headshot

Tom Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®

Founder & CEO

  • InvestmentNews Awards RIA “Team of the Year” – 2024 

  • 7x Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” – 2024 (#1 N Florida) 

  • Newsweek America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms – 2025 

  • 12x Barron’s “Top 1200 Financial Advisors” – 2024 

  • Forbes “Top 250 RIA Firms” – 2024 (#4 in Florida) 

  • InvestmentNews Hot List – 100 Top Financial Professionals in the US – 2024 

  • 12x Financial Advisor Magazine “America’s Top RIA’s” – 2024 

  • Think Advisor Luminaries Finalist – Thought Leader of the Year – 2024 

  • 3x Family Wealth Report Awards Finalist – 2024 

  • InvestmentNews “Top 75 Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIAS” – 2023 

  • USA Today “Best Financial Advisory Firms” – 2023 

  • Forbes Finance Council Since 2016 

7X Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (#1 N Florida – 2024)
13X Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors




Tom is a visionary wealth manager, executive, and entrepreneur who has spent more than three decades building one of the country’s pre-eminent wealth management organizations, comprised of an independent RIA, multiple wealth management firms, various alternative investment funds, co-investment fund and other privileged investment initiatives to enhance client offerings.In 2017, Tom founded Destiny Family Office to help individuals and families with situations like his – navigate the challenges and complexities of managing significant wealth, and to offer them a single-family office experience within a multi-family office structure.

His success is not one of inherited privilege but of resilience, hard work, and tenacity that have been formative to his entrepreneurial journey and personalized approach to serving clients.

He often remarks, “I am my own client,” reflecting his deep understanding of the complexities involved in building, managing, and preserving wealth while navigating the demands of both family and business. Every capability and solution at Destiny Family Office has been shaped by a guiding question: What would I want as a client? The answers have been refined over more than two decades of insights gained from Strategic Coach, Vistage membership, the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) across his enterprise, and most recently, his participation in Tiger 21.

Tom’s philosophy of collaboration and quest for lifelong learning have been foundational. He and his team are committed to be their clients’ “first call” — whether they are celebrating achievements, navigating setbacks, or seeking new opportunities.

Tom focuses heavily on providing privileged access to institutional-caliber alternative investments, including pre-IPO direct/private investments. He has also combined his own passion as an avid collector with his financial expertise to help clients turn personal interests into powerful investments.

He is an author and contributing writer with dozens of articles published in industry-leading publications and speaks frequently on the topics of alternative investments and collectibles as an asset class.

Tom and his team have been blessed to be recognized and ranked among the nation’s top wealth advisors and firms:

  • InvestmentNews 2024 RIA “Team of the Year”
  • Newsweek America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms 2025
  • Forbes Top 250 RIA Firms (#4 in Florida – 2024)
  • InvestmentNews 2024 Hot List – 100 Top Financial Professionals in the US
  • 12X Financial Advisor Magazine “America’s Top RIA’s”
  • ThinkAdvisor Luminaries 2024 Award Finalist “Thought Leader of the Year”
  • 3X Family Wealth Report Awards Finalist
  • InvestmentNews 2023 Top 75 Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIAS
  • USA Today “Best Financial Advisory Firms” – 2023
  • Forbes Finance Council Since 2016

Audrey Ralicki, CFP®​

Managing Partner

Audrey works alongside Tom to help create holistic plans for our Family Office clients – entrepreneurs, executives and multi-generational families with highly complex needs.

Her vision is to align their financial objectives with the desired impact, legacy and purpose they wish to make as they work to achieve their destiny. She is committed to providing leadership and support to our entire team of family office professionals, and above all, to providing exemplary service to the multiple generations of family office clients we serve.

Audrey’s passion for helping individuals and families pursue their financial goals led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in Finance with a concentration in Financial Planning from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.  She joined Destiny Wealth Partners in 2011, and has served in various roles within the firm. In 2018, she was named  Managing Partner.

Rob Clark, CFP®​

Partner

Rob Clark has been helping clients work toward long-term financial security for their families and their businesses since 2001. It is his goal to help his clients grow, protect, and manage their assets in the most tax-efficient manner. With attention to detail and organizational skill, Rob effectively manages clients’ portfolios, creating an integrated strategy aimed at meeting their investment and retirement objectives. Rob is a Certified Financial Planner™ and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida. He serves on the Orange County Children and Family Services Board, the Orange County Animal Services Classification Board, and is a Leadership Orlando Alumni. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing and health/fitness. The Florida native was born in Sarasota.

Getting to Know Rob

Bucket List: Cruise to Alaska

Favorite TV Show: The Office

Favorite Food: Sushi

Jorge Romero, CFP®​

Managing Partner

Jorge A. Romero, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), serves as the Managing Partner at Destiny Family Office. He began his career in the financial services industry in 2004 after having served honorably in The United States Marine Corps.  Jorge works closely with clients and their families to develop & implement comprehensive wealth management solutions designed to help clients achieve their goals.  His areas of focus include lifestyle funding and cash flow analysis, tax planning, estate planning, risk management, family governance and philanthropic planning.

In addition to working directly with clients & their families, Jorge also leads Destiny Wealth Partners’ Investment Committee, where his responsibilities include shaping the firm’s investment policy formation, asset allocation strategy development, manager research & selection, and portfolio performance monitoring.

Jorge received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and Pre-Law along with a Minor in Latin American Studies from The University of Central Florida and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Financial Planning and Taxation along with the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation.  He is a member of The CFA Institute & CFA Society of Orlando, The Financial Planning Association of Central Florida, The Investments & Wealth Institute, as well as the Estate Planning Council of The Villages®.

In his spare time, Jorge enjoys learning about Wine, and traveling with his friends & family- which also includes their Coton de Tuléar puppy, RóBear.  Jorge is an avid reader of history, international relations, and linguistics books; he speaks Spanish, some Italian, and French, and is always exploring new languages.  He is also an endurance cyclist, often riding his road bike or Peloton® to raise funds & awareness for charities such as No Kid Hungry®, UNICEF, and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society®.

Chris Nichols

Partner

Chris Nichols has been in the financial services industry for more than two decades and specializes in comprehensive wealth planning for ultra-high-net-worth clients. Through collaboration with these entrepreneurs, intergenerational families, institutions, and their other trusted advisors, he has a long tradition of helping them define their unique wealth management and investment objectives and building customized strategies aimed at achieving their goals. He offers oversight of the family’s overall financial matters, philanthropic strategies, and the development of the human and intellectual capital of the next generations.

He also retains his position as Founder, Managing Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor of Nichols Wealth Partners. Over the years, Chris has been a valued speaker on public and private investment planning. He is also the author of The Real Truth About Your Money: Simple Answers to Smart Financial Questions.
 
A native of South Florida, Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in economics from the University of Florida. He is past President and for 10 years served as a board member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Ft. Lauderdale. Currently he serves as investment committee member of the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Chris enjoys driving fast cars, exercising, reading, and watching sporting events. He resides in Boca Raton with his wife and four children.

Bill Newton

Partner

Bill Newton is a seasoned financial expert with a distinguished career spanning several decades, who also retains his position as Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor with Jacksonville-based Destiny Wealth. He provides CFO-level strategic advisory services tailored for business owners and high-net-worth clients and their families.
 
Bill’s journey in the financial sector began in the 1980s as a Cable TV executive, where he played a pivotal role in developing the Beaches area’s infrastructure. Transitioning into the realms of Insurance and Investment Management, he soon recognized the critical need for robust asset protection and succession planning. Since 1997, Bill has dedicated himself to addressing these challenges, helping clients safeguard their wealth and plan for the future.
 
A proud graduate of Old Dominion University, Bill was a standout Division I golfer, a passion he continues to pursue. He has won multiple men’s and senior men’s Club Championships at Sawgrass Country Club and Marsh Landing Country Club.
 
Bill and his wife are approaching their 47th wedding anniversary and enjoy traveling with their twin daughters. An avid fan of all beef hot dogs and a devoted supporter of the Green Bay Packers, Bill welcomes fellow fans to join him in cheering for his favorite team or engaging in a friendly wager.
Bill is also known for his insightful “Newton’s Laws of Financial Gravity,” the first of which asserts, “when your net worth goes up, it must continue to go up!”
 
Last thought I always give to my clients: NOT ALL MONIES ARE TAXED THE SAME.
Jeremy_2023_web

Jeremy Wassmer, CFP®

Associate Wealth Advisor

Jeremy is a detailed problem solver who enjoys boiling down complex issues to their simplest form so that clients can understand and make informed decisions.

In 2011 Jeremy began an apprenticeship working for his father’s advisory firm in Kansas City assisting with Medicare, Social Security and retirement income planning. Jeremy graduated from Benedictine College in 2013 with a B.A. in marketing and a minor in finance. He obtained a Series 65 license in 2014, and in 2016 joined a local insurance company in Kansas City to assist small business owners with group employee benefits and business transition planning. Jeremy moved to Orlando in 2017 for a mentorship in comprehensive personal financial planning and wealth management for high net-worth clients while working under a seasoned financial advisor for five years. In 2020, he obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification and began working with Ruggie Wealth Management in 2023. He is now studying for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) level I designation.

Jeremy is engaged to be married to his fiancé Ashley, and shares a home with his three dogs. He enjoys time with friends, watching movies and TV shows with Ashley, playing in pick-up games i.e. soccer, golf and tennis, and watching the Kansas City Chiefs and English Premier League soccer.

Getting to Know Jeremy

What’s your favorite food? Lobster Bisque or Mac and Cheese
Best piece of financial advice you received: “Work to learn, don’t work for money.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki
Favorite quote: “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” – Albert Einstein
If I could meet anyone, past or present, it would be… Elon Musk, or a close second Patrick Mahomes
Hidden talent/skills: I’m excellent at using two ears and one mouth as I listen twice as much as I speak
Favorite book: First Things First – Stephen Covey
Favorite movie or TV show: Game of Thrones
What motivates you? Becoming the best version of myself.
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Name something on your bucket list: Going to a Chief’s Super Bowl
Place you’d most like to visit: Hawaii
Biggest accomplishment: Proposing to Ashley

Sharon Kolstad

Client Relationship Manager

Providing ongoing service and support that exceeds expectations, to Destiny Wealth Partners’ clients and team members alike, is Sharon’s focus and commitment. Before joining our team, she worked for a Christian non-profit organization, and has a passion to help others succeed both professionally and personally.

Born and raised in a small town in North Central Florida, she has lived in the Orlando area with her husband and children since 2017. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, paddle boarding and doing CrossFit.

Favorite Holiday: Christmas