Jon K. Cook, CPA, CFP®
Founding Partner and Wealth Advisor
Having formed Cook Wealth Management Group in 1984, Jon is the company’s esteemed founding partner. With more than 40 years of accounting and wealth management experience, he is skilled in dealing with restricted stock transactions, complex estate planning issues, wealth preservation, and personal and corporate income taxation.
Prior to establishing Cook Wealth Management Group, Jon founded five businesses, giving him a unique set of skills and perspectives when managing wealth issues for both the founders of small businesses and the executives of public companies. Jon is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in North Carolina and New York and is also CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner.
Jon is a respected leader, and a creative and thorough mentor. His personal vision for the company is to be a tenacious advocate of each client, to offer the industry’s best customer service, and to attract and retain the most knowledgeable wealth management team in the industry.
Jon graduated from LeMoyne College on a full athletic scholarship for basketball and baseball and is passionate about his four grandchildren, the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Club, and road cycling. He and his wife, Jane, live in Cary, North Carolina.
Brian J. Cook, CFP®
Managing Partner and Wealth Advisor
Brian is the Managing Partner of Cook Wealth Management Group. With over seventeen years of experience, Brian is a seasoned wealth advisor who helps our clients identify and pursue their goals and dreams.
Before joining our company in 1998, Brian was director of portfolio investments for a research triangle based life sciences consulting and venture capital firm where he was responsible for managing private and public equity portfolios. Previously, Brian held roles of increasing responsibility within the treasury and finance areas at Glaxo Wellcome. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
After earning his degree from Syracuse University, Brian’s collective experiences have enabled him to develop expertise in comprehensive wealth management, corporate finance, business valuations, private equity and investment management.
Brian and his wife Deb, a veterinarian, live in Raleigh, NC, and in Northampton, MA, with their two children, Cassandra, and Alexander, three dogs and two cats. In addition to his family and helping our clients, Brian is passionate about ice hockey, animals, green living and exotic cars.
Brett J. Tushingham, CFP®
Chief Operating Officer and Wealth Advisor
Brett is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and has contributed substantially to the success of Cook Wealth since joining us in 2003.
As Chief Operating Officer, Brett provides operational leadership and strategic vision for delivering Cook Wealth’s comprehensive approach to wealth planning.
As a senior wealth advisor, Brett has extensive knowledge of retirement planning, risk management, tax planning, investment management, and estate planning. His comprehensive approach to wealth planning incites him to thoroughly consider all aspects of our clients’ finances and tailor his service to help meet clients’ specific needs. Brett first understands each client’s values and motivations for personal success, then aligns the full range of our team’s expertise and resources, in an effort to provide the best client/advisor relationships in the industry. His vision is for our clients to view Cook Wealth Management Group as their exclusive CFO.
Before joining Cook Wealth, Brett worked on Wall Street for nearly 10 years at Chase Manhattan Bank, Morgan Stanley and Royal Bank of Canada, acquiring expertise in foreign exchange, financial management, debt analysis, and the capital markets. He is a graduate of Pace University with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
Brett and his wife, Kim, a pharmaceutical sales specialist, live in Wilmington, NC, with their sons Reece and Ryder, and their Welsh Corgi, Kramer. In his spare time, Brett enjoys hockey, fine red wines, exercise, reading, and making people laugh. He is a volunteer at Raleigh’s “Big Brother Big Sister” organization.
James A. Richmond
Wealth Advisor
As a valued member of our team of wealth advisors, Jim Richmond approaches clients’ needs proactively and holistically, thinking ahead and examining each financial situation from all angles. This thorough process allows Cook Wealth Management Group to serve as our clients’ exclusive CFO.
Having been with AXA Advisors for six years and serving in leadership positions at Nortel for over 25 years, Jim’s knowledge of finance, as well as transition planning, adds an experienced perspective to our team. Jim is a past member of the Certified General Accountants Association of Toronto, Ontario, and a graduate of Ryerson Polytechnical University with majors in finance and business administration.
Jim lives in Raleigh with his wife Lynda. They have three children, Laurie, Michelle, and Stephen. Active in the community, Jim volunteers as a motivational speaker in Prison Ministry with the North Carolina Department of Correction and supports the local Athletic Booster Club through fundraising and student mentoring.