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Intentional, tailored planning that triggers clarity and inspires confidence.


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Your Private CFO

CogentBlue provides integrated wealth advisory solutions to families and individuals who desire more than traditional investment management. Our process considers a broad range of variables across multiple areas in order to systematically address and manage your personal and financial goals and aspirations.

Unconflicted Advice

The most important characteristic of what we do is a core commitment to the fiduciary standard. That means we put your interests first - always. We don’t earn investment commissions. We don’t charge hidden fees. And, we represent no one but you. Period.

One of a Kind Experience

At the foundation of every client relationship is the development of a comprehensive and dynamic financial plan that is as unique as you are, designed to cover all the important details of your financial life, enabling clarity and confidence for the future.

Globally Minded. Personally Connected.

You and CogentBlue

CogentBlue employs a values-based approach to planning and investing. That involves developing and implementing a unique plan that meets each new client's expectations and goals. Each plan includes monthly reporting, regular reviews, and ongoing, disciplined cross-checks to ensure that we are holding true to clients' interests and preferences, and meeting their goals and needs.

CogentBlue is committed to providing a client experience that is nothing short of exceptional. We fulfill that commitment by communicating proactively, delivering thought leadership, and providing access to coordinated resources and personnel whenever it's needed.

Developing an understanding of what matters most to our clients begins with a discussion that covers topics such as the following:

  • Family members and important relationships
  • Family and individual goals, personally, professionally, and financially
  • Level of understanding and education on financial concepts
  • Family financial history
  • Summary of financial landscape
  • Family values

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Our Clients

We serve individuals and families who have more than enough to meet their needs, and are looking for a Private CFO to help them carefully and successfully manage their financial affairs. Our clients have often worked in the following professional fields:

  • current and retired corporate executives
  • medical professionals
  • academics
  • entrepreneurs

Regardless of career field, we met nearly all of our clients during some kind of life transition, such as divorce, the loss of their spouse, an inheritance, a job change, or retirement. We understand that transitions are emotional, involve complexity, and require coordination on numerous fronts to navigate successfully. As such, our solutions have been crafted to specifically to meet those needs.

Our clients typically have the following goals:

  • Continue growing their wealth
  • Minimize income and estate taxes
  • Protect their assets from being unjustly taken from them
  • Maximize the impact of their wealth on their family and/or the causes they care about
  • Ensure they’re making the right decisions in all aspects of their finances

Our clients grew their wealth through a lifetime of hard work, delayed gratification, and prudently taking risk. As such, they generally value responsible stewardship of their assets over excessive consumption or speculation. Above all, they want to ensure the fruits of their life's work go toward meaningful ends.

Since your goals are closely tied to your values, it’s important for us to get to know you on a deep level so we can best serve you. Before we enter into a new relationship, we take the time to ensure there is a mutual fit in terms of approach, process and philosophy. This allows us to ensure we work only with those for whom we can provide significant value. If we discover we aren’t a good match, we’ll kindly take the time to help you locate a better fit.

We invite you to learn more about our background to determine if we might be the right advisors for you.  

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Wes Brown, CFP® Photo

Wes Brown, CFP®

Principal
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Wes founded CogentBlue to provide objective, multidimensional financial advice to clients looking for help with their wealth management needs.

Wes spent nearly six years in personal tax before pursuing comprehensive wealth management in 2007. Wes holds a Bachelors degree in Business and Psychology with a Minor in Music, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Wes has been featured numerous times in various local and national media outlets, and has written extensively on topics centered around the intersection of money and life.

Wes' personal interests include spending time with his wife and three kids in the mountains of Tennessee or on the coast of New England.

Savannah Cooper, CFP®, EA Photo

Savannah Cooper, CFP®, EA

Lead Financial Planner
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Savannah is a lead Financial Planner here at CogentBlue where she helps guide clients through the financial planning process with clarity, strategy, and a deep commitment to their long-term success. Known for a thoughtful, goal-oriented approach, Savannah partners with clients to create clear, actionable financial plans that evolve with them over time. As a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and Enrolled Agent, Savannah brings both strategic planning expertise and in-depth tax knowledge to every client relationship—offering a well-rounded approach to long-term financial health. While she enjoys the analytical aspects of the process, her primary objective is to cultivate a collaborative relationship in which each client feels genuinely heard, thoroughly understood, and ideally, has some fun along the way!

Originally from Northern California, she was recruited and subsequently attended Clemson University where she was a four-year starter on the Women’s Soccer team. She served as team captain while pursuing a degree in Financial Management with a minor in accounting. Upon graduation, she followed her dream of playing soccer professionally and traveled to Finland where she played one season in the professional league there. When she decided to hang up her professional cleats in 2015, she started her career in financial planning where she would have the ability to combine her technical skillset with her passion for helping others. She passed the CFP® exam in 2018 and obtained her CFP® designation shortly after in 2019. Savannah also holds an Enrolled Agent designation and has spent the last five years preparing tax returns for her financial planning clients. Savannah joined the CogentBlue team in 2025.

Savannah continues to enjoy an active lifestyle with her husband, Trevor, their two young children, Kenna and Brody, and their two cocker spaniels, Knox & Sadie Mae.

Brianna Kemp Photo

Brianna Kemp

Business Operations Manager
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Brianna majored in Psychology at Penn State University and began her career in Human Resources before transitioning into the finance industry. With over ten years of experience, she has worked closely with ultra-high-net-worth clients, bringing a well-rounded approach to wealth management and financial services.  

In 2019, Brianna pursued an entrepreneurial venture, opening a bed and breakfast with her husband and parents in Lovell, Maine. While she enjoyed the experience, her passion for finance never faded. In 2025, she was thrilled to join the CogentBlue team, where she continues to provide exceptional client service.  

Outside of work, she cherishes time with her husband and their two daughters. An outdoor enthusiast, she loves hiking, skiing, and horseback riding, always seeking new adventures with family.

Noah Walsh, MAcc Photo

Noah Walsh, MAcc

Associate
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Noah is an Associate at our firm, bringing a strong academic background and a practical approach to problem-solving. He recently completed his Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Information Management from the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business. Noah is skilled in leadership, analytical thinking, and fostering collaboration within teams. Prior to joining the firm, he contributed to operational improvements at Advanced Transit Manufacturing, where he helped streamline production processes through innovative mobile workstation solutions. Adam is focused on applying his expertise to support clients and drive meaningful results for the firm.

Robert V. Bolen Photo

Robert V. Bolen

Senior Regional Director
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Bob has more than 33 years of experience in securities analysis, portfolio management, financial planning and financial life transitions planning. Over the last 17+ years, he has helped clients achieve their financial and life goals by integrating their money with their lives. His passion is that clients would live inspired lives, with peace of mind about their money matters.

Having started his career as an investment/securities analyst in 1986, Bob has held positions with various firms, including The Prudential Insurance Company, Equitable Securities, and J. C. Bradford & Co., until ultimately establishing his own firm in August 2003. In 2018, Bob merged his practice with the fee-only investment advisory firm, United Income. Upon completion of a two-year consulting agreement, Bob joined CogentBlue as a Senior Advisor to continue bringing financial clarity and confidence to Middle Tennessee.

Bob graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Kentucky University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Indiana University in 1986 with an MBA in Finance and Management. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1988 and his Certified Financial PlannerTM designation in 2002. A lifelong learner, Bob has had extensive training in life coaching through the Coaches Training Institute and in Financial Transition Planning through the Sudden Money Institute.

Community service is of paramount importance to Bob, having been or being currently involved in the following ways:

  • Past Chairman, President and Board member, and current member, of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Financial Planning Association
  • Past President and Board member, and current member, of the CFA Society of Nashville
  • Past Treasurer and Board member of the 21st Drug Court
  • Past Vice Chairman of Christian Executive Officers (CEO) Fellowship
  • Member of the Estate Planning Council of Middle TN
  • Member of Grace Chapel Church in Leiper’s Fork, TN

Bob lives in Franklin, TN with his wife Pam and their two children, Marissa and Zachary.

Our Investment Philosophy

  • Invest in things you understand; know what you own and why it fits in your portfolio. Don’t fall for fancy sales pitches, media hype or market hysteria.
  • Invest while keeping costs low (e.g. transaction costs, taxes, etc.). Costs will only drag down returns over time.
  • Invest broadly and globally. There is no singular “market.”  Invest across asset classes, market capitalizations and styles.  Proper diversification is key.
  • Invest for the long-term. The long-term is more than a 1- or 3-year outlook.  Daily or weekly market fluctuations should not affect your decisions, behavior, or outlook.
  • Invest where the risk you are taking is compensated by the return you are receiving.
  • Invest with your total portfolio in mind. Focus on the success of the overall portfolio, not on specific investments.
  • Invest for the future. Don’t base today’s investment decision on past performance.
  • Invest with a plan. Hope is not an investment strategy.

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