Our Team
Linda Schoenthaler
Founder and President
With over 36 years of experience, Linda strategically advises high-net-worth individuals and businesses on their wealth management and financial planning needs. She works with clients to empower them so they can make sound financial decisions, help them reach their financial goals and preserve wealth for generations to come.
Prior to founding Financial Decisions, LLC in 1991, Linda was a partner at Circle Consulting Group, a benefits consulting and financial planning firm. As President of Financial Decisions, she is responsible for long-term strategic planning and business development of the firm.
A female pioneer in financial services, Linda has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country and Glamour magazine for her expert advice on financial matters. Linda is also the only woman in the history of Penn Mutual Life Insurance Corp. to be inducted into their Golden Eagle Hall of Fame.
Outside of her professional life, Linda is involved in philanthropic efforts with organizations that improve and support the health and well-being of children and their families. She serves as Board President for The New York Center for Children (NYCC). She also sits on the board of two private foundations.
Linda attended Simmons College and Columbia University where she pursued degrees in math and psychology. She holds a designation as a Chartered Financial Consultant.
Ken Gutwillig
Partner and Chief Investment Officer
Ken oversees the investment portfolios for all of Financial Decisions’ clients. He believes that applying the scientific method to investment analysis — a course of action that is disciplined and rigorous — yields the best results over time. This approach allows him to keep an even keel throughout today’s increasingly volatile markets.
Ken is a member of the prestigious Bretton Woods Committee, which gives Financial Decisions, and our clients, access to some of the great minds in the world of business and finance. Ken is also a Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, and a member of the Economic Club of New York.
After the financial crisis of 2008, Ken was Founding Chairman of the Investment Managers and Advisors Alliance (IMAA®), a non-profit trade association whose goal was to improve communication within the financial profession and out to the investing public.
Ken’s current research collaborations include:
• Applying principles of behavioral finance to the chronic problems of underparticipation and underperformance in defined-contribution pensions.
• Finance mechanisms and the role of the private sector, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGO’S) in shaping sustainable development.
Ken regularly provides his professional expertise on a wide variety of topics to the financial trade media, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Advisor Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine and Investment News.
Ken earned his bachelor degree from the University of Colorado. He lives with his wife and two young boys in Westchester County, NY. In his spare time, Ken enjoys fly fishing and skiing.
Florence Dupont, CFP®
Partner and Chief Financial Planning Officer
Florence advises high-net-worth individuals on all aspects of their financial lives. With over twenty years of experience in the profession, her long-standing passion to help people achieve their financial goals becomes an integral part of developing each client relationship. Florence strives to gain an in-depth understanding of her clients’ needs and values to best advise and help them work through financial challenges they may face throughout their lifetime.
Florence joined Financial Decisions in 1997. Previously, she worked at R.L. Renck & Co. as a stock analyst and Amerivest, a small boutique financial planning firm.
Raised in Paris, France, Florence attended Universite Paris-Dauphine where she earned a Maitrise de Gestion (the French equivalent of a Master’s degree). In 1992, she earned her MBA at Baruch College and decided to settle in New York permanently. She went on to become a US citizen in 2001.
Florence earned the Certified Financial Planner designation from the College for Financial Planning. Florence is fluent in French and English.
Krystina Brown, CFP®
Director of Financial Planning
Krystina is actively involved in the development and implementation of individual plans for the firm’s clientele. In addition to meeting with her clients on their financial planning needs, her main duties include analyzing clients’ information and creating custom reports for each step of the financial planning process. She also oversees the hiring and training of new employees.
Krystina joined Financial Decisions in 2005 after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Washington & Lee where she earned dual degrees in economics and Spanish. Since joining the firm, she has earned her Certified Financial Planner designation from New York University.
Kimberly Ruscigno
Director of Investment Management
Kim works closely with the Chief Investment Officer to design and implement comprehensive wealth management plans for all our clients. Kim oversees day-to-day account transactions, analyzes portfolio performance and conducts investment research to ensure that all our clients attain their particular investment objectives.
In addition to her investment management duties, Kim coordinates the firm’s compliance and risk management functions. In this role, she implements efficient business approaches to guarantee that Financial Decisions delivers an outstanding client experience, while concurrently ensuring compliance with SEC regulatory requirements.
Before joining the Financial Decisions team in 2010, Kim worked at Fiduciary Trust Company International as an Investment Associate. Kim graduated from SUNY at Oneonta with a B.S. in Business Economics. She lives with her husband and daughter in Long Island, she enjoys running and yoga.
