Gregg A. Kidd
Board Chairman
Prior to founding Pinnacle Investments, Gregg served as Vice President with a global financial services firm for 10 years. He serves in a dual role as Managing Partner of Pinnacle Holding Company, LLC and Chairman of the Board, where he continues to explore growth opportunities for the Pinnacle brand along with ways of enhancing the client experience.
Eric D. Krouse
Board Member
Prior to his career in investments, Eric served in several corporate management positions where he specialized in financial and statistical analysis. After working as a Financial Advisor for a global investment firm, Eric joined Pinnacle Investments in 2005 where he served as Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Eric served as Pinnacle Investments’ CEO until 2016 when he became Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Holding Company, LLC. Eric also serves on the Board of Directors of Pinnacle Holding Company, LLC.
Dalton Axenfeld, CPA
Board Member
Dalton Axenfeld is the Chief Financial Officer for Pinnacle Holding Company, LLC. and oversees all financial reporting and accounting for the various companies.
Dalton joined Pinnacle as the Controller in the fall of 2016 after spending 5 years in public accounting as a Senior Auditor where he gained valuable experience working for a nationally recognized firm. While Dalton has a significant practice in financial reporting, his other experiences with business valuations, budgeting, projecting, and internal control analysis and implementation are helping the Pinnacle Family of companies reach the next level.
Dalton is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of New York, a member of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). He also attended Ithaca College where he obtained his MBA and Le Moyne College where he received his B.S. in Accounting.
Elizabeth Bartlett
Board Member
Upon graduating from Ithaca College, Liz relocated to Boston where she worked for a software company in the administration/human resource departments. In 2005, Liz moved back to her hometown of Syracuse, New York where she earned the opportunity to work alongside her stepfather, Pinnacle founder Gregg Kidd. Prior to taking on the role of Chief Business Development Officer, she served numerous roles within the organization including, client services, marketing, and most recently the Director of Human Resources and Executive Assistant to the CEO.
Based on her proven track record in promoting and uncovering business opportunities, Liz’s focus continues to be on growing and expanding the Pinnacle brand within the community and across the U.S. She prides herself on working closely with her stepfather and two brothers to continue the excellence in service and passion that Pinnacle has for its clients, partners, and employees.
Bridget Ball Shaw
Board Member
Bridget’s practice focuses on financial planning and wealth management for individuals and small businesses. Her mission is to help people protect their legacy for their children and their children’s children, to help women regain their balance after the death of a husband or after a divorce, to help business owners with retirement plans for themselves and their employees, and to help people approach retirement with confidence and security. After establishing her practice in 2001 with a major Wall Street investment firm, Bridget joined Pinnacle in 2011, a firm she calls, “A company with outstanding global resources and an unwavering commitment to individualized client service.”
Bridget attended St. John Fisher College in Rochester and received her Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany. She earned her Master’s Degree in Finance from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. Now an adjunct professor, she teaches “Women and Wealth” at Russell Sage College and “Management Principles” and “Women and Business” at Empire State College.
Active in her community, Bridget was a founding member of The Averill Park Education Foundation. She also is a member of the Advisory Board of the Sand Lake Center for the Arts and the Capital Campaign Committee for Unity House in Troy. She is a Trustee Emeritus for St. Henry’s Church where she also serves on the Finance Council and leads the singing at the weekly vigil mass. She has been married since 1984 to Christopher Shaw. Chris and Bridget live in Averill Park, NY with their two sons, Chris (born 1995) and Silas (born 1998).
Bridget grew up in a household where investments, finance, and economics were the stuff of dinner conversations and late-night discussions. So, perhaps it was inevitable that she would ultimately pursue a career in the field. Her father, Don Ball, also of Pinnacle Investments, continues to be her mentor and guide.
John V. Bianchini
Board Member
A twenty-eight-year industry veteran, John joined Pinnacle Investments in 2001 after working at several global financial institutions. In addition to advising individual clients, John and his team focus on employer-sponsored retirement programs with the goal of stimulating employee participation and enhancing employee retention. John started his career in the financial services industry in 1986. He graduated from the State University of New York Institute of Technology in 1980, where he earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree with a major in marketing and a minor in finance.
John’s experience brings clients a wealth of knowledge about the investment products and services offered throughout the financial marketplace. John is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) General Securities Representative (Series 7), State Securities Agent (Series 63) and is New York State Insurance licensed for Life, Accident, and Health. John volunteers at the Fayetteville Fire Department, he is a board member of the Wortley Foundation which provides funding to senior citizen homes across Central New York, and he is currently Chairman of the Onondaga Water Authority. John resides in Syracuse, New York.
Robert F. Cuculich
Board Member
Bob started his career in the financial services industry in 1980, after receiving his Bachelor’s degree from the Syracuse University School of Management in 1978. He went on to earn his Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Syracuse University in 1982. Prior to joining Pinnacle Investments in 2008, Bob was a partner and branch manager of a local investment firm for 17 years.
Bob is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) General Securities Principal (Series 24), Municipal Securities Principal, and is New York State Insurance Licensed for Life, Accident, and Health. In addition to advising clients, Bob is a member of Pinnacle Capital Management’s Investment Committee. He has extensive knowledge and experience in research, portfolio management, and trading of fixed-income securities. Bob served on the board of trustees of WCNY for 6 years. Presently Bob serves as a member of the Board of the Centro New York Regional Transportation Authority (CENTRO). Bob, his wife Susan, and daughter Megan reside in Syracuse, New York.
Michael E. Cuddy
Board Member
Mike is a First Vice President, Financial Planner at Pinnacle Investments, LLC where he heads the Cuddy Group. With over 25 years of experience as a Financial Advisor, Mike has developed the skills and knowledge necessary to make him a dedicated and trusted financial professional. He focuses his business on designing professionally managed portfolios, creating retirement planning solutions and looking for new business opportunities. One of the most important skills when working with new or existing clients is the ability to listen to and understand what goals, values, aspirations and concerns are of the upmost importance. Mike’s abilities in this area have enabled him to develop sound investment plans tailored to helping his clients meet their long-term financial objectives.
Mike has been a lifelong resident of Auburn, NY. His strong leadership skills have helped him give back to the community in a variety of ways. He is a past president of the United Way Board of Directors as well as Campaign Chair for their annual, countywide fundraiser. He has been active in the St. Alphonsus parish, acting as co-chair of the Partners in Faith campaign and as a treasurer and coach in the CYO program. Mike is an avid golfer, softball and basketball player and participates in numerous leagues. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married for over 25 years and have two grown children.
Daniel P. Mody
Board Member
Dan is CEO of Pinnacle Solutions and a Financial Advisor with Pinnacle Investments, LLC. He started his career in the financial services industry in 1994 after earning a Bachelor’s degree in 1993 from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Dan became a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) practitioner in 1997 when he completed the CFP® Board of Standards stringent licensing requirements. Dan joined Pinnacle Investments in 2001 at the supervisory level by successfully passing the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) General Securities Principal Examination (Series 24). In addition, Dan is a FINRA General Securities Representative (Series 7), State Securities Agent (Series 63), and is New York State Insurance licensed for Life, Accident, and Health.
Dan and his family reside in Manlius, New York.
Mark Pietrowski
Board Member
Mark Pietrowski is the President/CEO of Pinnacle Employee Services. He brings over 10 years experience in the Payroll and PEO world to Pinnacle. He previously worked for one of the nation’s largest payroll companies in the US and for a local PEO in Central New York.