- President
- Darin Gibson
- Executive Vice President
- Kristen Mauger Allison
- Director of Retirement Services
- Tia Cirksena
- Director of Wealth Management
- Ethan Guerami
- Client Relationship Management
- Todd Stahl
- Financial Advisors
- Anthony Agoni
- Taylor Boyd
- Nate Carlon
- Stuart Friedman
- Sean O'Keefe
- Brett Pernicano
- Robert Smith
- Steven Stakley
- Jeffrey Warnock
Darin Gibson, MBA, CFP®, ChFC, CLU
President and Owner
As owner and president of Burnham Gibson Financial Group Inc., Darin Gibson is responsible for the management, strategy, business development and overall leadership of the firm. A problem-solver by nature, Gibson believes in the power of prudent financial planning, and he takes satisfaction in helping his clients look objectively at their financial situations./p>
Throughout his 17-year career, Gibson has specialized in comprehensive financial and estate planning strategies for closely held businesses. Under Burnham Gibson Financial Group, Gibson and his team currently manage more than $750 million in assets for individual and corporate clients. Gibson has also been an advisor with AXA Advisors, LLC for the past 17 years and is recognized annually as one of their top advisors.
Gibson completed his undergraduate degree as well as his master's degree in business administration at the University of California, Irvine. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations. He is a Charter Member of The Center for Investment & Wealth Management Advisory Board at the Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine. Gibson and his wife, Ilone, reside in Laguna Niguel, Calif. with their two children.
CA Insurance Lic. #0B63741
Kristen Mauger Allison
Executive Vice President
Kristen Mauger Allison, Executive Vice President of Burnham Gibson, leads the firm’s employee benefits practice. She is also the president and owner of Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, one of the largest employee benefits brokerages in Southern California and one of the few to focus solely on employee benefits.
Allison acquired the benefits practice of John Burnham & Company in 1995. Today, she is responsible for the leadership, management, practice consultant recruiting and strategic planning for the firm. She maintains key relationships with leaders in the vendor marketplace to help ensure that the firm and its clients stay ahead of issues and market trends and that the best new products and technologies are implemented and used to her clients’ best advantage.
Over the course of her tenure in the benefits field, Allison has served in all functional capacities on both the carrier and advisory sides of the fence. Her in-depth industry knowledge extends to working with clients on both regional and national levels while bringing “best practices” to the firm through an undivided focus on employee benefits consulting and brokerage services. Allison serves on several broker advisory boards.
Allison has worked in the benefit practice-consulting segment of the insurance industry since 1981 and served for eight years as Vice President at Willis Corroon, a national brokerage firm, where she tripled the size of the benefits operation. She soon realized that “one size did not fit all,” and in taking the helm at Burnham Benefits, Allison has been able to provide a high-touch consultative service solution that provides advice, guidance and education to clients every step of the way, as the firm navigates the increasingly complex and ever-changing benefits landscape.
Outside the firm, Allison serves her community and her industry through a number of charitable organizations. She sits on the California State University, Fullerton board of directors for the Center for Insurance Studies, as well as the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. She is the chairperson for Insuring the Children; and is also heavily involved with The United Way Women’s Philanthropy Fund and Mustard Seed Ranch. Allison lives in Corona del Mar, California, with her husband, Bob.
CA Insurance Lic. #0587093
Fixed annuity and fixed insurance products offered through AXA Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC and its affiliates.
Anthony Agoni, MBA, CLU
Financial Planner
Anthony Agoni has nearly 25 years of experience as a financial advisor. He specializes in comprehensive financial & estate planning, investment management, life insurance and tax-advantaged strategies for businesses. As a financial & estate strategist with Burnham Gibson, Anthony brings a depth of financial education and experience to our most sophisticated clients.
Anthony has diverse past experience serving high net worth clients. As a vice president at Citibank, he helped finance over $2 billion of debt and equity investments and resolved over $600 million of distressed real estate. Prior to Citibank, he worked as an associate at Chase Manhattan Bank bringing new investment products to market. He has also managed a small venture capital group and spent a year doing volunteer work for an organization providing eye surgery camps in impoverished countries.
Anthony received both his master’s degree in business administration and his bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Columbia University, both with honors. He is also a Chartered Life Underwriter and continues to study and do research in the financial field on an ongoing basis.
CA Insurance Lic. #0D67222
Taylor R. Boyd
Financial Professional
Taylor focuses on helping clients to better visualize what they want in their retirement and to prepare their action plans for accomplishing those goals. He values high-touch personal interaction with his clients to help ensure that their plans stay on course.
With more than five years of experience in the financial services industry, Taylor began his career with Merrill Lynch and was later recruited by AXA Advisors to expand his practice in the area of personal retirement planning. Taylor holds a bachelor of arts degree in business, with a dual emphasis in finance and marketing from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Community involvement is a high priority for Taylor, as a member of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer varsity football coach for La Serna High School in Whittier, California. Taylor passionately serves with his church and spends his leisure time surfing and golfing.
CA Insurance Lic. #0G24749
Nate Carlon
Financial Consultant
With nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Nate Carlon approaches clients with dedication and attention to the details of tailoring financial plans. He believes in providing clearly defined retirement planning and wealth-building strategies that emphasize risk management and proper asset allocation. His specialty in fixed income and portfolio construction is a plus for today’s retiring Baby Boomers who want to manage their portfolios and generate reliable sources of income.
He sets himself apart by establishing strong consultative relationships with clients - a commitment that helps him better identify the specific strategies they need.
Prior to joining Burnham Gibson, Nate devoted himself to financial planning and wealth management at JP Morgan Chase as Vice President of Investments. Nate developed a depth of knowledge about fixed income portfolio construction and learned the complexities of qualified retirement plans as a Fixed Income Specialist at American Fund Distributors, where he also served as a Retirement Plan Counselor.
Nate earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona. He’s an avid basketball fan—a passion he has put to work as a youth basketball coach at the Lute Olson Summer Basketball Camp at the University of Arizona. He lives in Corona Del Mar, where he is a proud contributor to Big Brothers of Orange County and the Surfrider Foundation.
CA Insurance Lic. #0G91385
Tia Cirksena
Director of Retirement Services
Tia Cirksena’s energy and collaborative approach have fostered strong client relationships throughout her 17-year career in retirement plan services. At Burnham Gibson Financial Group, she’s leading a growing team to explore innovative business development strategies, create new opportunities for the firm and build a cohesive team that puts client relationships first. She strives to better identify and understand customers’ needs in order to align Burnham Gibson’s services to help achieve clients’ hopes for the future.
As Director of Retirement Services, Cirksena helps streamline operations and build client relationship and retention programs. She aims to further differentiate Burnham Gibson from the competition, and shares the firm’s mission to remain innovative in an otherwise uniform playing field.
Cirksena’s previous experience includes time in senior-level positions with Principal Financial Group, MetLife, and Transamerica Retirement Services. These roles include an amazing range of experience and accumulation of knowledge—from building client service teams and development of due diligence processes to product development, presenting at national conferences and leading strategic initiatives. Her broad and diverse industry experience brings Burnham Gibson strength in its practices and a new perspective to establish internal policies and procedures.
When she’s not spending time with friends and family, Cirksena enjoys travelling, cooking, playing bridge and anything related to trivia.
Stuart Friedman, ChFC, CLU
Financial Consultant
Stuart Friedman has had more than 34 years of experience as a financial services professional providing his clients with the guidance they need to reach their risk management, investment and financial planning goals.
In addition to being a Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant, Stuart’s continuing education includes a certificate in Retirement Planning from the Wharton School of Business. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Boston University.
Maintaining a strong sense of community and a solid professional foundation are very important to Stuart. He serves as a member of the board and executive committee for the Orange County Jewish Community Center. He is also a qualifying member of the exclusive Million Dollar Round Table and a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Stuart lives in Irvine, California. He enjoys golf, fine wine and dining.
CA Insurance Lic. #0613874
Ethan Guerami
Director of Wealth Management
As director of wealth management for Burnham Gibson, Ethan Guerami manages our clients’ investment wealth by executing the firm’s philosophy of customizing a personalized investment strategy and evaluating suitable investment managers. Ethan works to build innovation and modernization into the firm’s wealth management practice, which translates into better support for Burnham Gibson clients.
Ethan was previously an analyst for Lehman Brothers and an analyst/administrator with the wealth management firm Fabian Financial Services, Inc.
Ethan holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from California State University, Long Beach, with a double emphasis in finance and information systems management.
Ethan and his wife, Julia, live in Irvine and have a young daughter.
Sean O'Keefe, CFP®
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
Sean O’Keefe has more than 19 years of experience working with privately held businesses as a financial planning consultant and asset manager. For many of his clients, his strategic planning and advisory services extend to both their business and personal finances. He also has deep expertise designing, implementing and managing retirement plans for both corporate clients and individuals.
Sean has continually developed his qualifications, first earning his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, then receiving his certificate in retirement planning from the Wharton School of Business. Sean holds a bachelor of science degree in finance from San Diego State University.
Sean resides in San Clemente with his wife, Eva, and two children and is an avid surfer and golfer. He is actively involved in coaching youth sports in his community.
CA Insurance Lic. #0A93920
Brett Pernicano, CFP®
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
Brett has spent the past six years working with small- to mid-sized companies and owners in areas of executive benefits and retirement planning, implementing unique strategies that help reduce tax liability and assess risk management. He believes in a comprehensive approach to financial planning and provides personal asset management and generational transfer strategies for his clients.
Among his strengths are the ability to identify problems and build a variety of creative strategies for them, and his relationships and follow-through with clients who value close consultative service. He currently manages assets for a diverse client base from a variety of industries.
In recent years with AXA, he has acted as both a financial planner and divisional vice president, where he managed a team of 10 successful financial professionals. Brett has received many awards in his young career, most notably his selection as one of the top three advisors in all of AXA San Diego in 2010.
He attended the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business with an emphasis in Finance. A native of San Diego, Brett returned to his hometown to start a career in the financial services industry. Brett’s most recent accomplishment was becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
Brett is involved with Spring Board for Boys’ and Girls’ Club of San Dieguito and belongs to the San Diego County Bar Association. As a member of Morgan Run Country Club, Brett spends most of his weekends playing golf. When he’s not hitting the links, he enjoys traveling and beach volleyball.
CA Insurance Lic. #0E91943
Robert P. Smith
Estate Planning Strategist
Robert has 30 years of experience in the financial services field. He takes a practical approach to helping businesses and individuals plan to reach their financial goals.
Throughout his three decades with AXA Advisors, Robert has remained at the top of his field by completing a series of continuing education opportunities, including his certification in estate planning from AXA Advisors. He is also a qualifying member of the exclusive Million Dollar Round Table.
Robert is an avid tennis and golf enthusiast. He resides in Laguna Niguel.
CA Insurance Lic. #0612482
Todd Stahl, CFP®
Client Relationship Manager
As a client relationship manager, Todd works closely with corporate and personal clients in Burnham Gibson’s wealth management and pension consulting practice. Todd has more than 12 years of experience in the financial services field.
Prior to joining Burnham Gibson, Todd was director of wealth management for a regional financial planning firm. He received his bachelor of science degree in finance from San Diego State University with an advanced certificate in financial planning. He also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Todd served two years on the board of directors of the Financial Planning Association of San Diego.
Todd has many interests including hiking, mountain biking and traveling. He has also earned an advanced certification in wine education and is working towards his master of wine certification.
CA Insurance Lic. #0C50001
Steven Stakley, MBA
Financial Consultant
Steven Stakley has more than 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. His focus is on helping business owners and families protect their most valuable assets through long-term financial planning. He specializes in implementing and managing comprehensive, tax advantaged investment plans.
Steven has a bachelor of arts degree in business and economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. Steven began his career in New York City in the financial services industry and has also worked on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange. His education and experience have brought a strong depth of knowledge to his practice.
Steven enthusiastically serves in both his church and community. He has been active with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County since 2000, and is an ambassador for the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce.
Steven and his wife, Wanda, live in Brea and have two children. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors.
CA Insurance Lic. #0D76213
Jeffrey Warnock, CFP®, CLU, ChFC
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
With 25 years in the financial services industry, Jeffrey Warnock brings specialized expertise in qualified retirement plans, executive benefits and insurance planning for corporate clients. He also has extensive experience with asset management, risk management, estate planning strategies and business succession planning.
Throughout his career, Jeff has continually developed his professional qualifications, earning designations as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a Chartered Financial Consultant and a Chartered Life Underwriter. He has also completed advanced executive course work at Stanford University.
Jeff is also a member of the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Western Region Pension Council, the Orange County Estate Planning Council and the Million Dollar Round Table.
Jeff and his wife, Chana, live in Huntington Beach and have three children. The family is active in their church and schools, and volunteer their time to the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard program and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County.
CA Insurance Lic. #0682644