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Pursue Your Goals

We help individuals and families pursue their ideal retirements.

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Meet the Team

In Japanese, “kai-zen” means “continuous change for the better” and starts from the belief that we all have limitations that may hinder us from achieving our goals. When clients engage with Kaizen Financial Group, Albert Lalonde and his team help them to identify their weaknesses and strengthen their foundations. Then the Kaizen team helps to improve clients’ financial lives by developing a personalized O.W.N. Your Retirement program.

Albert LalondeFinancial Planner, Investment Advisor Representative

Albert is focused on helping clients work toward their retirement dreams through a well-thought-out financial strategy for retirement.

Albert was inspired to join the financial services industry in 2001, after watching his parents navigate their own retirements without anyone to properly guide them. He became an independent advisor in 2005, partnering with a colleague to establish a complete financial planning firm that embodied the ideal of placing clients’ best interests first. When his former partner decided to relocate the firm in 2012, Albert chose to remain nearby for his clients and founded the Kaizen Financial Group on those same investor-first principles.

As a fiduciary, Albert adheres to a comprehensive approach when providing investment advice and creating financial plans. He believes education is a vital component when making retirement decisions, and he frequently offers workshops and educational seminars on retirement-related topics.

Albert has passed the Series 65 securities exam and holds an insurance and health license. He has also completed certified courses on estate and tax planning; however, he does not provide any legal or tax advice. Albert graduated from Montana State University, where he earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees. He was a three-time College All-American in wrestling and also qualified for the 1992 Olympic wrestling team trials.

Albert resides in Washington Township, Michigan, and enjoys the outdoors, extreme sports and physical fitness training. As former head wrestling coach for Lapeer East High School, he feels everyone should have some type of coach or advisor to help them attain the dreams and goals they set for themselves

Angela Edmonds

Director of Business & Family Relations

When it comes to working with clients, Angela pays close attention to detail. She has seen firsthand the benefits of creating a sound financial strategy — and the ramifications of not having a strategy at all. She is passionate about helping clients and coordinating their financial relationship with the firm.

Prior to joining Kaizen Financial Group, Angela worked as an assistant head teller at Standard Federal Bank before moving on as assistant operations manager at QPS Printing. Her extensive experience in office operations and customer relations is evident in her approach to serving clients.

Angela resides in Commerce Township with husband Charles, son Easton and their English bulldog, Betty. They enjoy spending summer days on the lake with friends and family, as well as attending music concerts and sporting events throughout the year.

Renee Russo

Marketing & Service Coordinator

Renee’s attention to detail and love of working with people led her to her role with Kaizen Financial Group, which she joined in 2013. She is responsible for service and administration of new clients, processing paperwork and maintaining current client accounts.

Renee holds a Michigan life insurance license. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nutrition & Food Science from Wayne State University, as well as a Master of Management degree from Walsh College.

Renee and her husband, Anthony, often find themselves tackling new house projects. She also enjoys spending time at the family cottage in Port Sanilac as well as spending time with her extended family.

Charles Edmonds

Associate Advisor

September 11 and its impact on the investment markets and business world was an eye-opening experience for Charles, serving as the catalyst for him to become a financial advisor in 2004.

Today, he serves clients with the philosophy that it is never too early or too late to seek advice about retirement. He also believes that everyone needs to know where they stand today to adequately implement a plan for tomorrow.

Charles attended Eastern Michigan University, where he studied business management and finance. After college, he successfully owned and operated two pizza franchises for a decade before joining the financial services industry.

Charles resides in Commerce Township, Michigan, with wife Angela, son Easton and their English bulldog, Betty. He enjoys boating, fishing and spending time with family and friends on their local lakes.

Bill Jones

Life and Health Insurance Specialist

Bill believes there is nothing more important in this world than family. Knowing that your family has a sound financial future is one of the most comforting feelings one can have. Having someone you can trust is crucial when discussing your finances, and Bill takes pride in developing relationships with his clients. He makes it a point to listen to what the clients want, knowing what they need, and meeting them somewhere in the middle.

Bill has joined Kaizen Financial Group to serve every clients needs for Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Medicare Insurance and to give each family the current and future protection they need.

After obtaining a Bachelors in Business Administration from Rochester College, Bill and his wife Stephanie opened a fitness facility called GameChanger Athletics in Downtown Rochester, MI and have been a staple in the fitness industry for years. Bill and Stephanie are also successful Professional Bodybuilders and have competed all over the United States and Canada. Bill has a blended family of 5 children and 2 Huskies and resides in Rochester Hills, MI. His main hobbies are fitness, cars, trucks and motorcycles, and traveling with his friends and family.

Julie Thomas

Controller

Julie brings over 30 years of bookkeeping experience to the Kaizen Financial Group team. Before joining the firm, she spent most of her career working as the personal assistant to the chairman/owner of an automotive engineering company.

Julie grew up in Shelby Township, Michigan, and now lives in Washington Township with her husband, Michael, and two dogs, Sammy and Harley. When she’s not working, she enjoys golfing, knitting and sharing good times with friends and family.

Deborah Randazzo

Administration

Debby brings many years of experience to our team at Kaizen Financial Group. She has several years of experience working for a financial planning group as well as other office assistant experiences.
 
Debby lives with her husband, Dean, daughter, Angel, their dog, Daisy, and two cats, Rocky and Baby Kitty. Obviously an animal lover, she enjoys rescuing kittens and spending time with her dog, Daisy, in the back yard gardening and spending time outside with family and friends.
 
When she can, Debby enjoys following wheelchair basketball. She and her daughter, Angel, have been known to follow wheelchair basketball teams all over the country to watch them play. It’s a passion they share together as well as their favorite charity.

Kaizen Financial Group's Story

Strategic Alliances

MICHAEL BINGER, CFA®

President
Gradient Investments, LLC

Mr. Binger is the President of Gradient Investments. He has been with Gradient Investments since 2012 and has more than 30 years of total investment management experience. Mr. Binger’s prior roles include managing multi-billion dollar investment products for a large institutional asset manager. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and is a CFA® charterholder. We believe that he brings a depth of market experience that is rare within the industry and has been a featured contributor with several media outlets including CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal.

JEREMY BRYAN, CFA®

Senior Portfolio Manager
Gradient Investments, LLC

 

MARIANN MONTAGNE, CFA®

Portfolio Manager
Gradient Investments, LLC

KEITH GANGL, CFA®

Portfolio Manager
Gradient Investments, LLC​

Mr. Gangl is a Portfolio Manager for Gradient Investments. He joined Gradient Investments in 2018 and has over 20 years of total investment management experience. Prior roles include portfolio management for a large institutional equity firm, where he managed several billion dollars of assets. Mr. Gangl has been featured in media publications such as Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg, and Yahoo!. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University, MBA from the University of St. Thomas, and is a CFA® charterholder.