Photo courtesy of Jesus Lopez
The founder and CEO of a White Plains-based wealth management group applies his preparation proficiency to deep-sea diving.
Strategic planning is Jesus Lopez’s expertise. The founder and CEO of White Plains-based Asterion Wealth Advisory Group, Lopez has spent more than two decades preparing others for secure and successful futures. As a wealth manager, Lopez creates custom financial portfolios for clients, many of whom have become his friends. The Ossining resident says, “The way that I have built my practice over the years is through relationships. I feel a part of [my clients’ families,] and they are part of my family, as well.” He often attends clients’ personal celebrations — baptisms, Communions, retirements — a testament to the genuine connections he has built through his professional ethos. “For me, 9-to-5 doesn’t exist. I work anytime, any day. Whatever the client needs, I’m there for them. The most rewarding part of my career is knowing that I have had the ability to make a difference in their lives, to be better, to be positive,” he says.
“[In financial planning,] we talk about all these life events and how we’re going to be prepared. When it comes to scuba diving, it’s kind of the same mentality.”
—Jesus Lopez
Lopez feels immense pride in being able to provide solutions for so many different people, with diverse backgrounds, in various life situations. In 1993, Lopez emigrated to the U.S., at a time when “I didn’t know any English. I didn’t know anything about this country. I left all my family behind,” he says. “If I look back from where I come from to where I am today, I am very proud of what I have accomplished.”
Growing up in Cuba, Lopez often spearfished, though in the back of his mind, he always wanted to scuba dive (“I’ve always loved the water,” he says). On a family trip to the Bahamas, in 2011, Lopez made that aspiration a reality by becoming a certified scuba diver. He estimates he has completed 80 dives since then — diving every year (except this year, due to the pandemic) and going as deep as 110 feet. “I love it. It’s a peaceful time for me,” he says. The father of three has passed his hobby, and bravery, down to his children. “We went to the Bahamas in 2017. [My older son] was about 6 or 7. He actually chased the sharks,” Lopez says. And now his 12-year-old daughter wants to get certified. “My kids are not afraid of anything,” he shares.
Boldness certainly comes in handy while swimming with sharks, but Lopez points out that calculated preparation is also critical to diving — as it is to financial planning. “[In financial planning,] we talk about all these life events and how we’re going to be prepared. When it comes to scuba diving, it’s kind of the same mentality. You prepare in case something bad happens and you’re 70 feet in the water and you need to know what to do.”
When Lopez discusses his passion for scuba diving, he’s often asked if he’s afraid of sharks. The fearless diver quips: “I’m more afraid of sharks that have two legs and are on land than the sharks that are in the water.”
