JAN-PETER BREUGELMANS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR & CHRISTOPHER S. SMULSKI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR: TRUIST WEALTH

The first thing Christopher Smulski shares with his clients is background about himself and his family. It’s a way to set his clients at ease, and to prompt them to share their stories. Getting to know his clients and learning about their personal and financial goals is a key first step in building successful relationships. Smulski is a native to Chicago, his grandparents settled here in the early 1900s. “They didn’t have much money and made the journey to America for the opportunity to create something of their own,” he says. This work ethic and the importance of education and planning for the future was passed along to Smulski by his parents which inspired him to pursue a career in finance and he now has more than two decades of experience in wealth management. At Truist Wealth, Smulski works alongside Jan-Peter Breugelmans, who shares the work culture and ethic of his colleague. Growing up in Europe, he has always been fascinated with banking, especially with the deep psychological relationship families have with growing, maintaining, and transitioning wealth. He says, “It’s what has driven me to partner with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, building an emotional connection with each other—working together to curate a dynamic, living and breathing plan for their entire financial universe.” Breugelmans and Smulski specialize in advising business owners, entrepreneurs, and successful families on their investment strategies, using custom and strategic credit, estate planning and estate tax mitigation, business transition advisory, business sales/acquisitions, and multi-generational commercial real estate holdings. Breugelmans believes that listening in between the lines to his clients’ needs and goals is the key to helping them achieve success, which sometimes means asking tough questions to gain a deeper understanding of where they are coming from and where they want to go. His work with clients’ centers on collaboration, precision, transparency, and delivering on what he says he will do. “We’re sitting on the same side of the table as our clients, working together to achieve their goals and teaming up with their other advisors, including CPAs and attorneys, so our clients know they have a comprehensive plan. Because of this, our clients are our biggest advocates,” he says. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance from the Ecole Polytechnique De Commerce in Paris, France. Smulski and Breugelmans are among the original team members of Truist Wealth in the Midwest. Truist is a purposedriven financial services company, formed by the historic merger of equals of BB&T and SunTrust. Truist has a purposedriven culture and some core values that differentiate them quite significantly because they live it—Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. Every day, the pursuit of better drives them—to empower clients with more choice, teammates with more fulfillment, and communities with more hope. They boldly believe in the power of what can be achieved together. Both Smulski and Breugelmans believe in giving back to their communities. Smulski has been involved with the Big Shoulders Fund for more than a decade. Big Shoulders Fund provides support to Catholic schools with demonstrated need in Chicago by providing scholarship support and academic enrichment for students, operational improvements for schools, leadership development programs for the next generation of school leaders, and academic programs and professional development for teachers. Smulski sits on the Chairman’s Advisory Council and volunteers as a Stock Market Program Teacher. Breugelmans is involved with the Fox Valley Entrepreneurship Center, which is a collaboration of expert advisors and mentors who surround qualified entrepreneurs with the resources they need to achieve growth and The Primo Center for Women and Children, which is a leader in providing family shelter and permanent supportive housing, integrated physical, dental, and mental health care, early childhood development, and supportive services to homeless families in Chicago.

For more information, email Jan-Peter Breugelmans (NMLSR 444125) at [email protected] or Christopher Smulski (NMLSR 519764) at [email protected].

Registered Representatives, Truist Investment Services, Inc. and Investment Adviser Representatives, Truist Advisory Services, Inc. Investment and Insurance Products:
•Are not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured •Are not Bank Guaranteed •May Lose Value Truist Wealth is a name used by Truist Financial Corporation. Banking products and services, including loans, deposit accounts, trust and investment management services provided by Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Securities, brokerage accounts, insurance/annuities offered by Truist Investment Services, Inc. member FINRA, SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency where applicable. Life insurance products offered by referral to Truist Insurance Holdings, Inc. and affiliates. Investment advisory services offered by Truist Advisory Services, Inc., Sterling Capital Management, LLC, and affiliated SEC registered investment advisers. Sterling Capital Funds advised by Sterling Capital Management, LLC.
© 2023 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo and Truist purple are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation.