Our Team of Financial Advisors
Our Family Helping Your Family
We are a family of independent financial advisors who love what we do. At Botkin Family Wealth Management, we treat you the way that we ourselves want to be treated in our own business dealings – with care, respect, and the highest level of competence and professionalism. Exceptional client service in the form of proactive communication, diligent monitoring of your financial planning and investment strategy, and availability to you when you need us is what sets us apart.
Meet Our Executive Team
Lester P. Botkin, CFP®
Chief Executive Officer and Financial Advisor
Direct: (724) 941-0015
Email: [email protected]
Hear More About Les: 
Les Botkin has been a financial advisor since 1997. Now, as Chief Executive Officer of Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les continues his life work of developing strategies for clients to help grow their money then transition their earnings into a successful retirement. “Investors need to have a strategy in place for converting their life savings into a retirement income stream that can withstand the volatility of the stock market,” says Les. “Management of volatility is important once you’re spending your savings rather than adding to them.”Read More
The opening of Botkin Family Wealth Management in 2015 was the culmination of a long-time dream for Les. “As a small business owner in America, I feel uniquely connected to my clients, many of whom are also entrepreneurs. And as an independent financial advisor, I feel exhilarated to have the freedom to deliver advice and service in the way I know best serves the client.” At Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les works with clients to:
- develop investment strategies geared to their personal and financial goals
- instill confidence in retirement readiness by determining the level of retirement income needed and establishing a systematic savings plan toward that goal
- create an investment plan geared toward providing both income and growth during retirement, with defensive strategies for handling volatility
- monitor market conditions and their impact on the portfolio, keeping an eye on withdrawal rate and regularly reaching out to inquire about changing needs
Before founding Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les served as Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley in Upper St. Clair, PA. He was previously Senior Vice President at the Pittsburgh financial planning firm of Hefren-Tillotson. Les honed his business development skills and his gift of communicating effectively in his former career as a PGA golf professional. He was the original director of golf at Pittsburgh’s exclusive Jack Nicklaus signature course The Club at Nevillewood, where he played the course’s opening round with Nicklaus himself, losing by one stroke. “A great relief!” Les recalls. As a pro at other clubs, he owned as well as managed the golf shop, golf program and staff.
Les is committed to continuing his education in financial planning to ensure that clients receive the most informed and current advice. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds a BS in Business Administration from La Roche College and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. When asked why he invests so much time in professional development while he has his own business to run, Les says the choice is simple: “If you’re not engaged in professional education and development, you’re not equipped to give clients the most current and accurate information on topics related to their investments.” Les extends his focus on education to fellow advisors and is a favorite colleague of many, always opening his door to those seeking advice and mentorship. Les says, “I enjoy seeing others succeed, and if I can contribute to their success in even a small way, that’s a great feeling.”
Les has been profiled by Reuters and interviewed by WPXI-TV’s Our Region’s Business and Word 101.5 about the greatest risks facing retirees. In addition, he has written articles on investing that have appeared in magazines including Boomers, Upper St. Clair Today and US Airways. Having always been active in the community, Les is past president of the McKeesport Salvation Army, a past board member of the Tri-State PGA, and a current committee member of the FamilyLinks Charity Golf Outing.
Les and his wife Barbara live in Peters Township, PA. They have two children and four grandchildren. “I’ve been lucky in life,” he muses. “I was born to great parents and for more than 40 years I’ve been married to a wonderful woman who did a spectacular job raising our children. I’ve also been blessed with a lot of supportive friends and colleagues along the way.”
Sara B. Botkin, CFP®
President and Financial Advisor
Direct: (724) 941-0016
Email: [email protected]
Hear More About Sara:
Sara Botkin believes that an advisor’s first priority should be client communication. As President of Botkin Family Wealth Management, Sara directs the firm’s proactive communication strategy, ensuring that every client receives personal and relevant communication on a regular basis and overseeing the firm’s rigorous communication schedule of phone calls, review meetings, and continuing education events. “When investors are considering leaving their current broker in order to work with us, performance is rarely the reason,” says Sara. “Instead they tell me they haven’t heard from their advisor in over a year. It feels like no one is paying attention. No one cares. My first priority in running our business is that no client of Botkin Family Wealth Management ever feels that way about us.”Read More
Sara began her career in finance with AON Corporation in New York City, where she worked on the 105th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center. A survivor of the September 11 attacks, she relocated to her hometown of Pittsburgh to begin a financial planning partnership with her father Les. “Living through the tragedy of 9/11 made me want to be near my family,” she recalls. “Working with my dad and my brother has been one of my life’s greatest experiences. We truly love celebrating each other’s successes and those of our clients.” Cofounding Botkin Family Wealth Management is Sara’s latest success in a financial planning career full of accomplishments, from being awarded Rookie of the Year during her first year as an advisor to being named Vice President of Wealth Management at Smith Barney while still in her twenties.
“For many years I envisioned finding that perfect fit with a company whose values mirrored my own,” says Sara. The search ended with the cofounding of her own independent financial advisory firm. “It is so rewarding to work with my family to deliver what I’ve always felt would be the premier client experience.” Sara’s responsibilities at Botkin Family Wealth Management include:
- writing comprehensive financial plans as well as supporting documents that aid in the creation and maintenance of those plans
- planning continuing education seminars and other ongoing communication outreach with clients, such as regular email updates and newsletters
- ensuring proactive, personal communication with each client through scheduled quarterly phone calls and annual review meetings
Sara is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She earned a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. Sara has been featured and profiled in Pittsburgh Professional Magazine, Reuters, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Peters Township Source and The Almanac. She has appeared on WPXI-TV, KDKA-TV, Cornerstone Television and on NightTalk with Ann Devlin on PCNC television. An active fundraiser in her community, Sara has helped raise awareness and funds for March of Dimes, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The United Way and the American Heart Association. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Washington County.
Sara and her husband Ovi live in Canonsburg with their three children. As a music lover and accomplished classical singer, Sara has recorded three CDs and used them for great causes: helping Pittsburgh’s WQED-FM 89.3 raise over $20,000 by donating the discs, donating proceeds of concert sales to the Pittsburgh Food Bank and offering free music to active U.S. military personnel.
Lester H. Botkin, CFA®
Chief Investment Officer and Financial Advisor
Direct: (724) 941-0017
Email: [email protected]
Hear More About Lester:
Lester Botkin possesses an uncommon ability to communicate complex investment matters in a way that is accessible and meaningful. “I love research and the investment process,” he says, “but best of all is the opportunity to sit down and show clients how a particular strategy can positively impact their lives.” As Chief Investment Officer at Botkin Family Wealth Management, Lester’s responsibilities include:
- conducting initial quantitative and qualitative screening as part of Botkin Family Wealth Management’s due diligence process
- constructing and monitoring the firm’s hypothetical asset allocation portfolios based on extensive research
- preparing personalized investment proposals and illustrating the potential impact of various strategies within clients’ comprehensive financial plans
Before entering the investment business in 2007, Lester served five years in the United States Marine Corps. As an aerial navigator on KC-130 aircraft, he saw the world as only a U.S. Marine can, successfully completing hundreds of missions that included Iraq’s Battle of Fallujah in 2004. When not flying, Lester served as a fiscal officer at Stewart Air Reserve Base in Newburgh, NY. The former Marine received the Air Medal as well as the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his performance in both jobs.
“My work and time in the Marine Corps uniquely prepared me for a career as a financial advisor,” Lester asserts. “It provided me with numerous opportunities to develop and demonstrate the highest work ethic, perseverance, commitment to task and to people, teamwork, attention to detail, problem solving while under time constraints and extreme pressure, and professionalism.”
Prior to cofounding Botkin Family Wealth Management, Lester served as a consulting group analyst for Morgan Stanley. He earned a BA in economics, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University and is a CFA® charterholder. The Chartered Financial Analyst designation is among the most highly respected and difficult to obtain in the investment industry. For more information about the CFA®, click here.
Active in his community, Lester has served as chaplain and Senior Vice Commander of the McMurray VFW Post 764 and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Washington County. He and his wife Julie live in Peters Township with their son and daughter.
Danielle B. Wilson
Vice President and Director of Client Service
Direct: (724) 941-1737
Email: [email protected]
During their tenure at Morgan Stanley, the founders of Botkin Family Wealth Management recruited Danielle Wilson to work exclusively with their clients. “Danielle was such an exciting discovery for us,” says Sara Botkin, President of the firm. “Danielle anticipates challenges and works to solve them before they interrupt the client experience. She doggedly follows through each task until it is complete, and she has a caring manner about her that sets clients at ease and leaves them feeling assured that their important needs are being met with the highest level of competence.” As Director of Client Service at Botkin Family Wealth Management, Danielle’s responsibilities include:
- scheduling and confirming client appointments;
- preparing account opening and account transfer paperwork and diligently following each transaction through to its completion; and
- responding to client requests, including account distributions and contributions.
“Our most important goal is to provide our clients with a first class experience in every area, from the initial planning phase to the implementation of our investment strategy and then through the years, responding to the changing needs of the people we serve,” says Chief Executive Officer Les Botkin. “With Danielle as Director of Client Service, we know that our clients are receiving concierge-level administrative assistance.”
Danielle began her career in the financial services industry in the operations division of Morgan Stanley, where for two years she worked closely with financial advisors to fulfill the administrative needs of thousands of clients. She is committed to ongoing education and in 2016 obtained her Series 7 general securities registration (which is held through LPL Financial), enabling her to serve clients at an even higher level.
A native of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Danielle received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston, where she was a history major. Following graduation she embarked on a marketing career before being introduced to Pittsburgh by her husband, Josh Wilson, a professional baseball player who grew up in Mt. Lebanon. The couple live in Upper St. Clair with their son and daughter.