• About Dan Gusty

    Dan joined Johnson Investment Counsel in 2016 and is the Managing Director of the Central Ohio Market and a shareholder of the firm.  Additionally, as the leader of Johnson’s Merger and Acquisition strategy, Dan partners with entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses, integrating their unique visions and goals into our comprehensive approach to investment management, tax optimization, and estate planning throughout every stage of the business sale.  Prior to joining the firm, Dan worked in the Hawthorn family office group at PNC as a Vice President, Senior Wealth Strategist. Prior to Hawthorn, he was a Senior Relationship Manager within PNC’s Wealth Management Group. Dan is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and CERTIFIED EXIT PLANNING ADVISOR (CEPA®) certifications.

  • Education

    • The Ohio State University, M.A. Accounting
    • The Ohio State University, B.S. Finance

    Community involvement

    • Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
      • Board Member
      • Chairman of the Board
    • The Wilds
      • Chairman of The Wilds Committee
    • Zoombezi Bay
      • Board Member
    • Grandview Youth Football Association 
      • Board Member (former)
      • Coach (former)

    Memberships

    • American Institute of CPA’s
    • Financial Planning Association
    • Ohio Society of CPA’s
    • Ohio State University's Estate and
    • Gift Professional Advisory Council

    Highlights and recognition

    • Leadership Dayton Class of 2014

  • Dan's story

    Dan Gusty had the idea he’d like to be a history teacher and a high school football coach. That lasted roughly halfway through his first quarter at Ohio State.

    He was in the OSU library reading about vampires for his Eastern European and Slavic studies course. He was distracted by four other students at the next table having a lively conversation about their Introduction to Investment Management class. They seemed to really be enjoying themselves, he says.

    “I remember thinking, here I am wasting my time reading about vampires. And there they are, talking about tech bubbles and stuff that’s real and now. I realized history could always be a hobby, but it’s about the past. I wanted to create a future, not just for myself but for others, too. So I switched my major to finance.”

    Dan has learned this about himself: “I have a drive to do work that’s significant. Vampires are interesting, yes -- but not so important or meaningful. I need to do work that will bring about change, that has impact – work I can be proud of.”

    Dan grew up in the Columbus suburb of Grandview Heights. His hero was his father who, as a kid, shined shoes at Chicago’s Union Station to help his single mother and two younger brothers put food on the table. When the State of Illinois decided the boy’s mother was no longer able to care for him, Dan’s father was sent to one foster home after another before settling in with a family on a dairy farm in a small town 50 miles south of Chicago called Manteno.

    “From there, he became valedictorian of his high school class then did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. He went to law school on the GI Bill and became a malpractice attorney, defending physicians. He did lots of pro bono work for the homeless. Oh, and he was on the school board and city council in Grandview Heights. I’d have to say my dad has lived a significant life. He’s my example. He taught me the value of hard work, never giving up, being patient and more.”

    Dan and his wife, Shauna, have four sons – James, Benjamin and twins, Jack and Charlie. He coaches the boys in their various football, baseball, basketball and golf endeavors. Shauna was a Big 10 champion at OSU, where she rowed crew.

    The family takes a trip to Charleston every year. Dan is drawn to the city – “it was a significant place in the colonization of America; the tide of the revolutionary war changed after the British invaded Charleston. Ft. Sumter is there,” he says, “where the Civil War began.” Just because he didn’t become a history teacher doesn’t mean he’s not interested in the subject.

    “The most satisfying aspect of my work here at the firm is the nature of the relationships I’ve developed. Money is a pretty private issue for most. When you can build the kind of trust where a client feels secure about sharing all that stuff with you, it opens the door to everything else – their hopes and dreams and their impact on the world. I don’t know how you can get more significant than that.

Team members

  • Lesa R. Bishop

    Client Support Assistant Wealth Management, Columbus

  • Cooper T. Crawford

    Portfolio Manager Assistant Wealth Management, Columbus

  • Gretchen F. DeVries

    Client Support Assistant Wealth Management, Columbus

  • Matthew R. Duplain

    Portfolio Manager Assistant Wealth Management, Columbus

  • T. Patrick Foy, CFP®

    Associate Portfolio Manager Wealth Management, Columbus

  • Michael R. Timm, CFA, CFP®

    Senior Portfolio Manager, Principal Wealth Management, Columbus

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