Fort Brooke Group at Morgan Stanley

Jim brings a lifetime of experience to his role as a wealth management professional. As the senior advisor of The Fort Brooke Group, he is responsible for shaping the team’s strategic vision. Jim has dedicated his career to providing personalized financial advice to successful individuals, families and business owners through a disciplined and goals-based process. His diverse financial background enables him to help clients achieve their retirement and legacy planning goals, while building a diversified investment portfolio.

After graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in Accounting, Jim began his career as a CPA at Price Waterhouse & Co. in Tampa. After four years, he worked in commercial real estate before returning to public accounting at a local Tampa CPA firm. It was during this experience that Jim discovered his true passion for wanting to help people solve their financial challenges beyond their tax concerns. He wanted to have a more meaningful impact on the quality of their lives.

In 1994, Jim was recruited to join Merrill Lynch by long-time friend Simon Canasi to form The Canasi - Fernandez Group. For the next 14 years, Jim and Simon guided clients in making smart decisions about their wealth, as they grew their practice and added new team members. In 2008, they made an important decision to join Morgan Stanley. Simon retired in 2019 and the team was rebranded as The Fort Brooke Group.

Jim’s desire to help others is equaled only by his dedication to his community and his family. Over the years, he has been active with many organizations, including the Hillsborough Community College Foundation, the Florida Gulf Coast Lung Association, the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts and the Krewe of Knights of Sant Yago.

Jim is a lifetime resident of Tampa and proud of his family roots that date back more than 100 years. In his free time, he and his wife, Mary, enjoy traveling. He also enjoys studying history, golf, hunting and fishing.

Experience:
Senior Vice - President | Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
2008 – Present
Vice President
Merrill Lynch
1994 - 2008

Shareholder
Krueger & Fernandez, P.A. Certified Public Accountants
1985 - 1994

Tax Consultant
Price Waterhouse & Co.
1981 - 1985

Education:
University of South Florida
B.B.A., Accounting
1977 - 1981

A seasoned professional for more than 20 years, Brian enjoys working with successful individuals and families, providing personalized advice through a disciplined wealth management approach. He concentrates on developing comprehensive financial plans to help empower his clients to effectively grow, protect and transfer their wealth in a smart and tax-efficient manner.

After graduating from the University of South Florida where he earned his degree in Finance, Brian continued his studies, earning his M.B.A. in International Business and Finance at the University of Miami. In 1999, he began his career as a Financial Advisor and over the next 18 years, worked at several national firms including Merrill Lynch, Banc of America Investment Services and Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) Securities. In 2017, Brian was recruited to Morgan Stanley in anticipation of joining the Fort Brooke Group in 2019.

Brian draws upon his vast experience to provide clients with customized portfolios and tailored advice. His disciplined process begins with asking the right questions and actively listening. This information then serves as the foundation for the development of a detailed plan that reflects each client’s goals, values and personal circumstances. He takes pride in his ability to put complex investment strategies into action and effectively communicating these strategies using simple and easy-to-understand language. Brian is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Born and raised in Tampa, Brian is a firm believer in giving back to his local community. He is a former board member of the PACE Center for Girls in Tampa. He and his wife, Michelle, are devoted parents to their two children, Brianna and Michael. Outside of the office, Brian enjoys boating, fishing and cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buccaneers.

Frank is a Portfolio Manager and Financial Advisor with 23 years of financial services experience. He works closely with professionals, business owners and their families to align their finances with their long-term goals. His disciplined approach includes the development of a comprehensive financial plan that combines wealth accumulation strategies and risk management techniques to help maintain financial security through every one of life’s important milestones.

A lifelong resident of Tampa, Frank attended the University of South Florida, where he earned degrees in Finance and Economics. Upon graduation, he began his career at American Express Financial Advisors. In 2000, Frank joined Merrill Lynch where he first met Jim Fernandez. He joined The Canasi-Fernandez Group in 2004 and moved with the team to Morgan Stanley in 2008.

With Frank’s extensive investment experience, he has developed a strong understanding of economics and is well versed in the equity and fixed income markets. Over the years, he has cultivated focused skills in asset allocation, investment management, as well as retirement planning. He believes in taking a conservative approach to investing, using fixed income and high-quality equities to help achieve a targeted rate of return commensurate with a client’s personal risk level.
Frank lives in South Tampa with his partner, Laurie. He has two college-age daughters. Outside of the office, he enjoys the beach, golf, music, wine, good cigars and motorcycles.

Rene’ began her career with Merrill Lynch in 1985. Drawing on more than 30 years of financial services experience, Rene’ is often the first line of contact on a broad array of client services. A consummate professional, she is committed to providing each client with the highest level of personal service and integrity. Rene’ has been an important member of our team since 2010 and a member of the firm since 2006.
From the largest task to the smallest request, Rene’ works diligently to exceed client expectations. Rene’ is the administrative coordinator for our executive financial services business, which includes administration of SEC Rule 10b5-1 plans for executives, subject to SEC Rule 144. She also coordinates various client service activities, including onboarding new clients and interfacing with various departments to ensure client issues are resolved efficiently.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Rene worked as a Client Service Associate at several financial services firms, including Merrill Lynch and Prudential Securities. She continues to maintain her FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses.
Growing up in Lakeland, Florida, Rene’ now lives in Riverview with her husband, Shane, and their son, Michael. Outside of the office, Rene’ enjoys cooking, arts and crafts, reading and spending time at the beach with her family.

Nikki LeBaron started her career in 1998 at Bank of America investments before moving to Wachovia Advisors in 2006. She started at Morgan Stanley in 2017 as a Registered Associate with Brian and has been a member of the Fort Brooke Group since 2022. A long time Florida resident, Nikki enjoys spending time with her husband of 28 years, Arthur and their three children.

-Licenses
Series 7, 63, and 66
-FL-215 Insurance