schedules and work processes for the team of legal professionals. Courtney began her professional career in administration at the luxury resort, San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. She graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara and received her Bachelor of Arts degree.
Courtney now lives in Culver City, California. Out of the office, she spends her time discovering new movies and enjoys dinners out at the many fine restaurants that Los Angeles has to offer.