Derek Ober
Wealth Management Advisor|CFP®, CIMA®, RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®
Spend Your Life Living
Get to Know Derek
Derek has been in the Suncoast area since 2002. He grew up in the Bradenton area. Being a long time Florida resident, Derek is proud to call Sarasota home. He is married to his incredible wife Maria, and they are blessed to have two beautiful children, Derek Mathias and Luciana. Derek met Maria in 2014 while studying abroad in South Korea. They got married in 2018 in beautiful Colombia, South America.
Derek graduated from the University of South Florida in 2016 with an Undergraduate degree in economics and finance. He then continued his educational path at the American College of Financial services where he completed his Chartered Life Underwriter, and Chartered Financial Consultant designations in 2021. He went on to receive his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional designation in December of 2021. Derek is continuing his education by currently being enrolled in the Master of Financial Planning from the American College.
He and Maria are active members of the local community and enjoy gallivanting around Sarasota with their children.
Education and Awards
- Named SQR Magazine's 35 Under 35 Honoree in 2023
- Awarded the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional designation in 2021.
- Achieved the ChFC® and the CLU® designations through the American College of Financial Services.
- Graduate of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute of 2021
- 2019 Integrated Advisor of the Year for Northwestern Mutual Tampa Bay
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Majors: Economics and Finance, August 2016
- University of South Florida (USF), Tampa, FL
- Graduated from Honors College and Business Honors Program
- Certified in Long-term Care Planning (CLTC®)
- Designation for specialized knowledge in long-term care planning
- May 30, 2017 to Present
- FINRA Series 7, 63 Exams
- Life - Health - Variable Annuity Licenses
Get to know my dedicated team
Each of us are committed to providing exceptional service. If you need to schedule an appointment, request service, or have a question about a policy or account, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Maria De Leon Burgos
Director of Operations and Client Service
Maria is a dedicated mother of two and the loving wife of Derek. She graduated from Universidad del Rosario in Colombia with a bachelor's in international business management. Born and raised in Colombia, Maria made a significant move to the United States in 2018. Along with her family, which includes their dog, Ivy, she enjoys exploring parks and museums, embracing new adventures and creating lasting memories
Jess Lindberg
Associate Financial Representative
Jess is a proud graduate of the University of Florida, holding a bachelor's in business administration. With a solid background in financial services, Jess joined Northwestern Mutual in 2021 and leverages her expertise daily. Born and raised in the vibrant Tampa Bay area, Jess is also a devoted mother to her two wonderful kids, Dominic and Devyn. Their family includes a rescue pup, Shelby, who adds to the warmth of their home. Passionate about her children's interests, Jess volunteers with Dominic's tech and engineering club and travels with him across the nation as he competes. In her free time, she loves listening to music, spending time floating down Florida's serene freshwater rivers, and creating lasting memories with her children.
Tiffany Plumlee
Operations Associate
Tiffany made a significant life change in 2021 when she relocated to Sarasota from Oklahoma City after marrying her husband, Mike, and embracing their new chapter of being empty nesters. She made the bold decision to leave her long-time career as a registered dental hygienist and pursue a new direction by joining our team in 2024. She has a bachelor's degree in science and an associate's in business management and believes in being a lifelong learner and achiever. She is a proud mom of two beautiful daughters, Ashley and Hayley as well as two bonus kids, Pierce and Peyton. Tiffany loves the Florida lifestyle, but still holds a special place in her heart for her alma mater, the Oklahoma Sooners. Tiffany is passionate about international travel with her husband and creating deep-rooted traditions and memories with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, scuba diving, reading, practicing Pilates, and taking long walks with her English White Labrador, Ciara.
Kevin Folliet
RICP®
Director of Investment Management
Kevin joined Northwestern Mutual in November 2016. Kevin reviews financial / investment plans. He recommends investment strategy for clients and assists us to ensure investment allocations are optimized. Kevin has four years of financial services experience, and first served as a registered financial representative before joining the planning department within Northwestern Mutual. He holds his Series 7, Series 63 and Florida (Life & Health) Licenses. Kevin has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Sorbonne University of Paris, France, and a master’s degree in Business Management from NEOMA Business School of Reims, France.
Jarrett W Tsai
Lead Research Analyst
Jarrett joined Northwestern Mutual in May 2017. Jarrett reviews financial/investment plans. He recommends investment strategy for clients and assists the Wealth Management Advisors to ensure investment allocations are optimized. Jarrett has four years of financial services experience, and first served as a financial advisor before joining our team. He holds his Series 7, Series 63 and Florida (Life & Health) Licenses. Jarrett has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida.
Angelina Leonetti
Director of Marketing
Angie started her career with Northwestern Mutual in 2015. As our Director of Marketing, she is responsible for utilizing strategic marketing and media strategies to help our firm build strong relationships in the community. She oversees client events, sponsorships, and media opportunities.
How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.
When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.
Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.
It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.
