Mercedes Elias

Mercedes Elias is the first and currently the only woman veteran to serve as CEO of a service disabled, veteran-owned broker-dealer on Wall Street.

Ms. Elias is of Mexican American descent and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Her father served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base.

After graduating from St. Mary’s University, Ms. Elias attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps that same year. Her commissioning class started with 49 women and only 17 women graduated, showcasing how difficult it is for women to become officers in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Throughout her time on active duty, Ms. Elias was stationed in Quantico, Virginia; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Okinawa, Japan; Camp Pendleton, California and Garden City, New York. Additionally, she served a combat tour in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and completed her time on active duty in 2016 with the 1st Marine Corps Recruiting District in Garden City, New York.

In 2020, she was appointed by the Mayor of New York City to sit on the city’s Veterans Advisory Board, which functions through the contributions of 11 veterans who have been appointed to three-year terms by either the Mayor (6) or the Speaker of the New York City Council (5).

The board provides oversight of the city’s Department of Veterans Services and advises the Commissioner of Veterans’ Services on all matters concerning veterans in the community.

After leaving the military, Ms. Elias attended Columbia University and obtained her Advanced Business Certification. She is currently enrolled in the Wharton Executive MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania and will graduate in 2024. In addition, she is registered with FINRA Series 7 and 24.

Ms. Elias currently resides in Queens, New York and enjoys traveling, networking and spending time with friends and family.