Jane Sullivan, CFP®
Principal & Financial Advisor
With over 20 years of industry experience, serving as a licensed Financial Advisor since 2008, Jane is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). She received her B.S. in Financial Services from Bryant University. Her passion is empowering people financially while having fun throughout the process. She takes being a fiduciary extremely seriously and takes pride in building personal relationships with all of her clients. You will often find her as an industry speaker at Women in Finance events.
Accomplishments:
- Five Star Wealth Manager (2017 – present)
- Women’s Choice Award Recipient
- Hartford Business Journal Family Business Award Finalist
- Women Presidents Organization Member
- CFP® Board Mentor
- US Red Cross Tiffany Circle Member
Jane resides in Old Saybrook, CT with her husband and fellow financial advisor, David, along with their adorable rescue chocolate lab, Reagan. When she’s not assisting her clients to more effectively manage their finances, Jane keeps active through practicing hot yoga, enjoying the surrounding bodies of water with Reagan, or getting a good sweat in on her Peloton. She and David travel as much as they can, especially to David’s original home in Kelowna, British Columbia.
David Demeyere
Co-Visionary & Strategy Consultant
David is actively involved behind the scenes at Sullivan Financial Advisors. He works closely with Jane to enhance her future vision of the company in a way to best serve their clients’ needs. David is a brilliant financial planner in his own right and operates his own holistic financial planning company, which is based out of British Columbia, Canada, and completely independent from Sullivan Financial Advisors. He helps align our team and educates them on wealth building strategies and case design.
David founded his business, Holistic Fiscal Strategies, Inc in 2008 and has 35 years of experience in business management and finance with more than 2000 hours of specialized training which he helps to apply at Sullivan Financial.
He is a proud Father to three inspiring daughters, Alexa, Deanna & Dylan, which makes him all the more passionate about amplifying Sullivan Financial’s mission to empower women. When David is not working with clients (and making everyone laugh), he enjoys golf, hot yoga and boating in the CT River & Long Island Sound.
Ashley Smelser
Service Advisor
With over 10 1/2 years of industry experience, Ashley comes to Sullivan Financial as a Service Advisor, playing a vital role in supporting all clients and working closely with the team in client meetings and financial planning. She serves as the liaison between the advisory and operations teams, ensuring the seamless implementation of financial plans. Ashley has a consistent track record of helping clients achieve their financial goals through actionable and empathetic financial advice.
Ashley earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994 and has specialized in providing an exceptional client experience throughout her career. She is passionate about leading clients on a journey to align their money with their values, helping them gain confidence, peace, and security along the way, making her a perfect fit here at Sullivan Financial.
She resides in Old Saybrook and has recently become an empty nester with two children in college. Ashley spends her free time playing tennis, golf, reading, and enjoying live music.
Lauren Ashe
Client Concierge
With over 20 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, it’s clear that Lauren’s passion and expertise are rooted in community. Lauren brings her people-first approach to her role as Client Concierge, where she excels in assisting clients with all requests, paperwork, website and app access, and building meaningful relationships. Her commitment to exceptional service makes her the go-to expert for creating a seamless client experience. A true event and client experience extraordinaire, Lauren goes above and beyond to ensure every interaction is memorable.
Raised in Waterford, Lauren and her family have been proud Old Saybrook residents for 13 years. Together with her husband and two children, she enjoys everything the shoreline has to offer. In her free time, you can find her boating, fishing, or trying new restaurants with her family.
Shauna Thomas
Operations Specialist
As an Operations Specialist, Shauna plays an essential role in supporting the firm’s daily operations. She is responsible for managing client documentation, processing daily trades, and addressing client requests with accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, Shauna ensures the integrity of our data feeds and helps maintain smooth operational workflows.
Her work includes overseeing audits and reporting, as well as refining internal systems and documentation to ensure everything runs as efficiently as possible. While she works behind the scenes, Shauna’s attention to detail and organizational skills are integral to keeping our operations running smoothly.
Shauna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Connecticut State University and brings a wealth of experience to the firm. With 9 years in the mortgage industry and 12 years in the financial industry, her expertise spans IRAs, annuities, servicing, trading, and platform support/technology.
Outside of work, Shauna enjoys the quiet countryside of Ellington, CT, where she indulges in trivia, painting, and reading. She is also a proud mom to one son and loves cheering on both her husband and son as they pursue their respective hockey endeavors.
Reagan
Reagan has been an employee at Sullivan Financial for over 8 years as our Chief Stamp Licker & Chairwoman of the Welcoming Committee. She takes pride in making everyone feel welcome and at home in a stress-free environment. Not to fret if you don’t like dogs, she also enjoys napping in Jane’s office.
In her spare time, Reagan enjoys long walks on the beach with her Mom & Dad, swimming in the CT river, chasing squirrels, belly rubs, and the occasional hamburger.
Our Process
A strong planning process is the best way to create a more financially secure plan. It is crucial to create a financial plan that seeks to protect your needs now, and that plans for the future.
Let’s plan your future!