Dr. Dave Yeske and Elissa Buie Will Retire at the End of 2025
After decades in the financial planning profession (almost 80 years combined!), our Founders, Dr. Dave Yeske, CFP and Elissa Buie, CFP will be retiring at the end of 2025. We are excited to celebrate this transition and believe it is a testament to the power of Elissa and Dave’s World View, their value system that focuses on genuine care for other people, and their synergism from combining their varied skill sets. It is also a result of their commitment to helping build the next generation of financial planners and harnessing those young people
to enable Yeske Buie to continue to thrive as an independent firm. All of this will lead Yeske Buie into the future as a firm with new energy and the same high standards.
Our Clients and Allied Professionals have watched this succession plan as it has emerged and evolved over more than a decade. Yeske Buie has attracted, hired and facilitated the growth of an exceptional group of young planners and Client support staff. Elissa and Dave say that from where they sit, everyone looks young. But Yeske Buie has done something rarely accomplished in attracting and retaining the high caliber of young talent currently at the firm. Talent that will lead this firm in continuing its values-based (LiveBig®) commitment to our Clients and the financial planning profession.
Dave and Elissa will continue to be actively involved in the business until their retirement to continue guiding the team with their wisdom and experience to ensure the continued success of Yeske Buie Clients. And while their active work at Yeske Buie may end by 2026, they will remain involved with the firm as needed going forward. As for Client contact, they will remain available for that blessing forever. They look forward to seeing Clients at and outside of Client events.
We hope you share in our excitement for Elissa and Dave, and for the firm. We know you have questions. We’ve provided what we hope is some helpful clarification below and we will be providing plenty of opportunities to learn more. Don’t hesitate to contact any of us at any time about this, or anything else.
Congratulations, Elissa and Dave!
Who will be leading the firm going forward?
Yeske Buie’s three next-generation partners and leaders, Yusuf Abugideiri, Lauren Mireles, and Lauren Stansell have been at the firm for 15, 12, and 11 years respectively. Though their talent was noticeable early on, their emergence as leaders happened organically over the years as each of them grew as individuals and professionals who fully embody the standards and core values of Yeske Buie. Last year, we announced the promotion of these three into C-level positions. Since then, they’ve continued to take on new responsibilities and work to bridge any experience gaps with the help of Elissa and Dave’s guidance and wisdom.
You can read more about their approach, responsibilities, and goals in these special features:
- A Message from the Chief Planning Officer
- A Message from the Chief Investment Officer
- A Message from the Chief Operating Officer (Coming 12/06/2024!!)
What does this mean for the future of Yeske Buie?
For us, the succession from Dave and Elissa to the new energy provided by Lauren, Lauren, and Yusuf, means that Yeske Buie has secured a future that was non-negotiable for Elissa and Dave’s retirement: remaining an independent financial planning firm dedicated, first and foremost and always, to its Clients lives and interests. While many financial planning firms are selling to private equity firms, it’s always been clear to Elissa and Dave that in order to serve our Clients (and their children, and their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, and beyond!) to the same standard of excellence that Yeske Buie is known for, they required that the firm remain independent, and not just “for now”, but from now on. Thus, you can be assured that we will continue to be an evidence-based financial planning firm steeped in grounded wisdom and creative strategies, and committed to empowering you to pursue your Live Big life. Our motto for this transition is:
NEW ENERGY, SAME STANDARD.
What can Clients expect from Elissa and Dave now, next year, and beyond?
In the now and near term, we don’t expect that Clients will experience much change in Elissa’s and Dave’s presence in their lives and within the firm. Dave will continue to be in meetings with, and provide input on, Client situations, as will Elissa. Dave will continue to participate in our live webinars with other members of the team. Additionally, Elissa and Dave will continue to engage in leadership meetings amongst the five partners, strategic all-staff meetings, and company events including our in-person gatherings and our virtual holiday party.
Next year, the partners plan to operate in a space where Lauren, Lauren, and Yusuf act as if Elissa and Dave are no longer involved, sharing decisions with Elissa and Dave at their bi-weekly partners meetings to receive their feedback and learn from their wisdom and experience. Elissa and Dave haven’t been involved in day-to-day business decisions for some time and expect that their most impactful growth opportunities will lie in challenging Lauren, Lauren, and Yusuf to expand their high-level strategic thinking and visioning skills. Elissa and Dave will remain part-owners of the firm.
Beyond 2025, we’re not entirely sure what Elissa and Dave’s involvement will look like! They’re confident that they’ll still always be thinking about Clients and the business and will be offering their insights and opinions on major goings on within the firm and the financial planning profession. They also know that their love for our Clients won’t end, and they expect to keep informed of major life transitions happening in our Clients’ lives. We also plan to host retirement parties for them in 2026 so they can hear personally what’s been going on in your lives and share their initial experience with retirement. Outside of this, we hope that their time will be filled with the people, activities, and hobbies they love the most – they’ve more than earned the opportunity to LIVE BIG in the next chapter of their lives.