PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

Drew co-founded GG&E Wealth Management Advisors in 2018 along with his father Bill Gombatz and their partner Matthew Eppinger. Drew enjoys developing lasting relationships with clients—building a good financial plan requires trust and understanding from both sides. Drew’s passion is helping families, individuals, and business owners feel more confident about their finances by creating customized, long-term plans that set them free from worry and allow them to focus on the things they enjoy most in life.

EDUCATION

Drew earned a degree in economics from the University of Connecticut. While at his first job as an underwriter for The Hartford, he started growing his knowledge by completing the Chartered Life Underwriter® designation. Continuing education has always been one of Drew’s primary focuses—while experience would take time to gain, education was something he could control and expand on immediately. Over the years, he has earned the following designations:

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
• Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®)
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
• Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)

PERSONAL AND BACKGROUND

Drew was born in New Britain, Connecticut, and lived there until graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2008. He now lives in Farmington with his wife Krissy, their two sons Landon and Cooper, and their golden retriever Bear. Krissy has been a nurse for more than 10 years. Most of their free time is spent supporting Landon and Cooper in all their endeavors, which now include soccer, baseball, flag football, and swimming. Drew also enjoys golfing and is a huge fan of the New York Giants and the Yankees—Landon and Cooper are starting to share that passion as well. The family also enjoys vacationing, their favorite destinations being Bermuda and Cape Cod.

Professional Expertise

Bill began his career as a “special agent” with Northwestern Mutual in 1982, counseling clients about life insurance, disability insurance, and annuity planning. In 1985, Bill was selected to join a small contingent of Northwestern Mutual representatives nationwide as the company embarked on its journey to become a preeminent national financial services entity. In 1990, Bill was named the Connecticut agency’s Investment Specialist, working with clients and colleagues throughout New England in all areas of investment planning. As Northwestern moved into the financial planning arena in the early 2000s, Bill was again selected to advance the company’s efforts to develop a financial planning division, assisting clients in the creation of holistic financial plans for their futures. Specializing in all areas of financial planning and wealth management, Bill’s practice grew to be one of Northwestern’s top 100 investment practices in the nation. In 2018, Bill, together with his son Andrew Gombatz and colleague Matt Eppinger, formed GG&E. At the time, it was one of a small number of Northwestern Mutual ensemble wealth management practices being developed throughout the country. The shared vision in the creation of GG&E was to provide clients with an enduring wealth management team, bringing strong teamwork and collaboration to clients for generations to come.

Education

Bill earned a B.A. in sociology from the College of the Holy Cross in 1978. After working for three years developing employment and training programs for the Connecticut Employment and Training Agency (CETA), he joined Northwestern Mutual in 1982 and embarked on a journey to earn several distinguished professional designations. Bill understood early on the importance of advanced education and staying abreast of the ever-changing world of financial services. Education would be a key ingredient in earning the faith and trust of both clients and colleagues. Throughout his more than 40-year tenure with Northwestern Mutual, Bill earned the following designations:

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
• Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL®)
• Certified in Long Term Care (CLTC)

Awards and Accomplishments

Bill is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table Association (MDRT) and the local and national chapters of the Certified Financial Planners Association. He has been a member of Northwestern Mutual’s Private Client Group since its inception and is a longstanding member of NAIFA. In 2022, Bill was named to Forbes’ list of “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.”

Personal Life

Bill was born and raised in Connecticut. He and his wife Leanne have resided in Farmington for the past 30 years. Bill has twin daughters, Rachel and Megan, and a son, Andrew. In addition, he has two grandsons, Landon and Cooper. He enjoys playing golf, swimming, fishing with his grandsons, taking long walks with the family dog, Gibson, and traveling. Bill was also an eight-year board member of Wheeler Clinic, a nonprofit organization in Connecticut that serves the needs of children and families on matters of health and education.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

Matt founded GG&E Wealth Management in 2018 alongside Bill Gombatz and Andrew Gombatz with a shared vision of creating an enduring firm that brings strong teamwork and collaboration to its clients for generations to come. Since joining Northwestern Mutual in 2002, Matt has focused on helping individuals, families, and business owners make sense of their most important financial decisions. Matt derives his greatest joy from constructing customized, well designed, long-term-focused plans for his clients. He believes a thorough plan is the key to providing clarity around clients’ biggest financial concerns.

EDUCATION

Matt earned a business degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a minor in economics. Immediately upon entering the financial planning industry, he began earning a host of distinguishing professional designations. Matt has a passion for education within the industry and has played a major role in promoting professional education while serving Northwestern Mutual’s Professional Growth Association in various roles, including President of the organization’s board.

When asked why he is so enthusiastic about professional education, he replies, “I learned early on in my career that professional experience is something that takes a lot of time to gain, but seeking education can quickly position us to better serve our clients and make a much bigger impact very early on. The breadth of information in our industry is so large, and we can always be learning more.” To date, Matt has earned the following designations:

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
• Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
• Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL®)
• Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®)

PERSONAL AND BACKGROUND

Matt was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, and moved to New England to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Upon graduation, he moved to Connecticut, where he began his career and met his wife, Leigh. Matt and Leigh live in West Hartford with their three daughters, Sadie, Scarlett, and Sydney. They are an active family involved in many sports, outdoor activities, and travel. In particular, Matt enjoys running, hiking, basketball, and golf. Matt has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in sections over 12 years and is currently working on hiking all 46 4,000-foot peaks in the Adirondack Mountains with his girls. Some of his future aspirations include hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking the Long Trail in Vermont, and visiting more of the National Parks.

Jessica joined the GG&E team in 2018 as an Investment Operations Associate. She works side by side with the partners to provide best-in-class service to clients that meets their financial needs and significantly exceeded their expectations. Jess assists in the preparation of client meetings, opens and maintains investment accounts while building strong, long-lasting relationships.

As VP/Director of Operations, Jessica ensures that the day-to-day operations run smoothly, as well as managing the overall office. In this role, she strives to be a go-to resource and master of all trades for clients. She approaches all aspects of her position with a positive, hardworking mindset and is passionate about helping others.

Before coming to GG&E, Jess was Assistant Manager for 10 years at a company that provides Hedge Fund Administration. She successfully led a team of six that was responsible for handling all the back office needs for 40 hedge funds.

Jessica has a BS in Finance from Central Connecticut State University and has passed the SIE exam.

Besides spending time with her family and friends, Jess enjoys traveling, the beach, and attending live concerts. She grew up in West Hartford, CT and now resides in East Hartford, CT with her cat, Zoey.

Mikaela graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a B.S. in Finance and joined Northwestern Mutual as a College Financial Representative Intern in January of 2021. Here, she was able to develop extensive knowledge and perspective of the financial planning world and how it affects the society we live in. Mikaela holds her State of Connecticut Life, Accident and Health Insurance Producer license and joined the GG&E team as Director of Operations in August of 2021. She manages the servicing of all insurance and risk-based products/needs, as well as assisting in the construction of financial plans. Most recently, she has also taken over the delegation of marketing operations for the team.

Mikaela has an extensive history in customer service and prides herself in providing an exceptional experience to each of our clients. Outside of the office, Mikaela resides in Danbury, Connecticut where she was born and raised and enjoys spending time with her family there. Her biggest defining trait is being a major animal lover with five rescued pets at home, and she has always had a passion for motor sports.

Mary graduated from Providence College with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Spanish. She competed as a Division I Swimmer on the Providence College Swimming and Diving Team. She was also a part of the Big East All-Academic Team from 2014-2017. Mary has over 5 years of experience in Management, Banking, Sales, and the Customer Service industries, and most recently she has completed her MBA from the University of Hartford as of December ‘22. Mary joined the GG&E team at the start of 2022 and serves as an Investment Operations Associate, where she primarily organizes client portfolios. She has the responsibility of scheduling all client appointments, while providing guidance and maintaining relationships. She is also tasked with establishing new investment accounts and assisting the team on other projects where needed.

Mary resides in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and is a native of Wethersfield, Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and watching football. Her favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs!

Larry has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2001, and is responsible for developing and monitoring client investment portfolios. Most recently, Larry has been acting in a consulting role responsible for investment research and strategy. Larry is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), and earnd his B.S. from Rutgers University, M.S.E. from Princeton University, and M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also holds the FINRA Series 6 and 63, and the State of Connecticut Life and Health Insurance Producer License.