Michael R. Paris, AIF®, CPFA
Robert Testa
Paul Kim, CFA®
Athena Bubell
Denise Harris
Mark Zigman
James Chave
Corinne Kurucza
Matthew Rizzo
Janet Madison
Michael R. Paris, AIF® CPFA
Michael R. Paris, AIF®, CPFA, is President of the Paris International family of companies. Paris International specializes in employee benefits consulting as well as wealth management and financial planning. Michael, a resident of New York City, lives with his wife, Caroline, and his twin sons, Owen and Levi. He is an avid basketball fan and is active in several basketball leagues throughout New York City. He currently serves on the Retirement Advisor Council. He holds multiple securities registrations, including FINRA Series 6, Series 7, and Series 63, and is insurance licensed for life and health. Michael was chosen as one of the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors and a Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for 2020 and 2021. He was also chosen as one of New York’s Five Star Wealth Managers for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 by Five Star Professional and 2017 Top Retirement Plan “Young Gun” Advisors Under 40 by the NAPA. Paris International has been named as one of the 2020 Top DC Advisor Teams list of leading retirement plan advisor firms by the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA).
The Centre for Fiduciary Excellence, LLC. (CEFEX) is an independent global assessment and certification organization. It works closely with investment fiduciaries and industry experts to provide comprehensive assessment programs to improve risk management for institutional and retail investors. CEFEX certification demonstrates that Paris International meets a fiduciary best practice standard by adhering to the Global Fiduciary Standard of Excellence. Our CEFEX certification means we understand the importance of having a documented investment process, thereby helping promote our clients’ confidence that their investment strategies are being prudently organized, formalized, implemented, and monitored. We believe that our CEFEX certification is yet another way to demonstrate we are acting in our clients’ best interests. For more information, please visit www.cefex.org.
2017 - 2020 Financial Times 401 Retirement Advisers, created by Ignites Research. The 2020 award presented in October 2020 for the preceding 12 months. 855 Advisors were considered, 401 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2021 NAPA Top DC Advisor Teams, created by NAPA. The 2021 was presented in March 2022 for the previous year. All NAPA members with over $100 million in defined contribution assets under advisement made the list. 333 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for most recent award information.
2017 NAPA Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40, created by NAPA, Presented in Nov. 2016 for the previous year. 309 Advisors were considered, 79 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor's future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2014 - 2017 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. The 2017 award was presented in November 2017 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 1680 advisors were considered, 155 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2022 Forbes Best In State Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. The 2022 award was presented in April 2022 based on data gathered from June 2020 to June 2021. 19,640 Advisors were considered, 6,500 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2022 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. The 2022 award was presented in Aug 2022 based on data gathered from March 2021 to March 2022. 3,513 Advisors were considered, 100 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
Robert Testa
Robert Testa, Senior Vice President, joined Paris International’s Client Services division in May 2000. He is responsible for the overseeing of all 401(k) Plan operations and assists in providing services to the employees of Paris International’s 401(k) client organizations. Prior to joining Paris International, Bob spent 15 years with Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, a provider of retirement plan services, as a retirement benefits consultant in their New York City regional sales office. Bob, a native of East Williston, New York, is a graduate of Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts, with a BS in business administration. He is an Investment Advisor Representative and holds several securities registrations, including FINRA Series 6 and Series 63, as well as Series 65 in the state of New York. along with life and health licenses.
Paul Kim, CFA®
Paul Kim, CFA®, Vice President, joined Paris International in July 2010. He serves clients by helping them identify and realize their financial objectives and any account service-related tasks. He is also involved with constructing asset allocation models used in client portfolios and responsible for trading. Prior to joining Paris International, Paul spent two years at UBS as a client service associate. Paul is a graduate of New York University with a BA in economics and a minor in business studies. He holds several securities registrations, including FINRA Series 7 and Series 66, and is also insurance licensed for life, health, and long-term care.
Athena Bubell
Athena Bubell, Senior Account Manager, has 31 years of experience in the insurance industry and has been with Paris International for 27 years. She began working in new business processing and underwriting areas, handling life, disability, and long-term care cases and customer services. She graduated from the Katharine Gibbs School in New York City after attending C. W. Post College of L.I.U. Athena handles investment advisory compliance matters and general compliance issues and also provides general compliance support to staff. She is responsible for security licensing and registration of representatives and supervises continuing education and termination issues. She is a detailed-oriented professional highly skilled in multitasking and daily execution of assigned tasks. Athena holds multiple securities registrations, including FINRA Series 6 and Series 63, as well as Series 65 in the state of New York. She is also insurance licensed for life, health, and annuities.
Denise Harris
Denise Harris has been the marketing director at Paris International since 2007. Before joining the Paris International team, Denise taught computer education for 16 years. She graduated from Queens College with a BA in education and has an MS in special education from Hofstra University. Denise is the creative force behind Paris International. In her role as marketing director, she is responsible for creating all of the brochures and seminars that are used with clients as well as maintaining the company website. She holds several securities registrations, including FINRA Series 6 and Series 63.
Mark Zigman
Mark Zigman, an Investment Adviser Representative, joined Paris International in February 2008, enriching our team with a wealth of experience. He specializes in collaborating with employers to develop and manage employee retirement savings programs and provides highly personalized financial planning and wealth management services to individuals. Residing in Melville, New York, Mark is a dedicated father to a son named Justin and a daughter named Chloe. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In his role as an Investment Adviser Representative, Mark brings a versatile skill set and holds multiple securities registrations, including FINRA Series 6, Series 7, Series 63, and Series 65. He is also licensed for life, health insurance, and long-term care. Mark's unwavering commitment to his work and his extensive knowledge make him an invaluable asset to our team and our clients.
James Chave
James Chave joined Paris International in March 2015. He is a member of the Paris International 401(k) team, acting as the client relationship manager who helps oversee all qualified plans. He also works closely with advisors and plan sponsors and assists in helping them administer their plans. Jim has more than 30 years of experience in the 401(k) and retirement plan industry. Jim, a graduate of St. Bonaventure University, is a resident of East Northport, New York. He is very active in his community and loves spending time with his wife, Carolyn and 3 children. Prior to joining Paris International, he was a senior account manager at Transamerica working on large case plans.
Corinne Kurucza
Corinne Kuruzca joined Paris International in 2017 and serves as a relationship manager and client service professional. In this role, she works with clients to analyze their investment, financial planning and cash flow needs to build comprehensive yet practical solutions to their specific goals and objectives. She came to Paris from a career in strategy consulting, where she worked with both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to help drive growth and efficiency through the identification and implementation of industry best practices. Previously, Corinne served as a Private Wealth Advisor in Morgan Stanley’s private wealth management division. She began her career at Atlantic Trust as a member of their marketing and branding team. Corinne graduated with a BA in American History and a minor in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and earned an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where she also serves as her class agent. She holds the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses, as well as licenses in life and health insurance. She currently resides in New York City with her husband Bryan.
Matthew Rizzo
Matthew Rizzo, Wealth Planner, joined Paris International in 2020. He started his career as a financial advisor in 2007 specializing in developing plans for individuals and small businesses to achieve a dignified retirement. Matt received a BS from Fairfield University and an MBA from St John’s University. When he is not working for his clients, he enjoys coaching youth sports, golfing, and spending quality time with his wife Mary Beth and their three children. He holds several securities registrations, including FINRA series 7 and Series 63 and is also insurance licensed for life and health.
Janet Madison
Janet Madison, Client Services, worked 10 years in the financial industry before joining Paris International in September 2016. Janet’s diverse experiences have brought a unique perspective to our company. Prior to joining Paris International, she taught Health & Physical Education, coached lacrosse at Rutgers University and served 10 years as an Administrator at a local private preschool. She also traveled the world for several years as an international flight attendant. Janet’s focus for the company is to provide excellent service to our clients, ensuring all work is done effectively, efficiently and on time.
Award Disclosures
The Centre for Fiduciary Excellence, LLC. (CEFEX) is an independent global assessment and certification organization. It works closely with investment fiduciaries and industry experts to provide comprehensive assessment programs to improve risk management for institutional and retail investors. CEFEX certification demonstrates that Paris International meets a fiduciary best practice standard by adhering to the Global Fiduciary Standard of Excellence. Our CEFEX certification means we understand the importance of having a documented investment process, thereby helping promote our clients’ confidence that their investment strategies are being prudently organized, formalized, implemented, and monitored. We believe that our CEFEX certification is yet another way to demonstrate we are acting in our clients’ best interests. For more information, please visit www.cefex.org.
2017 - 2020 Financial Times 401 Retirement Advisers, created by Ignites Research. The 2020 award presented in October 2020 for the preceding 12 months. 855 Advisors were considered, 401 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2021 NAPA Top DC Advisor Teams, created by NAPA. The 2021 was presented in March 2022 for the previous year. All NAPA members with over $100 million in defined contribution assets under advisement made the list. 333 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for most recent award information.
2017 NAPA Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40, created by NAPA, Presented in Nov. 2016 for the previous year. 309 Advisors were considered, 79 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor's future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2014 - 2017 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. The 2017 award was presented in November 2017 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 1680 advisors were considered, 155 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2022 Forbes Best In State Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. The 2022 award was presented in April 2022 based on data gathered from June 2020 to June 2021. 19,640 Advisors were considered, 6,500 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
2019 - 2022 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. The 2022 award was presented in Aug 2022 based on data gathered from March 2021 to March 2022. 3,513 Advisors were considered, 100 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.
