Our Team and Mission
Old Peak Finance exists for one simple reason: to offer tailored, transparent advice so clients can achieve their financial goals.
The financial advice industry has been broken for years. It is littered with conflicts of interest, high fees and advisors who don’t understand or particularly care about their clients. Wall Street discovered long ago that the key to making money is to mass-market expensive products, not to offer individualized advice.
The result: too many clients pay too much, get too little and don’t achieve their financial goals.
At Old Peak, our mission is to change that. Individuals and families deserve better, and the world will be a better place if more of us have a sound financial plan.
We know we cannot change the world on our own. But the Old Peak team can play a part in the solution. That’s what motivates us, every day. Being there for you.
Rick Waechter
CFP®, Founder, Advisor
"I started Old Peak to offer a service that is badly needed and in short supply: comprehensive financial planning. We want to know our clients deeply, give them thoughtful, tailored advice and help them achieve their dreams."
Rick founded Old Peak. He has 25 years’ experience providing financial advice. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. He previously spent 15 years advising companies and governments throughout Asia, with Merrill Lynch, where he led teams that completed $50 billion of transactions. Rick has degrees from Princeton (AB) and Harvard Business School (MBA). He volunteers in area schools, teaching financial literacy. Rick and his wife have two adult children and live in Chapel Hill.
Rick Waechter
Founder, CFP®
rick.waechter@oldpeakfinance.com
Molly Stanifer
CFP® Advisor
"Being a CFP® is a standard. One that requires me as a professional to hold up to (at a minimum) and helps consumers make decisions when seeking someone to provide financial advice
At Old Peak, I am contributing to provide financial advice the right way; collaborating with my colleagues and clients; forever exploring improvement. Ultimately, we are seeking to provide clarity to help our clients make decisions."
Molly has over a decade of experience as a financial advisor. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. She has a bachelor’s degree from NC State and a master’s in financial planning and taxation. In 2014, she spent six months with a non-profit in Tanzania, teaching English, business, and vocational skills to women. As a commitment to improving and engaging in the industry, she serves on the regional NAPFA board and the regional estate planning council board. Molly, her husband, and their two daughters now live in Traverse City, MI, where they love exploring and enjoying its natural beauty.
Molly Stanifer
CFP®, Financial Advisor
molly.stanifer@oldpeakfinance.com
Katie Villegas
CFP®, Advisor
"As a CFP professional, I enjoy helping clients align their money with their values. I believe our money is an extension of our values – the way we earn, save, spend, and invest.
Old Peak stands apart because of our focus on putting our client’s needs first, by providing honest and tailored advice".
Katie joined Old Peak in 2017. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and has been working in the financial planning and community investment field for over seven years. As a Chartered SRI Counselor™, Katie is particularly interested in sustainable investing practices and provides expertise to clients interested in aligning their investments with their values. She has a bachelor’s degree from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, and a master’s in international relations from the American Graduate School in Paris. Katie is currently enrolled in the Collaborative MBA program through Bluffton University. She volunteers with the VITA program, providing free tax assistance, and serves on the Investment Committee of the Mennonite Education Agency.
Katie Villegas
CFP®, CSRIC™, Financial Advisor
katie.villegas@oldpeakfinance.com
Dan Routh
CFP®, Advisor
"Being a CFP® professional asserts my personal and professional desire to always put clients’ best interests above my own. To me, working at Old Peak means I get to work together with my colleagues, not alone, to foster an environment of continuous learning and providing real financial planning to our clients."
Dan joined Old Peak in 2019. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and has almost a decade of experience in the financial planning profession. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in business and minor in applied economics from Virginia Tech. He has spent most of his career advising corporate professionals and business owners, mostly in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Dan has a personal interest in working with business owners in the veterinary medical community as his wife is a practicing veterinarian in the Triangle. He is an active member of NAPFA & represents Old Peak on the NC Veterinary Medical Association - Industry Council. He and his wife, along with their dog, Laney, live in Raleigh, NC..
Dan Routh
CFP®, Financial Advisor
dan.routh@oldpeakfinance.com
Jo Beth Mullens
Financial Planning Associate
"To me, the most productive relationships begin by truly listening. What drew me to Old Peak Finance is the team’s commitment to doing just that – listening and paying close attention to who our clients are and what they care about. This is ongoing work as people’s lives and circumstances are ever changing. Appreciating this human truth, Old Peak’s advisors are committed to providing both individualized and comprehensive financial guidance…listening with intention and with care so that we may respond in ways that reflect the developing interests and needs of our clients"
Jo Beth joined Old Peak in 2021 following a productive career as a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Her research, which focused on global water issues and international education, was reflected in her teaching, her work as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in the Czech Republic and the book she co-authored on global citizenship. A lifelong learner with an innate interest in financial planning, Jo Beth is currently completing her CFP® certification coursework through Northwestern University. Jo Beth’s volunteerism includes serving on river preservation committees and as an AARP tax aide. Jo Beth and her partner live in historic Hillsborough where they enjoy the company of fellow dog-lovers, readers, and nature enthusiasts.
Jo Beth Mullens
Financial Planning Associate
jobeth.mullens@oldpeakfinance.com
MaryAnne Gucciardi
Chief Marketing Officer
"I have been an entrepreneur for most of my working life, creating new products and promoting new ideas. Just as important, I have always sought to make the world a better place through my work. That's what attracts me to Old Peak. They want to do the right thing for their clients."
MaryAnne joined Old Peak in 2020. She has a deep marketing, business development, strategy and entrepreneurial background. MaryAnne spent 10+ years in CPG, manufacturing and outside sales in Asia, four years in fundraising with Stanford and UNC School of Medicine and 10+ years in manufacturing, e-commerce, digital marketing and multi-channel distribution at Dragonwing girlgear. MaryAnne has degrees from Wellesley (AB in Economics with Honors) and Harvard Business School (MBA). MaryAnne and her husband have two adult children and live in Chapel Hill, NC.
MaryAnne Gucciardi
Chief Marketing Officer
maryanne.gucciardi@oldpeakfinance.com
Donna Reaves
Operations Manager
"Old Peak Finance, to me, personifies what it means to be a fiduciary. Our founder, Rick Waechter, has created an environment that promotes goal orientation and ownership and responsibility and satisfaction. I believe those values exist because Old Peak Finance operates from a place of respect and integrity. I have experienced and witnessed understanding, compassion, encouragement, direction and support from everyone on our team, and endeavor to offer the same in return. I am thankful to be here. Why do I work at Old Peak Finance? Because fiduciary is not only our commitment; fiduciary is our culture."
Donna joined Old Peak in 2015. She spent the two prior years teaching 5th grade math (1st year) and high school Geometry and Algebra II (2nd year) as a Teach for America Corps Member in Leflore County, MS. Donna is currently developing a non-profit organization devoted to educational equity and aimed at high school age students. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has three children, and lives in Broadway, Harnett County, NC.
Donna Reaves
Operations Manager
donna.reaves@oldpeakfinance.com
Johanna Hammond
Client Service Associate
"It’s a breath of fresh air to work at Old Peak Finance. It’s refreshing to have an employer who treats his employees as humans and values them, not numbers who are dispensable. Working in financial planning means one doesn’t stop learning, which I thoroughly enjoy. The knowledge is beyond finance; I get to learn about healthcare, estate planning, just to name a few."
Johanna joined Old Peak in 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree in Media and Journalism, with a specialization in Public Relations, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Johanna is an author. She self-published her first book, Soar, in 2019. Johanna, her husband and their two children live in the Triangle Area of North Carolina.
