The Minnesota Group at Morgan Stanley

With 30 years of experience as a financial advisor, Greg has come to believe that we can best serve clients by keeping the investment process simple while encouraging discipline and patience. Greg is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of St. Olaf College. After doing graduate work at Harvard University, Greg earned his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota. Greg practiced business law for eight years before resigning a shareholder position to pursue his avid interest in the financial markets (he is non-practicing at Morgan Stanley.)

Greg is a Certified Investment Management Analyst^® professional through the Wealth & Investments Institute in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business. Greg and his wife, Heidi, live in North Oaks, near their three adult daughters and their families. On his ideal day off, Greg might be found golfing, fly-fishing, or reading good fiction.

Kevin has extensive experience working with high net worth families to bring clarity to their financial well-being by helping them build, preserve, and transfer their wealth. Portfolios are constructed utilizing a disciplined approach and the resources of Morgan Stanley in seeking to provide the returns required to meet established goals while also controlling risk. Through extensive communication, Kevin makes a point to provide clarity and transparency to make clients feel confident and comfortable they are making educated decisions.

Kevin started his financial career in 1983 with Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis, MN where he held various senior management positions including Branch Manager and Director of Investment Products and Services. Wanting the gratification of working with individuals and their families, he was recruited by Morgan Stanley in 2008.

In 2018, Kevin founded The Minnesota Group and is excited for its continued growth. Being an early riser, Kevin is always the first person in the office. At 6:30am you can find him reading the latest financial news and analyzing securities to implement into the portfolios he manages.

A life-long Minnesota resident, Kevin graduated from the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Business and received his MBA from the University of St. Thomas. He and his wife, Beth, have a son and two daughters that also live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Outside the office you can find Kevin attending sporting events, cheering for the Minnesota Gophers, and reading.

From strategic planning, to raising private equity capital, to finding successful exit strategies for stakeholders, John’s breadth of experience in the business world gives him valuable insights into the needs of business owners and the skill set to become your primary Financial Advisor. 
 
John is a CPWA^®, Financial Advisor focusing on advanced estate and tax planning strategies for his clients.  He started his career as an attorney and advanced from in-house counsel and senior project manager to President and CEO of both public and private companies.  

John graduated from the University of Illinois in Russian Area Studies and has his law degree from the College of Law at the University of Illinois (he is non-practicing at Morgan Stanley.)  He is married, has three adult children, and lives in Edina.  He enjoys online chess and plays the drums, saxophone and occasionally sings with the nominally-acclaimed band “The Mediocritones.” 

Laura Peterson Feintech joined The Minnesota Group at Morgan Stanley after a career with the federal government which took her to overseas postings in Africa and Asia. As a result of her many years as a public servant, Laura has a strong sense of mission and service, and applies those values to her work with clients. Laura works collaboratively with her clients to create meaningful financial plans incorporating their values to help achieve life and wealth goals.

Bringing her own life experiences to her practice, Laura works with the specific needs of veteran and retired government clients, international families, and independent women. As a daughter of a Navy veteran and in planning her own exit from government, Laura has firsthand experience navigating the complexities of government benefits. Similarly, Laura has helped divorced and widowed clients prepare for new financial stages of life.

Laura is a graduate of Reed College and Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. Originally from Iowa but having lived in eight states and four countries outside the U.S., Laura and her husband have planted roots in Saint Paul with their two daughters and rescue dog. Laura and her family have fully embraced Minnesota’s many seasons, and in winter you may find her snowshoeing, skiing, skijoring, or enjoying a sauna. In summer Laura is an active soccer mom and runner.

Tony is a Founding Member of The Minnesota Group where he is responsible for analyzing portfolios and creating customized financial plans. Thorough in nature, he practices transparency and provides financial education by delivering a simplified blueprint that can help families to achieve and experience their financial goals.

Formerly, Tony worked as a Project Manager for Target in Brooklyn Park, MN where he analyzed the finances of multi-million dollar projects, developed cost savings synergies, and found his passion for finance. Soon later Tony found himself working at an investment bank in Minneapolis, MN where he was responsible for analyzing equity portfolios. Wanting to combine his passion for the markets and project management, Tony was recruited by Morgan Stanley in 2016.

Tony earned his undergraduate degree in Economics and Management from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and received Executive Education in Financial Management from University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business in Minneapolis, MN.

Born and raised in Southern Minnesota. Tony is very proud of his roots and in his office proudly displays a Hormel Spam Can. A sports and outdoors enthusiast, you can find Tony fishing, playing ice and roller hockey, skiing, biking, and golfing. Tony previously volunteered time as a youth hockey coach and in elementary schools where he helped struggling math students reach grade level competency.

“I get great satisfaction from helping people. Whether that is developing youth hockey players to always play for the greater good of the team and give a 100% effort in everything they do, both on and off the ice, to struggling math students, building their confidence working with numbers. I find that individuals get distracted by the forces in which they have no control. I help people identify those distractions and emphasize concentrating and acting on what they can control.”

Melissa is a Portfolio Associate and works alongside David and Tony. She has 32 years of industry experience. 25 years of her career have been at Morgan Stanley. Melissa has held several long-term positions at Morgan Stanley including Senior Registered Associate and Mid-level Management positions. She has been a Complex Manager Assistant, Branch Administrator, Compliance and Risk Administrator and Branch Manager's Assistant. She is Series 7, 63, 9 and 10 licensed.

Melissa resides in Plymouth, MN and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Paul joined the Minnesota Group at Morgan Stanley in 2022 as a Registered Client Service Associate. His role is to facilitate an exceptional client experience that seamlessly integrates our full spectrum of wealth management advice, products, services and technology for the specific needs of our individual, family and business clients. Paul works with all Minnesota Group team members to coordinate this effort.

Paul hails from Canada and graduated from McGill University in Montreal where he earned a BEng (Bioresource Engineering) degree and was a member of the National Championship lacrosse team. After graduation, Paul made the transition to the financial services industry and led an operations team at Ameriprise Financial.

In his free time, you may find Paul at the gym trying to maintain what form he can keep from his days as a college athlete, spending time with his dog Savannah, cheering on the Winnipeg Jets, as a true Canadian should, and/or wakeboarding or cross-country skiing, depending on the season.