Executive Team
John Neyland
CEO, CIO, and Advisor
Louisiana native John Christopher Neyland founded JCN Financial & Tax Advisory Group, LLC in 2002. John specializes in retirement planning with a concentration in tax efficiency and distribution strategies. John is a well-known and respected investment advisor representative, holding a Series 66 securities license. His bedrock investment philosophy of managing volatility, capital preservation, and prudent value-oriented investing is the core foundation of the JCN strategy.
John is an established author, speaker, humanitarian, and businessman, but he is also a dedicated family man to his wife, Karen, and their three children.
Karen Neyland
Bookkeeper and Principal Bookkeeping Specialist
Karen has a degree in occupational therapy and worked as an occupational therapist in the East Baton Rouge Parish school system for 10 years. She played a major role in the startup of JCN Financial and maintains a crucial position as Operations Alchemist – crafting order by mixing invoices, tech, and logistics into a smooth-running business. Karen enjoys sewing for her granddaughter, Juliet, aka The Princess, when her two dogs, Harry and Draco, let her. She is the VIP of the company, especially on payday!
Lyen Martinez
President
With experience in management services dating back to 2010, Lyen has worked extensively within clerical services specific to the implementation of distribution, Roth conversion, and tax planning.
As President of JCN Financial, she is responsible for the comprehensive management of the business, managing staff, and maintaining working relationships with over 300 clients, as well as assisting in both the compliance and accounts payable departments. Lyen’s B.A. in management (with a concentration in the supply chain) from Southern University serves as a strong foundation for her current position. She is also bilingual in English and Spanish.
Alex Bernal, MSC, MS, CMT, CFTe
Senior Quantitative Analyst
Since 2005, Alex Bernal has built industry experience in equity, commodity, currency, interest rate, and derivatives markets. He holds both the Certified Financial Technician
(CMT) designation, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Southern California. Alex started his career at the Beverly Hills branch of Bear Stearns & Co. in the wealth management division. Then in 2007, he moved over to M&N Trading, LLC where he joined the prop trading desk where he specialized in statistical arbitrage in areas such as global yield curve spreads and STIR (Short Term Interest Rate) futures.
Lizzie Mejia
Client Relations Manager
Lizzie is an adept professional in customer service and operations for JCN Financial. She is a very dedicated and resilient individual involved in our day-to-day operations and overall customer experience. With over 15 years of
experience in the customer service area and her ability to communicate in English and Spanish, she provides us with the opportunity to build better relationships with our clients and an edge over our competitors.
Olivia Neyland
Fiduciary Financial Advisor and Chief Marketing Officer
Olivia Neyland brings a unique blend of financial expertise and strategic marketing leadership to her role as Fiduciary Financial Advisor and Chief Marketing Officer at JCN Financial and Tax Advisory Group, LLC.
With a steadfast commitment to client advocacy and ethical business practices, Olivia guides individuals and families through complex financial decisions, ensuring their interests are always placed first.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Olivia is the driving force behind the firm’s brand vision and outreach strategies. She leads innovative campaigns, educational workshops, and digital initiatives that empower clients to make informed choices about their financial futures. Olivia’s collaborative approach fosters strong relationships both within the organization and with the broader community.
Known for her integrity, attention to detail, and approachable style, Olivia excels at simplifying financial concepts and creating a welcoming environment for every client. Her dedication to continuous learning and professional growth keeps her at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.
Based in Baton Rouge, Olivia is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals while upholding the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and marketing excellence.
Tracy Petrou
Administrative Assistant
Tracy is one of our dedicated administrative assistants. She graduated from LSU with a B.A. in communications and sociology. As a busy mom of three and early childhood educator, she is no stranger to multitasking! She uses her
expertise in time-proficiency and organizational skills to assist the marketing department. She is bilingual in English and Vietnamese and our resident social media personality. Her sunny disposition is such a joy to have at JCN and her willingness to help our team and clients is unmatched!
Roxxana Martinez
Administrative Assistant
Roxxana is our administrative assistant in our client services department. She is an incredible asset to Lizzie’s team! She has over 15 years of experience in business management, customer service and has served as an assistant
director of an early childhood program for over five years. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and her ability to serve and communicate for our extensive clientele has been very beneficial. With her extensive and diverse training, she is a wonderful asset to our team!
Research Team
John Neyland
Alex Bernal
David Bergstrom
Database Engineer and Senior Developer
With a decade of software and database management experience, David’s architecture for the JCN Financial research platform is what drives our investment models and research capabilities. He also specializes in C#.net
and C++ high-performance software development. David attended Bucknell and the University of Pittsburgh, and has more than a decade of experience in high frequency trading and market making.
Kris Kaufman
Technology Consultant
Since 1990, Kris has been president and chief executive officer of Parallax Financial Research, a scientific research boutique that empowers professional money managers using unique fundamental and quantitative security
models. Prior to that, he was a senior staff geophysicist at Sierra Geophysics. He has lectured on and published a variety of articles on neutral networks and non-linear financial predictors, the geophysics of nuclear explosions, and seismic wave propagation. Kris has advanced degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Colorado.
Denise “The IRA Whisperer” Appleby, MJ, APA, AKS, CISP, CRC, CRPS, CRSP
CEO, Appleby Retirement Consulting Inc.
Denise Appleby is a nationally recognized retirement account expert, author, and speaker—widely known in the financial
industry as The IRA Whisperer for her unmatched ability to resolve complex IRA and retirement plan issues. As CEO of Appleby Retirement Consulting Inc., Denise provides technical consulting, training, and educational resources to financial, tax, and legal professionals, helping them protect their clients’ retirement savings and prevent costly compliance errors.
She holds a Master of Jurisprudence in Employee Benefits Law from the John Marshall Law School and multiple retirement-plan designations, including the CISP, CRC, CRPS, CRSP, APA, and AKS. Denise has trained thousands of professionals nationwide and co-authored several authoritative reference books published by Wolters Kluwer, including The Roth IRA Answer Book and Quick Reference to IRAs.
Denise is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences for her ability to translate intricate tax and retirement plan regulations into clear, actionable guidance. Through her consulting firm and publications, she continues to be the go-to expert that advisors rely on when precision and accuracy matter most.
Learn more about Denise at ApplebyConsultingINC.com.
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