Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group

Bob Bancroft focuses on learning, adapting and teaching methods of institutional wealth management for high net worth individuals, families and fiduciaries. Over his 30 plus year career, Bob has worked as an OTC stock trader, established the high net worth and institutional offices for a national brokerage firm, and served as a broker, branch manager and district manager. Bob’s extensive professional and academic experience – coupled with a disciplined approach to wealth management has helped in guiding his clients through the myriad challenges of the investment markets.

Bob is part of a select group of fewer than 3% of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors who have completed the rigorous Family Wealth Director (FWD) certification program. Building on his experience working with ultra high net worth families,  the training he received enables Bob to better assist you with a broad spectrum of wealth management areas, including:

Business succession planning and monetizing business ownership
Alternative investments
Control and restricted securities
Equity and interest rate risk management
Wealth transfer
Family Governance and Dynamics
Philanthropic Services 


Bob received a B.A. in finance from Michigan State University in 1989 and has gone on to earn designations as a Certified Investment Management Analyst^®, Certified Investment Management Consultant^®, Accredited Asset Management Specialist and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst. A member of Morgan Stanley Chairman’s Club, Bob has been recognized as one of Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors from 2014-2022 and Forbes Magazine Best in State 2018-2022.

Bob and his wife, Amanda, live in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Phone: (480) 624-5714

Disclosures:
2013-2022 Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State (formerly referred to as Barron's Top 1,000 Financial Advisors: State-by-State)
Source: Barrons.com (Awarded INSERT YEARS AWARD WAS GIVEN). Data compiled by Barron's based on 12-month period concluding in Sept of the year prior to the issuance of the award.

2018-2022 Forbes America's Top Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded INSERT YEARS AWARD WAS GIVEN). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month time period concluding in March of the year the award was issued.

Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors
Source: ft.com (Awarded Mar 2014) Data compiled by Financial Times based on time period from 9/30/12 - 9/30/13.

©2022 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

Jason Bleimeyer draws on 20 plus years of financial industry experience to advise institutions, fiduciaries and individuals on sector analysis, asset allocation and security selection. He also guides clients on how to structure portfolios with an emphasis on risk management and tax efficiency. Jason holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst^® designation, taught in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and sponsored by the Investment Management Consultants Association. He is also a Certified Investment Management Consultant^®.

Jason holds a finance degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is an active member of the Investment Management Consultants Association.

Jason and his wife, Heidi, live in Phoenix with their two children.


Phone: (480) 624-5715

Having worked in the financial services industry for almost 30 years, Matt Sonder brings an extensive background in security analysis, investment research, and portfolio management to clients of the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group. Matt began his career on a team that managed a pension and endowment portfolio for a large institution, and has managed discretionary portfolio strategies for smaller institutions and affluent individuals for over 20 years.

Matt earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University, and certificate in petroleum geology from the University of Tulsa. He also holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from The CFA Institute.

Matt and his wife, Shannon, live in Scottsdale, Arizona, with their two children, Zachary and Samantha. He is active in various civic and charitable causes in the community including Cardon Children’s Medical Center and his children’s schools. He enjoys professional sports, snowboarding and spending time with his family at the beach.


Phone: (480) 624-5729

Drawing on over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Douglas Hodges consults with plan administrators, institutions, fiduciaries and individuals in the areas of risk planning, asset allocation, legacy planning and performance monitoring. A member of the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group since 2007, Doug has established himself as the team’s go-to person for corporate retirement plans, and performs much of the research and analysis for the team.
Doug was recently selected for inclusion in the Forbes inaugural list of "America's Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors."  The list recognizes millennial financial advisors who are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients.

Doug holds a finance degree with a focus in communication from Arizona State University in Tempe. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Scottsdale with their dogs, Mason and Ranger, as well as their cats, George and Jack. They enjoy traveling to the mountains as well as the ocean on scuba adventures. Doug is an active volunteer at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Sun Devil Club Young Professionals Group.


Phone: (480) 624-5730​

2017-2018 Forbes America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors & Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State (formerly referred to as Forbes America's Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 1,000 Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 500 Next Generation Wealth Advisors)
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2017-2018) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month period concluding in Mar of the year the award was issued.

Working primarily with successful business owners and their families, Drew Needs creates and implements customized strategies to unlock highly concentrated wealth. Drew acts as a primary point of access to the vast resources of Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, delivering innovative solutions that holistically address complex investment management, banking and lending needs. He also offers guidance on estate planning, tax mitigation and other concerns that are unique to affluent families. Drew is particularly skilled in pre-transaction planning and the strategic management of liquidity that is generated from a sale of a mature business. His overarching goal is to help his clients simplify their complex financial lives so they can focus on their top priorities.

Prior to joining the Bancroft, Bleimeyer, Sonder team in 2021, Drew spent seven years at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he developed a deep appreciation for the challenges and requirements that often accompany the accumulation of wealth.

Drew first became interested in finance while attending high school in close proximity to Wall Street. He went on to earn a B.S. in finance from Brigham Young University, and was recruited to the Scottsdale office of J.P. Morgan following a college internship.

A financial services industry veteran of over 35 years. Kelly McManus manages the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the team.
Kelly began her career at Salomon Brothers, New York, in 1986 as a sales assistant on the fixed income sales desk. She was recruited to Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette in 1997, as a Vice President, then joined Morgan Stanley in New York in 2003 as an Executive Director in fixed income sales. Kelly moved to Arizona in 2008 to be closer to her family and transferred to Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Kelly acts as Co-Chairperson of the PWM Talent & Development Forum and is a member of the PWM Strategic Forum.

Kelly earned an Associate of Science degree in occupational therapy from the Swedish Institute, College of Health Sciences in New York. In her free time, Kelly enjoys playing tennis, attending pilates classes and traveling back to New York.


Phone: (480) 922-7983
Email: kelly.mcmanus@morganstanleypwm.com

A member of The Bancroft, Bleimeyer, Sonder Group since 2019, Sophia Katsafouros focuses on creating an outstanding overall service experience for the team’s clients. Prior to joining the team, Sophia spent two years as an operations representative at Merrill Lynch, where she was responsible for a broad range of investment-related administrative duties
Sophia graduated from the Arizona State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in business, leadership and ethics. Throughout her student years, she worked as a client service representative at Bank of America, learning how to listen intently to customer needs.

In her free time Sophia enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with friends and family.

Nan Henry began her financial career in 2011 with Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in Houston, Texas. After relocating to Arizona, Nan joined the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group in 2013. Nan moved to her husband’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2016 and worked in Marketing & Advertising. She was excited to return to the financial industry and rejoin the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group in 2020. Nan’s attention to detail and overall can-do attitude has made her the go-to person on the team.

Nan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico, where she competed as an NCAA Division I Swimmer. Nan lives in Albuquerque with her husband and three sons.

A financial services industry veteran of nine years, Frankie Wenning contributes to an outstanding overall service experience for the team’s clients. Frankie supports daily operations and works directly with clients to handle a wide range of service requests.

Frankie began his financial services career at Merrill Edge, working for three years in their Chandler, Arizona office. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2018, moving to New York City to take a position as a registered associate in our Rockefeller Center branch. He returned to his native Phoenix in 2020, and joined the Bancroft, Bleimeyer, Sonder team in 2021.

In his free time, Frankie likes to stay active by working out and playing sports.

Drawing on over ten years of financial industry experience, Kathryn Shaw supports the team’s Advisors in creating highly customized wealth management plans based on each client’s precise goals and preferences. Kathryn works directly with clients, seeking to enhance relationships by maintaining an up-to-date understanding of their evolving needs.

Kathryn has spent the entirety of her professional career at Morgan Stanley, joining the firm after graduating from Arizona State University with Magna Cum Laude honors. She spent three years as a Registered Associate in Scottsdale, Arizona, then transferred to Boulder, Colorado office to be closer to her family. In 2018, Kathryn realized her lifelong dream of living near the beach in California, accepting a position as Wealth Management Associate in Morgan Stanley’s Newport Beach branch. Three years later, she returned to Scottsdale to join the Bancroft, Bleimeyer Sonder team.

In her free time, Kathryn enjoys spending time at the beach with family, playing with her two dogs and two cats and, most importantly, along with her husband, raising their 2 children.

Over his 15 plus year financial services industry career, Jonathan Kipp has supported highly accomplished business owners, executives, and their families through every stage of wealth creation and management. Leveraging that experience, he contributes to an outstanding overall service experience for clients of the Bancroft, Bleimeyer, Sonder Group.

Prior to joining the team at Morgan Stanley in 2022, Jonathan served as a Vice President for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Working with ultra high net worth individuals and family offices in the San Francisco/Palo Alto region, he was responsible for an extensive range of operational and client service responsibilities. Jonathan had previously served as a retail Branch manager for Chase Private Client branches.

The father of two sons and two daughters, Jonathan enjoys coaching his children’s soccer teams, and spending Sunday afternoons with the family and golfing whenever time permits.

Drawing on 14 years of diverse institutional investing and wealth management experience, Al Compitello helps clients of the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group create, implement and maintain highly customized investment strategies. Al’s primary responsibilities include due diligence on alternative investments, customized reporting and portfolio analysis.

Al started his career in the Financial Advisor Analyst program in New York City, where he spent two years before moving to the institutional side of the business. As a Director on the OTC Swaps Client Service desk, Al covered hedge fund and asset management clients. He later transitioned to Prime Brokerage, focusing on developing and implementing multi-asset class financing models, as well as pricing, balance sheet optimization and analytics work. Prior to his current position, Al served as a Business Service Officer in Morgan Stanley’s Scottsdale branch, managing the support professionals and working with Financial Advisors on practice management.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Al graduated from Seton Hall University. He now lives in Scottsdale, where he enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Having excelled as a Morgan Stanley intern over two summers, Sarah Bentzin was invited to join the Bancroft Bleimeyer Sonder Group in 2024. In her role as a client relationship analyst, Sarah contributes to an outstanding overall service experience for the team’s clients.

Sarah graduated from Baylor University with a BBA in finance and a minor in medical humanities. While at Baylor, she completed her honors thesis in behavioral finance. Her internships in Morgan Stanley’s Dallas and Scottsdale branches gave her a broader perspective and practical experience that continue to inform her work today.

A native of Scottsdale, Sarah enjoys playing golf, going to Pilates class, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops.