Featured Speaker on 06.26.2019

Darrel W. Upson, Managing Partner at Hudson Peak Wealth Advisors, one of the nation’s top planning practices at Ameriprise Financial, since 2002. Among his certifications and designations, Darrel has the distinct honor of being awarded a Westchester Magazine Five Star Wealth Manager Award every year since 2009.

Darrel’s focus is helping clients define and pursue their vision of financial success.  Darrel often hears from clients that he sits at the intersection of money and life. He leads a growing practice and is extremely proud of the knowledgeable team he leads and the culture that they have created.

Spending most of childhood growing up in Westchester County, Darrel eventually lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a period of almost 6 years. There he worked in Private Equity and he saw first-hand how the growth and challenges of emerging markets can sidetrack one’s long term planning initiatives. He believes that all his clients appreciate and need financial planning, but they are aware that life will sometimes come between theory and reality.

In 2017, Darrel joined the Board of Directors of Lutheran Social Services of New York - one of the largest social service agencies in New York. He serves on the Development and Nominations Committee which is responsible for all aspects of fundraising and board relations.   LSSNY strengthens lives, families and communities through is foster care, child care, hunger prevention, immigration, supportive housing and special education programs. Their programs care for 7,000 New Yorkers each day.

Darrel was Chairman of the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Progress of Peoples, Affordable Housing and Development Group, from 2005 to 2015. The organization has created over 3,400 units of housing in Brooklyn and Queens, making it one of the largest affordable housing developers on the East Coast, with a portfolio value of over $300 million. 

In addition, Calvary Hospital, one of the nation’s leaders in palliative care, is another cause that Darrel dedicates his time to. Currently a committee member of their Annual Golf Outing, Darrel has helped this event become an anchor fundraising endeavor for the hospital, with over 10-years of service. Other areas of philanthropic involvement include Life’s Worc (Autism), Phelps Memorial Hospital, Uptown Soccer, Friends of PS 187 and Lifting-Up Westchester. He has acted as a special advisor for several companies and consistently mentors students of his alma mater, Hobart College.

Darrel is a graduate of Hobart College, with a B.A. in Political Science.  He went on to receive a M.S. from Universidad Del CEMA (Buenos Aires) in Finance/Capital Markets; He most recently completed work in portfolio management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as part of his CIMA designation requirement.

He loves spending time with his wife of 18 years, Maria and their two children, Zachary (13) and Malena (11). If there is any time left in the day, Darrel loves to cook, travel, sail, golf, ski and read.

For further details regarding his CV: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrelwupson/

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”

ALAN LAKEIN