Chicago Mercantile Market Office

Blake Mackenzie is a Managing Director and Market Executive for the city of Chicago overseeing the Chicago Merc and Chicago Tower Market. After graduating from Wittenberg University with a BA in Business Administration, Blake began his career in wealth management as a Financial Advisor in Westlake, Ohio and was eventually recruited into management in 1999.

Blake’s experience in various roles throughout his career has instilled in him the belief that effective communication and relationship building are keys to fostering a culture that allows everyone to reach their maximum potential. This dedication to constant improvement and first class service has resulted in his leadership responsibilities growing considerably since joining Morgan Stanley in 1996.

In his spare time, Blake enjoys coaching youth lacrosse, attending concerts, and spending time with his wife Courtney and their three children. The Mackenzie family is proud to call the city of Chicago as well as Wilmette home since 2007.

Jill Zahara is an Executive Director and Market Manager of the Morgan Stanley Chicago Market. She has been with the firm since 1998 and has worked in various support, sales, and management roles prior to her current position. Jill holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Leadership Change Management from DePaul University.

Growing up, Jill initially wanted to work in health care because of her strong desire to help people, but soon realized she could apply that same passion to helping clients in the financial industry. Just as she took time to build relationships with each client, she takes extreme pride in building relationships with each member of the branch, while motivating and inspiring her colleagues to achieve goals that exceed their own personal expectations.

When Jill isn’t working, she enjoys reading, travelling, Pilates, and being outdoors with her dogs Hope and Augie. Jill is a Morgan Stanley Women in Wealth Chicago board member, an active member of the Milton Township CERT Team, and volunteers her time to many local charitable organizations.

Michael Hood is an Associate Market Manager and First Vice President in the Chicago Mercantile Market. He has over 25 years of investment and wealth management experience and has been with the Firm since 2011.

Michael began his career in financial services in 1999 with Lincoln Financial Group in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was also a Financial Advisor and Complex Operations Manager at Raymond James & Associates Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio.

Michael strives to be a relationship-driven leader with the goal of developing successful businesses for advisors and client-facing teams with the financial services industry. He is experienced in coaching to promote business goals and foster self-initiated, self-directed growth of Financial Advisors and their teams.

Michael graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Spanish and Business minor. He also holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Finance from Indiana University. Michael currently resides in Portage, Indiana with his wife, Jenny, and their pets, Faye and Joey. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, physical fitness and yoga, as well as traveling.

Karen joined Morgan Stanley as part of the Service Team in September 2016. In 2022, she assumed the role of Market Business Officer for the Chicago Market. In this role, she and her team cultivate a strong culture by ensuring a high level of client service and providing oversight of operational processes. She is a committed leader and passionate about training and coaching. She has been involved in developing various leadership training programs for Service Managers across the region.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Karen had over 19 years of industry experience, working at Credit Suisse Securities in various roles including Control Officer, Branch Admin Manager, Ops Supervision, and Client Service Associate. Karen resides in Oak Park with her son, Jayden. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, and being a soccer mom.

Dean Moya is a Senior Risk Officer and First Vice President of the Chicago Mercantile Market. He is a graduate of Purdue University and has over 30 years of experience in wealth management. Dean began his career on the trading floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. He has had various roles at Morgan Stanley, including working as part of an FA Team and in National Operations. He has been a Risk Officer since 2006 and became the Senior Risk Officer in 2013.

Dean prides himself on partnering with Financial Advisors and support staff to efficiently mitigate risk by applying sound judgement and providing consistent & trusted advice to drive outcomes aligned with Firm values and strategy.

In his free time, Dean enjoys the great outdoors, including hiking, biking, birding, gardening and spending time with his family.