About Us

our

team

One pillar of our success has been the longevity of our working relationships. Founding Partners Chris and Ed have been working together since the year 2000. Another pillar is the genuine care and compassion we extend to each and every one of our clients.

Chris Kenny CFP®

Managing Partner

Ed Christiansen, CPFA

Managing Partner

As one of the founders of Muirwood Private Wealth, Chris brings over 30 years’ high-level experience managing wealth for individuals, families and businesses. Chris helps clients establish financial goals, then creates personalized strategies to help them achieve those goals— and dreams— with peace of mind. Previously, he spent 14 years with Merrill Lynch and 13 years at Wells Fargo Private Bank. In 1998, he earned his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional as awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. As a strong advocate for financial literacy, Chris is a firm believer in the importance of clear communication with all generations in order to simplify the complex.

Chris is a 1988 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Danville with his wife, Paula. Together they have three adult children living in San Francisco, Seattle and San Luis Obispo. On the weekends, he enjoys playing golf and traveling.

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After graduating in 1990 from California State University, Chico with a B.S. in Business Management, Ed was subsequently commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, Infantry. After attaining the rank of Captain and having served several years abroad, Ed left the military and joined Prudential Securities, Inc. in Walnut Creek in 1994. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2006, he partnered with Chris Kenny in 2000 at Wells Fargo Private Bank. Together, they founded Muirwood Private Wealth in 2020. Ed also earned his designation as a CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR.

A 25-year industry veteran, Ed is a member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and involved in the community as Co-Founder and President of the Contra Costa Rugby Association (youth) and Director of Rugby at De La Salle H.S. in Concord, California. He and his wife Theresa live in Clayton and are always ready to enjoy time with their three adult children.

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Kyle Penland

Wealth Management Associate

Maria Ojeda

Client Service Associate

Melissa Dizon

Client Service Associate

A 20-year veteran of the financial services industry, Kyle previously worked at Merrill and CUNA Mutual Group and joined the Muirwood Private Wealth team in September 2021. Kyle began her career in Operations and later transitioned into Institutional Sales and Relationship Management. Combining these various backgrounds of expertise, she is a key asset at Muirwood, whether it’s establishing our client success program, assisting with day-to-day account management, or implementing a new system for tracking RMDs, etc. Kyle is also ready to help clients navigate their accounts and maximize their experience on the Muirwood Client Portal and Schwab Alliance platform.

Kyle attended Kansas State University and currently resides in Brentwood, California with her husband and keeps busy taking care of her zoo of dogs, cats and rabbits. In addition to visiting family back in Kansas and Oregon, she and her husband love camping, hiking and exploring.

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Maria has over 20 years of client service experience, including working at Wells Fargo Private Bank for 13 years. During the span of her career, she has discovered her skills and experience truly shine in a support role. Whether it’s implementing an operational procedure, identifying best practices, or handling client requests, Maria strives to elevate and make a positive impact on the workplace environment. Elated to join Muirwood Private Wealth in December 2022, she is looking forward to meeting and assisting clients and adding value to an already stellar team.

Maria lives in Martinez, and enjoys the small town feel along with the benefits of living in the beautiful Bay Area. She enjoys adventures with her son Gabe, playing bocce, and cheering on the Oakland A’s. For a quick, but inspirational read, her favorite book is Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, M.D.

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Melissa has over 20 years client service experience with the financial services industry, including Merrill Lynch New York and Bank of America SF. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance. Melissa joined the Muirwood Private Wealth team in August 2020. She provides day-to-day client service with extensive expertise handling internal operations related to account opening and maintenance. As the primary point person with Charles Schwab, and with a keen eye for detail, she is critical to supporting our Advisors in the client process.

Melissa lives in Fairfield with her husband Brian and their two adorable cats. In addition to being a member of NorCal MINI Cooper Club, in her spare time, she loves to stay active hiking, indoor cycling, practicing yoga and traveling to new destinations.

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Paula Kenny

Administrative Specialist

Trevor Christiansen

Wealth Management Associate

Paula supports the entire Muirwood Private Wealth team by keeping the office running smoothly, whether it’s troubleshooting tech, creating a new internal procedure, or updating the website. Since joining the team in October 2020, Paula is always ready to contribute, supplying a lift to everyone on the team so they can stay focused on what’s best for the client. Her background includes administration, project management, client service, marketing and volunteering in various school positions. Now an “empty-nester”, Paula is thrilled to be back in the corporate world while still allowing time for favorite pastimes like bocce or book club.

Paula is a 1988 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Danville, California with her husband, Chris, and enjoys any opportunity as a family with their three adult children.

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Starting his financial career at Frank, Rimerman + Co. as an outsourced CFO advisory for clients in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, Trevor joined the Muirwood Private Wealth team in February 2022. He graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a minor in Finance. While learning the wealth management business, Trevor has already been instrumental in implementing efficiencies and mastering the tech platforms utilized in the areas of planning, reporting and modeling. Combining his “tech-savvy” skills along with his natural ability for fostering client relationships, he is also ready to help clients navigate their accounts and maximize their experience on the Muirwood Client Portal and Schwab Alliance platform.

Trevor currently resides in San Ramon, California with his wife Alexa where he enjoys spending time with their golden retriever and son, Noah, who was welcomed into the world in July 2022.

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we have

deep
knowledge

With more than 25 years of experience, we have deep knowledge and understanding of planning, investments, credit banking, and trust services. We can handle every type of financial matter or question you have.

Through the thoroughness – and thoughtfulness – of our process, we work to earn your trust. Our hope is that you’ll welcome us as your confidant, turning to us to discuss every financial matter that touches your life.

Through process, service and trust, we deliver peace of mind.

we source

best-in-class
solutions

As an independent firm, we have the freedom and flexibility to source best-in-class solutions from a virtually unlimited array of investment managers and service providers. We’ve selected Charles Schwab as our preferred custodian to safeguard our clients’ assets.

By surrounding ourselves with the right partners and tools, we are able to focus on your needs, serving you in a proactive, responsive relationship. We look to collaborate with you and your other trusted advisors to fully understand your complete balance sheet – assets, income, debt, etc. As a result, we are able to construct a comprehensive financial plan.

Charles
Schwab

We've selected Charles Schwab as our preferred custodian to safegaurd our clients' assets. As an industry leader, Schwab has a strong reputation and offers valuable service to our firm and our clients.

Sanctuary
Wealth

We are also a partner firm of Sanctuary Wealth, one of the leading platforms for independent advisors. Through Sanctuary, we have full institutional-quality support for all of our client-focused solutions, from technology and reporting to investment research and brokerage.

resource

partners

We have selected Charles Schwab as our preferred custodian and to provide back office support for Muirwood Private Wealth. In addition to the company’s strength, size and industry reputation, it was founded on the principles of safety and soundness and takes extraordinary measures to ensure client assets are secure. One of the largest and most trusted custody firms in the country, Charles Schwab has generated over $11 billion in net revenues and $3.6 trillion in total client assets. The United States government has deemed Charles Schwab one of the country’s nine systemically important financial institutions.

Defined by its unique open platform, Partnered IndependenceSM, Sanctuary Wealth is a hybrid financial firm with wholly-owned subsidiaries of Sanctuary Securities, Inc., a FINRA member firm and a member of Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC); and Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. Sanctuary has developed an elite network of advisors who, like Muirwood Private Wealth, knew that independence was the best option for their team and their clients. Through Partnered Independence, we’ve gained the freedom, flexibility and control of an independent fiduciary, yet we have the support systems we need to keep our focus on our clients, and we have access to the best-in-class specialists and resources we need to deliver a comprehensive wealth management experience.

Another important aspect of our technology platform is Orion’s integrated solution for personalized reporting, trading and portfolio rebalancing. Their service is perfect for firms like ours because we tailor portfolios specific to each client’s needs. With unique tech capabilities like apps, video portfolio reviews and digitized reporting, we can implement our fully personalized wealth management process in a manner that is efficient and convenient for our clients. For more than 20 years, Orion has been helping advisors deliver custom financial solutions efficiently. Their relationships represent $650 billion in client assets among 1,500+ advisory firms across the country.

As part of our technology-enabled client experience, we use eMoney Advisor’s breakthrough software to help our clients maintain financial clarity. The platform includes an intuitive interface that you can view on any device, and planning and collaboration tools that help simplify the wealth management process. eMoney serves more than 2.9 million investors, tracks more than $2.0 trillion in aggregated assets and is used by 46 out of the nation’s top 50 broker-dealers.