Heidi Leu is a Wealth Management Advisor who joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in December 2012. She started her financial career with Salomon Smith Barney in early 2000.The firm subsequently became Citigroup Smith Barney and in 2009 changed to Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

During her tenure as an advisor, she has gone through two major financial crises with one of them considered the most damaging in the economic scale ever since the Great Depression. Those unique experiences have molded her into a Portfolio Manager with a mindset of principle preservation besides growth of investments when it comes to manage clients’ hard earned money. The extreme volatility and intensity of the financial world in the past decade have definitely made her a seasoned advisor. Her areas of focus include customized individual and family plans, retirement income stream planning for both pre-retirees and retirees, portfolio management and tax-deferred1 oriented retirement plans including corporate 401(k) profit sharing and pension plans.

Heidi holds Series 7, 63, 65 FINRA registrations and California state insurance license. In addition, in 2007 she earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. While her extensive financial experiences and knowledge enable her to assist clients in establishing comprehensive wealth planning, one important element always close to her heart is acting in their best interests.

In 2010, Heidi partnered up with Christopher Leu, a 32 years seasoned banker, to bring to clients a holistic view of wealth planning. Together, they can offer clients innovative and up to date financial advice in the area of tax deferral strategies1, insurance, retirement and all aspects of lending needs.
 
Heidi graduated with highest honors with a B.S. degree in Pharmacy from the University of Texas, Austin. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Swatowese (Chiuchowese).

1Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

 *Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete a CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

*Lending Services are through Bank of America, N.A.

*A Portfolio Manager can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis her own personalized or defined strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies.

*Merrill Life Agency's California License Number 0522776 

Christopher Leu joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012, bringing with him over 30 years of financial services experience and knowledge.

Prior to this appointment he was a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley (2010-2012). Christopher also has an extensive banking background and has held various senior positions including President & CEO of United Pacific Bank (1996-2003), President & Managing Director for Seyen Capital Markets, Inc. (1993-2003), member of the Board of Directors with Dah Sing Bank (1991-1993) (partly owned by Mitsui Trust Banking Group) in Hong Kong, and Senior Credit Manager with HSBC Group (1986-1991) in Los Angeles where he was head of Credit and Marketing for Southern California. His past experience also includes Senior Advisor-Asia for Prime Income Asset Management, LLC (2003-2010) where he advised on cross-border investments between the US and China. Mr. Leu was also President & Managing Director for Daystar Capital Partners, Inc. (1986-2003). Daystar Capital Partners is an international investment advisory firm based in Newport Beach, California and part of UPB International Capital Ltd. in Hong Kong.

Christopher Leu was past President and founding director for the Hong Kong Association of Southern California (1986-present), past Chairman for the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide Limited (2004-2008), an organization with 10,000 members in 24 countries, past member of the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Chinese-American Sheriff Advisory Committee (2002-2008), and previously served as Commissioner for the Inmate Welfare Commission of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department (2002-2015). He was previously appointed by the Governor of the State of California as a member of the Board of Directors for the State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business and Industrial Development (SAFE-BIDCO) (2006-2009). 
 
Christopher obtained a B.S. degree in Business and a M.S. degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He has completed PH.D course work in the International Political Economy major at the University of Southern California. He also holds Series 7, Series 31 and Series 66 FINRA Registrations. He is a member of the Jonathan Club, Newport Beach Country Club, Child Ambassador for World Vision International and serves as a Deacon and Secretary in the Rowland Heights Community Christian Church. He is also a frequent speaker and contributor on subjects related to China and has taught at graduate level on China with the Concordia University.

Daniel S. Valenzuela is a Senior Financial Advisor, who joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2010, and graduate from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. He focuses on advising high net worth clients and business owners on wealth accumulation, preservation and transfer through the creation of individually customized wealth management strategies utilizing a defined process. The approach is tailored to each specific relationship in order to provide an open and transparent strategy to the client’s financial future.

Daniel has assembled a team of professionals, to assist with portfolio development, wealth & retirement planning, estate & education planning services, liability management, tax minimization, bank & lending options through Bank of America, N.A., and asset preservation. His team strives to address and answer all questions and concerns.

He is a qualified Portfolio Advisor who, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, can help clients pursue their investment objectives by recommending individual, or any combination of, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management or approved third- party investment managers’ strategies, funds or portfolios. Before any financial decisions are made, he takes time to fully understand you and your most important goals. With this intimate knowledge, Daniel is able to help establish objectives and develop an appropriate strategy while recommending strategies that draw upon the breadth and depth of Merrill.

Daniel was born and raised in Southern California and currently resides in Downtown Los Angeles.

*Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.