Key People | Alexandra & James

We are seasoned advisors with a legacy in the business of wealth.

As family that has been in business together for over 85 years, we understand the sensitivities and dynamics surrounding money. We provide the framework, the expertise and the objectivity to keep your finances, and your family, intact.
- James Lebenthal, Co-Founder of Alexandra & James.

Alexandra Lebenthal

President and CEO

Wealth management isn’t limited to investing in stocks and bonds. It’s the organization and oversight of every aspect of a person’s life that relates to money.

Alexandra has spent her life with investments, her family and building a business – all training for where she is today. As president and CEO, she oversees the strategy and long-term growth of Alexandra & James and its broker dealer Lebenthal & Co., LLC. She is truly grateful for the opportunity to have her firm be your advisor.

Alexandra’s passion is her firm and her clients, as well as her community. She is active in both her industry as well as many philanthropies in New York City. She is the treasurer and a board member of the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), and is active as a board member, an advisor or a committee member of the NY Botanical Garden, the School of American Ballet, Hale House and the Alzheimer’s Association.

A contributing editor to www.NewYorkSocialDiary.com and the author of The Recessionistas (published August 2010), she is a frequent media commentator on financial and social issues and is an official CNBC contributor.

Background at a Glance

President, Lebenthal - division of Advest (2002-2005)
CEO, Lebenthal & Co., Inc. (1995-2002)
Director of Sales, Lebenthal & Co (1993-1995)
BA in History, Princeton University

Michelle Smith, CFP, CDFA

Co-Founder & Director of Family Wealth Management

For 25 years, as a financial planner and advisor, I have helped the well-off plan their finances.

For 25 years, I have been advising high net worth clients about all things financial: their asset allocation and investment strategy, cash flow and lifestyle needs planning, and in general, being the architect of their financial plan. With a planning specialty in the area of divorce, I have a unique and intersecting skill set to advise people in the creation of their post divorce financial life. Divorce can be a crash course in managing financial affairs and this calls for the skill and traits of patience as well as being able to educate, explain and create complex and sophisticated financial concepts in a way that is personally meaningful and relevant to each client's unique set of life goals and needs.

Background at a Glance

President, Smith Financial Strategies Group in New York City
Regional Director, Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts™
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™
Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
Divorce Mediator

James B. Lebenthal, CFA

President, Equity Asset Management for Lebenthal Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer for Alexandra & James

I did not just randomly fall into investment management as a profession. I have invested in equities for myself since the age of 12. It is not just a job. It is a deeply felt passion that extends to my clients’ benefits. Too often, we see people who have gone to work on Wall Street simply because that is where the high paychecks are. They have neither interest in the profession nor concern for their clients. We are the exact opposite.

How secure would you feel if your money were guarded by a nuclear engineer aboard fast attack submarines? Pretty secure, right? Especially if his naval experiences in intense situations and intensive settings are grounded in a financial career spent determining asset allocation, and selecting securities and external managers for wealthy families. James has served as both a lieutenant in the U.S Navy and on Wall Street, providing him with an invaluable foundation for interacting with clients, speaking with managers of investments companies and reviewing external investment managers. Jimmy is responsible for the portfolio management for equity accounts within Lebenthal Asset Management.

As CIO of Alexandra & James, he oversees the economic and market outlook for clients firm wide as chair of the Investment Committee. He also is chair of the Investment Manager Due Diligence Committee, responsible for approval, review and monitoring of outside investment managers used for Alexandra & James clients. A resident of Pawling, NY, who uses his 90-minute commute to pore over financial statements, Jimmy serves as a trustee for the Mizzentop Day School in Pawling and as a trustee of the Cap & Gown Club of Princeton University.

Background at a Glance

Partner/Portfolio Manager, Levy Harkins & Co. (2004-2006)
Vice President, Goldman Sachs, Private Wealth Management (1999-2004)
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Submarine Service (1990-1997)
MBA, Wharton School of Business (1999)
BA in Molecular Biology, Princeton University (1990)
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Gregory W. Serbe

President, Lebenthal Municipal Asset Management

We take a lifetime of knowledge about the municipal bond market and distill it down to what works for each individual. We don’t do ‘one size fits all.’ After a client meeting and analyzing their objectives, we focus on a solution that fits an overall strategy.

Greg manages client portfolios and provides client services, on the ready for conference calls with both clients and prospective investors. Leveraging his career in municipal securities across all credit and maturity sectors, Greg spends his days overseeing credit selection, placement on maturity curve, purchase and sale decisions, and supervision of municipal asset management investment team. He is past chair of the National Municipal Bond Buyers Association, and serves as treasurer and a board member of the New York City Coop. “The team and I passionately combine our experience in investing in the bond market with our commitment to servicing our clients, all with the goal of providing superior returns over time.

Background at a Glance

Vice President and Municipal Portfolio Manager, BlackRock Municipal Asset Management (2006- 2007)
Vice President and Municipal Portfolio Manager, Merrill Lynch Municipal Asset Management (2005- 2006)
President, original Lebenthal Municipal Asset Management (1997-2005)
Managing Director of Municipals, Mitchell Hutchins Asset Management (1983-1996)
Vice President and Municipal Bond Portfolio Manager, Provident Institutional Management Company (1981-1983)
Assistant Vice President, Municipal Bond Department, First National Bank of Chicago (1967-1981)
License en Sciences Economiques Appliquees, Louvain University, Louvain, Belgium
MBA, University of Chicago
BA in History, Yale University

Check out Greg Serbe on Thomson/Reuters discussing these recent market developments:

Jefferson County

Harrisburg

U.S. Treasury Downgrade

Corinne Smith

Senior Managing Director, Investments

I create portfolios, plan, evaluate assets and investments but what I really do is consider myself a partner in helping clients see where they are and where they want to be. Quality of life, legacy and education are words that clients will hear from me quite often.

Corinne is active in a number of organizations in New York City and Newburgh, New York where she maintains a home. She is particularly passionate about financial literacy for children and has developed a program that teaches basic concepts of money and investing.

Background at a Glance

1979-1989 Merrill Lynch

1989-1998 UBS

1998-2007 Wachovia

John Carey

Managing Director

After a long and successful career as a portfolio manager for individuals at a leading bank and investment company, I joined Alexandra & James for many reasons. The integrity of the firm along with the quality, expertise and dedication of my associates were all important factors. The most compelling reason is my ability to provide independent financial planning, portfolio management and the other services in ways that I know are without a doubt in the best interests of my clients. There is a close and true feeling of family at Alexandra & James that differentiates us from most others in the industry.

I develop confidence and trust through close personal attention, communication based on client’s knowledge level, and portfolio management that focuses on their objectives. I am a keep-it-simple portfolio manager who doesn’t use any wiz-bang or du jour products. My knowledge and experience of investing over several decades (high U.S. inflation during the 1970s and U.S. disinflation from the early 1980s through 2009, for example) enable me to provide comprehensive wealth management and financial planning for my clients. The independence and close, personal attention that I apply to all of my clients are key factors in our success.

John is a member of the Gamma Mu National Honor Society.

Background at a Glance

Portfolio Manager, U. S. Trust Corporation (1974 – 2009)
MBA in Finance, the Pennsylvania State University (1973)
BA in Economics, Susquehanna University (1972)

Leonard Schlangel, CPA, J.D.

Senior Managing Director

At Alexandra & James, we do nothing fancy. There’s no secret sauce. It’s just the implementation of tried-and-true methods of wealth preservation and growth. We believe it is better to avoid problems than practice disaster control.

Leonard is responsible for the client’s tax planning, compliance, family office, and business management services. He is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs and the New York State Bar Association

Background at a Glance

Vice President, Lehman Brothers (1986-2007)
JD, New York Law School
Advanced Professional Certificate in Federal Taxation, NYU Stern School of Business
MBA, NYU Stern School of Business
BA, Yeshiva University

Ekaterina Klimentova, CPA, CDFA

Associate Managing Director

I will do whatever it takes to run your personal finances like a good business and take the busy part of having money away from you.

As your personal CFO, Ekatreina worries about your everyday financial affairs so you don’t have to. She provides business management, family office, and tax services, as well as serves as a liaison to your attorneys, investment advisors, agents, vendors, caretakers, contractors and other professionals with whom you do business. She is a member of the NYSSCPA (New York State Society of CPAs), and the Institute of Certified Divorce Financial Analysts.

Background at a Glance

BS in Accounting, Marymount Manhattan College
Senior Accountant, BCRS Associates, LLC (2006-2007)
Senior Accountant, Business Manager, Executive Monetary Management, Inc. (1999-2006)
Tax Compliance Specialist, Ernst & Young LLP (1996 – 1998)
Higher Education Diploma in Roman & Germanic Languages (equivalent of MA in Languages & Education in the United States), Kiev State University,

Life Managed.
Wealth Maintained.

Experience matters

“We take a lifetime of knowledge about the municipal bond market and distill it down to what works for each individual. We don’t do ‘one size fits all.’ After meeting with a client and analyzing their objectives, we focus on a solution that fits an overall strategy.” – Greg Serbe

Trust is essential

“I develop confidence and trust through close personal attention, communication based on client’s knowledge level, and portfolio management that focuses on their objectives. I’m excited to come in each morning and interact with my clients.” – John Carey

The best advice

“I’m very lucky in that I have clients I enjoy speaking with and have become close to. When clients turn to me for advice, they know I will dive in and give them all the answers they need.” – Leonard Schlangel