Leaders in Exam Preparation and Training

When Brian came on board in 2004 he had an immediate connection with Harvey Knopman, and jumped into what he thought would be a lifelong position. He was right. In 2010, he became a partner at Knopman Marks and was nominated to our Board of Directors. In the course of his career, Brian has been featured in a number of publications for his industry knowledge and opinions, spoken at conferences and roundtables all over the country, and trained over 20,000 students. His courses are always hilarious, and his approachability and expertise make him an invaluable resource for people of all levels preparing to take their exams. At Knopman Marks, Brian also handles business strategy, course content preparation and maintenance, and financial management.

Brian prepares students for the Series 3, 7, 17, 24, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 86/87, and 99 exams.

He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

A visionary in the financial education and training industry, Liza believes business growth must be tech-forward but human first. Her leadership style is rooted in the relationship between success and joy, and she has reshaped every aspect of the firm to embody this since joining Knopman Marks nearly 14 years ago.

Liza believes the firm’s mission is about more than training people for exams. It’s about helping them learn how to grow through adversity, launch their careers, and go on to pursue their dreams. As digital disruption continues to impact education and businesses, Liza is focused on exploring innovative ways to train students and prepare them to excel in a rapidly changing world.

To that end, Knopman Marks has evolved constantly under her guidance. By learning from students and embracing change, Liza spearheaded the development of the first-ever financial training app, oversaw the creation of our E-learning program, and directed a complete digital transformation of the business. These pursuits have led to true employee empowerment as Liza pushes our capabilities from every angle and encourages her team to find meaning in their work.

Since Knopman Marks is a key player in shaping financial careers, Liza sees it as the firm’s responsibility to expand opportunity and diversity in the space. She is especially passionate about inspiring young women to find purpose in themselves and each other. A leadership workshop series she created for high school girls is now in its fourth year, and Liza is expanding this program as CEO to inspire and train more women to find success in the financial industry.

Finance is an old world, but with Liza at the helm, the team at Knopman Marks will continue an energetic and fearless pursuit to set new and higher industry standards.

Liza is an immensely-proud mother of three, and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Having found a way to make exam training not only approachable, but enjoyable, Dave is one of our most dynamic and sought-after instructors. To date, he has given thousands of students at Knopman Marks one very helpful piece of advice: “Don’t screw it up.”

As Managing DIrector of Course Design, Dave engineers course improvements, finds new ways to present complex subjects, and develops our online course offerings. Dave is responsible for ensuring that all students receive a consistent, comprehensive, yet delightful training experience. Prior to starting as a Knopman Marks instructor in 2011, Dave practiced bankruptcy law and served as a law clerk in a New York Bankruptcy Court. This legal expertise allows him to keep all our courses updated with the latest legislative and rulemaking changes.

Dave currently trains for series 7, 24, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 86 , 87, and 99. He also delivers executive one-on-one training and shares his passion for learning outside of work as a ski instructor and yoga teacher.

Dave graduated magna cum laude from Fordham Law School, and cum laude with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Leigh joined Knopman Marks in 2016 focused on business development and client relationship management. Since then, Leigh has become the lynchpin that holds Knopman Marks together, setting our standard for transparency and communication, and developing strategic ways to increase both efficiency and morale. She effortlessly leads employee projects and programs including recruitment, coaching, team building, and performance tracking. Her work supports the growth of our business while protecting our most important resource: people.

Previously, Leigh oversaw analyst and associate training programs at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. These experiences gave her a deep understanding of what it takes for students to succeed, and she loves being on the other side, helping them get there. Leigh works hard so she can play hard with her family, and is proud to be a Hudson County CASA Board Member, advocating for foster children.

Leigh received her BA in Communication from Rutgers University.

In 2011, Ian joined the Knopman Marks team intrigued by the opportunity to grow a small business. At that time, he had no background in finance (he was a history major), and was terrified of public speaking. Fast forward to now, and Ian has trained over 10,000 students across 11 different finance exams. The grit and persistence he experienced to get here makes him uniquely qualified to help his students do the same, and he is known for his thoughtful, process-driven instruction.

As our Head of Product Development, Ian also oversees the creation of training textbooks, practice exams, and supplemental tools to deliver the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and effective preparation materials.

Ian has been a key driver of the Knopman Marks SIE program, building the textbook, question bank, and diagnostic exams, as well as following up with every trainee enrolled in our program.

In addition to the SIE exam, Ian provides training for Series 3, 7, 24, 50, 52, 57, 63, 65, 66, and 79 exams, and offers one-on-one tutoring to students seeking additional instruction.

He graduated with college honors and received a BA from Washington University in St. Louis.

When Howard overheard the words, “stocks,” “bonds,” and “mutual funds,” at the dinner table as a kid, he did what most 10-year-olds would not. He went to the library and looked them up. Since then, he has always loved to learn and share knowledge with others, having spent the past 30 years coaching tens of thousands of people for their financial exams.

Howard started teaching at Knopman Marks in 2014. In addition to his regular courses, he specializes in providing individual instruction to students who request or need special assistance. His job, as he sees it, is to empower every student to overcome the fear and anxiety around taking an exam, and believe in their own ability to succeed. To that end, Howard continues to follow his curiosity wherever it takes him, experimenting with innovation in our UX and course designs to increase student success.

Howard helps students prepare for the Series 4, 7,  9, 10, 14, 24, 27, 53, 63, and 87 exams, and feels as passionate today as he did standing before his very first class.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Oswego.

Marcia brings extensive industry experience to her role at Knopman Marks, having previously held senior roles in financial education, product management, and business development. In Marcia’s current role, she is responsible for developing new business opportunities and partnerships, authoring materials, and teaching classes as a member of our faculty.

Before coming to Knopman Marks in 2012, Marcia served as Director of Annuity Products and Business Development at CUNA Mutual Group, where she helped create industry-leading annuity products and solutions for retirement advisors. Before that, she was the Vice President of Securities Products for Kaplan Financial, where she managed the development of all Series exams and held international training and business development roles. 

Marcia has authored numerous financial training courses and trained thousands of students at Knopman Marks, and currently teaches the Series 6, 7, 24, 50, 52, 63, 65, and 66 exams. She is known for her approachability in the classroom, and for the confidence she instills in her students.

When she’s not traveling, partnering, writing, or teaching, Marcia is likely to be lost in a great book, practicing piano, or experiencing joy with family, friends, and pet cats.

Marcia holds degrees in Business Administration and Piano Performance from Wartburg College. She also holds the designations of Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), and Fellow Life Management Institute™ (FLMI®).

Michael joined the team in 2017 with a rich background in financial education. Fresh from developing finance and credit training programs for New York non-profits, including City Year NY and Habitat for Humanity, he is now using his aptitude for instruction to coordinate onboarding for new clients, students, and employees.

Despite moonlighting as a standup comedian, Michael is serious about helping students pass their exams. He recently trained for and passed the SIE exam at Knopman Marks, and will begin teaching SIE courses this year.

Michael has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Journalism from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Jane joined Knopman Marks in 2018, and quickly proved herself completely indispensable. Her fresh perspective and tremendous work ethic are invaluable as she manages the countless moving parts (and people) of our external and internal events. When she’s not at work, Jane is an avid cook and traveler, which may explain her incredible adaptability and love for a good challenge.

Jane holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Before joining the team in 2019, Danielle trained for four series exams with Knopman Marks: 79, 52, 63, and 50. She brings invaluable insights from her experience as a student to her role as an instructor, with a particular focus on data analysis and reporting models to improve student performance and increase efficiency on every front.

She previously worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, where she perfected her excel shortcuts and her ability to stay organized under pressure. Though she enjoyed being a banker, she’s delighted to now be able to combine her passions for finance and teaching.

Danielle trains students for the SIE and Series 79 exams . She’s loved teaching since she was a child, when she would force her brother to take homemade “tests” so she could “grade” them. Unclear if he recalls this as fondly as she does…

Danielle graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University, where she studied finance, economics, and accounting.

When Tom Kelly signed up for his Series 7 training at Knopman Marks, he had no idea he was walking into his next job. But with a love for the material and a knack for coaching, Thomas quickly landed himself a seat at the (very) front of the class.

Before he transitioned from teacher’s pet to part-time member of our faculty, Thomas spent years in the securities market, most recently at BNY Mellon as the Managing Director of Risk Management, and previously at Prudential specializing in investment banking.

Thomas currently trains students for the SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 exams. When he’s not in the classroom, he’s probably tooling around on his bike, unless it’s baseball season, in which case he’ll be cheering on his Mets.

Thomas holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Baruch College.

Though she didn’t expect a move into the financial training industry, Bailey found herself drawn to Liza and Brian’s vision for the company and saw an opportunity to do what she loves: support strong teams and bring positivity into client relationships. Reliable and resilient, Bailey picks up the slack on every front. Though her emphasis is on client support, she’s tapped to assist with everything from inventory, billing, office operations, and even technical support. (Have you tried turning it off and on again?) Bailey will also be joining the team designing and managing the BPA for our CRM platform.

Bailey’s ability to wear multiple hats (and pull them off) stems from her previous experience at startups, where she quickly learned how to be adaptable and resourceful. When she’s not helping almost everyone in the office at once, Bailey loves to travel and explore NYC with her fiancé.

Bailey holds a BA in Economics and Anthropology from the College of Wooster.

James is, and always has been, a numbers guy. In early 2020, we were lucky enough to bring him in as our numbers guy.

As a financial training institution, Knopman Marks is chock-full of data, and James has the unique ability to translate spreadsheets into stories. By identifying and developing metrics, he can find points of inefficiency, opportunity, and ultimately streamline the student experience.

Before joining the team, James was a Senior Financial Analyst at Columbia University, where he advised the CFO on financial trends and developed lab forecasting models to assist in business decisions.

Having been an athlete tutor in college, James knows the importance of individualized learning, and how rewarding it is to put his skills to work in service of student success.

James holds both an MBA in Business Analytics and a BA in Accounting from St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY.