Category: Business Owners

Matt D. Eltringham

MANAGING DIRECTOR, WEALTH ADVISOR

Matt has years of experience in Private Wealth Management serving as a Wealth Advisor at Fifth Third Private Bank in Chicago and Wealthquest Corporation in Cincinnati. In 2017, Matt earned the right to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ marks. As a financial planner, he crafts customized strategies to help his clients preserve, protect, and grow their wealth.

Matt has a heart for disadvantaged youth and families within the Chicago and Cincinnati communities, as well as internationally. He serves as a board member for After School All Stars Chicago and is a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation.

Cincinnati’s Venue magazine named him as a Next Generation Leader for his commitment to volunteer service and his role as an emerging business leader.

At Hillsdale College, Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Financial Management and played Division II collegiate football. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and continues to grow his practice in both the Chicago and Cincinnati markets. Matt is a certified scuba diver, enjoys playing golf, and going on mission trips with Back2Back ministries in Tres Reyes, Mexico.

Jeffrey L. Hess

ADVANCED PLANNING ADVISOR

Jeff concentrates his planning practice in the areas of estate planning, business continuation planning, deferred compensation plans, and charitable giving. He has a passion for finding new and creative ideas that can be used to solve complex planning issues.

Jeff has an undergraduate degree from West Chester University in teaching and a master’s degree from McDaniel College in school administration. Jeff started his career as a teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant headmaster in a private school. He is also a graduate of The American College having earned the designations of Certified Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant.

Jeff is active in many community activities. Using his background as an educator, Jeff is an instructor for Financial Wellness Planning in disadvantaged neighborhoods. He is also a nationally certified coach and referee. He is presently serving as the Head Coach in soccer for a local club team and enjoys refereeing with his two daughters and granddaughter.
Jeff lives in Blue Ash with his wife, Sandy, and they share their home with Rosie, their beloved English Springer Spaniel. His two daughters live nearby with their families including Jeff’s two granddaughters.

Susan M. Eltringham

DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICE

As Director of Client Service, Susan’s core responsibilities include client experience, communications, onboarding and office administration.

Susan exemplifies a passion for best-in-class service that fosters long-lasting relationships with the individuals and families Benchmark serves.

Susan joined the firm after a successful 30 year career leading and administrating musical programs for several large church organizations. Susan is an alumnus of Indiana University School of Music where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Performance.

She also attained a Master’s Degree in Church Music allowing her to gain significant expertise in administration, strategic planning and coordination of large events and gatherings.

Susan is also a nationally published composer of Children’s music as well as an experienced organist and pianist.

In her free time, Susan enjoys outdoors activities such as hiking, riding her bicycle and boating. She serves on the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s CCMPower Board of Trustees and as secretary of the Executive Board. Susan enjoys attending the CCM performances as well as the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops concerts. Volunteering is also a large part of Susan’s life. Her favorite ways to give back have included tutoring at the City Link Center and participating in numerous mission trips to disadvantaged areas of Mexico.

Michael Walshe

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

His experience in finance and leadership spans Wealth Management, Venture Capital, Retail, Real Estate, Manufacturing and Service, Leasing, Import and Wholesale Distribution, Banking and Public Accounting.

Michael holds a Master of Business Studies with a concentration in Banking and Finance from University College Dublin’s Smurfit Graduate Business School and a Bachelor of Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

In addition, Michael is also a Certified Public Accountant.

David A. Eltringham

MANAGING DIRECTOR, SR. WEALTH ADVISOR

As the Cincinnati practice leader and Managing Director at Benchmark, David specializes in caring for business owners, corporate executives, and professional athletes. Over his career, he has implemented comprehensive wealth strategies for his clients that have allowed them to simplify their financial complexity, achieve their goals, and build lasting legacies.

David graduated in 1983 from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Liberal Arts. He is an instructor and author for the Risk Management Association and leads the Lending to Wealthy Individuals course across the country. He also facilitates a variety of workshops and seminars on financial wellness for professional athletes and executive teams.

David currently resides in Cincinnati with his wife Susan and their yellow lab Crosley. They have two adult children, Matt and Anna. David enjoys golfing at Maketewah Country Club, the outdoors, and spending time with his family at Norris Lake in Tennessee. In the community, David is dedicated to serving the marginalized in the inner city and across the globe. He has also been active as a Board Member and volunteer at Pennsylvania University’s College of Liberal Arts, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Stepping Stones, Ocean, the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music and Back2Back Ministries.

John P. Swift

CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

John’s interest in data would result in degrees in Quantitative Finance and Statistics from the University of Chicago, becoming a Certified Public Accountant while an Investment Analyst with a major Wall Street firm, and becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst. In addition to being an investment analyst and portfolio manager at a Wall Street firm, John also headed up the pension consulting effort of a firm that worked with Fortune 100 firms and state pension funds. Today, John manages investment strategies for successful professionals and closely-held business owners.

At Benchmark Wealth Management, John serves as Chief Investment Officer and is responsible for the generation of capital market assumptions, market outlook, and a variety of investment strategies. His core investment methodology is based on identifying firms with superior and sustainable cash flow rates of return on invested capital that exceeds the firm’s cost of capital employed in their business.

John loves what he does for families which goes well beyond just managing investment portfolios. His main objective is to utilize all that he has learned on a diverse range of financial topics to best position clients for financial success.

John lives in downtown Chicago with his lovely wife of thirty years, Kailee, and his two young daughters, Siera and Viena. Unlike their father, John’s girls are growing up in a world where the Chicago Cubs perennially wind up on top, and the joy of playing Barbie dress-up games on electronic gadgets has replaced the exhilarating jingle of the Good Humor ice cream truck. Beyond family, faith, friends, fitness, and working with inspiring entrepreneurs and highly-skilled professionals, John enjoys travel, reading, writing, and, on occasion, retelling simply awful jokes.