About Sharon M Cunningham
Sharon Cunningham has been a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms since 1990. She has dedicated her career to providing highly customized financial planning and investment strategies for individuals, families, organizations, and nonprofits. Her approach is built on a deep commitment to financial education, strategic planning, and delivering outstanding service with integrity and passion.
Since the beginning of her career, Sharon has been a champion for women’s financial empowerment. Recognizing that women were often excluded from financial discussions, she made it her mission to change the industry norm. She has dedicated much of her career to educating and advising women through tailored workshops and initiatives. As the creator of HER Way at Morgan Stanley, she established a cross-platform community designed to provide women with access to lifestyle information, professional resources, and investment strategies to help them achieve financial confidence.
Sharon is also conscious of the potential social and financial benefits of integrating Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) initiatives into her investment decision-making process. She and her team have devoted significant time and resources to understanding how investing with impact can drive social change, promote greater gender equality, and create opportunities to improve financial outcomes for clients. By incorporating SRI principles, her team seeks to align investment strategies with their clients’ values while maintaining a focus on long-term growth and financial success.
Sharon’s dedication to her clients and the organizations she supports has earned her and her team national recognition. She has been named to the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors & Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for eight consecutive years (2018-2025), recognizing elite financial advisors across the country who demonstrate excellence in client service, planning, and investment strategy. In addition, her team has been recognized on the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams list since the award’s inception in 2023, highlighting their commitment to delivering outstanding financial guidance, investment solutions, and personalized service.
Beyond these accolades, Sharon has been honored by Working Mother Magazine as one of its Top Wealth Advisor Moms, celebrating women who successfully balance their careers as financial advisors while raising families. In 2018, Morgan Stanley named her to its prestigious MAKERS Class, recognizing trailblazing women within the firm. She was also a recipient of Morgan Stanley’s John J. Mack Leadership Award, an honor given to individuals who embody the firm’s core values and make a meaningful impact on their colleagues and communities.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Sharon holds a degree in Business Management and Finance from Adelphi University and earned a certificate in financial planning from New York University. Passionate about giving back, she actively supports women’s organizations, including Women for Women International and the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York, and serves as a Board Member for NEXT for Autism.
Sharon resides in Rye Brook, New York, with her husband, Brian, and their two children, Olivia, and Griffin.
Professional Recognition & Disclosures
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) investments in a portfolio may experience performance that is lower or higher than a portfolio not employing such practices. Portfolios with ESG restrictions and strategies as well as ESG investments may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as portfolios where ESG criteria is not applied. There are inconsistent ESG definitions and criteria within the industry, as well as multiple ESG ratings providers that provide ESG ratings of the same subject companies and/or securities that vary among the providers. Certain issuers of investments may have differing and inconsistent views concerning ESG criteria where the ESG claims made in offering documents or other literature may overstate ESG impact. ESG designations are as of the date of this material, and no assurance is provided that the underlying assets have maintained or will maintain and such designation or any stated ESG compliance. As a result, it is difficult to compare ESG investment products or to evaluate an ESG investment product in comparison to one that does not focus on ESG. Investors should also independently consider whether the ESG investment product meets their own ESG objectives or criteria.
There is no assurance that an ESG investing strategy or techniques employed will be successful. Past performance is not a guarantee or a dependable measure of future results.
Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors & Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 (Formerly referred to as Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors, Forbes America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors) Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on a 12-month time period concluding in September of the year prior to the issuance of the award.
Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams 2023, 2024, 2025Source: Forbes.com (Jan 2024). 2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams ranking awarded in 2025. This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by SHOOK Research LLC (the research company) in partnership with Forbes (the publisher) for the period from 3/31/23–3/31/24. Neither Morgan Stanley
Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors paid a fee to SHOOK Research LLC for placement on its rankings. This ranking is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each Financial Advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research LLC and may not be representative of any one client’s experience; investors must carefully choose the right Financial Advisor or team for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. This ranking is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is not affiliated with SHOOK Research LLC or Forbes. For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com. © 2024 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.
Forbes Top Wealth Advisor Moms 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 Source: Workingmother.com (Awarded 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on a 12-month period concluding in March of the year the award was given.
Morgan Stanley Smith barney LLC. Member SIPC.
CRC 4330462 03/2025
Securities Agent: MI, TX, OR, CO, TN, RI, DC, NY, MD, HI, ME, GA, VA, SC, NH, PA, FL, WY, VT, NV, NC, MN, MA, LA, IN, IL, CA, WI, OH, NJ, DE, CT, AZ, WA; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1288191
Securities Agent: MI, TX, OR, CO, TN, RI, DC, NY, MD, HI, ME, GA, VA, SC, NH, PA, FL, WY, VT, NV, NC, MN, MA, LA, IN, IL, CA, WI, OH, NJ, DE, CT, AZ, WA; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1288191