John Lesser, CFA, CPA, CFP®
Group Managing Partner
PMFA President | Wealth Management, Partner
As the President of Plante Moran Financial Advisors, John serves ultra-high-net-worth clients as their “personal CFO,” providing them with customized wealth strategies designed to maximize their after-tax net worth. John helps his clients throughout many points in their life, whether it’s advice during their active professional lives, guidance on the post-sale of a business, or planning for future generations.
Clients appreciate his ability to provide and apply meaningful comprehensive services to complex wealth dynamics and structure a deliberate, objective and independent approach to building, preserving, and managing wealth. As someone who sits at the same side of the table with them, John has become a go-to trusted advisor for some of America’s top executives, families, family offices, and institutions.
With decades of experience, one of John’s greatest accomplishments as a leader within the firm has been growing the Wealth Management practice in terms of the breadth and scope of its offerings, capabilities, and enhanced service models for the digital age.
John has spoken at the annual Barron’s conference for the Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in the United States for many years on various matters related to running an investment practice and designing an investment strategy. John has been named to the Barron’s Advisor Hall of Fame for having appeared in 10 or more of Barron’s annual Top 100 Advisor rankings. John has also been recognized as one of Crain’s “40 under 40.” (1)
John’s professional and community involvement includes serving as co-chair of the Finance and Accounting Board and as a member of the Student Investment Fund Advisory Board at Oakland University, the AICPA, the MICPA, and the Financial Analysts Society of Detroit (FASD). John earned a B.S. in accounting and finance from Oakland University and an M.B.A. from Wayne State University.
