Institutional Architecture
Built for Private Wealth

Robert DeChellis is the Founder and CEO of Bonsai, where he is leading a new approach to wealth management built on Personalized Asset-Liability Management. The firm brings together financial planning, investment management, and insurance into a unified platform, enabling advisors to align assets with future liabilities and deliver more complete, outcome-oriented guidance to their clients.​

Prior to founding Bonsai, Robert served as President and Chief Strategist for the Allianz Exchange, a division of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, where he led the integration of strategic partnerships, technology, and intellectual capital to advance retirement solutions and industry thought leadership. He also served as President and CEO of Allianz Life Financial Services and held senior leadership roles at Travelers, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, and Goldman Sachs.​

Robert has been a longstanding leader in the financial services industry, serving as Chairman of the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) and Vice Chair of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation.​

Beyond his professional work, Robert is committed to giving back. He actively supports the Trailhead Community, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to independent living for adults with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to help individuals live meaningful, self-directed lives in homes of their own—creating stability, dignity, and a true sense of belonging.​

He holds a BS in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and his Series 65 license. Robert lives in Boulder, Colorado and enjoys cooking, fly fishing, and traveling with family and friends.

Bill Landes is Chief Investment Officer, Founding Partner, and a member of the Board of Directors at Bonsai. He brings nearly four decades of experience across global asset allocation, fixed income, currency, and alternative investments.​

Bill is widely recognized for his leadership in outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) and fiduciary management. Most recently, he served as Global Co-Head of OCIO and Fiduciary Management at Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Prior to that, he was Global Head of Investment Solutions and U.S. OCIO, where he led the development of customized portfolio solutions for a global client base and helped grow the platform to approximately $100 billion in assets under management. He also held responsibility for U.S. institutional sales and previously led the firm's alternative investments business.​

Earlier in his career, Bill held senior roles across both traditional and alternative investment platforms. At Gottex Fund Management, he was a senior member of the alternatives team, focused on multi-asset and fund-of-hedge-funds strategies. He also served as CEO of 2100 Capital, where he oversaw a multi-strategy hedge fund and broader alternative investment capabilities.​

Bill spent nearly two decades at Putnam Investments, where he played a key role in building the firm's global asset allocation and currency management capabilities. During that time, he helped launch one of the industry's early global asset allocation mutual funds and led teams responsible for large-scale fixed income portfolios, as well as equity and credit research across both quantitative and fundamental disciplines.​

He holds a PhD in Finance and has served on the finance faculties of two U.S. universities. Bill brings a deeply analytical, institutional perspective to investment management, grounded in both research and real-world portfolio construction.​

Chris is Head of Strategy at Bonsai, where he leads platform strategy and methodology design across the firm.

He has spent more than twenty-five years in wealth management with roles at Piper Jaffray, Morgan Stanley, Meristem (now Cresset), and Wells Fargo Private Bank. As Senior Vice President at First Western Trust, he helped lead the firm's growth and expansion across Wyoming and Montana. He went on to found CanterPartners Capital, a private capital advisory firm focused on structured finance and capital restructuring. Across those roles, he advised ultra-high-net-worth families and closely held businesses whose income, assets, and ownership structures rarely fit into a template.

That experience shaped the conviction behind the platforms he leads today — built for the advisors who uniquely serve those families.

Liz Hayden is Head of Product at Bonsai, where she translates strategic vision into execution — building the operating cadence, governance, and technology needed to better serve financial advisors. She leads cross-functional delivery of new services, products, and processes to drive growth while improving efficiency, scalability, and client outcomes.​

Liz began her career in the 1990s as personal computing and internet-based portfolio management tools reshaped wealth management and helped independent advisory firms scale. She entered the Registered Investment Advisor community at Trust Company of America, a technology-forward independent custodian purpose-built to support advisors. There, she was a key contributor to the success of the firm's model rebalancing and trading platform — partnering directly with advisors, translating needs into build-ready specifications, validating releases through rigorous testing, and enabling adoption through training and support. As Director of Product Management, Liz led a team focused on advisor solutions, introduced Agile development practices, owned the strategic roadmap, and expanded the organization's APIs and integrations.​

In parallel, Liz played an instrumental role in building the firm's proprietary custody platform, supporting critical operational functions including account opening, funding, ACAT processing, cash management, trade execution, and settlement. Following the company's acquisition by E*Trade, she leveraged her deep custody and product expertise to take on broader leadership, ultimately managing the full operations organization. In that role, she improved operational efficiency and guided the team through the transition to remote work during the pandemic.​

Liz continued as EVP of Operations through multiple enterprise transitions — including E*Trade's integration into Morgan Stanley and the subsequent move to Axos Financial — providing continuity, risk management, and execution discipline during change. With a renewed focus on innovation for advisors, she returned to product leadership full-time and partnered closely with teams at Axos Bank to deliver banking solutions tailored to advisory firms.​

After nearly three decades in the industry, Liz briefly stepped away before returning to pursue Bonsai's mission of bringing Asset and Liability Management (ALM) to advisors. She joined Bonsai in 2025 and is excited to help deliver an advisor workstation that applies ALM-based financial planning to holistically manage investor households — improving outcomes while proactively managing risk.​

Liz graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Minor in Philosophy. She maintains a FINRA Series 99 license and a Certified Product Management designation from the Pragmatic Institute. When not working, she enjoys time in her garden with her four cats.​

Amy Smith is the Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Advisor Onboarding at Bonsai, where she leads the firm's compliance program and oversees the advisor onboarding experience. In this role, she helps ensure that Bonsai's growth is built on a strong regulatory foundation while creating a seamless path for advisors adopting the Bonsai methodology. She works closely with teams across the organization to keep compliance, operations, and advisor success aligned.

Amy spent 25 years at TIAA, where she built a career spanning broker-dealer and investment adviser operations. Most recently, she served as Director of Regulatory Risk, Readiness & Compliance, advising leadership on regulatory change, supervision, and control frameworks for a national organization of more than 700 registered representatives. Earlier in her career, she led multi-site teams and supported financial advisors and high-net-worth clients, giving her firsthand insight into the advisor and client experience across retirement, annuity, investment, and insurance products. Before joining TIAA, Amy began her career as a high school teacher in math and computer science.

Amy brings a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to compliance, pairing strong regulatory judgment with a builder's focus on scalable process. She is committed to supporting advisors while upholding the standards that protect them and their clients.

Beyond her professional work, Amy is committed to developing the next generation of talent. A dedicated mentor throughout her career, she volunteers at a local technical school, where she helps students prepare for their careers by conducting mock interviews.

Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Education from Adams State University. She holds her FINRA Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses and a Colorado Health, Life and Annuity license. She is based in the Denver/Boulder area, where she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, martial arts, and traveling with family.

Joshua Remer is the Senior Director of Technology at Bonsai, where he oversees platform development and IT infrastructure and leads technical work on the MyBonsai platform. In this role, he helps shape strategic business direction and manages the end-to-end development of the technology that powers the company's solutions for advisors.​

Joshua brings more than 15 years of technology experience across several industries and leadership roles, including Chief Information Officer. His background includes leading the development of new platforms from the ground up on Microsoft infrastructure, with a consistent focus on applying technology to solve operational problems and deliver tools people use.​

Through his role at Bonsai Joshua is dedicated to driving innovation in FinTech and is passionate about leveraging technology to empower advisors with better tools, making financial planning more accessible and effective for the people it serves. He fosters a collaborative environment where innovative ideas are encouraged and works closely with cross-functional teams to keep technical execution aligned with Bonsai's mission of helping people achieve financial well-being.​

Outside of work, Joshua is a lifelong sports fan who played football in college and remains a devoted Oregon Ducks supporter. He spends his free time golfing, at the pool or beach, and expanding his technical skills through personal coding projects. Joshua grew up the oldest of five and is now a proud husband and father to his wife and two-year-old daughter.​

Shelly is Senior Director, Relationship Management at Bonsai, where she supports executive leadership in developing and strengthening strategic partner relationships that are critical to the firm's long-term growth. In this role, she focuses on deepening engagement with key enterprise partners and distribution relationships, ensuring alignment between Bonsai's capabilities and partner objectives. She works closely with internal leadership and external stakeholders to identify opportunities, enhance collaboration, and deliver solutions that drive mutual value.​

Shelly brings a strategic, relationship-first approach to her work, combining executive-level partnership support with a strong focus on execution. She collaborates cross-functionally to align partner needs with Bonsai's platform, helping to expand relationships, improve connectivity, and unlock new avenues for growth. Working closely with teams across the organization, she helps strengthen Bonsai's position as a trusted and valued partner.​

Shelly brings more than three decades of experience across credit and asset management, with a career that spans some of the most recognized institutions in financial services. At Citizens Bank of Maryland, Moody's Investors Service, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, she built deep expertise in sales, marketing, and relationship management — developing a track record of building and managing sophisticated client and partner relationships, communicating complex financial concepts, and driving business development across institutional and retail markets.​

Alongside her work at major financial institutions, Shelly brings an entrepreneurial spirit to her career. She has held sales, marketing, and capital-raising roles for a diverse range of startups and early-stage ventures, including a hedge fund, a documentary film production company, a business advisory firm, and a skincare company. This breadth of experience across industries has given her a versatile, adaptable skill set and a deep appreciation for the unique challenges that growth-stage organizations face.​

Shelly earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bucknell University. She holds her Series 6, 63, and 65 licenses. She is based in Boulder, Colorado, where she enjoys golf, platform tennis, pickleball, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her dog, Nacho.​

Frank Porcelli is a Founding Partner of Bonsai and a highly regarded leader in wealth and asset management, known for his collaborative approach and deep industry relationships.​

He is currently a Managing Partner at Convergency Partners, where he advises asset managers, wealth management firms, and financial technology companies on growth strategy and execution.​

Frank spent more than 14 years at BlackRock, most recently serving as Head of U.S. Wealth Advisory. During his tenure, he led the transformation and expansion of the business from approximately $250 billion to nearly $1 trillion in assets under management. He played a key role in integrating iShares with active strategies, building out the independent advisor channel, and shifting the firm's focus toward portfolio construction and holistic client solutions.​

He continues to serve as a senior advisor to BlackRock and is a board member of iCapital, a leading platform for alternative investments.​

Earlier in his career, Frank held senior leadership roles at Putnam Investments and Goldman Sachs, following foundational experience at Smith Barney.​

Frank brings a combination of strategic insight, industry connectivity, and operating experience, with a focus on helping firms navigate growth, innovation, and evolving client needs.​

Jeff has had a dynamic career as an operator and growth driver across the financial services ecosystem, both domestically and internationally, and has had executive roles in Asset Management, Wealth Management, Consulting, and Fintech.

His career started in the mid-80s as a lawyer in Washington DC. After deciding to leave law, he joined wealth management firm Shearson Lehman Hutton before joining Putnam investments in the mid-90s where he launched its 401k business for Advisors and its variable annuity and sub-advisory businesses,

After working abroad for Putnam, Jeff returned to the states and joined Mercer as President of its Global Outsourcing business, President of Mercer Trust, and Executive Committee member. Following that, Jeff joined UBS as the head of Advice and Platforms, which included all fee-based products and tech, mutual funds, ETFs, financial planning, discretionary model management, manager research, and retirement accounts.

Dave has amassed over 25 years of wealth management industry experience in leadership roles at RIAs and larger institutions. His passion has been to drive growth through an unrivaled focus on the client, a dedication to the development and evolution of advisors and staff, and a commitment to taking advantage of technology and innovation to improve everyone’s experience. His belief in establishing a strong culture and brand supporting these principles has been paramount to the success of the organizations he has led.

Most recently, Dave was President of Lenox Wealth Advisors (LWA), leading a team of professionals in the development and execution of an innovative client-focused strategy across financial planning, investments, business development, relationship management and operations resulting in 4X organic AUM growth in under five years. He was also responsible for leading an aggressive inorganic growth plan with deep support from LWA’s parent company, NFP. Prior to this role, Dave ran the Private Wealth Management business for Lenox Advisors.

Dan is a Partner at Bonsai. With over 23 years of experience in financial services, he has held roles ranging from retail to wholesale distribution as well as leadership positions within financial institutions and insurance companies.Dan began his career as a retail advisor with Raymond James & Associates and First Union Securities. From there his career evolved into the wholesale distribution of annuities, life insurance, retirement plans and mutual funds. He represented Hartford Life, American Express and Nationwide over the course of 17 years.In a feature driven environment, Dan’s passion is assisting financial professionals to distinguish themselves through planning innovation. Dan’s understanding of the significant risks of longevity and healthcare play a critical role in how he views retirement solutions for the future.Dan earned his degree in Finance from the University of Alabama.Dan lives in Cornelius, NC and enjoys golf, fishing and spending time with his sons Barron and Mason.

Rob Foregger is a Board Member of Bonsai and a pioneering fintech executive with more than 25 years of experience building and scaling innovative financial services businesses.​

He is best known as Co-Founder of NextCapital, an open-architecture enterprise digital advice platform serving the defined contribution market, which was acquired by Goldman Sachs. He also co-founded Personal Capital, one of the first digital financial advisors, later acquired by Empower Retirement.​

Earlier in his career, Rob held senior leadership roles across banking, brokerage, and investment management. At Fidelity Investments, he led the firm's Bankerage business, helping bring to market one of the first integrated brokerage and banking platforms offering FDIC-insured products through third-party bank partnerships. He also founded EverBank, one of the nation's early direct banks and a pioneer in delivering full-service banking capabilities to financial advisors.​

Rob has been widely recognized for his innovation and impact, including being named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list. His work has also been recognized by Forbes, Businessweek, and the Online Banking Report for advancing digital banking and wealth management.​

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Vermont, with concentrations in finance and international management.​

Suzanne Siracuse, Founder and CEO of Suzanne Siracuse Consulting, LLC, specializes in advising financial services firms on innovative business strategies, distinctive marketing programs and impactful advocacy initiatives around diversity, financial literacy, and next gen talent.​

Ms. Siracuse is also the Creator and Host of the Focused on the Future podcast series in partnership with WealthManagement.com.​

Ms. Siracuse is the former CEO and Publisher of Investment News where she oversaw the vision and strategic direction for all their platforms including print, digital, events and research. Under her leadership, Investment News launched initiatives to support the evolution of the financial advice profession, specifically in the areas of Practice Management, Wealthtech, Women's Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, NextGen and Financial Literacy.​

An industry thought leader, she is a frequent speaker, moderator and columnist on topics ranging from marketing and leadership to financial literacy and fintech. Ms. Siracuse is a founding member of the Invent Elite consulting consortium, which focuses on developing, launching, branding, and operationally supporting broad-based technology initiatives for financial services firms.​

In addition, Ms. Siracuse is on the Board for the non-profit, Savvy Ladies, is an advisory board member of the American College's Center for Women and is on the Board of Directors for Bonsai, LLC. She has been recognized by InvestmentNews with the Women to Watch "Trailblazer" award and by Think Advisor Luminary for her contributions on Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the wealth management industry.​

Ms. Siracuse is an active volunteer at the Animal Rescue Fund in East Hampton, NY and an advocate for the humane treatment of animals. She holds a BS in Business from Rider University. She, and her husband, Lee, reside in New York City.​

Robbie Cannon is a Board Member of Bonsai and a seasoned asset management executive with extensive experience leading investment organizations and driving strategic growth.​

He spent more than two decades as CEO of Horizon Investments, where he played a central role in building and scaling the firm into a respected leader in goals-based investing and portfolio management. Under his leadership, Horizon developed innovative investment strategies designed to help advisors deliver more personalized, outcome-oriented solutions to their clients.​

In addition to his executive leadership, Robbie has served on multiple industry boards, including Money Management Institute, where he contributed to advancing industry standards and innovation, and Founders Financial.​

Robbie brings deep expertise in investment strategy, portfolio construction, and advisor-focused solutions, along with a collaborative, forward-looking perspective that supports innovation and long-term growth across the organizations he serves.​