As Palisades Hudson prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, four of our most experienced staff members are preparing to take on significant new roles with the firm.
Shomari Hearn
Managing Vice President Shomari Hearn will become Palisades Hudson’s first executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Shomari started his Palisades Hudson career 24 years ago and has served as a member of our executive team since 2012. Originally based in the Northeast, Shomari has lived and worked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 2005, when he established Palisades Hudson’s first branch office there. The Fort Lauderdale location has since become Palisades Hudson’s headquarters. Shomari formerly served as Palisades Hudson Asset Management, L.P.’s chief compliance officer and was a longstanding member of Palisades Hudson’s investment committee.
As managing vice president, Shomari’s main focus has been strategic initiatives such as our Entertainment and Sports team. He also continues to work directly with clients nationwide. Shomari is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant and an IRS Enrolled Agent. He holds a B.A. in economics and a certificate in markets and management study from Duke University. He was the first Palisades Hudson staff member to hold the title of managing vice president — a torch he will pass to his colleague Paul Jacobs, who will succeed Shomari as MVP in January.
Paul Jacobs
Currently serving as a vice president and the firm’s chief investment officer, Paul is based in our Atlanta office, which he established in 2008. Like Shomari, he began his Palisades Hudson career in the Northeast, where he joined the company’s staff 20 years ago. Paul has been a part of the Palisades Hudson executive team since 2017.
As CIO and chair of the firm’s investment committee, Paul oversees more than $1.3 billion in client assets, including all aspects of investment strategy, portfolio management, due diligence and manager selection. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant and an IRS Enrolled Agent, as well as a member of the Financial Planning Association of Georgia. Paul graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business with degrees in finance and accounting.
Anthony Criscuolo
As Paul moves into the managing vice president role, Senior Client Service Manager Anthony Criscuolo will become the firm’s new CIO. An experienced member of the firm’s investment committee, Anthony will direct the team of portfolio managers and associates who focus on finding the most efficient and cost-effective ways to implement client portfolio strategies. He joined Palisades Hudson in 2008 and has been a client service manager since 2011. Anthony is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and an IRS Enrolled Agent; he holds a degree in finance from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. He serves clients across the country from his home base in Atlanta.
Jeffrey Howard
A new addition to the executive team, Jeffrey Howard will assume the title of director of technology, another first in the history of Palisades Hudson. Jeff, who works out of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale headquarters, first joined the Palisades Hudson staff in 2004. Since 2012, he has served as the firm’s administrative manager for information technology. Jeff oversees a variety of complex information technology projects, including software evaluation, vendor selection and hardware support. He also serves as the webmaster for the firm’s two websites.
As these four Palisades Hudson veterans get ready to take on new responsibilities this January, our newest staff members are settling in. The firm welcomed several new faces in 2022. Our Fort Lauderdale headquarters gained three client service associates: Brianna Aviles, Victoria Dubuc and Andy Perez. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University, Brianna holds a bachelor’s degree in finance. She joined the Palisades Hudson staff in August. Victoria became part of the Palisades Hudson team in May; she holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Millennia Atlantic University. Andy joined our staff after graduating from the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelor’s degree with a dual focus in finance and management.
Clients and others who have occasion to call our offices may have already encountered our two newest administrative associates, as they regularly field calls for our offices across the country. Jake Luhmann and Emily Mainguy both joined the Palisades Hudson team in February. In addition to assisting staff nationwide, Jake directly supports the firm’s Entertainment and Sports practice and takes a leading role in the company’s event planning. Emily directly supports staff in the Fort Lauderdale office, where she is based, as well as assisting with travel arrangements, providing research help and offering various administrative resources to staff members across our locations.
We welcome our new colleagues and offer congratulations to the staff members whose new roles will reflect their extensive knowledge and deep expertise. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients and their families in our 31st year and beyond.
