FINANCIAL PLANNER
Sydney Woodward, CFP® holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Virginia Tech’s CFP® Certification Education Track. During her time at school, she was involved in the Financial Planning Association Student Chapter, where she was fortunate enough to attend conferences that allowed her to build relationships with others in the profession. She also worked with Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Women in Business where she organized networking opportunities for young women in her program.
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2020, Sydney moved to Illinois where she worked as a Financial Planning Associate at a fee-based firm that specialized in planning for families with special needs. This experience gave her a new perspective, solidifying her passion for the profession and highlighted the life-changing power of financial planning.
Sydney joined the Yeske Buie team as an Associate Financial Planner in July 2021. She passed her CFP® Exam in March 2022, earned the CFP® certification in August 2022, and was promoted to Financial Planner in September 2023. She’s currently earning her Master’s in Advanced Financial Planning with a concentration in Estate Planning through Golden Gate University, and is also a graduate of the FPA Residency Program.
In April 2025, Sydney was listed as an Excellence Awardee* for InvestmentNews’ The Osaic Award for NextGen Advisor of the Year, an award that recognizes advisors who have displayed excellence in their first three years as an advisor. Later, she was named the overall winner in her category in June 2025*. In the same year, she was also quoted in Barron’s, sharing about the why the next generation of financial planners are seeking out pro bono work.
Beyond her Client work, Sydney is deeply involved in her professional community. She currently serves as the Director of Pro Bono for the Financial Planning Association of San Francisco, where she leads efforts to provide free financial planning services to underserved communities. She has also been appointed as President-Elect of the chapter for 2025, and will serve as President of the San Francisco Chapter in 2026. Previously, she held the role of Director of Technology.
Sydney is internally named our “Pro Bono Queen” as she oversees our Pro Bono Initiative, with the oversight of Lauren Stansell. In alignment with her passion for pro bono financial planning, she is an active volunteer for the Foundation for Financial Planning where she provides financial planning to those in need across the country. Sydney serves as a mentor for the Community Wealth Council Fellowship, where she gives her time to equip nonprofit leaders with skills, knowledge, and mentorship to build or enhance financial capability programs across the country.
Outside of the office, Sydney loves expressing herself through art. She enjoys painting, drawing, and ceramics. On weekends, you can always find her out in nature hiking with her dog, Avery.
Client focus: Sydney approaches her work with Clients by viewing herself as a guide through the complexities of their financial lives. She believes in building a strong, trusting relationship by truly understanding each Client’s unique circumstances and goals. Sydney’s role is to help Clients articulate their financial dreams, and together, craft a clear path to achieving them.
Current Update: Sydney can’t believe it is summer already! The first half of the year sped by, with a cross-country (and back) road trip to Virginia, a week in Colorado in May, and a trip to New York City in June! Looking ahead, she’s excited to spend time with the team in Colorado for our annual staff retreat, and for a conference in Orlando with other NexGen planners.
In her personal life, her calendar is going to look much busier with grad school starting in just a few weeks. In between studying and her work at Yeske Buie, she’s looking forward to finding time to explore the city with her best friend who’s moving to San Francisco in August.
*Recipient advisor or wealth manager of an award and/or ranking is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment in the future. Disclosures for Awards and Rankings are available here.