Our Team
The advisers of Meridian Wealth Partners bring complementary backgrounds in investment management, financial planning, tax, and estate strategy. Every client relationship is supported by the full team — not assigned to a single point of contact.
James Meridian, CFA
Founder & Chief Investment Officer
MBA, Wharton | BA, Yale | CFA
James founded Meridian in 2008 after nine years at large institutional asset management firms. He chairs the firm's investment committee and oversees all portfolio construction and security selection.
Read BioSarah Chen, CFP®
Senior Wealth Adviser & Director of Financial Planning
MS, Boston College | CFP® | CPWA®
Sarah leads the firm's financial planning practice and works directly with families on retirement income design, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
Read BioDerek Okafor, CFP®, JD
Senior Wealth Adviser & Director of Estate Planning
JD, Columbia Law | BA, Morehouse | CFP®
Derek coordinates the firm's estate and legacy planning work, partnering with clients' estate attorneys and CPAs on trust structures, charitable strategies, and business succession planning.
Read BioHow We Work as a Team
Every Meridian client engagement is supported by the full advisory team. While one adviser typically serves as your primary relationship contact, investment decisions are reviewed by our investment committee, financial planning work is reviewed by Sarah, and estate and tax planning recommendations are reviewed by Derek. This structure ensures that the advice you receive reflects the firm's collective expertise — not just one person's perspective.
We meet as a team weekly to discuss client situations, portfolio positioning, and planning ideas. Clients benefit from the cross-pollination of perspectives across investments, planning, and tax/estate disciplines.
Interested in Joining Us?
We periodically hire experienced advisers and operations professionals who share our fiduciary, planning-led approach. Open positions, if any, are listed on our careers page.
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Initial consultations with any member of our team are complimentary and carry no obligation.
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