Our Team
As our client, you have access to our entire team of advisors, each specializing in a different area of financial planning. In everything we do, we strive to operate at the highest level of morality and integrity, and we treat each client as a valued member of our family. Our deepest desire is to help you live life with confidence and joy, and everyone on our team works together relentlessly to make it happen.
A Highly Personal Approach
As the founding partner, Rob’s focus at Baker Sarama is to make people feel welcome, heard, and cared for. He spends most of his time meeting with clients, learning about their lives and their families, and helping them outline plans for a great life. He genuinely enjoys and cares for the people he serves, and he views them as part of his family. His goal is to make sure they feel complete peace of mind about their financial futures, and one of the ways he does this is by communicating frequently and with transparency—when covid hit in March of 2020, he and the team invited all of their clients to a Zoom call where they talked about what was happening in the world and in the markets. They continued this every Monday evening thereafter, and today they’ve hosted more than 150 Monday evening market talks.
With his decades of experience and genuine love for people, Rob is a highly skilled advisor whose goal is to help others live life with confidence about their wealth. And when all that is said and done, he just wants to make people smile. Fully recognizing that his industry is often regarded as dull or uptight, he works to break those stereotypes—and there is nothing boring or mundane about how Rob does business. He loves hosting events and traveling across the country to spend time with clients in person, and he’s even known to don quirky, holiday-themed hats for his team’s Monday evening talks.
From Broadway To Wall Street
Before his career as an advisor, Rob spent 25 years as a successful actor in New York City, playing lead roles on Broadway and traveling to perform in shows. During that time, he started a business buying and managing parking garages in Manhattan, taking on friends, acquaintances, and family members as limited partners. He loved his time in theater, but eventually, he wanted to try something new and spend more time with his daughter. So, in 1996, he decided to further his investing talents and become a full-time financial advisor. His success investing friends’ money in the parking garages and his reputation as one of the more financially savvy actors in his circle sparked a fast-growing practice for Rob. Today, he and his team work with clients across the country, from Hawaii to Florida, and to borrow his words, he’s “having a ball.”
Philanthropy
A Boston native, Rob is actively involved in the New England Culinary Arts Training program, an organization founded by one of his clients. NECAT works with previously incarcerated individuals, displaced adults, and others with limited job opportunities and teaches them culinary skills to help them create meaningful, sustainable careers. A former member of the advisory board, Rob currently lends his expertise and resources to NECAT whenever possible.
Rob's “Boring” Personal Life
Today, Rob lives in New Jersey with his lovely wife Jeanette. A self-proclaimed workaholic, he claims to lead a “boring” life, but in truth, Rob is wholly content with how he spends his time. He loves interacting with clients, and after spending many years traveling the world as an actor, he’s happy to spend his free time at home with his wife swimming in their pool.
He is an insatiable learner, and during his time on the road as an actor, he taught himself to play piano, the tuba, and drums (much to the dismay of his traveling companions). Today, he channels his curiosity into his role as an advisor, and he monitors national and international news to get a feel for the market climate. He also enjoys going to antique auctions and collecting treasures, a hobby he’s had since childhood.
Fun Facts
What fictional character would you choose to spend the day with and why?
“Indiana Jones—his love of antiquities, his sense of morality, and his irony are wonderful to watch and share.”
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what age would you choose and what would you say?
“At 13 years old, the advice I would give myself is that everything is going to be okay. My father died that year, and it was a very difficult time, wondering how things were going to work out in my life. It’s difficult for anybody to lose a parent, but being on the cusp of maturity, you don’t know who you are or who you’re going to be… but I would tell myself, ‘You’re going to be fine. You’re going to do great.’”
Who makes you laugh?
“My wife; she is absolutely hysterical—and she doesn’t mean to be. English is her second language, and she messes up the language so beautifully. She’ll look at me and say, ‘I did it again?’ The thing is, I know exactly what she’s saying, and it all makes sense!”
Paul’s Specialty: Being The Resident Market Authority
As a Portfolio Manager and someone who has been managing money his entire career, Paul is our resident investment specialist. He oversees the implementation of our clients’ financial plans, acts as our lead portfolio manager, and makes strategic decisions about what our clients are invested in. A self-professed stock and bond market “junkie,” Paul spends much of his time studying the markets, reading reviews from industry analysts, and examining the economy (something he also considers a hobby). Over time, he has developed several mechanisms that help him track financial trends and performance, allowing him to make proactive investment decisions.
Advising Approach
Paul’s overarching goal is to relieve his clients of the complex responsibility that is strategic financial planning. Ultimately, he watches the markets, moves money, and identifies goal-oriented strategies so they don’t have to worry about it. His mission is for his clients to live the life they want with complete peace of mind, knowing they have a highly skilled and equipped team looking out for them and their families.
Background & Education
Prior to his financial career, Paul was in the Marine Corps for six years, during which time he served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He started college at age 24 and majored in economics, and after graduation, joined UBS as an associate in 2007. It was a challenging time to be in the industry, but he learned a lot, put in the work, and ultimately developed a career as a well-respected advisor. He attributes part of his success to the lessons he learned in the Marines; he knows how to assess a situation and make decisions quickly, and when he makes a mistake, he learns from it and moves on.
In fact, many of the principles he learned in the Service apply to his work today. For one, he knows that meticulous planning is wise and essential, yet it doesn’t eliminate the need for in-the-moment tactical decisions. He helps clients plan for their goals, but he also recognizes that life happens—you must continually adjust your plan to what’s happening in the world, personal circumstances, and unexpected events. But no matter what happens, you find a way to move forward—and that’s the mindset he brings to his planning sessions with clients.
Personal Life
Paul lives in Denville, New Jersey, with his wife Wendy and their three children, Charlotte (their first teenager), Benjamin, and Emily. Both Charlotte and Emily are in dance and cheer, while Benjamin plays football and lacrosse. Paul happily spends most of his (rather limited) free time with his family, whether they’re going to the movies together or he’s coaching his son’s football team. He is also working toward attaining his private pilot license.
Fun Facts
What’s the best vacation you’ve ever taken?
“I would probably say one of our trips to Disney or Universal with the kids—riding roller coasters, hanging out in the park—I always have fun doing that kind of stuff.”
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“That would have to be Top Gun—the original—but the new one might be better!”
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what age would you choose and what would you say?
“Probably when I was 18 years old, heading into the Marine Corps—I’d say, ‘Whatever happens in the next few years, just remember life is a marathon and not a sprint.’”
Paul Sarama is a Wealth Manager with Steward Partners participating in the Steward Partners Discretionary Management program. The Discretionary Management program is an investment advisory program in which the client's Wealth Manager invests the client's assets on a discretionary basis in a range of securities. The Discretionary Management program is described in the applicable Steward Partners ADV Part 2, available at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/Firm/283004 or from your Wealth Manager.
Maria's Role
Maria joined our team in 2014 as a Client Relationship Manager and over time she grew into the role of a Financial Advisor. Maria's ample experience managing operational aspects of the practice have proved beneficial in her role. She manages the internal workflow for the practice and makes sure all our transactions are handled on time with great attention to detail. Maria conducts and participates in client reviews and meetings, maintains client reports and manages clients’ cashflow. As our team onboards clients and begins developing their plans, Maria gathers and organizes all the necessary information and documents needed to create highly detailed, custom plan.
Professional Specialty
The most important aspect of her role is being a fiduciary, always putting the client first. Maria is the point of contact for many of our clients. She has a talent for making people feel safe and cared for; this is an integral part of her role as an advisor.
Education & Background
Maria earned her degree from Montclair State University, where she majored in political science and Spanish. During college, she worked part time at National Community Bank (which later merged with Bank of New York) and earned a full-time position in 1990. For 10 years, she worked in their controller department, where she did budgets, forecasting, and running revenue analysis. She stepped away from full-time work for 14 years; during that time, she worked various jobs, one of which was as a Spanish-English translator for therapists, parents, and their children who were receiving early intervention services.
In 2013, she re-entered the financial industry, and was accepted into Raymond James’ Registered Associate Mentorship program in 2019, where she earned her Accredited Asset Management Specialist® designation.
Personal Life
Maria lives in Paramus, New Jersey. One of the things she loves most about her home is how close she is to her family—her parents and siblings are all within 12 miles of each other.
Maria and her husband Giovanni have been married for more than 25 years. They have three children—Anthony, Nicholas, and Amanda. Their kids are the center of their world, they try to have dinner together as often as possible.
Maria’s favorite way to unplug is visiting the beach, where she can put away her phone, sit, and simply be present. She’s also trying to spend more time reading and going for walks.
Fun Facts
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Bandeja Paisa – a traditional Colombian dish.—it’s basically rice and beans with steak.”
What is one thing you can’t live without?
“Other than my kids and family, it would probably be my photos.”
What are you reading right now?
“Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand”
Sheryl's Role
As our senior client administrative manager, Sheryl handles all our daily client inquiries and requests. Whenever someone has a question about their account or information in their plan, or transfers they need to make, Sheryl is the one they call. She also supports the operational side of our practice by opening new accounts, initiating transactions, reviewing client correspondence, and overseeing our marketing efforts.
Professional Approach
Trust is incredibly important to Sheryl’s role, and she establishes rapport through constant communication and consistent follow through. To her, there is no such thing as over-communicating, and she continually reaches out to clients to update them about their progress or inform them of the completion of a task. She focuses on building personal relationships that go beyond business transactions, and when she says she’s going to complete a task for you—whether you’re a client or fellow team member—you can trust it’s going to happen. A determined doer, her objective is to complete requests for clients as efficiently as possible, giving them the freedom to focus on their families, careers, and everything else that matters to them.
Professional Background
Sheryl started her financial career in 1997 as a sales assistant at Merrill Lynch, where she worked with a wealth management firm for ten years. From there, the practice joined UBS Financial, and Sheryl later moved to Wells Fargo before joining the Baker Sarama team at Steward Partners in 2017.
Philanthropy
Sheryl is passionate about giving back to our community, and she leads our team’s charity projects each year. At Christmastime, she coordinates a toy drive for Toys for Tots, and she also organizes clothing drives for underprivileged families in our community.
Personal Life
Sheryl lives in Paramus, New Jersey, with her fiancé Robert, her two teenage sons Dylan and Riley, and her personal favorite of the bunch—her Jack Russel-beagle mix, Jax. She enjoys spending her free time walking along the water at Long Beach Island or Cape May, cooking, and baking. She also makes time for regular Peloton workouts (it’s all about the music for her!).
Fun Facts
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on potato bread. I could eat one every day.”
What is one thing you can’t live without?
“I know I’ll live, but I’ll be very sad when my kids leave the house. I joke a lot with my boys, but we’re very close.”
What’s your favorite part of your day?
“Enjoying dinnertime with my family—we love eating together and sharing stories about the day!”
Professional Mission
With nearly 30 years of industry experience, Lorraine provides attentive administrative support to our advisors, assists with operational duties, and is a go-to resource for many of our clients. She is skilled at translating complex industry jargon into easy-to-digest concepts, and she often helps our clients address questions about their annuities, taxes, and estate planning mechanics. One of her favorite aspects of her job is getting to help incredible people live life with confidence, and she builds personal relationships with our clients as she serves them. Our team firmly believes that our genuine care and superior service is what sets us apart, and Lorraine embodies that principle in everything she does. She finds joy in serving others, and she loves giving clients peace of mind by helping them solve problems and answer questions about their wealth.
Industry Background
Lorraine began her career in the financial industry in 1997 as a bank teller, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2007, where she worked for 3 years. In 2013, a colleague introduced her to Rob and Paul, and she has been with the firm ever since. Having worked with many different advisors over the years, she’s proud to work with a team that puts their clients first and genuinely cares about their wellbeing. The Baker Sarama team and their clients feel like a family, and she’s incredibly grateful to be part of it.
Personal Life
Lorraine is a third-generation resident of Saddlebrook, New Jersey, where she lives with her husband and childhood sweetheart Tom, their son Tommy, and their two dogs, Lily (a lab mix) and Chief (a Great Pyrenees mix). She and Tom are also the proud parents of their daughter Emily, who is in college. Lorraine and Emily love movies and pop culture, and one of their favorite pastimes is going to the movies or watching shows together. Now that their kids are older, Lorraine and Tom are also spending more time traveling and going to the beach with their dogs, where she enjoys reading a good book.
Fun Facts
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“A chopped salad from a local place where I can customize all the ingredients I want.”
What is one thing you can’t live without?
“My books—I’m currently reading Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital. I’ll read just about anything, it just depends on what strikes me.”
What is one thing every person should add to their daily routine?
“A moment for gratitude. It’s easy to get bogged down in the stresses of the day and miss out on all the nice, little things that make life more bearable—like sunshine or the smell of a book.”