Stonebridge Wealth Management is comprised of an award-winning team that serves clients through a combination of meaningful experience, ongoing education and certification, and a dedication to individual customer investment and retirement planning success.
Bill Laipple, CFP®
Wealth Manager
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and lived there through my college years at the University of Buffalo. Yes, Buffalo gets a lot of snow, but that’s not why I left. After graduating from college, job opportunities brought me to numerous cities throughout the country including Philadelphia, New York City, and eventually Chicago. I’ve lived in Chicagoland for over 20 years, and am proud to call it home.
Chicago is where I found my passion for helping people manage their wealth. To me, Wealth Management isn’t a job or even a career—it’s more of a calling. Almost 200 clients put their family’s financial future in our hands, and that’s a responsibility I take seriously. As their Wealth Manager, I help my clients create and implement their financial plans for life. With our help, clients can send their children or grandchildren to college, protect their family in the event of unforeseen circumstances, retire comfortably and remain comfortably retired.
Since comprehensive financial planning is an integral part of what we do, I obtained my Certified Financial Planner ™ (CFP ®) certification, the highest standard in personal financial planning. The designation comes with extensive training in financial planning, estate planning, insurance, investments, taxes, employee benefits and retirement planning. The CFP ® also abides by the CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct which are rigorously enforced.
As my current clients know, family is the most important thing to me. I truly value the time I have with my wife, Nikki, and our children, Zachary (19), Zoey (17), Abigail (14) and Alexander (11). Depending on the season, weekends find us running from soccer to golf, lacrosse to volleyball, or chorus to theatre practice. We love spending time with our kids, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Giving back is important to me, and to us, as a family. I’ve been a member of the Rotary Club of LaGrange for almost 20 years, where I am a board member and past president.
When I’m not working or busy with my family, I like to stay active. So I keep myself physically active through exercise and an annual hiking trip with a group of friends, usually to a different National Park (this year’s trip – Appalachian Trail). I’ve even managed to scrape through a triathlon or two. (Don’t be too impressed, you haven’t seen me swim). Reading is also something I enjoy. Over 20 years ago, I started a book club with a few friends, and we still get together at a Chicago pub during the year to review a book. The last great book I read was Island of the Lost by Joan Druett. I’m always looking for a recommendation, if you have one.
Well, now you know a little about me. If you’d like to meet with me and my team to see if we are a good fit, please give us a call at (630) 230-1830 or send me an email (blaipple@stonebridgewm.com). Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Christopher Plahm, CFP®
Wealth Manager
Chris is a managing partner with Stonebridge Wealth Management, LLC. He has a passion for investment management and specializes in helping families create, preserve, and protect wealth by developing and implementing their financial strategies for life. Chris is also the portfolio manager of Tall Pines Capital, LLC. Tall Pines Capital is a U.S. and Canadian focused micro-cap strategy, investing in market caps ranging from $10 million to $1 billion. For qualified investors only. Chris has given more than 100 financial education workshops focusing on investment management, distribution strategies, and estate planning for individuals that are either retired or approaching retirement. Prior to Stonebridge, Chris was a partner in the Laipple/Plahm Team within GCG Financial and worked as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley. He received his degree in finance from the University of St. Thomas. Chris is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, having completed a comprehensive program covering all aspects of financial planning. The CFP® certification is one of the most recognized certifications in the industry. Chris enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and playing golf. He lives in Lemont with his wife, Ellie, their two daughters, Libby and Alayna, and their son, Ryan. Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Bryan M. Petry
Wealth Manager
Growing up in the far west Chicago suburbs, one of my favorite classes in school was art. While by no means was it an extraordinary talent of mine, I really enjoyed drawing and the creative process it entailed. As I approached college however, I started to develop an interest in finance. And although this interest continued, I decided to peruse a degree in Graphic Design at Illinois State University (go Redbirds).
After graduating from ISU in 2002, I knew I had to pursue what had become my new passion: financial planning and wealth management. In 2002, I joined GCG Financial where I obtained my series 7 and 66 licenses. During my 15 years at GCG, I specialized in helping people build a strategic planning blueprint to not only help my clients grow wealth, but protect and transfer it as well.
I truly appreciate the relationships I’ve made with my clients throughout the years and strive to provide the best client experience from the very start. To that end, in 2017 I decided to partner with Stonebridge Wealth Management as their comprehensive approach toward wealth management is perfectly aligned with my mission to provide unsurpassed advice and service to each and every one of my clients.
I currently live in Aurora, IL with my wife, Erin, our two children, Addison and Michael, and our dog Tucker (our 100 lb. Golden Retriever and English yellow lab mix). When not spending time with family, I love to golf and bowl.
Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Sheila Chambers
Director of Client Services
As Director of Client Services, Sheila is responsible for all aspects of service and support for the firm. Sheila has a vast amount of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Stonebridge, Sheila worked as a Senior Analyst at McLagan Partners, a subsidiary of AON Hewitt Consulting. Prior to McLagan, Sheila worked as a Senior Trading Performance Analyst at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) as well as a Compliance Specialist at Mesirow Financial where she was responsible for assessing all areas of regulatory compliance.
Sheila received her Bachelor of Science in Finance with Marketing minor from DePaul University. She enjoys coaching at 1st Alliance volleyball club and is a proud supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Sheila lives in Western Springs with her husband, Jamie, their two sons, Brady and Tyler, and their daughter, Colleen.
Bridget Murdock
Client Services Coordinator
As Client Services Coordinator, Bridget wears many hats at the firm. She helps with various client service needs, provides support in the day to day operations of the firm and assists our Chief Compliance Officer with compliance. Additionally, she helps manage the workflow of the office to make sure we stay on track and run efficiently.
Prior to joining Stonebridge, Bridget worked in Project Management for IDX Systems Corporation, an information systems company. She is also very active in her community. She volunteers at Sacred Heart School and has served as President of the Sacred Heart Athletic Committee. She has been Treasurer of the PTA as well as a School Board member at Sacred Heart and at Ronald Knox.
Bridget received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a Business minor from the University of Notre Dame. She enjoys playing tennis, going to book club and traveling. She lives in Glencoe with her husband Sean and their five daughters, Cate, Maggie, Maeve, Cara and Nora.