Our people

Davin has been a financial professional with North Star since 2001. He also serves as growth and development leaders at North Star Consultants of Texas – Austin and on our firm’s Servant Leadership Steering Committee.

With a focus on developing financial professionals, Davin believes recruiting the right people for the industry and training them for success is the best way to strengthen the business and provide quality guidance to the individuals and families who rely on North Star.

As a contributor to the greater financial industry, Davin is a member of the board of trustees for Finseca, trustee for the Finseca Foundation, member of the national sub-committee for the Leadership in Life Institute (LILI), and chair of LILI for the state of Texas.

Finally, Davin has spent several years coaching his three daughter’s elementary school basketball teams, allowing him to invest in the community while being all-in where it matters most: his family.

Dani is responsible for creating systems for stronger customer service, and she supports team members in our Lone Star Division, Austin, Dallas, Scottsdale, and Elk River locations through hiring and training.

Prior to taking a management role in 2021, Dani served in support and coordinator roles at North Star where she provided exceptional customer service to our associates and clients for six years. Her firsthand experience in the roles she manages allows her to support her teams at a greater level.

Dani is passionate about empowering her teams through training and collaboration to provide value-added services to our financial professionals and to ensure clients’ goals and needs are supported at every level of the organization.

Robin joined North Star as our IT Director in early 2020, and he has championed initiatives such as Microsoft Outlook Mobile, Microsoft One Drive, and Microsoft Teams, as well as providing guidance through remote work and the new website launch.

Before coming to North Star, Robin had extensive experience in IT operations and strategy as a director at Assurant for over 13 years. His cross-discipline experience has made him a valuable resource to all advisors and associates at North Star.

Anna has been serving North Star’s teams since 2015, and she brings with her nearly 20 years’ accounting experience.

Overseeing our accounting operations, Anna excels in financial professional tax prep consulting, client service, internal audit/controls, Agility, Great Plains, QuickBooks, Excel, year-end close, and management efficiency, and she serves as a resource and expert for each of our 160 financial professional practices throughout the United States.

North Star financial professionals are freed up to focus on their clients’ needs first and foremost, knowing their operations have the expert support of Anna and the rest of the accounting team.

Anna graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of St. Scholastica and received her Certified Public Accountant certification from the Minnesota State Board of Accountancy.

Thomas joined North Star in 2018 with over 20 years’ experience launching the careers of financial professionals.

He began his career in finance as a financial advisor and was consistently promoted at several well-known firms. As a member of the professional development department, Thomas searches out career changers and experienced financial professionals and nurtures their diverse backgrounds and talents to better serve their clients. His mission is to support the growth of each individual and team in a career and leadership path they want for themselves as financial services professionals.

Outside of his work at North Star, Thomas is a board member of several organizations including Minnesota Youth Athletic Services.

Nick supports team members in our Madison and Portland offices, as well as serving as a resource for the new business, contracts and licensing, and office support teams at our headquarters in Minneapolis.

Nick joined North Star in 2019 bringing with him over 13 years’ experience with management in the hospitality industry. Today, his responsibilities at North Star include hiring, training, professional development, and firmwide team building, and he uses his experience working with employees and customers of diverse backgrounds to create a more inclusive environment at North Star.

Tony develops lasting connections with advisors at North Star to see them through to a successful career.

Joining North Star in 2010, Tony has an extensive career in sales management and customer relations, and he is passionate about helping emerging advisors learn the communication and marketing skills needed to serve their clients in life-long relationships.

Along with one-on-one coaching, Tony also introduces new advisors to North Star’s extensive training and development program. He works with industry organizations, division specialists, and tenured advisors to provide interns and advisors the education needed to master the complex topics of financial services.

Tony works out of North Star’s headquarters in Minneapolis, but he enjoys connecting with advisors throughout the nation on his weekly mentoring and coaching calls with advisors at all stages in their careers.

Jay Pugh joined North Star in 1986, and he has served the firm as Senior Vice President since 2013.

Mariann joined North Star in December 2006 in a role supporting senior leadership. As the leadership team experienced some changes and the firm grew, she was presented with an opportunity to lead the Compliance team.

The North Star Compliance team provides daily support for financial professionals and team members to better navigate the plethora of industry regulations we operate under and help them continue to conduct business that aligns with the ever-evolving compliance standards.

Compliance is essentially tasked with serving and protecting both clients of the firm and those working within the firm.

Mariann received a degree in business from the University of St. Thomas in 2004, and prior to North Star, she worked for a couple of smaller Minneapolis-based companies outside of the financial services industry. She currently holds her Series 7, 63, 53, and 24 registrations.

Megan leads our team of talented, service-focused marketing professionals who are dedicated to the financial professional’s growth. She specializes in coaching and helping advisors with their overall marketing strategies and creative initiatives that are right for their practices.

Megan and her team put the financial professional first—providing opportunities and resources for new and tenured financial professionals in each of our 41 locations.

Jenna joined North Star is 2006, and she has worked in developing and supporting team members committed to serving our clients and communities for her entire career.

Jenna’s proudest accomplishments involve bringing people together and encouraging hearts of service in others. She is actively involved in Stop Alzheimer’s Now and Feed My Starving Children.

Currently working out of North Star’s office in Dallas, Jenna supports our new and tenured financial professionals and their teams throughout the nation.

Mary Claire supports team members in our Minneapolis, Iowa City, and Durham offices through hiring, training, and continued professional and personal development.

Before joining North Star in 2019, Mary Claire spent time as a retail manager and on the training team at Securian Financial Services. In these roles, she honed her skills in communication, team-building, management, and team member training.

Her mission at North Star is to serve as a link between upper leadership, financial professionals, and team members to ensure everyone receives the respect and kindness they deserve, regardless of background or knowledge. She makes herself a resource and an advocate for all team members, building stronger teams and a culture of integrity throughout North Star nationwide.

Before joining North Star in 2014, Tim spent 11 years with Securian Financial.

Tim attended St. John’s University in St. Joseph, Minn., and received his Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. He currently works out of North Star’s headquarters in Minneapolis.