Brian Gaister has been Chief Executive Officer / Managing Member of Pennington Partners & Co. since January 2016, is a control person of the firm and directly owns between 50% and 75% of it. Brian Gaister holds a BS in International Business from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Pennington Partners & Co., LLC is a Bethesda, MD firm with $5.09B under management, 112 clients and 10 advisers across 2 offices, as of its April 2026 filing.
Brian Gaister is Co-Founder and CEO of Pennington Partners & Co. He leads the firm's strategy and vision and is a co-founder of SaaS Ventures and PTM Partners. Previously, he was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. He also serves on the board and investment committee for the Holocaust Museum in Houston.
Brian Gaister’s longest registration was 7 years at Pennington Partners & Co., LLC (2016–2024). Before joining Pennington Partners & Co. in 2024, Brian Gaister was registered through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.
- – present · 2 yearsHouston, TX · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 282688
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated– · 5 yearsColumbia, MD · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 7691
- Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC– · 1 yearBaltimore, MD · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 149777
- Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated– · 1 yearBaltimore, MD · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 8209
Professional designations
Listed by Pennington Partners & Co.
- CIMA®
- CPWA®
Investment adviser representative registrations
Brian Gaister is registered as an investment adviser representative in Texas, since June 2024.
- TexasSince 28 June 2024
Examinations
| Exam | Name | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination | Credited |
| Series 66 | Uniform Combined State Law Examination | 11 December 2007 |
| Series 31 | Futures Managed Funds Examination | 9 November 2007 |
| Series 7 | General Securities Representative Examination | 4 September 2007 |
- Name
- Securities Industry Essentials Examination
- Name
- Uniform Combined State Law Examination
- Name
- Futures Managed Funds Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Full name
- Brian Richard Gaister
- CRD
- 5394236
- Firm
- Pennington Partners & Co. · CRD 282688
- Role
- Chief Executive Officer / Managing Member
- Office
- 1400 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 625, Houston, TX 77056
- Registration
- Investment adviser registration
- In the industry since
- December 2008
- Disciplinary history
- Not yet shown here · SEC record
- Firm bio
- penningtonpartners.co
Where does Brian Gaister work?
Brian Gaister has been Chief Executive Officer / Managing Member of Pennington Partners & Co., LLC since January 2016, and is a control person of the firm.
Is Brian Gaister a financial advisor?
Yes. Brian Gaister has a current investment-adviser registration in Texas, through Pennington Partners & Co. since June 2024.
How many years of experience does Brian Gaister have?
Brian Gaister has 17 years in the financial industry, since December 2008, across 4 adviser firms.
What exams has Brian Gaister passed?
Brian Gaister has passed 3 licensing exams: the Series 7, Series 31 and Series 66. The earliest, the Series 7, was passed in September 2007. FINRA credited Brian Gaister with the SIE, which began in October 2018.
Where did Brian Gaister work before Pennington Partners & Co.?
Before Pennington Partners & Co., Brian Gaister was registered through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, September 2010 to November 2015; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, June 2009 to September 2010; Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, December 2007 to June 2009.
Where is Brian Gaister based?
Brian Gaister’s registered office is in Houston, TX.
Is Brian Gaister registered with FINRA?
No. Brian Gaister has no current broker registration.
How can I verify Brian Gaister’s record?
Search CRD 5394236 on the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov), which publishes Brian Gaister’s full registration record.
