de Winter Leif Stewart

Melanie Yates was born and raised in Northern Virginia and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland and her MBA at Strayer University.

Melanie is no stranger to working in financial services, having spent more than 20 years in the business. She oversees Investment Operations and Management as well as overall Business Operations. Melanie is a licensed Financial Services Professional and a current CFP Canidate. 

In Melanie’s spare time she volunteers at Habitat for Humanity, Los Angeles, So Others May Eat (SOME) and supports the local March of Dimes and Toys for Tots programs. Melanie and her husband along with her two children enjoy living close to the beach.

As Chief Growth & Supervision Officer, Matt aims to empower advisors to grow and succeed while maintaining a defined risk appetite. Matt is energized by working with advisor teams to review business practices and help them better serve clients as well as providing a foundation and training for advisors just starting in the business. Before Northwestern Mutual, Matt was on the Investment Risk & Analytics team at J.P. Morgan in New York, where his role was primarily focused on client suitability, developing limits for client concentrations within an investment account. Matt moved to California after being on the east coast for most of his life. He enjoys spending time with his two little girls, Marlowe and August, and his amazing wife, Maggie.  Because Matt loves to learn a little bit about everything, he has a collection of hobbies to show for it, including working as a self-taught carpenter, electrician, and plumber on the rebuild of his new home.

Thomas started as a Financial Representative in 2014 and transitioned to an Associate Wealth Management Advisor for 4 years. Having experience with both the client-facing side of the business and behind-the-scenes support, he brings a unique combination of skills to the team. Thomas is now the Director of Financial Planning for the Baron Network Office, overseeing both the FPS and Case Manager teams. Thomas holds his FINRA Series 7, 6, & 63 designations along with CA Life & Health.

Thomas is a native to Los Angeles and grew up on the East Side. After graduating from Menlo College in 2011 with a degree in Psychology, he lived abroad in South Korea for 2 years where he taught English, and studied the Korean language. He now resides in West LA with his partner David and his dog Koate. 

Patricia provides strategic direction that aligns with and delivers on organizational goals. Driving strategic planning and execution, she builds awareness, increases client satisfaction, and helps deepen engagement with NM products and services through her departments marketing efforts. Patricia’s 25 years of human resource experience, coupled with her marketing and operations knowledge, has provided her with the foundation to make an impact in this newly developed role. Patricia received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Franklin University with an emphasis in Human Resources. She also holds a professional designation in Human Resources from University of California, Los Angeles. When Patricia isn’t working solving people/business challenges, you will most likely find her on the soccer field cheering on her three beautiful children.