Central Eastern New York Market Office

As Executive Director at Morgan Stanley and Market Executive for Central and Eastern New York, Dean Wallace has over two decades of financial service experience that informs his ability to recognize and develop talented individuals and teams that enhance the value of Morgan Stanley as a whole. Working closely with the Financial Advisors in his Market, Dean believes that their success is his success, and he strives to provide them with every possible resource to grow their practice, both in terms of size and quality.

After graduating from the University of Delaware in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance, Dean moved to Hawaii where he began working for a startup retail watersports equipment company. He was charged with expanding the footprint of the business and eventually rose to become General Manager of the company. After being recruited into the Financial Advisor Training Program of what was then Smith Barney, Dean transitioned into financial advisory in the Philadelphia area in 1996. After four years of achieving Blue Chip Council status, which recognizes top achievement for Financial Advisors in their early career, Dean moved into Management where he expanded the Wilmington, Delaware office and was later promoted to Branch Manager for Syracuse, New York. After Morgan Stanley’s acquisition of Smith Barney in 2009, Dean took on his current role of Market Executive for Central and Eastern New York, where he is responsible for managing 15 branches, approximately 170 Financial Advisors, 260 employees, and $24 billion in assets as of June 2023.

Outside of work, Dean is passionate about giving back to the Syracuse community in which he lives. He regularly donates his time to the Jim and Julia Boeheim Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, the Central New York Food Bank, and the Syracuse Rescue Mission. When not volunteering, Dean enjoys golf, skiing, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Julia McCurdy began her career in the financial services industry at First Albany Corporation in 1998. She worked with multiple teams as an Operations Liaison, providing a tailored financial solution for each individual client. She joined Morgan Stanley in Saratoga Springs, NY in March of 2009. After being promoted to Portfolio Associate and then Senior Field Trainer, Julia joined the Central Eastern New York Market Management team in April of 2020 as a Business Development Manager. She was promoted to Associate Market Manager in October of 2022.
Julia is committed to working with Financial Advisors and teams to ensure their clients have access to the full suite of products, resources, and services that Morgan Stanley has to offer. She is passionate about helping our Financial Advisors and teams improve on productivity and continued growth.

Julia also works and collaborates with the management teams of the 15 branches within in the Market.

Julia was born in Lake Forest, IL but spent most of her childhood in England. She currently resides in Saratoga Springs, NY. Julia enjoys traveling to Europe and California to spend time with her family.

Brian Grooms began his career in financial services after graduating from Sienna College with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance in 1990. As First Vice President of Morgan Stanley and Senior Risk Officer for the Central Eastern New York Market, Brian works with market management and the other Risk Officers to monitor and supervise the overall risk, reporting, policy and procedures of the market.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Brian held similar positions, first at Securities America and then at Merrill Lynch. In these roles, Brian was tasked with helping to formulate guidelines and processes that ensured compliance with regulation and adherence to laws. In 2011, Brian took up his current role at Morgan Stanley where he seeks to be a resource for the market concerning risk and compliance by helping to educate all employees on these matters. In prior years, Brian represented Senior Risk Officers in the field by sitting on the Senior Risk Officer Council where he reported to senior Morgan Stanley management concerning all topics related to policy and procedures.

Outside of work, Brian enjoys spending time with his family and is a frequent golfer and downhill skier. Brian is also an avid sports fan, rooting for the Syracuse University Orange and his native Buffalo Bills. Additionally, Brian donates his time every year to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s that is put on through the Alzheimer Association.

Tracie McCarthy’s career as a client relationship manager has been built on two decades of collaborating with financial professionals and working people alike in order to provide comprehensive solutions to the unique challenges of wealth planning. As Market Business Service Officer for Central and Eastern New York, Tracie uses her ability to recognize and respond to issues in order to effectively supervise those supporting the operations of Financial Advisors within the complex.

Tracie began her career in financial services in 1997 after earning a degree in Business Administration from State University of New York at Albany with a concentration in Finance. Beginning as a Client Service Associate with Dean Witter and later UBS, Tracie then moved on to working on 401(k) retirement accounts for Voya Financial in 2003. In 2009, Tracie became Complex Operations Manager at Wells Fargo, where she gained valuable experience and contributed greatly to building a more collaborative environment through the relationships she was able to cultivate. In 2017, she took up her current role at Morgan Stanley where she is committed to maintaining a standard of consistency and quality in all business and service operations throughout the Market.

Outside of work, Tracie enjoys spending time with her family, especially watching her two sons compete in baseball and basketball. Additionally, she is active in the community and volunteers through her sons’ school.