Westlake Village Wealth Management

Industry Start Date: 2000

KAR Start Date: 2013

Education: B.S. from Arizona State University, M.B.A. in Finance & Strategy from the University of California, Los Angeles (selected for the Student Investment Fund).

Credentials: Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 86, Series 87, Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC) license

Recognition:
Darnel was recognized as a 2022 Banking & Finance Visionary by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing, named a 2022 Leaders of Influence for Wealth Management by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and was named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles Magazine last year, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction.

Prior to Joining KAR:
Darnel worked in equity research for KeyBanc Capital Markets covering the gaming and lodging industries. Before working at KeyBanc Capital Markets, Darnel was a Vice President-Financial Consultant for Charles Schwab & Co. During his seven years at Charles Schwab, Darnel provided private-client investment-management services to high-net-worth families.

When Not in the Office:
Darnel loves spending time with his family. He is married to Tamany Vinson Bentz and they have two children, Blaise and Nora. The Bentz’s support the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, among other organizations. Darnel also enjoys travel, reading, skiing, golf and basketball. He currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Darnell enjoys the collegial, collaborative environment that we have at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. People of all different backgrounds come together and really work hard to help our clients meet their goals.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
He loves what he does at KAR because he gets to see people achieve their retirement goals and dreams, save for their children’s education, support their families, and contribute to charitable organizations. It’s really satisfying to be able to give clients peace of mind and confidence in what they’re doing.

How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
With a 30-year history, we’ve seen the ups and downs of the market and we have great experience managing volatility by investing in only the highest-quality companies, along with fixed income and select alternative strategies. We also have a strong track record of playing great defense during the inevitable difficult market environments. This gives our clients a much smoother return along the way.

What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
Darnell wants his clients to experience the highest-quality service, to gain valuable peace of mind and to have trust and confidence that we are doing all the right things to help them achieve the goals that they have for their wealth. He hopes to allow them to retire confidently and not worry about their investments or any market volatility. A comprehensive financial plan paired with a customized investment plan keeps his clients on the path to long term success.

Research Experience Start Date: 1986

KAR Start Date: 2011

Doug Manages: Large Cap Sustainable Growth, Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, All Cap Sustainable Growth

Education: B.S., Marine Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy
M.B.A. , Harvard University

Prior Work Experience:
Director of Equities – HighMark Capital Management
Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Equities – Trust Company of the West

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
When I was in the Navy, investing became a hobby for me. I used to read a lot of books on investing. And I figured out that if I could make a living at a hobby that I enjoyed then it was a good profession to pursue.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part of working at Kayne Anderson Rudnick is the people. It is really a family type of environment. Everyone is truly interested in doing what is best for our clients and, as a firm, we are focused on doing the right thing. The investment group is always interested in learning and becoming better investors. They are always striving to find the best ways to invest our clients’ money and I am truly proud of this as this is how our business should be oriented.

What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not in the office I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids. I also love golfing. I spend a fair amount of time trying to improve my game (not that it has worked out that well so far!). I also enjoy boating. I spent a number of years in the Navy and I still enjoy being out in the water to this day.

Industry Start Date: 1979

KAR Start Date: 1991

Education: B.S., Business and Economics, Loyola Marymount University

Prior Work Experience:
Vice President – Shearson Lehman Brothers

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
There are two aspects of my role that are very rewarding. The first aspect is working with our clients. We have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of institutional and individual clients and, over the years, we have become very close to our clients. It’s been very rewarding to see the positive impact we have been fortunate to have on our clients and their financial well-being.

The second aspect of my job that I find rewarding is strategic planning for the firm. It has been exciting and rewarding to see the firm evolve over the years as we execute on our business plans. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to watch our employees advance in their careers and the organization as the firm has continued to grow.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are my colleagues. We are a close knit group. We have a number of employees that have been with the firm for 10 to 20 years and that is pretty unusual in most organizations. I think many of us have stayed with the firm for so long because we have shared common values and we work very closely together within those shared values for the benefit of our clients.

What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of KAR, I enjoy cycling. I have been cycling, specifically road cycling, for over 10 years. Cycling is great for clearing the mind. I enjoy the close knit group and I tend to find that cyclists generally are people that are motivated, social and have a positive outlook on their lives. Cycling has taken me all over the world and I think the best way to travel is on a bike.

Industry Start Date: 1987

KAR Start Date: 1998

Education: Attended the University of Southern California

Credentials: Member of the California Society of Municipal Analysts

Prior to joining KAR: Kim was responsible for management of fixed-income trading, fundamental research and portfolio management, specializing in municipal-credit analysis for a specialty-management firm in Beverly Hills.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the multiple aspects of my job—analyzing taxable and municipal credits, trading in a negotiated market and helping clients understand the bond market and using it to meet their financial goals.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR is the varied perspectives everyone brings to the table when looking at the capital markets. I also enjoy the friendly manner in which we all share those opinions.

What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I am currently transitioning from an involved parent to an empty nester. This means I am currently looking for my next charitable organization that could use my help.

Industry Start Date: 2013

KAR Start Date: 2021

Education: B.A. in Political Science from Rollins College, Winter Park, FL

Licenses: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), Series 65

Prior to Joining KAR:
Carina worked at Capital Group for the past eight years, most recently as a Client Relationship Specialist

When Not in the Office:
Carina enjoys hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains and staying active. She recently joined the Pickleball craze that is sweeping the nation! She is also very passionate about animal rescue and has been volunteering consistently with Best Friends Animal Society here in LA for the past six years. She assists in providing regular care and exercise to animals in their adoption facility, has also done a great deal of transport, adoption support, and fostering.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Carina enjoys helping clients make some of the biggest decisions of their lives! Whether it’s purchasing their dream home or retiring a few years early, she has shown clients projected outcomes that have given them a level of comfort as they embark on something new. Carina considers it her job to raise both benefits and concerns of any given decision to ensure that they are making a sound financial decision or investment.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
There is a tremendous level of collaboration and respect between colleagues at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Each client has a dedicated team, but behind the scenes we are constantly sharing ideas and best practices. Our clients truly benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the entire firm.

How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
Investing in quality is one of the tenets of the investment philosophy at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Our analysts do in-depth research on each company in which we invest, ensuring that each company has top-notch management, competitive protections, strong fundamentals, and profitable growth. Not only is quality our investing philosophy but it’s also our people philosophy and plays an important part in how how we approach culture.

What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
Carina wants all the clients she works with to have an investment strategy, solid portfolio, and financial plan in place that they understand and feel good about. She want them to know that they are being smart with money and have a trusted advisor who leading the way in terms of their portfolio and other financial decisions.

Industry Start Date: 2016

KAR Start Date: 2021

Education: UCLA Anderson School of Management M.B.A, Finance Concentration – Expected 2023, B.B.A. Accounting, Finance Minor, Temple University, Fox School of Business

Credentials: Series 65, CFP^® (Certified Financial Planner)

Prior to Joining KAR:
Thomas worked as a Wealth Planner for Wells Fargo Private Bank, providing tax and estate planning advice to high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Prior to Wells Fargo, Thomas worked as a tax accountant for EY, and Anderson in their Private Client Services groups during tax compliance, and consulting for individuals, trust, partnerships, S-corporations, and estates.

When Not in the Office:
Thomas enjoys checking out everything Los Angeles has to offer. Whether it’s the beach, mountains, or desert, he enjoys them all. He also enjoys going to shows, and concerts to see historic venues and theaters in the city. To stay active, he plays squash golf, rides his bike and is attempting to take up tennis.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Thomas really enjoys hearing our about our clients lives, what’s important to them, and values that drive their decisions. Being early in his career, their insights provide a lot perspective into what is important to different people. Thomas feels that he learns just as much from our clients as our clients learn from him.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
Working with a great group of highly motivated individuals. There is a strong sense of community and pride within the organization and that makes it very easy to come to work everyday. The collaborative nature of the group also supports that sense of community and helps better the work and advice we provide to clients.

How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
The advisor team at KAR has some of the best relationships Thomas has seen between clients and their advisors. The attentiveness and care the advisor team approaches their clients with is second to none. He believes the clients at KAR feel very close with their advisors and appreciate that relationship

What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
At a high level, Thomas hopes to provide them financial peace of mind and be a professional they can trust to help them make complicated financial decisions.
He also hopes to provide the advice that allows our clients to go forward and achieve their financial goals. Many of our clients are at a point in their lives where they have achieved their career goals. Now its time to understand what their other goals are and what it takes financially to achieve them.

Industry Experience Start Date: 2009

KAR Start Date: 2015

Education: B.S., Financial Services, California State University, Northridge

Prior to Joining KAR:
Evans was a Client Service Associate at OneWest Bank and a Relationship Service Manager at Bank of America.

When Not in the Office:
Evans enjoys playing table tennis, golfing, snowboarding, hiking and traveling. His favorite sports team is the Miami Dolphins. Originally raised in Germany, he currently resides in Northridge, California with his wife, daughter and son.

Industry Start Date: 2020

KAR Start Date: 2021

Education: B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Planning

Prior to Joining KAR:
Alex worked as a Client Service Associate at Beacon Pointe Advisors in their Newport Beach office

When Not in the Office:
Alex is on the Free Wheelchair Mission Associate Board, which designs and manufactures cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for developing countries worldwide. He also enjoys playing golf and spending time by the ocean.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Alex enjoys the collaborative environment that we have at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Each person at KAR brings a different perspective to the Wealth Management team, allowing us to serve our clients excellently.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
Alex loves the company culture, and the friendly employees within each department. The food options are also excellent.