The Short Hills K2 Group at Morgan Stanley

Kenneth Levene is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Ken focuses on financial planning and comprehensive wealth management for high net worth individuals, corporate executives, and multigenerational families.

A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in economics, Ken began his career at Mitsubishi Bank as an analyst in the credit and bond department. He later became an assistant at Merrill Lynch, and in 1989 he started working as a broker at Shearson, which would later become Smith Barney. In 2008, Ken joined Morgan Stanley so he could offer his clients more comprehensive wealth management services.

A true people person, Ken approaches each new relationship by developing an understanding of where his clients are in life and where they hope to go. He gives his clients transparency around his fee structure and communicates regularly about the progress of their portfolios. Ken also believes in going the extra mile for his clients – he’s been known to hop on the phone with a local bank to help a client’s adult child with the home buying process, for instance. Ken also enjoys educating his clients’ children about investing, and he takes great pride in offering environmentally and socially conscious investment options.

Outside of work, Ken likes to stay active. He played Division I soccer in college and later coached several youth sports teams when his children were young. Today he enjoys biking, swimming, running, and lifting weights, as well as traveling with his wife. Ken also gives back to his community through several local charities.

David Brown is a First Vice President and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. With nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, Dave focuses on providing tailored investment advice to individuals and their families.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Stonybrook with a degree in economics and business, Dave began his career in 1983 at Shearson American Express as a trade support clerk on the institutional government bond trading floor. He went on to become a government bond options trader managing a portfolio of options and securities for Lehman Brothers. In 1991, Dave entered the training program to become a retail broker and has been providing advice to his clients ever since.

Dave has a diverse client base that includes all generations, from great grandparents down to children. Many of Dave’s clients have been with him as life events have changed their investment needs and as their families have grown. Strategies include investments in stocks, bonds, and alternatives to provide income for retirement, growth for future needs, and balanced portfolios for diversification.

Dave is married to his college love Leslie, and they have 3 children and two grandchildren. He enjoys fitness, food, and family. Dave likes to learn new skills each year and his past accomplishments includes auto mechanics, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, and scuba to name a few.

Kenritsu Hamasaka is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. After gaining multifaceted experiences including finance at Gain Capital, Kenritsu joined Morgan Stanley in 2016 as a wealth management advisor. With years of experience working with a variety of clients, from individuals to businesses, Kenritsu knows that an individualized financial strategy that encompasses each client’s financial goals, time frame, and risk tolerance is essential when matching his clients with the right financial products and services.

Traversing across 16 countries across four continents throughout his career, Kenritsu’s admiration for humanitarian concerns developed while visiting Burkina Faso and Nigeria as a volunteer helping underprivileged youths. On another mission to Paraguay, he helped establish sustainable villages through farming, building homes and schools. His latest endeavor took him to Taiwan where he started his own bakery business. He gained invaluable business experience both as a french macaroon connoisseur and an entrepreneur. Wanting to pay forward what he had learnt, he began sharing his experiences through cooking classes for local charities.

Kenritsu’s vision and untiring commitment to nurturing relationships with his clients of diverse backgrounds ensures the long-term viability of his portfolios. He follows a disciplined process regarding transparency, risk management, and absolute confidentiality.

Outside of the office, he enjoys golfing and cooking with his wife. He loves world history and trotting around the globe. Kenritsu is an avid fan of motor sports and football. He is fluent in Japanese and speaks a little Taiwanese and Korean. He holds a black belt in Judo.

Jayme joins Morgan Stanley with over a decade of financial experience as a Wealth Management Associate for The Short Hills K2 Group. Before advancing to her current role, Jayme was a Client Service Manager at an RIA firm where she was a utility team member with responsibilities on the Operations, Financial Planning, Investment and Wealth Advisor departments. Jayme was also the New Accounts Manager for the Client Service and Operations business unit at City National Rochdale where she managed a team responsible for direct investment channel onboarding clients to service over $50 billion in AUM. She started her career at Smith Barney in the Field Services division before the merger with Morgan Stanley. During her time at Morgan Stanley, Jayme was a Manager in the Finance department, as well as a Portfolio Associate on a Private Wealth Management team. She brings her client onboarding and relationship management skills to the role at here at Short Hills. Jayme’s passion for relationship management and dedication to delivering an exceptional client experience align perfectly with the team’s commitment to providing the highest level of support and service. Jayme graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor's degree and obtained a Master's degree from PennWest California. She currently holds Series 7 and 66 licenses and is enrolled in Boston University's Financial Planning Certificate Program. She lives in Cedar Grove, NJ, with her husband and two children. Jayme is an avid reader, enjoys running and working out.

Ellen’s focus on client service and attention to detail ensures our clients’ experience with our team exceeds their expectations. She has worked in the financial services industry since 1980 and has been with Morgan Stanley since 1997. Ellen graduated from the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, Philippines with courses in Liberal Arts and Bachelor of Science in Commerce.