David J. Carroll, MST
Managing Director
Palo Alto
BIO
David Carroll specializes in the design, implementation and monitoring of sophisticated life insurance portfolios. He works with senior executives and shareholders of large private and publicly held companies, as well as prominent ultra-high net worth families, providing advice and structural Alpha for this asset class in their family entities and balance sheets.
David is Co-Founder of Financial Architects Partners (FAP) and has more than 25 years of experience leading the firm, expanding its national presence and multi-point location footprint, and delivering subject matter expertise to clients. From optimizing and leveraging gift techniques to improve generational transfers to establishing a strategic philanthropy, David partners with families, and their advisors, to bring clarity to their objectives.
David is also an active private investor as a limited partner on many well-known private equity and venture funds on both coasts. He is also a general partner, co-investor, and advisor to some prominent Silicon Valley venture funds. He sits on a $500M Nevada-based private company board, advising their private investment allocations and strategic acquisitions. He also serves as director for several other organizations, including a four-location retail operating company in Massachusetts where he chairs its board. FAP was acquired by the public company NFP in 2005. David then participated as an equity shareholder, taking NFP private in 2014 along with Madison Dearborn Partners. He continues as a 20-year shareholder in NFP, a global insurance broker and consultant with more than $2.2B in revenue. FAP is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of NFP. He is also the former board chairman for the West Suburban YMCA in Newton, MA, a mid-sized Metro Boston Charity.
Before joining FAP, David was with another Boston-based national firm focused on ultra-high net worth clients and their advisors. He was a long-time shareholder of the M Financial Group reinsurance holding company. He began his career with John Hancock Life Insurance Company, where he spent more than a decade in various roles, including asset backed securitization deals, investment policy areas, programming and systems, life product development, and managing specialized insurance distribution channels.
David is a frequent industry presenter, including at the Boston Bar Association’s Brown Bag lunch series and Boston University Law School's Taxation Program (LLM), and has presented at the National AICPA's Planning meeting. In 2021, Forbes recognized David as one of the nation’s Top Financial Security Professionals, ranking him in the top five.
A Boston native, David, his wife, and four children split time between Silicon Valley, CA, Narragansett, RI, and Palm Beach, FL. He has a passion for motorsports, car and motorcycle racing, sponsoring race teams and investing in various businesses within the sport.
EDUCATION
Northeastern University Graduate School of Professional Accounting, MS in Taxation
Harvard University, AB
CONTACT
260 Sheridan Avenue
Suite 210
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Lauren J. DiNitto
Vice President
Boston
BIO
Lauren DiNitto joined Financial Architects Partners in June 2008 as an Associate in the New Business Department. In her current role as AVP of Case Management, Lauren's primary responsibilities include managing cases from the informal application process through portfolio implementation. This includes guiding clients through the application process, cultivating relationships with life insurance carriers, and negotiating with carrier contacts to ensure the best underwriting for our clients.
Prior to joining Financial Architects Partners, Lauren was involved with various business management and marketing internships, where she carried out financial planning, competitive analysis, and in-store marketing projects.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Bryant University
CONTACT
265 Franklin St. Ste 1901
Boston, MA 02110
617-259-1900
John R. Gilmartin
COO & Senior Vice President
Boston
BIO
John is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President with Financial Architect Partners (FAP) and brings a wealth of industry and operational insight that benefits the firm and its clients. From technology to practice management, service to plan design, John’s expertise has been an essential component of the firm’s growth and sustained position as a leader in evaluating, building, and actively managing large life insurance portfolios for the super affluent.
In managing daily operation for the firm, John’s oversight and impact are significant. His tenure with the firm spans more than two decades, during which he has proven to be an effective problem solver driven by a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
He joined the firm in 2000 as Director of Design & Marketing, developing a proprietary administration platform and advancing the firm’s marketing presence in Boston. As the business has scaled, John has been at the center of creating and refining a variety of tools, processes and procedures that have elevated efficiency and quality. Since becoming a Principal of the firm in 2005, he has worked closely with his fellow Principals and firm department heads to understand challenges and opportunities and collaborate on action plans to address them.
More recently, John led the development of a custom Salesforce platform used across the firm, integrating essential functions such as marketing, design, case management, service and analytics. This includes the collection and analysis of retail life insurance data to drive strategy, inform decisions and manage their deal pipeline.
Additionally, John is a member of the NFP Life management team. He shares his broad expertise across the enterprise and consults on key initiatives to drive growth and efficiency among FAP’s fellow NFP Life firms. Through his deep relationships with the nation’s top tier carriers, John also shares insights on the needs of NFP Life firms and the clients they serve, which help to drive product and service refinements. John is also an enthusiastic mentor to colleague interested in learning more about the business and forging an attractive career path within the industry.
Prior to joining Financial Architects Partners, John spent seven years with John Hancock in their systems, marketing and software distribution departments. He serves on the John Hancock Advisory Council and is a valued resource to other carriers who seek out John’s expertise on how they can enhance the value they provide to clients.
John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is President of South Boston Youth Hockey and a passionate fan of Boston’s professional sports teams. John resides in South Boston with his wife and two children.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
CONTACT
265 Franklin St. Ste 1901
Boston, MA 02110
617-259-1900
Sara Lane
Vice President
BIO
Sara Lane joined Financial Architects Partners in 2005 as a Business Administrator before moving into the Case Management department. During her years there she implemented large complex portfolios; negotiated underwriting offers and delivered optimal results for clients. Her role expanded over the next 12 years to include Strategic Initiatives, Marketing and Operations. After a short hiatus, Sara rejoined the firm in 2021 and in her current role as VP, Operations she spearheads several of the firms’ initiatives and departmental processes. Additionally, she oversees the Portfolio Construction and Sales Operations departments.
Prior to joining Financial Architects Partners, Sara traveled frequently and worked with children. She enjoys reading, swimming, hiking, and yoga and hopes to resume those activities when her own children are older.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, Allegheny College
CONTACT
265 Franklin St. Ste 1901
Boston, MA 02110
617-259-1900
Jeffrey M. Ostrum, CFP®
Managing Director
Palo Alto
BIO
Jeff Ostrum is the Managing Principal of the FAP West Coast operation based in Palo Alto and has been with the firm for 20 years. In 2006 he relocated to Palo Alto where he and his team now actively manage large life insurance portfolios for approximately 175 families. Jeff is grateful for his advisor partnerships in the community, as he is often referred to families by their estate planning attorneys, family offices, tax planners, and wealth managers. They ask FAP to evaluate existing policies and share ideas on new planning strategies that help families protect, preserve, and transfer wealth.
He often presents at national industry events and is routinely engaged by other life insurance professionals to manage their most complex client matters. He has presented multiple times at the Jerry A. Kasner Estate Planning Symposium and the Annual Meeting of the CA Tax Bar and CA Tax Policy Conference.
Jeff is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, and a member of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council. Outside of FAP, he skis, hikes, and bikes, and avidly follows Boston sports teams with his son, who is a college freshman. He serves on the Board for Project Cornerstone of Silicon Valley (YMCA) and Mentor Tutor Connection (as Treasurer) and is passionate about impacting youth in Bay Area Communities. Jeff is also a proud supporter of the Melanoma Program (and SUNSPORT) at the Stanford Cancer Center and the San Francisco Foundation. Thirty years ago (1992) Jeff completed a cross country bicycle trip from San Francisco to Washington D.C., covering 3,800 miles in 35 days.
EDUCATION
CFP®, Boston University
Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, Bentley University
CONTACT
260 Sheridan Avenue
Suite 210
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-252-1700
Joel L. Turcotte
Vice President, Finance
Boston
BIO
Joel Turcotte joined Financial Architects Partners in 2007 as an Associate in the Design and Marketing Department. Joel transitioned into the Finance Department in March of 2008 and has now assumed the role of AVP, Finance. As a part of managing the firm's financial accounting, monitoring and reporting systems, Joel is responsible for processing deposits and producer commissions, handling invoices and managing vendor relationships, month end closing procedures and operational reporting to the management team, budget planning and variance analysis, firm tax reporting, and developing department process and procedures to maintain best in practice accounting practices and standards.
Joel is an active runner and ski enthusiast who resides and enjoys his free time on the New Hampshire Seacoast.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Accounting, University of Rhode Island
CONTACT
265 Franklin St. Ste 1102
Boston, MA 02110
617-259-1900
In Memoriam
David W. Freeley
BIO
Dave Freeley began his career at Sun Life of Canada's US Headquarters, where over a five year period he held positions in product development, marketing and the advanced sales planning group. After leaving Sun Life, Dave was a member of the M Financial Group, planning exclusively for high net worth families.
Dave left the M Group to start and run a very successful private client group for a national executive benefits firm. Dave ultimately spun that group out and merged it with David Carroll's practice to form Financial Architects Partners; by doing so, he created one of the largest firms of its kind in the United States.
Dave was on the Board of Overseers at Brigham & Women's Hospital. He was also a past trustee of the Catholic School Foundation in Boston and is active in many charities. Dave lived with his twins in Norwell, MA.
EDUCATION
Degree in Liberal Arts, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts