Lauren began her career at Franklin Templeton in Florida as a Transfer Agent Associate before relocating to Atlanta. She joined IRA Group from Carter Terry & Co, where she assisted in servicing advisors and their clients. In addition, she supported the Chief Compliance Officer in her day-to-day responsibilities. Lauren grew up in Connecticut. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College and her Master’s degree from Georgia State University. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and running.

After seven years as an Account Manager with Aetna Capital Management, Doug founded IRA Group in 1992 as one of the country’s first independent, fee-based investment advisory firms focusing on the mid-size institutional market. He is a frequent public speaker, has actively served on the advisory councils of five of the 10 largest retirement plan administrators and been selected as one of the Top 100 Leaders in Atlanta’s Financial Sector by the Atlanta Business Chronicle from 2008-2019. He has served on the Board of Northside Methodist Pre-School, Northside Methodist Church Council, and the Board of The Friends of the First Tee of East Lake. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, squash and traveling with his family.

John served in the US Army as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer from 1986 until 1989. Upon his separation from the service, he went to work for SunTrust Bank for the next 27 years in various financial advisory and executive management roles. During his tenure, he served as Executive Vice President of the Memphis Private Wealth Management Line of Business and then was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust Bank, Memphis. Additionally, he served as the Executive Vice President, Private Wealth Management Division for Georgia and North Florida. Currently, John serves on the Board of the East Lake Foundation, First Tee of Metro Atlanta, and AG Rhodes Health & Rehab. Previously, he served on the Board of the Georgia Trust and on the Vestry at All Saints Episcopal Church where he was Senior Warden. John joined the IRA Group team in 2016.

Sere began her professional career in the institutional trust division as an analyst for the investment management group of Norwest (Wells Fargo) Bank, N.A. She joined IRA Group from Southeastern Advisory Services where she was a Senior Consultant. Prior to her tenure at Southeastern, Sere worked at Veritas Consulting Group, LLC where she served as a Senior Consultant and was responsible for the development and growth of the firm’s investment consulting practice. She has spoken and served on advisory councils for a variety of organizations. She and her husband enjoy time with their children, grandchildren and family all across the country. Previously, she served on the Finance Committee of Shiloh Methodist Church and has been active in a variety of Square Foot Ministries projects. Sere joined the IRA Group team in 2010.

Carter began his career as an Institutional Trust strategist at Regions Bank. He was involved in business development for the Institutional Trust department including corporate retirement plans, endowments, foundations, and corporate cash management for the Southeastern market. He joined the IRA Group team from Oppenheimer & Co. where he advised public and private companies by implementing a process designed to help these organizations run an effective retirement plan through plan design, investment management, and employee education. In his free time Carter enjoys playing golf and coaching youth baseball in the Atlanta area. He attends Peachtree Presbyterian Church and is an active member of the Capital Group of Atlanta. He joined IRA Group in 2021.

Judy began her career as a Pension Administrator with Berkshire Life Insurance Co. (Guardian Life). She joined IRA Group in 2009 from Fidelity Investments, where she served in a variety of management roles in Fidelity’s Workplace Services division. At Fidelity, Judy was a supervisory principal and her management positions included relationship management, operations, product support, and participant communication & education. Prior to Fidelity Investments, she also served in account administration, project management and product consulting roles at John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co. She has recently served on the Board of the Blairsville, GA Downtown Development Authority. Judy joined the IRA Group team in 2009.

George earned his B.S. in Finance from the University of Alabama in 2021 with an emphasis on Investment Management. He began his career with Mass Mutual, where he developed knowledge of retirement plans and financial planning. A native Atlantan, George is a member of All Saint’s Episcopal Church and the Capital Group of Atlanta. In his free time, George is an avid golfer and enjoys cheering on the Crimson Tide and the Atlanta Braves. George joined the IRA Group team in 2022.

Harrison served at T. Rowe Price for three years as an Investment Specialist, educating clients on their investment options as well as T. Rowe Price’s product line for advisory services. In 2019, he was promoted to the role of Financial Consultant where he assisted clients with retirement planning and implementing asset allocation strategies. Harrison joined IRA Group in 2020 as a Director of Research and Reporting and is currently a Managing Director after obtaining his CFA designation in 2024. Harrison played collegiate soccer for Rhodes College and traveled extensively with his junior club team. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, running, and coaching high school soccer.

Robert joined IRA group as Managing Director of Institutional Advisory Services in 2021. His experience includes various roles in corporate retirement plan client service, employee education, relationship management, and marketing. Most recently, Rob was employed as a Business Development Officer for the upper-Midwest region at Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust in Chicago. Rob has a long history of community involvement and has volunteered to serve on various non-profit boards and held volunteer positions with many civic minded organizations. He was a top individual fundraiser for the American Heart Association’s Charlotte Heart Walk in 2016. A native Minnesotan, Rob enjoys hiking, biking, golfing, boating, ice fishing, hunting, and hockey.

Denise began her professional career as a 401(k) administrator for Praxis Consulting, Inc. She spent 21 years with BB&T Retirement and Institutional Services where she served as a Senior Consultant. She was responsible for the relationship management and compliance for many high profile clients as well as development and growth in the Texas market. Denise has spoken and served as President for Triangle Benefits Forum and served as a project manager for BB&T Lighthouse Projects focusing on the InterFaith Food Shuttle Farm and Haven House Services. Denise joined the IRA Group team in 2021.

Austin has over 25 years of experience working with retirement plans which started at American Express Financial Advisors in 1994. He spent the next 22 years with Mutual of America Financial Group working with Plan Sponsors assisting them with their fiduciary duties. He joined IRA Group from USI Consulting where he served in a consulting and business development role. In his spare time, Austin likes to stay active walking his dogs, playing golf and fly fishing. Austin joined the IRA Group team in 2020.

Hailey has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry spanning client services, operations, and marketing. She joined IRA Group from Arcus Capital Partners, where she supported a team of advisors and their clients as the Client Services & Operations Manager. Hailey grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Miami University (OH). In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and playing tennis.

Alex joined our team in January of 2023. He graduated from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in 2022 with a BBA in Finance. Prior to his time at Georgia, Alex played three semesters of collegiate golf at Piedmont University. Alex is an avid Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs fan and enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and in the gym.

Patrick has been in the institutional retirement advisory industry for 10 years. He graduated from Rhodes College in 2014 before beginning his career as a Research & Reporting Analyst at IRA Group in Atlanta. After two years, he was promoted to Director of Institutional Advisory Services. He left IRA Group in 2019 after Patrick and his wife, Jessica, relocated to Charlotte, NC. After working for two large advisory firms and moving back to Atlanta, Patrick re-joined IRA Group in 2024.
Patrick and Jessica have two daughters, Charlotte and Elizabeth. In his spare time, Patrick enjoys cycling, watching Atlanta United, following the Arkansas Razorbacks, and spending time outdoors.

Brandon joined the IRA Group team in July of 2024, following his graduation from the University of Alabama with a B.S. In Finance and Operations Management. Throughout his studies, he was actively involved in the Alabama Finance Association and the Society of Operations Management Students. In the summer of 2023, Brandon gained experience as a financial planning analyst intern at The Piedmont Group. Outside of work, he enjoys cheering on the Crimson Tide, playing golf, running, and spending time outdoors.

Jordan earned her B.S. of Public Health with a minor in Business Administration from Georgia College and State University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2023. She started her career in Finance at Morgan Stanley where she was able to become fully registered by obtaining her Series 7 and 66. During her time there, she was able to curate an understanding of the industry and especially focus on her client service skills that pertain to client relationship management, account maintenance, and processing client requests. Local to the area, Jordan enjoys working out, spending time outdoors, and volunteering at local animal shelters during her free time. When she is not in Atlanta, she enjoys traveling with family and friends to experience new culture and cuisine and hopes to continue this passion for many years to come. Jordan joined the IRA Group Team in 2025.

Dan began his consulting career in 1969 with the pension department of CIGNA Corporation. In 1983, he joined Chicago Trust Company, a subsidiary of Alleghany Asset Management Company, where he founded the firm’s 401(k) business. With the merger of Alleghany Corporation and Atlanta-based Montag & Caldwell in 1994, Chicago Trust and Montag & Caldwell became affiliated companies. Dan assumed responsibility for 401(k) business development in the Southeast for the combined Chicago Trust/Montag & Caldwell. Dan joined the IRA Group team in 2000.

Cory graduated from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in May of 2024. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance, minored in Communication Studies, and earned a certificate in Entrepreneurship at UGA. She also was an active member of Women in Finance during her time in college. Before working at IRA Group, she interned and gained experience at Keel Point, a wealth management firm in Washington D.C. In her spare time, she enjoys running, spending time with friends, and playing tennis.

Kelly began her career as an Administrative Assistant for the Director of Marketing at Delta Air Lines where she served for eight years. She left Delta to serve as the office manager at SKJ Refined Apparel and eventually joined Dewberry Capital for three years prior to IRA Group. She loves animals, sports, and spending time with her family. Kelly joined the IRA Group team in 2004.