THE WOOD GROUP at Morgan Stanley

John F. Wood, Jr
Senior Vice President - Wealth Management
Financial Advisor

Jay is a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley. Jay is deeply committed to building long-term relationships. By taking the time to listen, understand and objectively assess clients’ needs, risk tolerance and investment objectives, he carefully develops, reviews and implements customized investment programs for each of our clients.

Prior to joining the firm at the end of 2008, Jay spent nine years at Merrill Lynch. While at Merrill, Jay served as President of the New York Trust Company and Director of Wealth Management Services. In 2002, Jay formed The Wood Group at Merrill Lynch with Paul Fitzsimmons, Steve Lazarus and Brian Nerreau with the intention of servicing High Net Worth Individuals, Family Offices, NFP organizations, corporate defined benefit and contribution retirement plans as well as small and mid-sized businesses. Before joining Merrill, Jay was the Executive Vice President of Fleet Bank responsible for its Private Banking Business in the Metro New York region.

Jay received his undergraduate degree and MBA in Finance from Rollins College and holds Series 7, 31 and 66 FINRA licenses. He also holds insurance and long term care licenses.

Jay and his wife Terrie have three children and live in Darien, CT. He enjoys golf, boating and travel. Past affiliations include Board President of Wee Burn Country Club, President of the Darien YMCA, Vice President of the Darien Library Board, President of the Board of Darien EMS, and Norwalk Community College Foundation Trustee.

Brian J. Nerreau, CFP^®
Insurance Planning Director
Senior Vice President - Wealth Management
Financial Advisor

Brian is a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley. He joined the firm at the end of 2008 as a senior member of The Wood Group. Brian works with The Wood Group’s clients in all areas of Liability Management and Cash Management for both individuals and businesses, Financial Planning, Insurance and Long-Term Care.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Brian spent seven years at Merrill Lynch as a senior member of The Wood Group as well. Before joining Merrill, Brian spent 13 years as a Senior Vice President and Team Leader in the Private Banking Group of FleetBoston Corporation, primarily in their Greenwich, CT location. Brian began his banking career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York where he established and managed the Real Estate Lending Department of Chase Private Banking. Brian has over 30 years of consulting experience working with high net worth individuals, families, and businesses.

Brian is an Insurance Planning Director and a Certified Financial Planner™, holds his Series 7 and 66 FINRA licenses, his Insurance License and is certified in Long-Term Care. Both Brian’s undergraduate and graduate studies were in Economics and Finance at Fairfield University.

Brian and his wife have three children and live in Fairfield, CT. Through the years he has enjoyed coaching a variety of sports, particularly lacrosse, playing golf, bicycling and hiking. Brian is the Chairman of the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department and also volunteers with a number of committees at B’Nai Israel.

Paul J. Fitzsimmons, CFP^®, CRPC^®, CRPS^®
Corporate Retirement Director
Senior Vice President - Wealth Management
Financial Advisor

Paul is a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley.  He joined the firm at the end of 2008, as a Senior Member of The Wood Group. Paul focuses on the Group’s efforts in the Corporate Qualified Plan area which includes Defined Contribution and Benefit Plans, Endowments and Foundations.  Paul is a Corporate Retirement Director, a Certified Financial Planner™, a Chartered Retirement Plan Consultant, and a Chartered Retirement Plan SpecialistSM, who holds a MBA from the University of Connecticut.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Paul was at Merrill Lynch for eight years, two years as the District Trust Manager of the Metropolitan New York Area and then six years as a Senior member with The Wood Group.  Paul also spent 14 years as a Senior Vice President at FleetBoston Corporation where he served as a Trust/Estate Planning Development Officer.  

He holds Series 7, 31 and 66 FINRA licenses. He also holds insurance and long term care licenses. Paul completed his undergraduate studies at Northeastern University where he also participated in the schools Division I Ice Hockey Program. Paul played briefly with the Boston Bruins before pursuing a career in financial services.

Paul and his wife have 2 children and live in Southport, CT. He enjoys golf, riding his motorcycle and hockey.

Steven M. Lazarus
Portfolio Manager
Senior Vice President - Wealth Management
Financial Advisor

Steven is a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley. Steve is responsible for the portfolio construction and monitoring for our clients. Steve focuses on securities valuation, asset allocation, portfolio evaluation, manager selection and performance measurement. Steve also performs extensive investment advisory relationship due diligence and alternative investment analysis.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley at the end of 2008, he spent seven years at Merrill Lynch as a Senior Member with the Wood Group. He also spent five years as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager with Fleet Investment Advisors where he managed a balanced portfolio within the Private Banking Division for the bank’s trust, discretionary investment and retirement accounts. Additionally, Steve has worked as a Portfolio Manager and Securities Analyst for Kaplan, Choate & Company in New York City (1992- 1996).

Steve holds a B.A. in History from Syracuse University (Phi Beta Kappa) and an MBA in Finance from New York University – Stern School of Business. He is Series 7, 31, 63, and 65 FINRA licensed. He also holds insurance and long term care licenses.

Steve and his wife have two children and 3 grandchildren, live in Stamford, CT and spend part of their time in La Quinta, CA. He enjoys golf, basketball, traveling and country music.

Carolina McGoey, CFP^®, QPFC
Insurance Planning Director, Workplace Advisor – Equity Compensation
Financial Advisor

Carolina McGoey, CFP^®, QPFC is a Financial Advisor with The Wood Group and brings over 20 years of financial advisory experience to our practice, including 13 years in private wealth advisory and 8 years in business consulting and corporate treasury operations.

Carolina joined The Wood Group at Morgan Stanley in November 2015 and in addition to her role as a Financial Advisor, she remains responsible for overseeing our Service Associates, helping ensure an exceptional customer service experience. She also leads the team's marketing efforts and business development strategies. Carolina is skilled at devising and delivering solutions to help meet each of our clients’ unique financial needs. Her attention to detail and deep understanding of our client support activities allows us to help deliver a truly exceptional wealth management experience. As a Certified Financial Planner ™ she assists our team with developing Financial Plans for our clients and ensures that they are regularly monitored and reviewed. As an Insurance Planner Director, she assists in reviewing our client’s risks exposures and helps devise solutions to bridge possible gaps. As a Qualified Plan Financial Consultant, she assists and supports our Corporate Retirement Director helping corporate clients manage their retirement plans.

Carolina is also part of the Women in Wealth of Stamford, a group of Morgan Stanley female Financial Advisors who have come together to help other women achieve their financial goals through the sharing of relevant information and engagement. Currently, they offer regular meetings (virtually or in person) where they look to engage women at all stages and phases of their financial journey and provide them with information and resources, they need to be successful. Ultimately, their goal is to empower women to thrive and confidently navigate their financial world.

Carolina presently lives in Darien, CT, with her husband, two daughters and their Australian Labradoodle. Having lived abroad for many years in different countries, Carolina is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and passionate about activism, travel, music, reading, theater and art. In her community, Carolina is an Executive Board Member of the Darien High School Parent Association (DHSPA) and the Chair of their Communications Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Wave Strong Foundation and the YWCA Darien/Norwalk where she also leads the Network of Working Women. In 2023, she became a NAPA Qualified Plan Financial Consultant, a designation that demonstrates her knowledge, expertise and commitment to working with retirement plans. She was an elected member of the Darien RTM for 7 years, representing and chairing District 3 as well as a member of the Education Committee of said RTM.

Originally from Venezuela, Carolina earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Universidad Metropolitana and Master’s Degree in Finance from IESA. She achieved her Certified Financial Planner designation in January 2006 and prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Carolina worked as Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch in New York City and in Stamford, CT. Before her career in finance, Carolina held roles in treasury operation, exports, and consulting with LafargeHolcim Ltd. and in business consulting with Anderson Consulting.

Carolina is a CFP^® Professional, a Qualified Plan Financial Consultant, a Workplace Advisor - Equity Compensation, an Insurance Planning Director, a Pacesetters Club member since 2021, and holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses as well as Insurance and Long-Term Care licenses.

Nisha B. Chisena
Portfolio Manager
Vice President - Wealth Management
Financial Advisor

Nisha joined The Wood Group at Morgan Stanley in September 2022 and has since become fully integrated into the team, now serving as Co-Chief Investment Officer (Co-CIO) and Alternative Investments Specialist. She brings over 25 years of investment management experience, having been with Morgan Stanley since 2016. In her role, Nisha collaborates closely with Steve Lazarus to shape and execute the team’s investment strategy, leveraging her deep expertise in portfolio design, asset allocation, and risk management. She is instrumental in enhancing the team’s quantitative and analytical resources, ensuring a disciplined approach to investment decisions. She also specializes in alternative investments, providing clients with access to sophisticated strategies beyond traditional asset classes.

Prior to joining The Wood Group, Nisha spent 19 years at Merrill Lynch. During the first half of her advisory career, she worked in the International Division, managing investment portfolios and foreign currency trading for clients in Western Europe and West Africa. She later transitioned to working with U.S. clients, focusing on advising women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and executives in the fashion industry.

Nisha is also an active member of Women in Wealth of Stamford, a network of Morgan Stanley female Financial Advisors dedicated to empowering women to achieve their financial goals. The group hosts regular meetings, both virtually and in person, providing education and resources to support women at every stage of their financial journey.

Nisha lives in Westport, CT, with her husband and two children. She is fluent in English and French and enjoys travel, music, and skiing. In addition to her financial career, she is also a passionate musician and sings in a rock band.

She holds a degree in Mathematics from Tulane University and maintains Series 7 and Series 66 licenses, along with Insurance and Long-Term Care licenses.

Richard M. Stone
Senior Vice President – Wealth Management
Financial Advisor – Senior Portfolio Management Director

Rick is a Financial Advisor, a Senior Portfolio Management Director as well as a Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley. He is responsible for the portfolio construction and management of High Net Worth accounts for individuals, trusts, foundations and partnerships. He reviews portfolio holdings and portfolio measurements and makes adjustments to asset allocations while being especially sensitive to the tax exposure of this unique client base.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley at the end of 2015 and associating with The Wood Group, Rick spent thirteen years in the Private Wealth Management group of UBS. He also spent five years with the Wealthy Family segment of the Chase Private Bank as a Financial Advisor and consultant to high net worth family members, their advisors, attorneys and accountants. Many of his clients, American citizens, have homes and financial interests, all over the world, requiring individual attention to their unique financial needs.

Rick holds a B.A. in English from Adelphi University and a MS in Business finance from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is Series 7 and 66 FINRA licensed.

Rick and his wife, Christie, have two children. They live in Palm Beach, Fl and spend part of their time in Darien, CT. Rick enjoys the theater, golf, traveling and Major League baseball.

Tack joined the Connecticut Yankee Group in July of 2012, after spending over twenty years in institutional equity trading. He brings with him a deep and broad knowledge of both equity and fixed-income products, an experienced perspective on the financial markets and a long history of adding value to clients.

As the only recognized Portfolio Manager (PM) on the team, Tack provides a unique skill set, managing several discretionary models that harness his years of market knowledge to meet each client’s individual needs. His practice also focuses on alternative asset opportunities, estate and financial planning, corporate and individual retirement solutions, life and long-term care insurance as well as individually tailored lending products.

A 1989 graduate of Harvard College, Tack currently lives in Wilton, CT where he is the proud father of three children. Over the years he has spent a lot of his free time on the sidelines, coaching youth football and lacrosse as well as serving as a local leader in the Cub Scouts. An avid sports enthusiast, on most weekends Tack can usually be found playing tennis or paddle for his club, riding his bike or grabbing his skis. He also enjoys working with his hands, whether renovating a bathroom or working in the yard at his home.

Shauna Simpson joined our team as a Service Associate in support of our client servicing efforts in May of 2019. Shauna assists us and our clients in all day-to-day operational and administrative capacities striving to deliver an exceptional level of service. In April of 2021 Shauna took on the role of Wealth Management Associate; in this role she further supports the Advisors at a higher level and serves as a supervisor and delegate to the other service associates in our Group. She holds Series 7 and 66 licenses.

Originally from the UK, Shauna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Sports Science and Psychology and went on to attain her Master’s degree in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. Shauna left the UK in her mid 20’s and moved to Portland, Oregon. Following that she spent the next 11 years working for Jantzen Swimwear and Adidas in product development and product management.

From 2006-2010 Shauna lived in Hong Kong with her husband and son and spent time travelling throughout Asia, then moved to New York City in late 2010. Since then Shauna earned her certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, became a certified spinning instructor and a certified USA Master’s swimming coach. She started her own business as a Health & Exercise Coach in 2014 and in 2016 moved to Connecticut.

When away from the office Shauna enjoys travelling, cooking, gardening, and hiking with her husband and Son and German Short-Haired Pointer.

Estefanía Munguía joined The Wood Group in October of 2022 as a service associate and assists our operations team in their day-to-day activities. Estefanía attended Bernard Baruch College where she majored from the Zicklin School of Business with a Finance Bachelor of Business Administration.

She currently lives in Larchmont, NY and is fluent in Spanish and English. During her free time, she enjoys reading, going to museums, and spending time with her family.

Mike joined our team as a Service Associate in January of 2025. Mike began his career in the financial industry at E*TRADE. He then worked at Fieldpoint Private (RIA) as an associate before transitioning to Morgan Stanley in April of 2022.

Mike graduated from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Economics. While there, he also played quarterback for the St. Lawrence University Saints Football team.

Mike currently lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife. He recently passed his CFP in July of 2024.