Ben Brietstein

Year joined Wellington Shields:  2023

Current:

Ben currently serves as a dedicated client service representative with the Herbst Wealth Management team at Wellington Shields, where he plays an integral role in the growth of the team. His academic journey began at Binghamton University, State University of New York, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. This strong educational foundation has been pivotal in his contributions to Herbst Wealth Management, where he applies his expertise to meet clients’ financial needs and contribute to the team’s mission.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Prior to joining Herbst Wealth Management at Wellington Shields, Ben gained valuable experience through internships at Summit Trail Advisors and Pacer Financial, where he sharpened his analytical skills and expanded his industry knowledge.  

Education and Certifications:

  • SUNY Binghamton University, BS – Business Administration
  • SUNY Binghamton University, MBA – Business Administration 

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Ben is passionate about sports, particularly golf and lacrosse. He is a fan of both the Jets and Mets and enjoys listening to Billy Joel and the classic tunes of the ’70s. 

Louise Desautels

Year joined Shields & Company:

2001

Current:

Louise joined Pulsifer and Hutner in 1995, which joined Shields and Company in 2001, a predecessor to Wellington Shields.

With her exceptional attention to detail, Louise believes every task to be of the utmost importance until the last penny is reconciled. She is responsible for the data in the firm’s portfolio management software and has created internal reports to better analyze the performance of stocks with options and within industry groups, individual holdings and families of holdings.

If it is important to a client, a manager or colleague working with that client, Louise will employ every step necessary to make sure that whatever is needed is complete and accurate.  To attain this, she has not only mastered available systems, but created new modifications that further enhance results, worth, and function.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Louise began working while still in her senior year of high school as a part-time office assistant for a 50-employee firm, growing along with the company to become Accounting Supervisor/EDP Manager with 9 employees reporting directly to her and responsible for employee payroll in 11 states, including all payables, receivables, job costing and the general ledger.

Education and Certifications:

  • Middlebury Union High School, Graduate
  • Addison Vocational Technical Center, VT, Graduate
  • Champlain College, continuing education courses

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

It’s not all about the data for Louise! Clay sculpting, glass etching, gardening, kayaking, and ice skating are among Louise’s offline pursuits. She and her husband built their home, even handcrafting finished detailed baseboard, rosettes, window and door trim.

Susan Porpora

Year joined Wellington Shields:

2018

Current:

Susan joined Wellington Shields from B. Riley Wealth Management (formerly Wunderlich Securities, Inc.), but she worked at its predecessor firm, H D Brous & Co. Inc. as an Executive Sales Assistant since 1994.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

  • Riley Wealth Management, Inc., formerly Wunderlich Securities, Inc. (2005–2018)
  • H D Brous & Co. Inc., Member New York Stock Exchange (1994–2005)

Education and Certifications:

  • FINRA: Series 7

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Susan resides in Wantagh, NY with her husband, Frank, of 24 years, and she is originally from the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. They have one daughter who is currently studying for her Masters in Clinical Laboratory Sciences at LIU Post. She’s excited to be part of Wellington Shields and the Locust Valley office.

Angela Cogland

Year joined Shields & Company:

2008

Current:

Angie handles a wide range of responsibilities from new account onboarding to troubleshooting problems. She is committed to making sure that advisors and portfolio managers have the support they need, and that clients have a positive experience.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Prior to joining Shields & Co. (now Wellington Shields), Angie had an extensive career in the hospitality industry which schooled Angie in the importance and practices of good customer service. She spent 20 years at 3 hotel properties as an Operations Manager for banquet services and restaurants.

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Angie loves traveling—especially to the beach and her lake house. She also likes to hunt for quail and turkey.

Luanne King Eisenberg

Year joined H.G. Wellington:

1993

Current:

At Wellington Shields & Co, Luanne trains and manages client services associates and works with several financial advisors and their clients. She troubleshoots operational issues that arise to bring about a timely and satisfactory resolution and has streamlined the process for onboarding new clients. Additionally, Luanne serves as a key liaison between WSC’s Financial Advisors, their clients, and our clearing firm, First Clearing Corp., to make sure complicated transactions run smoothly.

Luanne values the long-term relationships she’s established with clients over the years and enjoys mentoring the client service associates, teaching them best practices and making sure they uphold WSC’s high standards of excellence in client service.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Luanne came to Wellington Shields & Co. as part of the merger of H.G. Wellington & Co. and Shields and Co. in 2009. She had joined H.G. Wellington in March of 1993 as a Sales Assistant working directly with HG Wellington, Jr. and various financial advisors. Her responsibilities grew over time after she became registered and she began training and overseeing the sales assistants. After the merger with Shields & Co.in 2009, Luanne’s role became better defined as a Registered Senior Client Service Supervisor.

Luanne’s career on Wall Street began right after college with a two-year stint at Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette where she worked with the Operations Manager and learned the ropes. She was quickly promoted to be a Sales Assistant to one of the top producers.

Education and Certifications:

  • Georgian Court University – BS- Business Administration/Minor in Marketing – Cum Laude
  • FINRA Licenses: Series 7, 63

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Luanne enjoys traveling: to the Caribbean, other U.S. cities and, next up, will tour London and attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Closer to home, she is a devoted sports fan and theater-goer and loves spending time with her husband and her large, close-knit family. For all her unique attributes, those who know her can’t quite say that Luanne is one-of-a-kind—because she has an identical twin! Luanne is passionate about her participation in an annual fundraising campaign through the American Cancer Society for “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.”

Cecile Goyette

Year joined Wellington Shields:

2015

Current:

Cecile provides assistance and support to some of the firm’s most prominent brokers, and exemplary customer service to every client. She is especially grateful for her colleagues’ daily generosity and the deep bench of experience that informs the corporate culture at Wellington Shields.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Cecile draws on a broad resume of skills and professions which includes stints in publishing, copywriting, and sales.

Education and Certifications:

  • Manhattan College, BA

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Cecile is a voracious reader who follows the careers of about a dozen fictional homicide detectives. She loves travel—recent sojourns include Copenhagen and Iceland—with Cape Cod as perhaps her most beloved destination.  Closer to home, she is a member of Bronx Tails, an urban cat rescue group.

Alice Geluso

Year joined Wellington Shields:

2017

Current:

Alice works diligently to provide assistance to our Financial Advisors and their clients by meticulously maintaining account information, processing payments, handling inquiries and problem-solving. She enjoys providing high-touch service and values the relationships she has developed with clients.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Alice has worked in the financial services industry at a number of firms such as JPMorgan Chase, Allen & Company and others, as a Client Account Manager Associate, Fund Accountant, portfolio and operations administrator for over 35 years. She has had extensive experience in cross-functional teams working with portfolio managers, brokers, custodians, and consultants to ensure accurate financial reporting and reconciliation of accounts.

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Alice has raised two sons as a single mom. Her oldest is a NYPD Officer and the youngest is a Regional Manager for Lumber Liquidators.

Alice proudly states that she plays guitar, writes songs and has attended over 500 concerts. She is an avid baseball fan and loves going to the stadium to watch her favorite team, the New York Mets, and experience the excitement in-person. Go Mets!

Steven Friedfertig

Year joined Wellington Shields:

2013

Current:

As an integral contributor to the firm’s accounting department, Steve’s duties include payroll processes, accounts payable and receivable, monitoring account balances and corporate expenses.

Steve worked at Deutsche Bank as a Business Area Controller and at Merrill Lynch in the Stock Loan Department.

Education and Certifications:

  • Queens College, BA – Accounting
  • FINRA Licenses: Series 99, 28

Other Interests and/or Affiliations:

Outside of the office, you may find Steve scoring strikes and spares at local bowling alleys.

Judith Frias

Year joined Wellington Shields:

2012

Current:

Judith supports Financial Advisors and Portfolio Managers and works diligently to provide exceptional service to our clients including processing client requests, resolving client inquiries, making sure key client information and documentation is up to date and onboarding new accounts.  She efficiently processes trades, interacting with our traders on behalf of our advisors and clients. Judith is adept at working with SmartStation, a digital platform offered through our clearing firm, First Clearing Corp. and Advent/Axys, a portfolio management system.

Previous Experience/Career Highlights:

Prior to joining Wellington Shields, Judith worked as a Sales Assistant at a small firm but she began her career at Melhado, Flynn & Associates, Inc. where she supported several financial advisors and at the same time earned a college degree.

Education and Certifications:

  • City College of New York, Bernard M Baruch School of Business, BBA
  • FINRA Licenses: Series 7
  • Secretary of Committee to elect Patria Frias-Colon’s judicial campaign

Outside Activities and Affiliations:

Judith loves to travel, dance and spend time with family and friends. She is enormously proud of her children and enjoys being involved in their after-school activities. She is a regular participant in the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer research and other community activities. She greatly admires her civic-minded family members who include a family court judge, a Unified Federated Teachers Field Representative, and a NYC Police Officer. Judith is also affiliated with Latino-Americano Unidos, an organization that offers workshops and helps immigrants come together to have a place to network.

Hasija Capric

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