Executive Team

Our executive team is comprised of three senior advisors from different backgrounds who bring their years of experience and knowledge to BFG clients. Get to know them, reach out with any questions, or connect with them on LinkedIn.

Eric Brotman, CFP®, AEP®, CPWA®

Chief Executive Officer

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Eric D. Brotman, CFP^®, AEP^®, CPWA^®, is Chief Executive Officer of BFG Financial Advisors. He began his financial planning practice in Baltimore in 1994, and founded Brotman Financial Group in 2003, which later became BFG Financial Advisors. He and his team focus on supporting families and individuals by providing comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Certified Financial Planner^TM (CFP^®) certification in 1998 and completed his master’s degree in financial services (MSFS) at the American College in 2003. He is also an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP^®), a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA^®), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), a Chartered Advisor in Senior Living (CASL), and a Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®). Eric is a Registered Representative with Kestra Investment Services and an Investment Advisor Representative with Kestra Advisory Services.

Eric is presently serving on the Board of Trustees for Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland. He previously served two four-year terms on the Board of Trustees for the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System as an appointee of former Governor Larry Hogan, and on the Business Advisory Council for former Comptroller, Peter Franchot. Eric served on the Board of Trustees and as Chairman of the University Advancement Committee at Stevenson University. He is a 2006 alumnus and former board member of Leadership-Baltimore County, a 2009 alumnus and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Leadership Maryland, the Past-President and Chairman of the Board of the Financial Planning Association of Maryland, and a member of the Baltimore Estate Planning Council and the Investments and Wealth Institute.

In addition to BFG Financial Advisors, Eric founded Brotman Consulting Group, LLC, which works with other financial advising firms to amplify their practices and create influence, and Brotman Media Group, LLC, which focuses on creating and distributing educational resources to help spread financial literacy throughout the community.

Eric hosted the Don’t Retire…Graduate! podcast which has over 100 episodes available on all major podcast platforms. He has published three books on personal finance: Don’t Retire…Graduate! Building a Path to Financial Freedom and Retirement at Any Age in 2020, Retire Wealthy: The Tools You Need to Help Build Lasting Wealth – On Your Own or With Your Financial Advisor, in 2014, and Debt-Free for Life: The Tools You Need to Free Yourself from Debt, in 2009.

Eric has appeared on dozens of occasions on television on 11 News Sunday Morning on WBAL in Baltimore and has been a frequent contributor to Forbes.com. He frequently hosts financial wellness programs for companies and membership organizations and delivers educational workshops and facilitates professional groups for fellow financial advisors.

Lena M. Nebel, CFP®, MSFS

President & Chief Operating Officer

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Lena M. Nebel, CFP®, MSFS is the President and Chief Operating Officer at BFG Financial Advisors. Lena joined BFG in 2018, bringing with her nearly two decades of financial advisory experience.

Never shying from a challenge, Lena has found herself working primarily with engineers and corporate executives—two groups requiring very high levels of attention to detail and patience. In her mind, being a successful and trustworthy financial planner means taking the time to listen and fully understand each clients’ financial situation and having a deep bench of team members to collaborate with—as she has at BFG.

Lena discovered her passion for finances at a young age, from setting up lemonade stands as a child to witnessing the financial struggles of her parents as she grew older. After focusing on business in college and interning with different companies in the financial field, she found a calling in financial planning. The variety of clients with unique stories and situations posed a challenge of continuously staying apprised of changing strategies and techniques—a challenge she was excited to tackle.

In 2007 she became the first female president of the Financial Planning Association of Maryland, where she was also presented with a Leadership Award for her board service. Today, her passion for the financial planning process and community is demonstrated through her commitment to various industry organizations and her work as a mentor for up-and-coming advisors at BFG. She is passionate about inspiring young students—girls, especially—to want to pursue careers in finance and is a regular guest speaker for middle and high school classes and after-school student groups.

An advocate for women in finance, Lena is constantly working to build a path for other female advisors, whether as a mentor to the associates within her firm or through leadership in the industry itself. Lena completed the Towson University Professional Leadership Program for Women in 2021 and is a member of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2022. Lena’s financial advice and professional journey can be heard on various podcasts and webinars, which focus on spreading financial literacy education to the masses.

Lena received a Bachelor of Science in 1999 from York College of Pennsylvania where she helped establish the college’s first Investment Club. After graduation, she received her Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) Certification at the American College and her Master of Science in Financial Services through the Institute of Business and Finance.

Outside of the office, Lena is a wife and mother of three and spends her time with her family.

Yanni M. Niebuhr, CFP®

Chief Investment Officer

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Yanni Niebuhr, CFP® is a Principal and the Chief Investment Officer at BFG Financial Advisors. In this role, he is responsible for understanding, managing, and monitoring the assets of the firm, and ensuring that all due diligence is carried out regarding the portfolios managed for clients.

In 2021, Yanni was instrumental in the development and implementation of the firm’s Financial Planning for All program, a revolutionary new offering that made financial planning services accessible to more families throughout the country. He is also a leading force in the firm’s Corporate Financial Wellness initiative that helps companies across the country provide valuable financial guidance and advocacy for their employees.

Yanni joined Brotman Financial Group as an intern in 2011 and joined the firm’s investment operations department full time later that year. In 2014, he was promoted to Associate Advisor, providing technical support for the firm’s lead financial advisors on all client work, including handling client inquiries, preparing for and attending meetings, and completing the necessary follow-up. In 2019 the firm changed its corporate identity to BFG Financial Advisors, and he advanced to Director of Investment Operations, and later to Chief Investment Officer.

Yanni holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University. He earned his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation in 2015 and holds his FINRA Series 7 (General Securities Representative) and 66 (Uniform Combined State Law Examination) licenses through Kestra Investment Services, LLC.

Passionate about improving education for students in his community, Yanni sits on the Board of Directors for LETS GO Boys and Girls, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to providing STEM learning opportunities for under-resourced schools.

When he is not at the office, Yanni can be found at home with his wife and two young sons.

Click here to learn more about our team’s designations.