Managing Partner and Wealth Advisor, Brightworth

Ray Padrón has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, from accountancy to senior management. Currently Managing Partner and Wealth Advisor at Brightworth, an Atlanta-based fee-only wealth management firm with approximately $3 billion in assets under management, Ray previously served as the firm’s President and COO.

Ray began his financial career with what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has worked for the Marriott Corporation as a Tax Manager and served as Vice President of Accounting Operations and Financial Reporting for Finalco Group, Inc. In 1986, Ray became a Principal and Senior Vice President of Finance for Capital Associates, Inc., a regional venture capital firm that provided both capital and funding services for portfolio companies.

In 1988, Ray created ARC Financial Services, a financial planning firm that focused on the unique needs of business owners. He later merged ARC Financial Services with Ronald Blue & Co. (RB & Co.), a national wealth advisory firm. Ray’s career at RB & Co. included the starting of the Washington, D.C. branch office, the incubation and creation of their Baltimore, Md. branch, and eventually becoming the Vice President of Practice Areas and Chief Financial Officer at the RB & Co.’s national headquarters in Atlanta.

He is a Certified Public Accountant and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. Ray completed the Investment Management Consultants Association’s Investment Analyst Program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Investment Management AnalystSM. In addition, he is an Accredited Estate Planner®, a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant. Ray has been named several times in Atlanta magazine’s list of Five Star Wealth Managers*.

Ray is currently on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement of Georgia. Ray also serves on the Executive Committee of the Buckhead Coalition. He recently became the past President of CEO Netweavers, a community of CEOs and trusted advisors committed to helping and improving the Atlanta business community. Ray is also a founding board member of Matchbook Learning, a national non-profit K-12 school management organization focused on a unique blended, competency-based model of learning for struggling schools. He is an active member of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), a non-profit organization focused on bringing the private sector together with our government partners to apply best business practice solutions to its most difficult national security challenges. He is a past member of the board of directors of the Financial Planning Association of Georgia and also a past chairman and board member of an international faith-based ministry. Over the years Ray has been a frequent speaker to executives on retirement planning. He has also spoken on operational excellence within the financial planning and wealth management industry.

Ray and his wife, Sharon, have four grown children and nine grandchildren, and are active members at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek. His hobbies include international travel, golfing with friends, reading and exercise.