Darren Hucko

Darren Hucko has already had a lot of measurable success in his 16-year career in financial services.

After joining Hefren-Tillotson, a Pittsburgh-based wealth management firm, in 2007 as a financial planner, Hucko became a senior member in less than three years. After subsequently cycling through planning and communications work, he moved into client-facing work. Four years later, he surpassed $500,000 in gross production and was named a vice president.

From 2017 to 2022, Hucko doubled his team’s AUM to $400 million. After Hefren-Tillotson was acquired by Baird in October, Hucko helped train more than 90 other advisors on the new systems and processing while also achieving $1 million in gross production, reaching the top 15% of Baird advisors and earning the title of director.

“Ultimately, everyone is seeking happiness with every little decision they make each day,” Hucko said. “This is no different in the financial planning world. We enjoy helping our clients define what happy means to them, and then use comprehensive planning to create a smart path to get them there.”

Work outside the firm cements his philosophy. In solidarity with his brother, who has Down syndrome, Hucko coaches athletes through the Special Olympics. He’s also on the board of the Bender Leadership Academy, the nonprofit arm of Bender Consulting Services, a group that helps high school students with disabilities prepare for the workforce and gain competitive employment. In fact, it was Bender Consulting CEO Joyce Bender who first introduced him to Hefren-Tillotson CEO Kim Fleming in 2007, kickstarting his career.

“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to go full circle and to use what I have learned in financial planning to help out other families in the special needs community,” Hucko said.

—Ryan Neal