Meet The Team

Russ Norwood is a Founding Partner and the Chief Executive Officer for Venturi Wealth Management. Russ provides investment guidance and wealth management strategies to highly affluent clients, with particular depth in discretionary portfolio management, alternative investments, and estate planning. He has significant experience providing planning and investment advisory services to clients with concentrated wealth, predominantly from the ownership of closely held businesses or equity ownership in a publicly traded company. A strategic thinker, Russ is adept at connecting a client’s long-term wealth management needs with his or her near-term investment selection and structure.

Prior to founding Venturi Wealth Management, Russ spent more than twenty three years at Merrill Lynch, where he was a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor within the Private Banking and Investment Group. Russ has worked in financial services since 1986. He began his career at Prudential Bache in the Corporate Executive Services Department. Russ earned his B.A. in Business Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst^® (CIMA^®) and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM (CFP^®) designations.

Barron’s magazine has named Russ one of the Top 1,000 Financial Advisors in America from the inception of the accolade in 2009 through 2015, inclusively.*

Russ has served on a number of boards ranging from large-budget social service organizations to his school district’s education foundation. An Instrument-Rated Private Pilot and an avid aviator, he flies volunteer missions for Angel Flight, an organization that provides free medical transportation to patients battling cancer and other serious illnesses. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, tennis, and golf.

*Advisors considered for the ranking have a minimum of seven years financial services experience and have been employed at the firm for at least one year. Quantitative and qualitative measures used to determine the Advisor rankings include: client assets, return on assets, client satisfaction/retention, compliance records, and community involvement, among others. Barron’s does not receive compensation from Advisors, participating firms and their affiliates. The rating is not indicative of Venturi Wealth Management’s future performance.

Michael joined Venturi as a Senior Client Associate in 2016. She assists clients with the onboarding process, service requests, and current account information. She is also responsible for coordinating special events.

Previously, Michael has had extensive experience in event coordination, public relations, and administrative operations spanning the medical, sport, and private equity industries. Most recently, she served as the Acquisitions Coordinator at a private equity firm specializing in real estate investments.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Communication degree with a concentration in Studio Art from Wake Forest University. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Austin with her husband and two children.

Mike Sanders is President of Venturi Wealth Management. For over 25 years, Mike has built and overseen sales, marketing and research organizations for companies in the financial services industry. He also brings operational expertise through his prior roles. Mike spent 24 years at Goldman Sachs Group, Equities Division, where he was the Partner and Managing Director responsible for the US Shares Institutional sales force and founding of the Hudson Street initiative in 2006.

Mike has also served as Executive Director and Head of Sales at Potomac Research Group Holdings, LLC. Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive Officer at Davis, Mendel & Regenstein, Inc. and Executive Director of Ned Davis Research. His primary role was establishing a longer-term strategic direction for the firm. He was instrumental in business development, client relationships, new sales and marketing initiatives, product development, and profitability.

Mike received a Bachelor of Business Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has served as a Board Member of Wall Street on Demand (Markit). Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, Natalie, traveling and visiting with friends in Telluride, Boston and Austin. They have four children and two grand children.

Mike Banks is the Chief Financial Officer and Operating Officer of Venturi Wealth Management. He brings 25 years of finance and operational experience to the firm. Mike provides fiduciary oversight and financial management of the firm, infrastructure development, and controls to ensure prudent management of client assets. Mike provides business advisory consulting on personal business matters of clients primarily in private business evaluations, financial assessment including modeling, investment due diligence, and M&A pre-planning.

Mike has a proven track record working with companies in high growth environments. Prior to joining Venturi, he led the finance & operations of two growth companies, both resulting in successful liquidity events. He has provided financial consulting on over 100 different business engagements over a broad range of industries including software, SaaS, semiconductor, manufacturing, renewable energy, service, and healthcare. He has led successful early-round equity fundings and debt financings.

Mike earned an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He received his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation and holds co-ownership in two technology patents. He has been an instructor on renewable energy economics and corporate M&A. He has been an executive advisor to a local Austin private school and served on the Finance Committee of the City of Sunset Valley.

In his free time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, Janna and their three children. He also spends as much time as possible at LadyBird Lake, where he attempts to run.

Alex Clendennen is a Lead Advisor for Venturi Wealth Management. Alex engages with clients to construct in-depth financial plans that address critical areas of wealth management including estate planning, cash flow analysis, liquidity risk, trust management, and philanthropic giving. Alex also works with the investment team to ensure proper alignment between clients’ wealth management goals and their portfolio investment strategy.

Previously, Alex spent 5 years as a Financial Advisor and Analyst at Merrill Lynch where he provided comprehensive wealth management services for high net worth families in the Austin area. Alex attended The University of Southern California where he earned his B.S. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Alex is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM(CFP®) and recently earned the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification, which is the only advanced certification designed for wealth managers who advise high-net worth clients.

Alex’s wife Lina recently finished her DDS degree at Baylor College of Dentistry and is a practicing dentist in Hutto. Alex and Lina welcomed their first child, Emmett, in September 2017. Outside of work, Alex enjoys traveling with Lina and volunteering for The Missy Project, a local non-profit.

Chris Creed is a Senior Lead Advisor for Venturi Wealth Management. Chris partners with new clients to organize, plan, and manage all aspects of their family’s financial life. As a Certified Financial Planner® professional, Chris creates customized wealth planning strategies unique to highly affluent clients.

Having twenty-four years of experience in the industry, Chris brings a unique perspective to the role. Prior to joining Venturi, Chris was a principal at AFAM Capital, running their Private Client Group Business Development. For the seven years prior to joining AFAM, he was Regional VP, Southeast for Fisher Investments Private Client Group. He was the owner of an independent wealth management practice, Creed Capital Management (2003-2006), through Wachovia Securities Financial Network, which he later sold to another advisory firm. From 1994 to 2003, Chris was an investment representative with Edward Jones, where he also held roles in both the hiring and training of new advisors.

Chris holds a B.A. in Marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University. Chris enjoys tennis, skiing, boating and “quietly” supporting his two kids on their respective sporting events.

George Clark is a Founding Partner and the Chief Investment Officer for Venturi Wealth Management. George applies his extensive institutional capital markets experience to developing tailored investment strategies for clients. He is skilled in investment evaluation and selection, portfolio design, risk assessment, and macro strategy. George works in concert with the team to ensure that a client’s investment profile aligns with his or her wealth management initiatives.

Prior to moving to Venturi Wealth Management, George spent 18 years managing large institutional relationships for Merrill Lynch in Texas and the Southeastern United States. He focused on investment strategy and equities allocations for institutions between $2 -$100 billion. George also spent four years at the Texas Permanent School Fund, where he was an Equities Trader and Sector Analyst for the $29 billion endowment. George holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder.

Taylor joined Venturi as a Senior Client Associate in 2015. She guides clients through the onboarding process, working to ensure that clients experience a seamless transition. She serves as a dedicated point of contact for service issues and keeps clients informed about their account transactions and status. Taylor finds joy in getting to know each client personally and efficiently meeting their needs.

In her previous role as a consultant in the Transitions Management department of Raymond James, Taylor worked with Venturi team members. Prior to working at the Raymond James home office in St. Petersburg, Florida, Taylor honed her client service skills at an investment firm in Starkville, Mississippi.

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in economics from Mississippi State University. She is also a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™. Taylor enjoys indoor cycling, yoga, and exploring all that Austin has to offer.

Rodney Gamble is a Lead Advisor of Insurance Services for Venturi Wealth Management. Rodney is passionate about providing his clients with the best plan tailored for their unique situation. He is consistently learning about their needs and the options that will best accomplish their goals. He has significant experience in working with individual clients and business owners in providing individual life insurance for estate planning and business needs.

Prior to joining Venturi Wealth Management, Rodney worked for over 35 years in providing strategic financial planning for corporations, government entities, privately owned businesses and individuals. From 1991-2016 he had his own firm in providing life insurance and group benefits. Before starting his own firm, Rodney was a business manager at Lockheed Missiles and Space. He was responsible for managing budgets of over $200 million dollars in funds. He has multiple awards and honors including; Lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Round Table, Jefferson-Pilot Sales Leadership Recognitions, New York Life Associate of the Year, Lockheed Performance Incentive Award and Lockheed Productivity Improvement Program Award.

Rodney is a native Austinite and received his BBA in Finance from The University of Texas. He has been married to his wife Debbie for over 37 years and they have 3 adult sons. They currently reside in Lakeway and attend Lakeway Church. They continue to be actively involved in the Lake Travis and Austin communities. In his spare time Rodney enjoys camping, hunting, tennis and golf.

Ryan Halls is a Lead Advisor for Venturi Wealth Management. Ryan partners with new clients to organize, plan, and manage all aspects of their family’s financial life. As a Certified Private Wealth Advisor^® (CPWA^®) professional, Ryan creates customized wealth planning strategies unique to highly affluent clients.

Ryan started his career with Vanguard as a consultant to financial advisors in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Ryan graduated with high honors from Texas A&M University where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance. Ryan later graduated from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he earned his MBA with concentrations in Accounting and Entrepreneurship. Ryan is a Certified Investment Management Analyst^® (CIMA^®) designee.

Ryan and his wife, Alexandria, live in South Austin and enjoy exploring new restaurants, traveling, and walking their dog along Lady Bird Lake. Ryan is a passionate college football fan, fly fisherman and golfer.

Westin is a Senior Portfolio Manager with Venturi Wealth Management. Westin focuses on developing and managing tailored investment strategies for clients and ensuring proper alignment with client’s wealth management goals. Additionally, as a member of Venturi’s Investment Team he is responsible for helping formulate Venturi’s asset allocations, investment outlook, and market views.

Previously, Westin spent 10 years as a Vice President at JPMorgan both in New York and Austin in a variety of investment roles. Most recently he was an Investment Specialist with JPM’s Private Bank where he was responsible for the portfolio construction and management of investment portfolios and providing clients with advice and execution across global markets. Additionally, he held roles as an Investment Research Strategist and also in the Investor Relations group. His primary role was to help manage the firm’s earnings related dialogue with its largest investors as well as the sell research analyst community.

Westin holds a B.B.A. in Finance & Accounting from Texas Christian University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder. Westin and his wife, Amy, relocated to Austin in 2016 and recently had their first child, Wade, in June 2017. Westin enjoys competing in bike races as well as running, hiking, and being outdoors with his wife and young son.

Sina Ghodsi is an Analyst for Venturi Wealth Management. Sina works alongside the financial planning and investment teams by creating investment proposals for new clients and managing the integration of Venturi's investment platform, client portal, and planning tools.

Sina graduated from the University of Texas in the fall of 2018 with degrees in Finance and Economics, and is currently working toward completing his degree in Philosophy. Outside of school and work, Sina enjoys reading, playing guitar, and weightlifting.

Susan is a Senior Client Associate for Venturi Wealth Management. She assists clients with the onboarding process ensuring that the client’s experience is a seamless transition.

Previously, Susan worked as a Client Service Associate at Hudson City Savings Bank and more recently, served as a Team Lead in Deutsche Bank’s corporate cash management division in New York. Susan holds a Bachelor of Communication degree from Rutgers University. During her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and going on hikes with her fiancé and their dog, Twitch.

Richard Orlando, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Legacy Capitals LLC, is a special advisor to Venturi Wealth Management. For the past quarter century, he has worked globally with executives, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes, as well as families, work teams, and organizations, who strive for success or have already reached significant levels of success.

Author of LEGACY: The Hidden Keys to Optimizing Your Family Wealth Decisions, Richard Orlando serves as a trusted advisor, consultant, and coach to high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals and families—some of which lead very successful family businesses. In addition, he has worked with Barron’s & Forbes Top 100 Financial Advisors, as well as leaders and high performing teams nationally and internationally.

Dr. Orlando has an interdisciplinary background, holding degrees in computer science, business, and psychology. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and business from St. John’s University, he pursued a career on Wall Street and earned his Series 7 and 63 licenses. Returning to school, he received a master’s degree in counseling/theology from Trinity International University. Continuing his education, he earned a doctorate in family systems from Seton Hall University, during which time he interned with the New York Giants football team. His dissertation research focused on wealth management family teams.

Dr. Orlando is an approved instructor for IMCA’s Certified Private Wealth Advisor® Certification Program and has earned a certificate in family wealth advising from the Family Firm Institute and holds a certified professional coach designation from an International Coach Federation accredited program.

He has been referenced in numerous publications including the New York Times, Bloomberg Business, Wall Street Journal online, Trusts & Estates, WealthManagement.com, ThinkAdvisor, Family Business Magazine, Private Wealth Magazine, Family Wealth Report, Private Wealth Focus, Chicago Tribune, CFA Magazine, Merrill Lynch Advisor, Research, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, On Wall Street, and Registered Rep. He has conducted hundreds of presentations to various groups and organizations, including the Citi Private Bank, Wells Fargo Private Bank, Family Office Association (FOA), Family Office Exchange (FOX), Family Business Alliance, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Merrill Lynch, U.S. Trust, HighTower, Dynasty Financial Partners, Fieldpoint Private, Odin, Feldman, and Pittleman law firm, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease law firm, Purposeful Planning Institute, Kegler, Brown, Hill and Ritter law firm, Janney Montgomery Scott, YUM! Brand executives, Wealth & Legacy Group, Young Presidents Organization, and Vistage International. He has also spoken at various industry conferences such as the NY Chapter of Exit Planning Institute, Philadelphia Financial Planning Association (FPA), Estate Planning Council of NYC & NJ, NJ Financial Planners Association, Barron’s, Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises, Securities Industry Institute, and Investment Management Consultants Association.

Dr. Orlando is on the board of director’s at Urban Hope in Staten Island, New York. He was born and raised in New York City, and currently resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife and their children.