The Traum Vaughan Group

As the team leader for The Traum Vaughan Group, Jeff oversees the client interview process, the asset allocation process, and the investment selection process. In over 40 years with Morgan Stanley, Jeff has worked closely with high net-worth clients, and their CPAs and attorneys, to provide effective portfolio management and family wealth planning. Working at the nexus of personal and corporate finance, Jeff focuses on wealth planning strategies, portfolio management and risk management. He and also serves as the primary contact for many Morgan Stanley corporate relationships. In recognition of these efforts, Jeff has been named a member of Morgan Stanley’s exclusive Chairman’s Club since 2006 and has been recognized by Barron’s, Forbes and the Financial Times.

Jeff graduated from the University of California at Davis with a B.A. in economics, while serving as co-captain of the lacrosse team. He has enjoyed many executive education programs including earning his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA^®) designation through the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Giving back to his alma mater, Jeff served as a trustee of the UC Davis Foundation/Endowment from 2008 to 2014 and again 2016 to 2019. He chaired the Investment Committee 2013-14. He remains a Trustee Emeritus. Jeff’s other civic engagements have included serving on the Palo Alto Unified School District’s Measure A Tax Oversight Committee, the Stanford University Cantor Arts Center Membership Board, the Friends of The Palo Alto Parks Board and the Stanford Medicine Community Council.

Jeff and his wife, Cindy, live in Palo Alto with their two daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Jeff has kayaked the central coast of California and enjoys cycling, backpacking, and skiing.

Disclosures

2019-2022 Forbes Best-In- State Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2019-2022). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

2020-2022 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 (Awarded 2020-2022). Data compiled by Barron's based on 12-month period concluding in Sept of the year prior to the issuance of the award.

2017-2020 Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors
Source: ft.com. Data compiled by the Financial Times based the following time periods:
Awarded 2020; data 6/30/16 - 6/30/19
Awarded 2019; data 6/30/15 - 6/30/18
Awarded 2018; data 6/30/15 - 6/30/17
Awarded 2017; data 9/30/14 - 9/30/16

As a Managing Director with Morgan Stanley since 1995, Brannan has coordinated comprehensive wealth management strategies for both individual and corporate investors.  As a Senior Portfolio Management Director he focuses on portfolio evaluation, asset allocation and serves as the point of contact in retirement planning for corporations and affluent families.  In his role as Corporate Stock Plan Director and Corporate Client Group Director he also focuses on 401(k) retirement plans, deferred compensation programs, corporate cash management, and restricted securities. Professional Accreditations and Education: University of California, Davis, CA, B.S., Managerial Economics, 1992 Executive Financial Services Director, Current Licenses: Series 7, 8, 31, 65, 63, CA Insurance License # 0B80003 CRPS, Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist C(k)P, Certified 401(k) Professional Morgan Stanley President’s Club Member 2007-2009, 2011-Present Plan Sponsor Magazine, “Best of the Best: Most Successful Retirement Plan Advisors”, 2006 & 2007 401k Wire magazine, 300 Most Influential Advisors, 2009, 2010, 2011 UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education, Founding Lecturer, The Retirement Advisor University™. Financial Times Top 401 Retirement Advisors 2015, 2016 Community Work: National Ski Patrol, Senior level patroller and instructor, 1987 – present Menlo-Atherton Little League Coach Dodge Ridge Ski Race Team Coach Personal: Brannan lives in Atherton with his wife Laura and their three sons.  He captained his college ski team and has travelled to over 80 countries.  Other interests include baseball, golf, history, and archaeology. Contact Brannan at 650-234-5988 or Brannan.Vaughan@morganstanley.com

2006-2011, 2016, 2018, 2019 PLANSPONSOR Top Retirement Advisors (formerly referred to as Top 100 Retirement Advisors)
Source: planadviser.com (Awarded May 2006-2011, 2016, 2018, 2019) Data compiled by ISS Media based on responses to PLANADVISER survey as of Jan/Feb of the year the award was given.

2015, 2016 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors
Source: ft.com. Data compiled by the Financial Times based the following time periods:
Awarded 2016; data 12/31/13 - 12/31/15
Awarded 2015; data 9/30/13 -9/30/14

Drawing on over 20 years of experience as a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, Todd Gemmer creates comprehensive wealth management strategies for both individual and corporate investors. Todd’s areas of focus include financial planning, asset allocation strategies and 401(k) retirement plans. He also leads the team’s efforts in syndicate and fixed income strategies. 

Todd received his B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Indiana University, and went on to earn an MBA in finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Business. He has maintained an active role with both institutions, having served as the president of his UCLA Anderson Class and president of Indiana University’s Bay Area alumni chapter. His other community work has included board-level service at AbilityPath, Support for Families of Children with Disabilities and the Burlingame Rotary Club.

Todd lives in Burlingame, California with his wife, Karen, their son, two daughters and a golden retriever. A former member of the Indiana University tennis team, he continues to play at a competitive level. He has also run three marathons and leads Team Henry in the Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle cycling event, as well as other athletic events and causes that benefit people with disabilities.

Drawing on more than three decades of experience in the financial services industry, Kathleen Carroll works closely with the team’s clients and Advisors to create and implement highly customized wealth management solutions. Among her may responsibilities, Kathleen manages stock option exercises, restricted security transactions and 10b5-1 plans. She also helps develop and implement estate and wealth management and preservation strategies, and oversees operational issues related to client accounts.

After working several years in commercial and retail banking, Kathleen joined Morgan Stanley in 1995 as a Financial Advisor in the San Francisco office. In 1999, she moved to Palo Alto in to work with Jeff Traum as a Senior Operations Assistant. Kathleen earned a B.S. in biological sciences from the University of Cincinnati and holds internal designations as a Rule 144 Specialist and a Restricted Securities and Options Specialist.

Kathleen has three adult children and four grandchildren. She enjoys the challenges of training for endurance events and has completed an Ironman, a 24HR Row and several Marathons. She has also summited Kilimanjaro and trekked to Everest Base Camp. Her favorite vacations center around hiking, and skiing with her children and grandchildren.

Olivia Bowles-Kymer brings nearly three decades of operations management and client service experience to the Traum Vaughan Group. Working closely with every member of the team, Olivia plays a key role in delivering a consistently excellent standard of service. Her knowledge of internal systems and processes, as well as financial industry rules and regulations, brings an important perspective to the team’s account maintenance and processing efforts.

Olivia joined Morgan Stanley in 2002 and became part of the Traum Vaughan Group in 2009. She had previously served as an Assistant Branch Manager at East Coast banks. She studied business administration at Berkeley Business School in White Plains, New York.

Olivia actively volunteers at the Mid-Peninsula Humane Society and Homeless Cat Network. She is also an active supporter of the local Boys & Girls Club and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In recognition of her work on the job and in the community, Olivia received the Silicon Valley Complex Morgan Stanley 212° Award in 2019.

Olivia lives in San Mateo with her husband, Kevin, and their five cats, two dogs and frequent foster pets. Avid car collectors, she and Kevin have owned eleven classic Mustangs, which they have entered in shows around the country and have been featured in magazines around the world.

A member of the Traum Vaughan Group since 2019, Alvin To supports the team’s clients and Advisors across a broad range of investment management and operational responsibilities. Alvin focuses on portfolio management, trading and analysis. He also serves as the primary contact for venture capital clients, assisting with stock distribution, clearing and sales.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Alvin spent four years as a Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS in Palo Alto.
He began his financial services career as an intern in 2014, and then graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a B.S. in management science.

Alvin is an avid musician, playing both the saxophone and guitar. His other interests include hiking, cycling, running, watching sports, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.