“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
Edwin K.S. Ryu, CPA, PFS, CRE
President & Chief Investment Officer
Edwin K.S. Ryu is the Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Wealth Advisors. He is a former Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte) CPA and was promoted to the management ranks within the Private Company Advisory Services Group. He is also a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and has been a private investor and a wealth advisor for over twenty-five years. Edwin’s client base consists of high net worth individuals, families, and institutions. He graduated from Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Edwin has been named to Medical Economics magazine’s “The Top 150 Financial Advisors for Doctors”* and has been featured or quoted in numerous publications, including The San Francisco Chronicle, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and Forbes. He has spoken at many events including the Institutional Investor Forums, AANA, and several medical organizations including the Santa Clara, San Mateo & Alameda County Medical Associations.
He has served on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, the York School of Monterey, and Pitzer College (Claremont Colleges) where he served as Chairman & Vice Chairman, respectively, of their investment committees.
Edwin is an active community leader and has served on several Boards, including the YMCA, the Silicon Valley FPA and The Mountain View Buddhist Temple. He and his wife, Julie, support numerous charitable causes in the Bay Area through their Donor Advised Funds at Silicon Valley and Marin Community Foundations. He has served on the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Advisor Council.
In his free time, Edwin enjoys playing basketball and table tennis, traveling with his wife and two children, and playing the violin. He co-authored the book Chicken Little Economics: Will the Sky Keep Falling? and is in the midst of writing the next book in the Chicken Little Economics series revolving around the future of healthcare.
*The endorsement was given by a person other than a current client. No cash or non-cash compensation was provided for the endorsement.
Julie Satake Ryu, PharmD
Operations, Client Relations & Charitable Planning
Julie Satake Ryu is involved in client relations and charitable planning at Legacy. After completing a doctorate degree in healthcare at UCSF she had a career at a major hospital/healthcare system which became part of Sutter Health. She transitioned from clinical to IT consulting where her work included implementing and modifying clinical healthcare software for a biotechnology startup and large institutional healthcare systems.
At Legacy, Julie is focused on enhancing the client experience and improving systems for client support. Charitable giving in particular is an area that she is able to help clients identify and implement their own giving legacy. As a member of a multigenerational family with extensive real estate and business interests, Julie assisted her family with the creation of charitable giving programs.
Julie is actively involved in the community, currently serving as a Board member at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple and a volunteer in the City of Mountain View/Police Athletic League Net Gain Tennis program for at-risk youth. She is also a former Board Member/Executive Board Member of a local private K-8 elementary school and member of the City of Mountain View Tennis Advisory Board. In addition to supporting the many activities of her family, she also enjoys skiing, tennis, hiking, and traveling.
Neil Chakkera, MBA, CFA
Senior Consulting Services & Advisory Board Member
Neil provides advice regarding investment strategy, asset allocation and manager selection across public and private asset classes to the Legacy team. Neil holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is an active member of the Phoenix chapter of the CFA Institute. He also has an MBA in Finance from Indiana University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering.
Neil has over 20 years of experience working in the investment management industry. He has held senior positions including chief investment officer, portfolio manager, analyst, and senior consultant. He is skilled in developing holistic, goal-based investment strategies and has expertise in investment manager selection across public and private markets with strong fundamental, quantitative and technical analysis capabilities.
Neil is a fitness enthusiast and also enjoys listening to contemporary jazz and pop/rock music. He and his family live in Scottsdale, AZ.
Liz Flores, CPA, PFS
Investment Advisory Services & Financial Planning
Liz Flores provides investment advisory services and financial planning to high-net-worth clients at Legacy. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Jose State University and then became a Certified Public Accountant, concentrating on offering tax services. Wanting to assist clients with additional financial services she pursued the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) accreditation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Liz has over 18 years of experience providing financial and investment planning advice and services. By fostering a long-term relationship with every client, she has created a foundation based on understanding each family’s unique needs and objectives, thus allowing her to help clients obtain their goals. Liz is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA). She is a committee member of the California CPA Society’s Personal Financial Planning Committee. She served on the Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee and Financial Literacy Commission for the American Institute of CPA’s. Liz is also a long-time member of The All-Star Financial Group (ASFG) and has served as its president.
In her free time Liz enjoys spending time with her husband and son as well as friends. She loves to cook and garden and take long walks with her dogs on the beach. Since 2004 she has volunteered as the Treasurer of the Fallen Officer Foundation of Santa Cruz County.
Michelle Hamilton, MBA, CFP®
Senior Portfolio Administration, Financial Planning & Client Relations
Michelle Hamilton handles client relations, financial planning and portfolio administration at Legacy. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Managerial Economics at the University of California at Davis. She also received a Master’s in Business Administration from San Jose State University and is a CFP® certificant.
Michelle has over fifteen years of experience in managing all aspects of client relationships, particularly with respect to providing portfolio administration, trust and wealth management services. Her prior work has included eight years of experience with Wells Fargo Family Wealth and Private Bank and a Registered Investment Advisory firm.
Michelle enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and her daughter and son.
Terri Jimenez
Office Management & Administration
Terri Jimenez’ area of responsibility includes administration and office management for the firm. She earned a Bachelor of Art degree from San Francisco State University, where she graduated with honors.
Terri has over twenty years of experience in administration and office management at both large corporations, including Target and General Electric, and some smaller firms.
Terri is married with two children, who are both attending college out of state. Her son is in Seattle pursuing a degree in physical therapy and her daughter is in Iowa studying biochemistry. She is still very involved with PTA at the Council level which oversees all the PTA’s in the school district. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting and solving puzzles, and can’t turn down a good mystery book.
Kristine Matsumoto
Bookkeeping & Accounting
Kristine Matsumoto handles bookkeeping and accounting for Legacy. Kristine earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from St. Mary’s College. She has worked for a regional public accounting firm, performing audits and tax compliance work, and has also served as a controller for a local manufacturing company.
Kristine is married with two children.[/su_column] [/su_row]
