Meet the Team

Holly Deem

Chief Executive Officer

Holly D. Deem, CFA, brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in the investment and financial services industry to her role as Chief Executive Officer. She provides executive leadership of the firm, including overall management of the WealthTrust platform and its relationships with affiliate organizations. She joined WealthTrust in 2008 as Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Deem’s previous executive leadership roles include Chief Risk Officer for AMVESCAP; Chief Administrative Officer for INVESCO Global; and Chief Executive Officer for INVESCO Capital Management. Earlier in her career, she provided senior leadership at Bank of America and its subsidiaries, as Managing Director of Advisory Services; President of Private Investments; and President of TradeStreet Investment Associates.

Ms. Deem has been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Smartest Women in the Money Business” by Money for Women magazine and received the “Top 25 Women in Business” achievement award from The Business Journal (Charlotte, NC).

Ms. Deem holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. She earned a B.S. in Accounting from Western Illinois University and completed post-graduate studies at the Graduate School of Bank Investments in Norman, Oklahoma; and Executive Program/Business Strategy at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

She is a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research, the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts and The College of Business and Technology Advisory Board at Western Illinois University.

Paul Ahern, CFP®, ChFC®

Principal, Executive Vice President - Planning

A founding partner of WealthTrust-Arizona Paul has more than 20 years of experience helping individuals and families manage their wealth. He is a Certified Financial Planner® and Chartered Financial Consultant. Paul is a member of the Fixed Income Committee and serves on the Portfolio Committee.

His professional background in financial planning includes specialization in the preparation and analysis of formal financial plans, portfolio management and asset preservation strategies.

Paul is often sought out by the national and local media for his financial advice and insight. His views on integrated financial planning have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Smart Money, The Associated Press, Bankrate.com, The Wall Street Transcript, Scottsdale Airpark News and is regularly featured locally in The Arizona Republic.

Prior to joining WealthTrust-Arizona as a principal, Paul was a principal at DeGreen Wealth Management, a financial planning firm that pioneered the concept of integrating the disciplines of estate and financial planning in Arizona.

Paul moved to Arizona in 1982 from South Dakota and later attended Arizona State University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1990. Paul currently lives in Chandler with his wife and children. He enjoys traveling, playing basketball and snow skiing.

Paul is a member of the Financial Planning Association. 

Ben R. Wilson, PPC™

Principal, Executive Vice President

Ben Wilson brings over 20 years of wealth management planning experience to high-net worth individuals, families and businesses in need of integrated financial and estate planning expertise. Ben specializes in building and managing a team of financial professionals to effectively assist the affluent in managing their unique tax, investment, estate and insurance needs.

He is a founding partner of WealthTrust-Arizona and serves on the Portfolio Committee of the firm. He was also a founder of DeGreen Wealth Management where he helped develop and implement the concept of integrated estate and financial planning.

Ben has called Arizona his home for the last 45 years and is a graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson. He lives in Scottsdale and serves on the board of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.

Brent C. McQuiston, CFP®

Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor

Brent McQuiston brings more than 20 years of wealth management experience to WealthTrust-Arizona. Brent graduated from the University of Arizona where he earned his bachelor's degree in Finance. Brent is a Certified Financial Planner® and a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor. He chairs the Equity Committee for WealthTrust-Arizona and is a member of the Fixed Income, Alternative Investments, and Portfolio committees.

In his career, Brent spent nearly a decade with Charles Schwab working as a senior manager. At Schwab he specialized in building teams to provide investment advice to retail clients. As a top performing manager, he was honored with many awards including: Regional Manager of the Year, National Manager of the Year, Chairman's Award, as well as a five-time recipient of the Excellence in Service Award.

While at WealthTrust-Arizona, Brent has brought to his clients the highest levels of service, along with advice backed by sound principles in investment planning, risk management, taxation, and estate planning. He specializes in equity, alternative,and fixed income strategies. He resides in Carefree with his wife Tricia and two sons.

Brent's extensive financial knowledge has been featured in such publications as Credit Investment News, MarketWatch, Smart Money, Men's Health, The Wall Street Transcript, and CNBCMorning Call.

Heath Bray, CFS®

Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor

Heath Bray brings 12 years of extensive experience to WealthTrust-Arizona in the areas of wealth management, retirement planning and risk management. Heath is a Certified Funds Specialist ® and is Chairman of the Alternative Investment Committee. Heath also serves on the Fixed Income and Portfolio Committees.

Heath spent several years as a portfolio manager with Charles Schwab, focusing on high net-worth clients. He was a retirement plan specialist and advised many area companies regarding their qualified employee retirement and benefit plans. His professional financial background includes specialties in employee benefits and retirement planning.

A former college football captain and quarterback, Heath is a graduate of the University of Arizona and serves on the Steering Committee for the university's Athletic Department. He also serves on the executive committee of the Eller College of Business and Management.

Raised in North Carolina, Heath has lived in Arizona for 20 years. He is the proud father of two sons, Caden and Mason.

Capitalizing on his knowledge of the financial markets, Heath has been a featured guest on nationally-recognized programs such as CNBC's Power Lunch and Bloomberg Radio.

Mike Bowen, MBA

Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor

Mike Bowen contributes his more than nine years of professionalism and expertise to WealthTrust-Arizona, where he is an integral member of our high-caliber team serving high-net-worth families and individuals in the areas of wealth management and retirement planning. In addition to being our Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Mike is Chairman of the Fixed Income Committee and also serves on the Equity and Portfolio Committees at WealthTrust-Arizona.

Mike received an MBA degree in Finance from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Phoenix and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University in Tempe. He takes great pride in being an active member of our community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. He enjoys the desert lifestyle, living in Cave Creek with his wife and two sons.