ROUNDY, JOSEPH, & PANTONE - MERRILL LYNCH

Financial Advisory

By Nicole Anderson | Photography by Dung Hoang

IN THE CENTER OF SALT LAKE CITY, where business growth and family wealth increasingly intersect, the Salt Lake City team at Merrill Lynch has built a practice defined not by size alone, but by structure, trust, and long-term thinking.

Jeff Roundy, Randy Joseph, and Ashley Pantone, together with their team, manage more than $2.3 billion in assets and operate as one of the largest wealth management teams in Utah. With more than 150 years of combined experience, their focus is clear: serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions through disciplined, goal-based planning.

Jeff Roundy, who joined Merrill Lynch in 1995 after working as a CPA with Ernst & Young in New York, brings decades of technical expertise in financial planning and investment strategy. He is a CFP® and CIMA® professional and has been recognized multiple times by both Forbes and Barron’s for his advisory work, including repeated appearances on Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” list and Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” rankings.

Randy Joseph joined Merrill Lynch in 2012 after beginning his career in equipment leasing and financing. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor, holding a CPFA® designation and working as a Retirement Benefit Consultant. He has also been recognized by Forbes as one of Utah’s top next-generation advisors.

Ashley Pantone represents continuity and legacy. A second-generation financial advisor, she grew up around the industry through her father’s career at Merrill Lynch. After years in marketing, she ultimately returned to finance, joining the firm in 2014. She now serves high-net-worth clients and holds a CEPA® designation, guiding business owners through transitions and exit planning.

For many clients, the first conversation isn’t about the market, it’s about uncertainty. Pantone describes it simply: clients often carry a fear of the unknown. The team’s first job is to replace that uncertainty with clarity. “We start with education and goals,” she explains. “Then we look at risk tolerance and how long someone wants, or needs, to continue working.” 

Joseph echoes that approach, framing it around lifestyle design rather than product selection. “It comes down to the comfort level someone wants to live at,” he says. “We build a goal-based plan around that so decisions are intentional, not reactive.” This emphasis on planning over prediction defines their philosophy: financial strategy should reflect life, not the other way around.

Inside the office, the team operates with an unusual level of cohesion for a high-performing advisory group. With eight total team members, Roundy, Joseph & Pantone has structured itself around collaboration rather than hierarchy. They work from the bottom up, encouraging input across roles and specialties, while maintaining a unified client experience. That internal alignment is reinforced through intentional team building, with the team regularly hosting partner-spouse dinners, Topgolf outings, and game nights that extend beyond professional bonding. 

Randy emphasizes that the inclusion of families is intentional. “We’re not just coworkers,” he says. “We bring families into the relationship, so it feels like a small community, not just a workplace.” That approach reflects a broader belief: trust inside the team translates directly to trust with clients.

The team’s performance has earned consistent national recognition reflecting not only performance, but consistency in serving complex client needs across changing markets. At the core of their work is a structured planning process designed to address more than just investment returns. Their capabilities include investment management, retirement planning, liquidity strategy, fiduciary guidance, business transition planning, and multigenerational wealth transfer. Ultimately, they integrate investment strategy with banking and lending capabilities, allowing clients to manage complex financial lives in a coordinated system. Yet, the emphasis remains constant: strategy begins with goals, not products.

The team remains deeply embedded in Utah’s local community. Joseph, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, mentors other advisors within the firm and coaches’ youth sports in his free time. He lives in Highland with his family and spends much of his personal time outdoors. 

Roundy, a graduate of Brigham Young University, is active in the Salt Lake Rotary Club and Junior Achievement programs, where he mentors students in financial literacy, and Pantone, a graduate of the University of Utah, serves on multiple boards, including the Salt Lake Chamber and the Neighborhood House Association, supporting childcare access and community development.

In a market often driven by headlines and volatility, Roundy, Joseph & Pantone return to a simpler principle: perspective matters more than prediction. Their role is to help clients navigate the uncertainty of the market with structure, discipline, and clarity. 

As Joseph puts it, “Our job is to help people stay focused on what they can control.” And in a world where financial noise is constant, that clarity may be the most valuable asset of all.