The Covington Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley

Gail Covington is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Covington Wealth Management Group practice and is responsible for all aspects of the investment process, portfolio construction and risk management. Since establishing the practice in 1999, Gail has worked closely with C-suite and private equity executives and company founders as well as their families and family offices. Serving as a trusted advisor across market cycles and across generations, she leads the team’s efforts to help each client implement comprehensive wealth management solutions based on their specific objectives. As a Family Wealth Director, Gail welcomes the challenges that come with managing significant wealth and is dedicated to a holistic approach to legacy building. Based in San Francisco, the practice is naturally focused on the needs of tech executives and investors, and covers clients in the Bay Area, Seattle, Los Angeles, Utah, NY and Florida.

Gail spent the early part of her career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, raising capital on behalf of small corporations and municipalities. As Oakland native, Gail is a graduate of Williams College where she studied Economics and Political Science and Harvard Business School (concentration in Finance and Capital Markets). Demonstrating her commitment to community and the arts, Gail serves on the Board of the San Francisco Symphony where she is a Vice President, member of the Investment Committee and Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Gail also serves on the Board of the East Bay Center for the Arts and is a member of the Investment Committee.

Finally, Gail spends her free time with her husband John, two young adult sons and their Portuguese Water dogs, Lena and Langston. She enjoys playing her violin and collecting Bordeaux wine.

Ben Sutton is the head of financial planning and portfolio analytics for the Team. After joining Morgan Stanley in the summer of 2017, Ben served as a Wealth Advisor Associate, creating financial plans for over 500 clients across the Firm. Since joining The Covington Wealth Management Group, he has helped build out the team’s financial planning capabilities. Ben also assists with the implementation of portfolio risk management protocols, as well as leveraging MS investment research and various non-MS market perspectives.

Ben received his B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Political Economy from UC Berkeley in 2016, and an M.Sc. in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics in 2021. A native of Santa Barbara, California, he has since moved on to colder water and bigger waves as an avid Ocean Beach surfer. When not in the office or in the water, Ben can be found jamming on his guitar or saxophone, travelling, or trying out new San Francisco restaurants.

Shairah Willis is a Financial Advisor Associate with The Covington Wealth Management Group where she is responsible for client acquisition, portfolio analytics, and reporting. Shairah joined Morgan Stanley in 2018 as a Financial Analyst Intern. In 2020, she went on to become a full-time Financial Analyst, creating investment proposals for clients and prospects, proposing portfolio-level recommendations, and presenting independent investment ideas. In 2022, Shairah became a Consulting Group & Mutual Fund Sales Analyst where she was responsible for portfolio recommendations, investment proposals, reporting, and analysis for Financial Advisors and their clients across the firm. In this role, she was promoted to lead analyst within her first six months, supporting one region’s reporting and strategy needs and promoted to an Associate within her first two years.

Shairah was born in Inglewood, CA and raised in Atlanta, GA. She moved to New York for her Consulting Group & Mutual Fund Sales Associate role, and now resides in Oakland, Ca. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.S in Individualized Studies with a concentration in Economics and Business Administration. Outside of the office, Shairah loves to try new restaurants and visit wineries. Aside from food and wine, she enjoys hiking, cycling, lifting weights, volunteering, and travel.

Margaret Lim directs, manages and supervises client service operations for the Team. Since joining Morgan Stanley in 2015, Margaret has worked closely with clients, assisting in all day-to-day operations and administration. Since joining Margaret directs the team’s efforts to streamline the account opening process and acts as an integral day-to-day resource for clients. Her responsibilities include client onboarding, online user experience, facilitating use of banking and lending products, routine account disbursements and other administrative matters.

Margaret received her B.S. in Applied Mathematics (with a concentration in Economics and Actuarial Science) from San Jose State University in 2015. She grew up in Tracy, California and now lives in Oakland. On most weekends, Margaret can be found attending to her family’s dog breeding business, enjoying long walks with her Labrador retrievers, enjoying wine and working out.

Elio Issa is a Client Service Associate for The Covington Wealth Management Group, providing essential operational and administrative support. During Elio’s prior internship with Morgan Stanley, he worked with our team to lead our research and center of influence efforts. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Elio also completed internships at a logistics company in France and a commercial/investment bank in Dubai. Having lived across multiple countries, Elio looks forward to using his global awareness of markets and client perspectives.

Elio is from Lebanon and attended high school in Dubai and college in the US. He graduated from Boston University with a Master of Science in Financial Management and a concentration in Investment Analysis. Prior to BU, Elio graduated from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor’s in business administration and a concentration in finance. An American citizen who lived abroad throughout his youth, Elio speaks English, French, Arabic and is currently learning Spanish. In addition to his professional pursuits, Elio enjoys playing sports, discovering new spots in town, and meeting new and interesting people.

Connor is a Registered Client Service Associate and plays an important role in supporting client operations for the team. He joined The Covington Group at Morgan Stanley in 2024. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2022, Connor gained experience with several companies in the Bay Area, as a sales support specialist managing lead generation, a marketing intern, and an accounts payable clerk.

Connor graduated from Pitzer College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics, where was also a four-year letterman for the Sagehens football team. He is an East Bay native and enjoys cooking, playing golf, working out and spending time with family and friends.