Our Team

Tony Smith is the Managing Partner of Stonegate Investment Group and has been advising wealthy families and institutions for more than three decades.  Tony also serves as the Chief Investment Officer at Stonegate. After beginning his career in corporate finance, Tony advised Ultra-High Net Worth family groups at Smith Barney for 15 years.  In 2007, Tony and his entire team joined UBS Financial Services, where he served as Managing Director – Investments and Senior Portfolio Manager.  Tony has been recognized as one of the nation’s top financial advisors by Barron’s, the Financial Times and Forbes, ranking as Barron’s top Financial Advisor in Alabama in 2018 – 2021.  In 2021, Barron’s named Tony’s team as one of the Top 100 Private Wealth Management teams in the country.

Tony holds a BS in Finance and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jay Allen is a Partner at Stonegate Investment Group and serves as the Chief Wealth Strategist, working with Ultra-High Net Worth (UHNW) clients of Stonegate to coordinate their investment, estate planning and philanthropic goals. Jay focuses on developing and implementing creative and comprehensive strategies to assist clients with complex financial needs, including preservation and  transfer of wealth. He also reviews clients’ estate planning documents to help ensure that a plan accurately reflects a family’s philosophy, needs and objectives.

Jay began his career with a big four accounting firm, where he worked on a specialty team responsible for cutting-edge estate planning strategies for UHNW clients. Jay continued his work with UHNW families on estate, gift and philanthropic planning in his roles as a Director in the Wealth Advisory Center of GenSpring Family Offices and as a Wealth Management Specialist at Morgan Keegan & Company. Jay joined UBS Financial Services in 2012 and began working exclusively with the other founding Partners of Stonegate in 2017.

Jay earned his BA in Accountancy from the University of Mississippi and his JD from University of Mississippi School of Law.  He is a licensed attorney and active member of the Mississippi Bar Association.

Matthew Brown is a Partner of Stonegate Investment Group and sits on the Investment Committee at Stonegate.  Matthew began his career in investment banking and mezzanine finance before joining UBS Financial Services in 2009.  At UBS, Matthew advised wealthy families as a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Portfolio Manager. Matthew is a Certified Financial Planner and has been recognized as one of the best wealth advisors in the state of Alabama by Forbes.

He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a BA in Managerial Economics and received an MBA from Emory University.

Chris Compton is a Partner of Stonegate Investment Group and sits on the Investment Committee at Stonegate.  Chris began his career at Smith Barney, where he served as a financial advisor to wealthy families and institutions.  In 2007, Chris and his entire team joined UBS Financial Services, where he served as a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Portfolio Manager. Chris has been recognized as one of the best wealth advisors in the state of Alabama by Forbes and was a former member of the UBS Top 35 under 35.

Chris graduated from Denison University with a BA in Economics and received an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jerry Duncan has been serving multiple generations of wealthy family groups for more than forty years, including 14 years as Vice President at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and 19 years with Smith Barney.  In 2007, Jerry and his entire team joined UBS Financial Services, where he served as Managing Director – Investments.

Jerry has been recognized as one of the nation’s top Financial Advisors by Barron’s and the Financial Times.

Jerry holds a BA and MA from the University of Alabama’s School of Education.

Billy Richardson has served as a valued financial advisor to wealthy families for more than fifty years.  Billy’s specialty has been Fixed Income and he previously served as Vice President of Municipal Sales & Trading with Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc.  In 1978, Billy joined Paine Webber, the predecessor firm to UBS Financial Services, where he served as a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management.

Billy earned a BS in General Business from the University of Alabama.

Kim Harless currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Stonegate Investment Group. In addition to delivering and overseeing client service, Kim is responsible for the internal operations and processes of the firm. Kim was previously at UBS Financial Services, where she served as Director and Business Manager for one of Barron’s Top 100 Private Wealth Management teams in the country. Kim has been in the financial services industry since 1993.

Cindy Thomas is a Wealth Management Associate and has more than thirty years of experience delivering personalized, high touch service for multiple generations of wealthy families.  Before joining Stonegate, Cindy was a Wealth Management Associate at UBS Financial Services for 14 years.  Prior to her tenure at UBS, Cindy served in multiple client-serving roles at Smith Barney and Dean Witter.

Thomas Joy is a Portfolio Manager at Stonegate Investment Group, responsible for fixed income investments and specializing in the management of tax-free municipal bond portfolios.  Drawing on 30 years of experience in the fixed income markets, Thomas brings a high level of investment expertise to the management of individual and institutional bond portfolios.

Prior to joining Stonegate, Thomas was at BBVA USA and predecessor firms, where he managed many of the Bank’s Common Trust Funds, Tax-Free Bond Fund, Money Market Funds and Separately Managed Accounts.

Thomas holds a BS in Finance from The University of Alabama.

Harry Cowley serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for Stonegate Investment Group and is responsible for implementing and overseeing the Compliance Program for the firm. Harry has more than 26 years of experience with Operations, Risk, and Compliance in the financial industry. Prior to joining Stonegate, he worked in Compliance at BBVA USA for the previous 13 years.

Harry received his BA and MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Brian Compton is a Principal at Stonegate Investment Group. He began his career as a Trader at TransMarket Group before joining Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Equity Division.

Brian is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He graduated from Rollins College with a BA in Economics and earned an MBA from the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Dawn Manning is a Senior Wealth Management Associate responsible for client reporting and relationship management.  Before joining Stonegate, Dawn worked for BBVA USA for 15 years as a Financial Analyst in the Bank’s Asset Management Group.

Dawn graduated from Jacksonville State University with a BA in Business Management.

Corrine Harless is a Client Service Associate and is the first point of contact for many of our valued client families.  Corrine began her career in the Insurance industry and has been an integral Stonegate team member since the firm’s inception.

Corrine graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BA in Finance and a concentration in Investments.