Chris Santoro brings over a decade of financial services experience to Fenian Capital Strategies. Prior to joining our team, he operated a solo practice, and he was manager to a team of 25 financial professionals at a large national financial services company.
Chris is excited about the move to Fenian. It provides the opportunity to get back to the “roots” of his practice: being in direct contact with clients, and especially working with business owners.
“I had always dreamed of building my own financial services firm under an independent brand, but when I met Ray Leyden I realized that I aligned with what he envisioned,” Chris explains. “Fenian has successfully put in place the systems, structures, and team I would want in a financial firm,” he adds about how it became clear to him that he had found his professional home.
Chris is currently focused on expanding the group benefits department within Fenian. He works with business owners and human resources leaders to identify solution sets that fit the needs, budgets and cultures of his clients. Chris believes that Fenian’s competitive edge lays in the high caliber and consistency of service it offers. “We are not pushing products: our goal is to look at our clients’ complete financial picture and see how we can holistically address their challenges.”
Chris’ affinity for working with business owners is connected to his own entrepreneurial streak, a trait he can trace back to his teens. While in high school, he and his brother started a sports website which they successfully monetized, at a time when online sports news was still a novelty. Later in life, Chris would end up interning with the New York Knicks, and eventually worked in a sales role for the Miami Heat. He continues to be passionate about basketball, a sport he played throughout high school and college. He admits that what feels most fulfilling at this point in life is realizing his natural capacity for relationship building.
Chris is a graduate of Nichols College, where he earned a degree in Sports Management, as well as his Masters in Business Administration. He resides in his hometown of Poughkeepsie, New York. In his spare time Chris enjoys spending time at his lake house with his fiancée Bri, their family, and dog Zeus.