President & CEO

Darren Varano

Darren is well known throughout the Financial Services and Executive Search industries as one of the top consultants for Advisor Recruiting, Advisor Compensation, Competitive Analysis, Firm Infrastructure, and Firm Recruiting Strategies for the Independent, Career, Banking and Wirehouse channels.  Darren’s Advisor Recruiting systems are the benchmark for what most Financial Services organizations use today. 

Darren Varano started his career with Grayling Associates in 1992 as an Account Manager and has spent over 30 years developing his expertise. 

Director of Operations

Megan Schuck

Megan started with Grayling in 2002 as the Office Manager, supporting the firm and its owners in a variety of ways. In 2019, she was promoted to the role of Director of Operations.

Meg has created processes, brought in new technology and ideas to help the firm grow and run smoothly.   As the Director of Operations, it is her job to help clients navigate their accounts, support staff with day to day operations, and promote the company’s well- being in partnership with the management team.

Prior to Grayling, Megan worked for Key Tech, LLC, and most recently Touchstone Advisors, where she was the Office Manager.  She is a 1999 graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, MA with a B.S. in Human Services.

Megan is the proud mom of 3 amazing kids, which are always her top priority! When not spectating and helping out with one of the kids activities, you can find her working in her gardens, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Recruiting Director

Darius Goss

Darius originally was born and raised just West of Philadelphia, PA.  He received his degree from Elizabethtown College in Business Administration with a Minor in Accounting.  Darius has worked with Grayling over the last 15 years as a recruiter in both the main office located in Bloomfield, CT and also remotely based back in the Philadelphia area.  His areas of focus have been both Agent and Management recruiting as well as overseeing client accounts.  In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, hiking, kayaking and spending time with family.

Recruiting Director

Kristin Karat

Kristin spent most of her career in the collegiate coaching space both as a basketball coach and strength and conditioning coach. Teamwork and relationships are extremely important to her! Recently Kristin made a career change to the talent acquisition space. Previously with AMN healthcare, she recruited and placed physicians in multiple hospital organizations throughout the country. Kristin is passionate about leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Kristin graduated from Becker College with a degree in Exercise Science. She holds her Certified Strength and Conditioning certification through the NSCA.

When she isn’t hard at work, you will find her at UConn women’s basketball games, rewatching Mad Men, or playing with her dogs; Cali and Jacob.

Recruiting Director

Justin Cohen

Justin decided to make the move to South Florida about 3 years ago from Philadelphia. Since making the move, Justin has worked in the service industry and also has a recruiting background as well. His background has provided a great foundation for a business that requires consistent and effective communication on a daily basis.

Justin holds a Bachelor’s degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania where he majored in Finance and minored in Business Law. He also spent a short amount of time playing collegiate Football.

In his spare time, Justin enjoys going to the gym, playing golf, spending time with friends, and enjoying the amazing weather that South Florida has to offer.

Recruiting Director

Lori Miller

Lori Miller has been in some capacity of the recruiting industry for over 20 years. Born and Raised in Pittsburgh, PA , she started her career recruiting in the Education industry after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh.  Lori was a Senior Director of Recruitment in the Education sector for years before transitioning her talents to the Wealth Management industry in 2019. She has spent the last 6 years coaching Financial Advisors on job market trends, hiring the right staff and helping with employee retention. Lori  is very passionate about connecting people with great career opportunities.  She is currently the Manager of Talent Solutions for Financial Independence Group in Cornelius, NC. 

She spends most of her time being a busy mom with her two active children in Mooresville, North Carolina. Lori enjoys living the lake life on Lake Norman with her friends and family. The most important things in her life are Faith, Family, Friends,  Fitness,  Fun and Finding Talent.

Recruiting Director

Guy Evans

Guy was born and raised in Miami and loves the Miami culture with relatives originally from Colombia! In his professional career, he has 3.5 years of experience in account management and sales. This background lays the foundation for Guy’s great communication skills and inept way to create relationships. 

Guy holds a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida majoring in Integrated Business Administration. Also spending time in the south at University of Alabama at Birmingham – Montgomery playing collegiate soccer. 

If Guy isn’t in the office, you can either find him on the golf course with some friends or on the boat enjoying the sun and fishing with family.

Recruiting Director

Ryan Varano

Originally from Connecticut, Ryan Varano graduated from Avon Old Farms School before earning his degree in Architecture from the University of Hartford, where he also played Division III lacrosse. His early experience in the architecture and construction industries including roles at QA+M Architecture, MBH Architecture, Endicott College, and as an Assistant Project Manager at FIP Construction. These opportunities provided him with a strong foundation in project coordination, team dynamics, and detail-oriented execution.

Ryan brings that same mindset to his role as Recruiting Director at Grayling, where he leads national efforts to identify top talent and build high-performing teams. His approach is driven by a passion for connecting people with the right opportunities and a commitment to building lasting relationships grounded in trust and communication.

In his spare time, Ryan enjoys staying active through golf and lacrosse, and he takes great pride in coaching high school lacrosse. He values quality time outdoors with family and friends and remains committed to continuous growth as a leader, with a focus on mentoring others and making a positive impact both personally and professionally.

Recruiting Director

Freddie Sultan

Freddie was born and raised in Weston, FL, and has long-time family roots in South Florida going back to the late 1930’s.  In his professional career, Freddie advised and served his clients as a Financial Services Advisor for over 2 years.  Freddie then transitioned into Staffing and Executive Recruiting and has been serving clients in these areas for the past 3 years.   This unique background lays the foundation for Freddie’s industry knowledge of in both Financial Services, and Executive Recruiting.  In each discipline, the energy, skills, drive and know-how provide combined synergies for Freddie to continue to be successful here at Grayling & Associates. 
In college, Freddie played Division 1 baseball for Winthrop University for 3 years, where he was a Left-Handed Pitcher, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Florida Gulf Coast University.  When Freddie isn’t in the office, you can find him either on the tennis court, the pickleball court, or the golf course with friends and family.

Recruiting Director

David Murphy

David Murphy ChFC, (DM Consulting Group/ a Grayling partner firm) is a relationship-driven group built on over 40 years of proven leadership within the financial services industry, partnering with Grayling  specialized in partnerships with strategic alliances and delivering expertise across:
• National Life Brokerage/referral partnerships
• Advisor Transitions
• Transactional broker support and businesses preparing for sale
• Strong, long-standing relationships across the career and independent insurance sector, the BD & RIA marketplace, and corporate financial services.

David began his career in 1982 immediately after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, where he served as quarterback of the football team.

Throughout his career, David has demonstrated strong, multidimensional servant leadership as a former MDRT producer, sales manager and player-coach, general agent/managing director, and VP of Sales at several major companies.

Today, he is passionate about sharing the insights and wisdom he’s gained from decades of experience working with top producers, managers, consultants, and senior executives across the industry.

Drawing on his background and strategic relationships, his focus is aligning the right people, roles, and firms to create lasting impact.

David and his wife Gail enjoy spending time with their three children and two grandchildren (Mac &Tucker) and golfing in their free time.

Recruiting Director

Vincenzo Suarez

Vincenzo was born and raised in Miami in a Mexican household, being the first generation of his family in the United States. He kicked off his first 2 years of his professional career working in public relations, representing global software companies, before transitioning into the recruiting industry in the South Florida market. His early experience connecting reporters with executives to drive media strategy paved the way for his passion for being the bridge between professionals, helping to build meaningful relationships and advance their careers.

Vincenzo holds a Bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, where he studied Public Relations and Entrepreneurship/Emerging Enterprises. He was on the collegiate swim team during his time there after growing up a swimmer since the age of 5.

Outside of work, you can find him out on the pitch playing soccer for hours on end and enjoying time with his family, probably while watching a soccer match too.

Office Manager

Holly Walsh

Holly joined Grayling in 2024 as the Office Manager to support the firm and its Recruiting Directors. Her professional skills help streamline operations and improve efficiency. Holly received a Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

Holly is also a part-time Realtor at Coldwell Banker in her hometown of West Hartford. Outside of work, Holly can be found at one of her 2 kids sporting games or spending time with family and friends.

Director of First Impressions

Cali

Cali is our Director of First Impressions. Cali is responsible for the emotional support of our office! She is a 3 year old black lab who specializes in tug of war, fetch, paw, and making everyone’s day a little brighter. Cali enjoys treats, spending time with her mom and brother Jacob, and cheering for UConn.