Steve’s leadership experience spans insurance companies and independent broker-dealers, with particular strength in strategic planning, advisor recruiting, and insurance sales and operations.
Before joining CRC Oyster in 2020, he served as President and CEO of Waterstone Financial Group, a top-35 independent broker-dealer, and sat on LPL Financial’s Executive Management Team, where he also served as Chairman of the Chicago FINRA District Committee. Steve led the merger of Dreher & Associates and Long Grove Trading into Waterstone and its subsequent conversion to LPL, and built the back office, compliance, and commission systems for the Pacific Life broker-dealers. He began his career as an advisor – experience he has drawn on ever since to build advisor recruiting platforms, transition advisors from commission-based to fee-based models, and develop succession programs for the next generation of advisors.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a double major in Management and Marketing from Eastern Illinois University, holds the CLU, ChFC, and CFP designations, and maintains Series 6, 7, 24, 27, 65, and 66 securities licenses.
