The Irvin, Bevack, and Venzor Group at Morgan Stanley

Phillip is a Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management Director, Alternative Investments Director and co-founder of The Irvin and Bevack Group. For more than 32 years, he has enjoyed working with successful professionals, business leaders and their families, providing personalized advice through a disciplined wealth management process. Phillip’s analytical background enables him to help clients understand and solve their financial challenges. He uses a pragmatic process that combines his interest in behavioral science with his in-depth analysis and market research to guide clients in building a financial plan and investment portfolio tailored to their specific needs and goals.

Growing up in Cleveland Heights, Phillip was raised by two hard-working parents. His mother was a social worker and his father was an electrical engineer. Their dedication to their respective fields inspired Phillip to pursue a professional that would blend the best of both vocations and highlight his strengths: the desire to help people and make a difference in their lives and a focus on precision, order and rules in an effort to achieve intended results. After graduating from Ohio State University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and a double major in Accounting and Finance, Phillip began his career as a Financial Planner at American Express Financial Services in 1994.

The next 30 plus years were filled with new and expanding opportunities that took Phillip to such firms as Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan Securities. He worked many years as a integral part of a large middle markets/institutional practice.

He joined Morgan Stanley in 2014 and reunited with Joe Bevack, a colleague he first met at Merrill Lynch in 1995. They have remained friends over that period and made the decision to form a partnership to leverage each other’s complementary skills, experience and insights. Together, they work tirelessly to help clients ensure their lifetime of hard work is well cared for and that there is someone who will be there to help family members if unforeseen situations occur.

Phillip Irvin, CEPA^® is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor who works with business owners to align personal, financial, and business goals into a clear, actionable exit strategy. Drawing on the CEPA^® framework developed by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), He helps owners identify value drivers, reduce key-person risk, and build a business that is more transferable—so they can transition on their own timeline and terms.

In this role, Phillip serves as a leader for the exit planning process—coordinating with the owner’s broader advisory team (e.g., legal, tax, valuation, M&A) to help simplify complex decisions and keep planning moving forward. He focuses on helping owners translate long-term objectives into near-term priorities, such as transition readiness and lifestyle changes, an often overlooked yet important component to an exit. Phillip is passionate about helping entrepreneurs protect what they’ve built, maximize enterprise value, and create optionality—whether the ultimate path is a third-party sale, internal succession, family transition, or another exit route.

With a client-first approach, Phillip focuses on helping individuals and families navigate complex financial decisions through disciplined planning, thoughtful portfolio construction, and ongoing advice tailored to help meet their evolving goals. He is known for bringing structure and clarity to wealth strategy—coordinating across investment management, retirement planning, risk management, and legacy considerations—while maintaining a high standard of service and responsiveness.

Phillip’s team has been recognized on the Forbes SHOOK Best Wealth Management Teams in Ohio ranking from 2024-2026, reflecting a sustained commitment to professional excellence and consistent client outcomes.

He is committed to long-term relationships built on respect, transparency, and accountability, and he works closely with clients to help align financial strategy with what matters most to them.

Phillip draws upon his vast experience to provide clients with customized portfolios and tailored advice. He enjoys helping to solve problems for clients and sharing insights from others who have experienced the same challenges. Above all, he excels at helping to simplify the complexities of investing, effectively explaining his strategies with simple and easy-to-understand language.

Phillip’s desire to help others is equaled only by his dedication to his community, his industry and his family. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Milestones Autism Resources, the largest local autism nonprofit in Cleveland, and has held many other leadership roles with this organization in the past. He is a former Board member for the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland and was named their United Way Volunteer of the Year in 2009. Phillip was also on the Boards of Hattie Larlham and Building Behaviors.

Professionally, Phillip is a member of the Financial Planning Association and its local chapter. He is also an active member of Morgan Stanley’s Portfolio Manager Institute, a select group of advisors who share best practices to help clients succeed. He serves on the NOWPAC Advisory Council and is a member of the firm’s Professional Alliance Group, which works closely with other professionals including CPAs and attorneys. He has spoken at firm events regarding his successful practice.

Phillip believes balance is vital to a happy life. Outside of the office, he enjoys all types of fishing, which helps nurture patience and delayed gratification, two important virtues in his work as an advisor. Phillip enjoys reading historical fiction and loves all types of music, especially live performances. His life centers on a love for his family. Phillip and his wife, Wendy, have been married since 2000 and find their most valued assets are their two children, Sophia and Miles.


2024-2026 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2024-2026). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award.

As a Senior Vice President and co-founder of The Irvin and Bevack Group, Joe enjoys working with results-driven individuals, families and business leaders in the greater Cleveland area and around the country. He concentrates on developing comprehensive financial plans and investment strategies to help empower clients. An area of focus is corporate retirement plans such as 401ks and profit-sharing strategies. His goal is to help effectively grow, preserve and transfer wealth in a smart and tax-efficient manner. For Joe, professional success is measured in terms of client well-being and goal achievement.

Joe learned the importance of being financially secure from his father, an executive in the banking industry who had a long history of serving the financial needs of local families and businesses. While attending Cleveland State, Joe’s father encouraged him to follow the stock market and taught him how to buy stocks. As he observed the stock’s rise and fall, he became focused on how changes in the economy made an impact on his investment. This experience inspired Joe to pursue a career in finance. He earned a degree in Accounting so he could better understand a company’s financial strengths and weaknesses.

Upon graduation, Joe began his career at Kidder Peabody in 1993. A year later, he joined Merrill Lynch, where he spent the next 14 years honing his investment management skills. It is here where he first met Phillip Irvin, who became a friend and fellow colleague. In 2009, Joe made an important decision to join Morgan Stanley to provide his clients with a more robust suite of wealth management tools, solutions and research capabilities. He reunited with Phillip and formed partnership to leverage each other’s complementary skills, experience and insights. Together, Joe and Phillip have built a dynamic and successful practice focused on full-service financial planning and investment management.

Joe enjoys working with like-minded clients who value and appreciate the level of skill and service he and his colleagues deliver. His goals-based process begins with asking the right questions and actively listening. This information then serves as the foundation for the development of a comprehensive plan and investment portfolio that reflects each client’s goals for the future. Joe receives great satisfaction knowing he is helping make a significant impact on the quality of his clients’ lives and often becomes one of the most important relationships to their families.

Born in Collinwood, Ohio, Joe has been married to his wife, Rita, for 30 years and they have two children, Gianna and Joey. Outside of the office, Joe is active in several community organizations in Highland Heights. Favorite leisure activities include golf, bocce and spending time with family and friends.

With more than 45 years of experience as a registered representative, Robert Venzor brings clients the perspective of a market veteran who has navigated multiple market cycles. Today, he serves retirees, multigenerational families and closely held business owners, helping them make informed decisions as they transition wealth, manage liquidity and plan for long-term goals.

Robert’s philosophy centers on thoughtful research and disciplined execution. He leverages the comprehensive resources of Morgan Stanley, including in-depth firm research and access to a broad array of traditional and alternative investment solutions. Working collaboratively as a part of The Irvin Bevack Group, Robert seeks to construct well-diversified portfolios and design strategies that align with each client’s objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon. Over the decades, he has advised clients through periods of volatility as well as growth, always striving to deliver the perspective and context they need to stay focused on their long-term plans. His clients appreciate his straightforward guidance, consistent follow-up and commitment to clear communication.

Outside the office, Robert is the proud father of four children. He enjoys sharing market insights with the next generation and remains actively involved in his local community.

S. Jill Mullins has over 33 years of experience in the financial services industry. Jill is responsible for helping ensure that all client needs for the Irvin Bevack Group are understood and met. She provides exceptional client service and is fully committed to long term relationships through her focus and professionalism. She is experienced with helping clients through addressing both sides of their personal balance sheet.

Jill previously was an integral member of a team for more than 20 years, both at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. She began her career in 1988 as a teller at National City Bank and worked her way up through progressively more responsible roles in their private client group, mortgage department and investment arm, NatCity Investments. She is licensed with her Series 7 and Series 66.

Jill grew up in Tallmadge and currently lives in Broadview Heights with her husband, Dr. Brian R. Hogan, an accounting professor at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to rooting for Brian's alma mater’s basketball team (the Syracuse Orange), she is a big fan of Ohio State teams, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Browns, and Guardians. Her favorite moments have been spent traveling (to Italy, Ireland, Australia and Aruba) and helping others (by donating to several local charities).