OUR TEAM

Randy B. Stoltz

President

Randy Stoltz has over 26 years of experience in financial services. He started his career in insurance and expanded into financial planning for parents of college-bound students as Campus Advisers. Soon, these household relationships grew into what is now Clear Direction Investments.

Randy’s approach puts the client first, understanding and aligning their needs with strategies that will help them meet their long-term goals. This alignment begins with having a deep knowledge of insurance, succession planning, risk management, and alternative investments. He works closely with public stock/bond/ETF investment managers, Stonebridge Capital Advisors, professional portfolio managers who interact with clients alongside him, tailoring each account according to goal. He is also a licensed registered representative with Concorde Investment Services which provides vetted access to many leading real estate-focused investment firms.

Randy is an Arizona native, growing up near Old Town Scottsdale. He attended Coronado high school, then earned bachelor degrees from ASU in marketing and finance. He married Patti, a Chicago native, in 1991. They have two adult sons, Carson and Trenton.

Fun fact: As a young boy growing up in Old Town Scottsdale, he remembers watching both the “100 year and 500 year” floods wash away all crossings and bridges in Maricopa County except for one section of the Mill Avenue and Central Avenue bridges.

John K. Schonberg, CFA

Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager, Stonebridge Capital Advisors

John is an owner of Stonebridge and as Chief Investment Officer, he oversees the investment activities of the firm and directs the portfolio management teams and committees as a team member independent of Clear Direction, Stoltz Financial and Concorde Investment Services. He is one of the Portfolio Managers in charge of institutions and high net worth individuals and is also the lead manager of the covered call strategy.

John’s investment industry experience started in 1988 after earning his Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Before joining Stonebridge in 2013, he started his finance career as an analyst at Piper Jaffray and was promoted to Sr. Portfolio Manager. In 1997 he joined Columbia Management as a Sr. Portfolio Manager during the time they were purchased by Ameriprise.

Carson Stoltz

Asset Manager / Operations Director

Carson joined the Clear Direction team in 2019. Carson’s initial role at the firm was as the Operations Manager, focusing on operational and client services. Over that period Carson has been able to create systems and processes for the company to allow growth while maintaining a personalized tailored touch of service. Recently, Carson has transitioned out of the operational role and has been focusing on his new position as an asset manager/ financial planner, where Carson creates investment strategies and works with clients to help obtain their retirement and legacy goals.

To that end, Carson’s approach often involves solutions available from the team of portfolio managers at Stonebridge Capital Advisors, as well as securitized/ syndicated real estate offerings. This includes tax advantaged investments in Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) funds inside a 1031 exchange, Opportunity Zone funds, Private Placement Real Estate, and Oil & Gas limited partnerships, and private equity. Carson’s knowledge of various tax codes also gives an advantage to individual investors as well as corporations/ businesses when planning the “yellow brick road”.

Carson takes pride in the personalization of each client’s plan, understanding that this everchanging financial world will never be a one size fit all, and will always take extra time to work with each household to curate their portfolio to be exactly what they need. Carson meets with his clients often to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and confident that they have a Clear Direction.

Carson is an Arizona native, graduated from NAU in 2018 where he served as the men’s basketball program’s head manager, and is currently engaged to his future wife Nicole.

Tricia Johnsen

Operations Manager

Tricia Johnsen is the Operations Manager at Clear Direction. In this role, she provides support to the firm’s broader operations and ensures that the processes related to client service run efficiently. She coordinates client meetings and workplace events, assists with client recordkeeping, and organizes essential documentation.

Prior to this role, she was an Assistant Business Manager at the Humanities and Sciences Academy of the United States. She held various managerial positions at Safeway, Inc, including the Manager of Division Operations, earning a nomination to Governor Jan Brewer’s Underground Storage Tank Policy Commission.

Tricia is no stranger to Clear Direction, having worked at the firm at two points in the past, once as a Client Care Manager and also as an Office Manager.

Tricia has lived in Arizona for over 50 years. She has two grown daughters and four grandchildren.

Ben Barriball

Operations Associate

Ben began his journey at Clear Direction as an intern in the summer of 2021. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Grand Canyon University in 2022, he transitioned into a full-time role in the operations team, and has grown to become the firm’s Operations Associate. In this capacity, Ben plays an important role in supporting not just the firms advisors but also our clients. Whether answering questions or servicing their accounts, Ben has shown a high level in attention to detail. His dedication to learning has allowed him to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business and investment landscape.

Outside of work, Ben is passionate about weightlifting and enjoys spending quality time with friends and family.

Lauri Grovich

Wealth Advisor

Lauri joined the Clear Direction team as wealth advisor in 2024 starting her financial industry tenure in 2014.  She puts clients’ needs above all else, combining her love of people while guiding them to achieve specific financial goals.

Lauri works with clients by researching current investment performance while keeping a pulse on current events that may impact portfolios. She brings several years of tax preparation experience to her role and is presently pursuing her Enrolled Agent designation.

Lauri and her partners have the ability to cast a wider net beyond traditional Investments into alternatives, including securitized / syndicated real estate offerings.  This includes tax advantaged strategies like Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) funds inside a 1031 exchange, Private Placement Real Estate, and Oil & Gas limited partnerships.