The Sullivan Group - RBC Wealth Management

Deborah Sullivan, CFP®

Senior Vice President - Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager - Portfolio Focus

Deborah Sullivan began her career in 1985 at Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. where she served as vice president and director of the financial planning department for many years. Having left that position to pursue her desire to work directly with clients, she has for over 20 years focused her practice on providing customized wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives and small business owners. Deborah received the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 1988. The multi-year CFP® program entails in-depth courses training and comprehensive examinations in all areas of personal finance including investments, taxes, insurance, estate and retirement planning. These topics of study allow the CFP® professional to enhance their client relationships and add value toward helping clients achieve their financial objectives.

Deborah attended the Pennsylvania State University on a Senatorial Scholarship majoring in biochemistry and furthered her studies in business at the University of Houston. She has served in several leadership roles within the Financial Planning Association including being appointed to the National Financial Planner Advisory Council in 2000, the FPA’s inaugural year. Deborah’s credentials also include keynote speaking engagements and appearances on financial programs such as WPXI-TVs “Our Region’s Business” with Bill Flanagan and KDKA-AM 1020 Radio’s “Your Money and You.” She is an approved third-party manager for The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota. Deborah is a strong believer in educating her clients and has hosted public seminars and in-house corporate workshops on retirement planning, long term care insurance, and estate concerns.

Deborah has attained RBC Wealth Management’s council status, which includes the firm’s most successsful financial advisors, in each year since joining the firm. She is honored to have received numerous accolades, including being named to the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors list in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list in 2021, 2022 and 2023. ’s proudest professional honor was receiving the 2020 RBC Wealth Management Women’s Association of Financial Advisors (WAFA) Gail Winslow Award. The annual WAFA Gail Winslow Award recognizes women who demonstrate exemplary efforts to help attract, support and retain women clients and financial advisors.

Active in her community, Deborah has raised money for the United Way, Family House, Ronald McDonald House, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, and Sister’s Place. She and her family reside in Peters Township. Together they enjoy golfing, biking and traveling.

The 2021 Forbes "Best-In-State Wealth Advisors" award was announced February 2021. Data as of 6/30/2020. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: <a href="http://www.SHOOKresearch.com" target="_blank">www.SHOOKresearch.com</a>.

The 2021 Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors" award was announced March 2021. Data as of 9/30/2020. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com: <a href="http://www.SHOOKresearch.com">www.SHOOKresearch.com</a>.

The 2022 Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors" and "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State" award was announced February 2022. Data as of 9/30/2021. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: <a href="http://www.SHOOKresearch.com" target="_blank">www.SHOOKresearch.com</a>.

The 2022 Forbes "Best-In-State Wealth Advisors" award was announced April 2022. Data as of 6/30/2021. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: <a href="http://www.SHOOKresearch.com" target="_blank">www.SHOOKresearch.com</a>.

The 2023 Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors" and "Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State" award was announced February 2023. Data as of 9/30/2022. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com.

The 2023 Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” award was announced April 2023. Data as of 6/30/2022. The award was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. The financial advisor does not pay a fee to be considered for or to receive this award. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients. This is not indicative of this financial advisor’s future performance. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com.