The Silich Group at Morgan Stanley

Joe Silich is the Managing Director, Wealth Advisor of The Silich Group at Morgan Stanley – In his role, he has worked exclusively with the global high-net worth community. During his tenure, he worked diligently to understand and achieve clients’ every financial goal and engaged in meticulous financial planning and wealth management. Under his leadership, Joe’s private wealth business grew to upward of $2 billion in assets under management as of May 2024.

He successfully recruited and developed a high-performing wealth advising team. In the last 35 years, he and his team have leveraged their experience to develop and deliver wealth management plans for high-net worth individuals and families. The team has carefully coalesced financial planning, tax sensitivity, and estate planning strategies to ensure each component of the clients’ financial portfolio is aligned with the clients’ individual financial goals.

The Silich Group has successfully navigated clients through the phases of wealth accumulation and preservation – and has been consistent in delivering best-in-class service. Diligence, deep insights, and careful attention to detail have resulted in The Silich Group earning a reputation for excellence. Their mantra, “wealth advising through client intimacy distinguished by openness, efficiency, and advice delivered in a unique style” has been a guiding principle in their practice. They know that success is not only determined by statistical measures of performance, but also by clients’ ability to achieve their goals.

As a financial advisor, Joe is considered a thought leader and is frequently sought after for media interviews. He has made appearances on MSNBC, CNBC, and Bloomberg television. He has been featured and quoted in Crain’s Chicago Business, Smart Money, Chicago Tribune, CS Magazine, Kiplinger’s Personal, and other financial publications.

His career has been marked by a wide range of awards and accolades and
demonstrates his ability to deliver outstanding results for individuals and families. Joe has been on Forbes Magazine’s Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list from its inception in 2018 to 2024. From 2009 to 2023, he has been recognized on Barron’s list of top 1,200 financial advisors. In 2024 and 2025, The Silich Group was also recognized as one of the top Advisor teams in the Midwest by Forbes Magazine and Shook Research.

Joe is dedicated to philanthropic work and has made a critical impact both locally and globally. In 2020, he earned a top award at the finance industry’s 14th Annual Invest in Others Awards, which recognizes charitable work of advisors across the country. His commitment to service shines through his role with the USO, where he served on the Midwest Regional and Illinois Boards, even leading as chairman in 2017 and 2018. The USO, dedicated to strengthening America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and the country throughout their service to the nation, has benefited greatly from Joe's leadership. From 2010 to 2016, he chaired their primary fundraising and special events committee. Moreover, his co-leadership in the "Answer the Call" campaign was pivotal in raising $5.5 million for the modernization of USO Midwest facilities, furthering the organization's mission to support the well-being of military personnel and their families since 1941.

Joe is a member of the St. Laurence High School Board of Trustees as Vice Chairman and co-chaired a successful $5 million capital campaign in 2017 to support the Illinois school. In 2023, he was selected to co-chair their next transformational $15 million capital campaign. In 2013, he was inducted into the St. Laurence Hall of Fame as "Alumni Executive of the Year" and received the "Black and Gold Award" in 2017 for his contributions to the mission of an Edmund Rice Christian Brothers education. Additionally, he served as vice president of the Riverview Association from 2006 to 2017 and as president of the Greater Streeterville Cityfront Center Board from 2011 to 2017.

Joe is a Professor at DePaul University, where he teaches Finance 396, an
undergraduate honors class consisting of the top 25 gifted students in finance. He is on DePaul’s Finance Advisory Board, University Development Committee, and on the Center for Behavioral Finance Advisory Board. Joe supports the Financial Advisory Board’s scholarship fund and endowed a College of Commerce scholarship fund in the name of the Silich Family. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Joe was named the Finance Department’s Alumnus of the Year in 2014 and awarded the "Daniel Seiden Professor of the Year Award" in 2023, a distinction determined by fellow faculty, student evaluations, and the business school executive committee.

2009 - 2023 Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State (formerly referred to as Barron's Top 1,000 Financial Advisors: State-by-State)
Source: Barrons.com (Awarded2009 - 2023). Data compiled by Barron's based on 12-month period concluding in Sept of the year prior to the issuance of the award.

2018 - 2024 Forbes Best-In- State Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded2018- 2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

Sabina joined Morgan Stanley in 2002 and has been a member of the Chicago-based Silich Group at Morgan Stanley ever since. As a Certified Financial Planner, she focuses on meeting the financial planning needs of high-net-worth individuals and families and helps them organize and simplify the complexities of managing their wealth. She favors a goal-oriented perspective, where success is defined by her clients’ ability to achieve their financial objectives, and she seeks to develop long-term client relationships by continuously delivering exceptional service. 

In 2016, Sabina attained Morgan Stanley’s Family Wealth Advisor (FWA) designation. The FWA designation is granted to those Financial Advisors focused on the skills needed to help families communicate about money and values, share their goals and grow and protect wealth across generations. 

In 2017, she was named to Forbes’ Magazine’s inaugural list of America’s Top Next Generation Advisors. An honor reserved for a select group of individuals, as it is a reflection of the professionalism, service and dedication that is brought to every client relationship.  Sabina has also been recognized among the Top Wealth Advisor Moms by Working Mother Magazine in 2017.  From 2015 to 2022, Chicago Magazine named Sabina a “Five Star Wealth Manager”.

Sabina earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from DePaul University. She completed the Certified Financial Planning program in 2007, obtaining the CFP^® marks. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Sabina spent 5 years in the insurance industry with Allstate Insurance.  She has held insurance licenses since 1998 and securities licenses since 2003.  Sabina is fluent in Polish. She is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and UNICEF Next Generation. Sabina enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with her husband and twin boys.

2017, 2018, 2019 Forbes America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors & Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State (formerly referred to as Forbes America's Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 1,000 Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Forbes Top 500 Next Generation Wealth Advisors)
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2017, 2018, 2019). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month period concluding in Mar of the year the award was issued.

2017-2020 Working Mother Magazine & SHOOK Research's Top Wealth Advisor Moms
Source: Workingmother.com (Awarded October 2017-2020). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month period concluding in Mar of the year the award was given.

2015-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award
Source: fivestarprofessional.com (Awarded 2012-2022) The award was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by Five-Star Professional based on objective criteria. The award was not based on a specific time period.

Maria joined Morgan Stanley in 2001 and recently joined the Chicago-based Silich Group at Morgan Stanley. She focuses on meeting the financial planning needs of high-net-worth individuals and families and helps them organize and simplify the complexities of managing their wealth. As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®), she takes the time to understand each family’s needs and goals to create a comprehensive financial plan. She leverages the global resources and financial strength of Morgan Stanley to provide full-service capabilities that help meet individual goals. Maria is highly responsive to client needs and her unbiased and detailed approach helps to cultivate exceptional and long-lasting relationships.

Maria earned the industry credentials of Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) through DePaul University in 2017. She met rigorous certification requirements, which include an examination, continuing education, and experience standards. Additionally, she earned her certificate in financial planning through DePaul University in 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Finance from Eastern Illinois University and continues to expand her learning. Maria attained the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC^®) designation through the College for Financial Planning. She was featured in Chicago Magazine as a “Five Star Wealth Manager” from 2014 – 2019, 2021-2022. The listing reflects those wealth advisors across the country who are committed to providing exceptional wealth management services to clients.

Maria understands the importance of a strong community. She is a founding board member of The Stork Foundation for Infertility, whose mission is to provide financial assistance to low resource individuals who require costly medical infertility treatments to conceive a child. She’s also a member of the Chairmen’s Advisory Council of Big Shoulders, which helps to provide catholic education for inter-city school children. She’s a member of Professional Women’s Club of Chicago, Financial Women’s Association and the Chicago Estate Planning Council. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband and two boys. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, skiing and playing sports with her active boys.


2014 – 2019, 2021-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award
Source: fivestarprofessional.com (Awarded 2014 – 2019, 2021-2022) The award was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by Five-Star Professional based on objective criteria. The award was not based on a specific time period.

With over a decade of financial services experience, Kathy Figus works closely with Joe Silich and Sabina Sewillo in the strategic implementation of The Silich Group at Morgan Stanley's business plan and optimization of business practices. As a senior member of the team, she focuses on client development and assists with portfolio management for a range of sophisticated services to clients. She regularly meets with clients to evaluate current offerings and develop and implement new services. 

Kathy has been a key member of The Silich Group since joining the team in 2005 following an internship at the firm. She strives to bring consistent creativity and excellence in providing a wide range of investment products and wealth management services. Kathy obtained her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 2021. She also holds the FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 licenses, as well as the Illinois Life and Health Insurance license and the Financial Planning Associate designation. She graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Marketing. She is a member of the UNICEF Next Generation. 

Kathy resides in the western suburbs of Chicago and enjoys spending time with her husband David and two children Joseph and Victoria.