UBS In California Hires Four-Person Team From Merrill

Tom Burroughes

31 August 2021

UBS Wealth Management USA has appointed a four-person advisor team in Santa Barbara, California.

The team, which is led by financial advisor Mark Brenner, also includes financial advisor Kip Paulson, senior wealth strategy associate Shawn Hill, and registered client associate Nathan Cha.

The group concentrates on serving the wealth management needs of high net worth clients, executives and business owners in Santa Barbara, as well as other locations across the US, the firm, part of UBS, said.

Brenner, who has worked for more than 12 years at Merrill Lynch, has more than 30 years of industry experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in aerospace aviation and the Certified Investment Management Consultant designation.

Paulson has worked as an advisor and portfolio manager for nearly four years at Merrill Lynch. He has roughly 18 years of industry experience, including 10 years as a sell-side equity research analyst covering tech and media stocks at Cantor Fitzgerald. Paulson began his career as a public accountant and valuation consultant in the Bay Area at Deloitte, and holds the Certified Financial Analyst designation. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business economics and philosophy from UC Santa Barbara, with election to Phi Beta Kappa.

Hill has been with the team for more than 14 years, most recently as a registered senior wealth management client associate at Merrill Lynch. He is primarily focused on developing and delivering tailored financial plans to clients, but is also involved in portfolio management and the construction of client portfolios. Hill holds the Certified Financial Planner designation , as well as Series 7 and 66 FINRA licenses. He graduated from San Diego State University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in financial services and a minor in economics.

Cha has been with the team since 2018, previously serving in a similar role at Merrill Lynch. Cha is actively engaged in all levels of client service, technology enablement, and other administrative/day-to-day operations for the team. He holds the Series 7 and 66 FINRA licenses. Cha graduated from Westmont College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business, and was a member of the economics honor society, Omicron Delta Epsilon.