Our Leadership

Russell Bundschuh oversees all strategic and operational aspects of M Financial, including the development of resources and services designed to enhance Member Firm success and the overall growth of the enterprise.

Russell’s career spans more than 25 years in insurance and management consulting, with 15 years in leadership roles. Prior to M Financial, Russell served as Senior Vice President of the Chubb Group and President of Chubb Life, leading Chubb’s international life insurance and global life reinsurance operations; President of ACE Life; Executive Vice President and CEO of the Asia sub-region for New York Life’s international business; and COO for New York Life International. Before joining New York Life, Russell was at McKinsey & Company, where he was a Partner and leader of the firm’s Services Strategy and Operations Practice.

Russell earned an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He holds the Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) professional designation. He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in geophysical engineering and electrical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

As SVP & Chief Legal Officer, Jason has oversight of all legal and corporate governance matters at M Financial. He is also responsible for strengthening our internal government affairs capabilities.

Jason joined M with 16 years of experience as an attorney, including 11 as general counsel and chief compliance officer for Capital Institutional Services, Inc. (CAPIS) in Dallas.

Jason holds Series 3, 4, 7, 14, 24, 52, 53, and 63 licenses and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Security Traders Association, and Association of Corporate Counsel. He has a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University in Texas and his J.D. from Delaware Law School (formerly Widener University School of Law) in Delaware.

As SVP & Chief People Officer, Jenn leads M’s Human Resources, Learning & Development, and Events operations to further elevate employee experiences and ensure our talent continues to be our key differentiator.

Prior to M, Jenn held CHRO and other HR leadership positions at industry-leading organizations operating globally in the technology, manufacturing, renewables, and aerospace sectors. She has expertise across all areas of human resources management. As an accomplished and recognized thought leader, Jenn regularly presents at domestic and international HR-focused events.

Jenn has a B.A. in mass communications from James Madison University and an executive MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She also holds Six Sigma certification.

As SVP, Corporate Solutions, Jeff oversees M Financial’s M Benefit Solutions and Retirement Services offerings, including executive-level benefits, BOLI/COLI, and qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plans.

Prior to M, Jeff served as VP, Client Services, at Newport. He has over 27 years of experience in the nonqualified retirement industry and in risk management, accounting, financial analysis, M&A, client relationship management, auditing, operations management, and strategic planning.

Jeff has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Stephen F. Austin University in Texas. He holds Series 6 and Series 63 securities licenses and a general lines insurance license in the state of Texas. He acquired his NQPA designation from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA).

Andy’s principal focus is to understand and solve for Member Firm needs. He leads regional teams across the U.S. that work directly with Member Firms in that capacity. He oversees M’s Practice Consulting, Producer Development, Member Firm Training, and Member Firm Recruiting areas.

Andy has held many leadership roles at M over the past 20 years, including carrier relations, product development, underwriting, and technology. He also recently held the position of Executive Vice President at an M Member Firm.

Andy holds master’s degrees in operations engineering and atmospheric and space science from the University of Michigan. He previously served as a nuclear submarine officer for the U.S. Navy.

As SVP, Reinsurance, Andrew leads M Financial’s life reinsurance business, developing strategic plans for growth and overseeing pricing and underwriting activities.

Andrew joined M with over 20 years of experience in the life (re)insurance industry. Previously, he served as the Executive Chairman at Oceanview Re, where he was responsible for operational and financial performance. His career includes leadership roles at Vertica Re, Transamerica Life, and SA Reinsurance Ltd.

Andrew holds extensive expertise in dynamic hedging, capital management, product development, and risk assessment. He has managed P&L responsibilities and has experience with U.S. GAAP, IFRS, and Statutory accounting.

Andrew has a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

As SVP & Chief Strategy Officer, TV helps define and shape M Financial’s future direction. His primary areas of responsibility include strategic planning, partnerships, succession planning and marketing.

Before joining M, TV served as Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at KWx, an umbrella organization for Keller Williams. He has also held leadership positions at USAA, Nationwide Insurance, and McKinsey & Company. TV has an extensive background working at the highest levels in industries like P&C and life insurance, financial services, banking, real estate, automotive, and private equity. His work spans strategy and planning, transformation, digital experiences, innovation, and M&A.

TV holds an MBA and bachelor’s of engineering degree from India.

Steve is responsible for overseeing daily operations across M Financial’s Distribution businesses — Insurance Solutions (including Product), Wealth Solutions, Corporate Solutions, and Member Firm Services — and our Technology function.

Steve has over two decades of distinguished financial services experience. Prior to M, he most recently served as President of Retail Markets at Fidelity & Guaranty Life (F&G) and, earlier, held multiple leadership roles at Columbus Life Insurance Company, a member of Western & Southern Financial Group.

Steve has an MBA in strategy and finance from Notre Dame and a B.S. in business administration and finance from the University of Wisconsin. He is a LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow with Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Finance Manager (CFM) certifications. He previously served on LIMRA’s Life Insurance Advisory Board and has chaired multiple industry committees.

Michael oversees M’s wealth management businesses, which support Member Firms through customized solutions, systems, and processes. He joined M from National Advisors Trust Company, where he served as COO. Previously, he served as VP, Head of Private Client Group at American Century Investments, as well as Market Leader with Fidelity Investments, where he worked for 24 years.

Michael received his MBA in Organizational Behavior/Human Resources from Westminster College. He holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 9, 10, 63, and 66 licenses, and he earned his Executive Education Program certificate from the Securities Industry Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.

As SVP, Insurance Solutions, Brooke leads across-functional team delivering core services and support to M Financial’s network of Member Firms. Her oversight includes Back Office Solutions, sales, advanced planning, underwriting advocacy, service consultants, and specialty markets, including the global citizens market.

Brooke joined M with over 24 years of experience at New York Life, where she most recently served as CEO of The Nautilus Group. She is widely recognized as a top developer of producers in the life insurance industry.

Brooke has a bachelor’s degree in business communications from the University of Texas at Dallas and holds the ChFC®, CLU®, and AEP® designations.

David F. Byers, Jr., JD, LLM, is Managing Principal of Capital Strategies Group, Inc. He directs the areas of wealth transfer and executive benefits. Prior to joining Capital Strategies in 1995, David began his career as an attorney with the Birmingham office of Burr & Forman LLP, practicing in the areas of business and tax planning for closely held businesses.

David is a frequent speaker for estate planning council and legal education courses involving tax, insurance, and estate planning issues. He is a co-author with Larry Brody of “Switch Dollar and the Power of Deferral” published by Trusts & Estates.

He is a past member of the Alabama State Board of Education and Leadership Alabama. He is also past president and member of the Board of Directors of Finseca and currently chairs its Estate Tax Working Group. He has served on the boards of numerous charities.

David received a B.A. in English and political science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He earned a JD from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and an LLM in taxation from New York University.

Kristi L. Barens is a Principal of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial. Prior to co-founding MBS, she spent more than 25 years at MullinTBG and Mullin Consulting. With many years of consulting experience in the design and funding of executive benefit programs, Kristi has worked with hundreds of public and private corporations on their customized benefit and insurance plans for key employees.

Kristi is serving on the inaugural Board of Directors of Finseca, which serves financial security professionals that provide financial and retirement security to individuals, families, and businesses. She also serves on the Board of Main Management, the Women’s Health Advisory Board at UCLA, and the Chancellor’s Council at UCSB.

Kristi received the Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal. She has a B.S. in mathematical sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Russell Bundschuh oversees all strategic and operational aspects of M Financial, including the development of resources and services designed to enhance Member Firm success and the overall growth of the enterprise.

Russell’s career spans more than 25 years in insurance and management consulting, with 15 years in leadership roles. Prior to M Financial, Russell served as Senior Vice President of the Chubb Group and President of Chubb Life, leading Chubb’s international life insurance and global life reinsurance operations; President of ACE Life; Executive Vice President and CEO of the Asia sub-region for New York Life’s international business; and COO for New York Life International. Before joining New York Life, Russell was at McKinsey & Company, where he was a Partner and leader of the firm’s Services Strategy and Operations Practice.

Russell earned an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He holds the Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) professional designation. He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in geophysical engineering and electrical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Ronald J. Greenberg, CLU, AEP, MRFC, is a founding partner of Greenberg & Rapp Financial Group, an M Financial Group Member Firm since 2004 and a leading insurance and wealth management firm within M. Greenberg & Rapp is devoted to working with closely held business owners and affluent individuals.

Ron is registered with M Securities and serves on the M Wealth and M Securities advisory committees. He also serves on M’s Finance Committee and Member Firm Relations Committee.

Ron is a member of the Tri County and Northern New Jersey estate planning councils and is past President of the North Jersey Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. Ron has spoken extensively on the subject of wealth transfer and the benefits of holistic financial planning.

Luther A. Lockwood II is the Managing Partner of MBL Advisors in Charlotte. The firm focuses on business exit planning, wealth management, executive benefits, and wealth transfer planning. He has been a Member Firm Principal since 1998.

Luther A. Lockwood II serves as Chair of M’s Wealth Solutions Advisory Committee. He has served as President of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council and the Charlotte Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and as Chair of the AALU (now Finseca) Business Insurance and Estate Planning Committee. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization Gold, past Chair of YPO in North Carolina, and past member of the YPO Southern 7 Chapter Board.

Luther is the Founder and Board Chair of ML BioSolutions, a BridgeBio affiliate, and serves on the boards of directors of Atrium Health and Corvivo Cardiovascular.

Luther has a BBA in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia. He holds the CLU, ChFC, AEP, CEPA, and RHU designations and is a member of Finseca and the National Association of Plan Advisors.

R. Mark McCullough is a Principal at CAPTRUST, where he works with clients and their advisors to provide expert advice and creative solutions to complex financial challenges. Prior to joining CAPTRUST, he was the Founder and Managing Principal at Boulevard Financial, LLC, in Overland Park, Kansas. Before Boulevard Financial, he was a member firm of National Financial Partners. Mark also helped establish and manage the Executive Benefits division for Lockton, the largest privately held insurance broker in the world, and was a Vice President in the Life and Executive Benefits Division for Aon.

Mark has served as a director of M Financial since September 2021. He has been a member of M’s BOLI/COLI advisory committee since 2016, and he currently serves as Chair of M’s Member Firm Relations Committee and is a member of the Finance & Risk Committee. He is a member of Finseca (formerly AALU) and previously served on Finseca’s nonqualified plans committee.

Mark completed his undergraduate degree from Baylor University in 1989 and received his JD from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1994.

Michael A. Mingolelli, Jr. is a Principal of Winged Keel Group and member of its Executive Management Committee. Leading the firm’s Boston office, he consults with ultra-affluent clients on asset transfer strategies. His clients include single family offices, executives and owners of public and private companies, partners at hedge and private equity funds, as well as advisors focused on wealth management, law, and tax.

Prior to Winged Keel Group, Michael served as CEO of Pinnacle Financial Group, which became a division of Hub International in 2016. Before Pinnacle, Michael was a corporate lawyer at Sullivan & Worcester LLP and at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP.

An active member of the national advisor community for many years, Michael has served as a board member of Finseca (formerly AALU), the nation’s leading life insurance and annuities advocacy organization, and The Boston Estate Planning Council.

Michael graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in finance and from Boston College Law School.

Preston M. Sartelle co-founded Houston-based RockBridge Group, an M Member Firm, in 2019. Since entering the industry in 2005, he has specialized in both estate planning and institutional insurance programs.

Prior to RockBridge Group, Preston served as a lead Marketer for M Member Firm Capital Strategies Group, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama, where he led the entry into the Texas and Oklahoma markets and then developed those markets over the course of 11 years.

Preston previously worked as an accountant and operations manager for ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB), an international power systems firm, in Madrid and the Bahamas. He is a Finseca Gold Ambassador and on the MFH Government Relations Advisory Committee.

Preston has a B.S. in accounting from Washington & Lee University. He holds life insurance, Series 7, and Series 66 licenses and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Lauren is President and CEO of Thomas Financial. She is responsible for revenue growth, finance, operations and cultivating the relationships of the firm’s second- and third-generation clients, especially those of family businesses.

Lauren holds her CLU® designation and is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). She maintains her FINRA Series 6 securities license and Florida 2-15 life and health insurance license. Lauren is a Member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) and the Top of the Table.

Lauren serves on M Financial’s Wealth Solutions Advisory Committee and Investment Advisers Board and chaired the 2020 National Advisors Conference. She also serves on the Synovus Bank Advisory Board and is a member of the Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council and the Moffitt Cancer Center Merit Society.

Lauren is a graduate of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. She earned her MBA from the University of Tampa and holds a Master of Studies in Law with a focus in business law from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law.

Lauren volunteers her time with the Tampa General Hospital Foundation and United Way Suncoast.

Christopher Weyrauch stepped down as President and CEO, Head of Wealth Management, at Citizens in 2024. He joined the M Financial Board of Directors as an external director later that same year.

At Citizens, Chris reported to the Head of Consumer Banking and led the wealth management business across all client segments. He joined Citizens to rebuild the wealth business, which he transformed through organic and inorganic growth.

Chris built his career at TIAA. He served as Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Distribution and Individual Advisory Services and was concurrently CEO of the broker-dealer and CEO & President of the Life Insurance business. Chris often provided insights to the TIAA Board of Directors and frequently appeared and reported at TIAA board meetings.

Chris has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Susquehanna University and an MBA in finance from Fordham University.

Peter M. Williams, CLU, ChFC, is founder and president of Peter M. Williams & Company, a Member Firm of M Financial Group since 1990. He has more than 35 years’ experience designing and implementing sophisticated wealth-transfer strategies and corporate succession plans for ultra-high net worth families and businesses. He is also an expert in onshore and offshore private placement life insurance.

Peter is a sought-after lecturer on private placement insurance and wealth-transfer strategies. His work has appeared in Trusts & Estates Magazine, and he is the co-author of The PPLI Solution, to date the only existing book about private placement insurance.

Peter has spoken all over the country on private placement insurance to advisors of ultra-high net worth individuals and their families and works frequently with many nationally recognized family offices, investment banks, and law firms.

Peter earned his finance degree from Stetson University. He has long been a member of the American Association of Life Underwriters and is a licensed securities principal, currently holding his Series 7, 24, and 63.