Hobart and William Smith Colleges

1 April 2014 Gerson 85 Makes Barrons Top Advisors

Jeffrey Gerson 85, P16 has been listed as one of Barrons Top 1,200 Financial Advisors. He is currently executive director, wealth management of the Gerson, Guarino & Meisel Group (GGM) at Morgan Stanley. As such, Gerson helps tailor comprehensive wealth management strategies to clients financial objectives, including their debt management and liquidity needs. GGM is ranked as one of the top financial advisory teams in the United States. A founding partner, Gersons 11 member team oversees more than $2 billion in client assets.

The Barrons Top 1,200 Advisors is a select group of individuals who are screened on a number of criteria. Among factors taken into consideration are assets under management, revenue produced for the firm and quality of service provided to clients.

Gerson serves on many advisory councils within Morgan Stanley and most recently served as co-chair of the firms Directors Advisory Group. He is also a founding member of the Portfolio Management Institute (PMI). In 1998, Gerson was honored to receive the Smith Barney Harry Irvine Award for high ethics, professionalism and commitment to the firm.

Throughout his nearly 30-year career, Gerson has been awarded top financial industry honors, including Worth magazines Top 100 Wealth Advisors in America for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; Rep magazines Top 50 Broker for 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; Barrons Top 100 Brokers in America 2004 & 2008; RJ Shooks Winners Circle IV; Presidents Volunteer Service Award, 2006; and the Portfolio Management Institutes Portfolio Manager of the Year, 2005. Gerson also appears frequently on financial segments for CNBC.

In 2010, Gerson returned to campus to deliver a talk titled, A Career in Private Wealth Management, as part of the Salisbury Center for Career Services Professionals in Residence series. Each winter, he invites HWS students to his office as a participant in the Colleges Wall Street Experience program, and through out the year gives career advice to students and young alums and has provided many internship and job opportunities to members of the HWS community. His daughter, Elana Gerson 16, currently attends William Smith.

In his community, Gerson is an active member of Autism Speaks, a trustee of the Harrison Educational Foundation, and a member of the Save the Children Westchester Leadership Council.

Gerson graduated from Hobart College with a degree in economics, was a member of Sigma Chi and the Statesmen cross country team. He also served on the Hobart Student Association.