The Verhaeghe Group
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
3401 College Blvd
Leawood KS 66211
(913) 906.5250
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Mission Statement
"Outstanding service is something we feel clients deserve, and we strive tirelessly to earn and maintain their trust." Philip Verhaeghe Managing Director Wealth Management Advisor
Welcome

Headquartered in Leawood, Kansas, The Verhaeghe Group has distinguished itself by providing customized advice and guidance to a select group of business owners and affluent families. We are a ten-member team, servicing over $1 billion in client balances as of June 2025. We are relentless in our focus on risk-adjusted performance relative to each family’s long-term goals. We bring warmth, compassion, and coordination to families’ wealth management that we believe is distinctive.

Our practice is deeply committed to helping families preserve and grow their generational wealth. We work closely with our clients' tax and estate professionals to help ensure that all aspects of their family, business, and investments are thoughtfully integrated into a cohesive plan. Helping to protect purchasing power after taxes and inflation is a true passion that guides our planning and investment process.

Within our group, we possess a myriad of industry accolades and designations, including CFP® professional, CPWA®, CIMA®, and CRPC™ designations. Additionally, the team has been honored by Forbes. The Verhaeghe Group was named to the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list, 2024-2025 (Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year).*  Phil Verhaeghe has been nationally recognized by Barron's and Forbes. Phil was named to the 2018 Barron’s "Top 1,200 Financial Advisors" list (Published on March 12, 2018. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2017)** and named to the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list, 2018 – 2020 and 2022 – 2025 (Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year).***

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*Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK* Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor and not an endorsement of the advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the rankings study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at the SHOOK Research website. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

**2018 Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” list. Opinions are Barron’s who evaluated advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience and employed at their current firm for at least one year. Ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated for the firm, quality of practice, regulatory records, internal company documents and 100-plus points of advisor-provided data. Rankings do not reflect any one client’s experience, endorse any advisor and do not guarantee future investment success. Compensation was not received from anyone for the study. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

***Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at the SHOOK Research website. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.*

Recognition
Philip Verhaeghe
Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor
Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors", 2018-2020, 2022-2025
(Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.)
Barron's "America's Top 1200 Financial Advisors State-by-State", 2018
(Published on March 12, 2018. Rankings based on data as of September 30, 2017.)
The Verhaeghe Group
Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams", 2024-2025
(Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.)
About Us
Our Approach

Welcome to The Verhaeghe Group, where we work with a select group of families to help them navigate the complexities of managing significant wealth. Our practice is intentionally structured to provide highly personalized service, which is why we typically work with families who have achieved at least $5 million in net worth. While this is our general guideline, we occasionally extend our services to families who share our commitment to building a thoughtful, generational wealth plan—particularly when they are on a clear trajectory toward that level of wealth and share our values around financial stewardship.

We focus on understanding each family's vision for their legacy, collaborating closely with their tax and estate professionals, and creating an integrated plan that is designed to support both the preservation and growth of generational wealth. We invite you to learn more about how we can help you and your family achieve your long-term financial goals.

Meet Our Team
Philip Verhaeghe,

CPWA®

Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor
913.906.5298
Madelyn P Verhaeghe,

CRPC™

Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager
913.906.5250
Deidra Hunn,

CFP®, CRPC™

Vice President, Senior Wealth Planner
913.906.5296
Kevin Frevert,

CIMA®, CRPC™

Vice President, Senior Investment Manager
913.906.5238
Demetra J Pace,

CRPC™

Officer, Registered Senior Wealth Management Client Associate
913.906.5265
Heather N Morrow,

CRPC™

Assistant Vice President, Relationship Manager
913.906.5222
Sarah Vest
Officer, Wealth Management Client Associate (FP)
913.906.5210
Robert Scott Drumwright
Officer, Registered Wealth Management Client Associate
913.906.5214
Karie Werner
Wealth Management Client Associate
913.906.5270
Lucy Mae Voysey
Wealth Management Client Associate (FP)
913.906.5233
Additional Resources
The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.
Brent Smitko
Wealth Management Lending Officer
Bank of America, N.A.
Sue Tettenhorst
Wealth Management Banking Specialist
Merrill
About Merrill

Bringing fresh perspectives to your financial life

The financial decisions you make today can help determine the future you build for yourself and your family. Carving a clear path forward starts with connecting your life and finances. A Merrill advisor provides access to the investing insights of Merrill and banking capabilities of Bank of America to help you make informed decisions as you pursue your goals.

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Investments & Wealth Institute™ (The Institute) is the owner of the certification marks CPWA® and Certified Private Wealth Advisor®. Use of CPWA®, and/or Certified Private Wealth Advisor® signifies that the user has successfully completed the Institute’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for wealth advisors.
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, CRPC™, and the CRPC™ logo are certification marks or registered certification marks of The College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. in the United States.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and the CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Investments & Wealth Institute™ (The Institute) is the owner of the certification marks CIMA® and Certified Investment Management Analyst®. Use of CIMA®, and/or Certified Investment Management Analyst® signifies that the user has successfully completed the Institute’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management professionals.