A Rebrand Worth Building Around: The Taxman & Landy Team at Merrill Lynch
When a growing Merrill Lynch wealth management team in downtown Clayton rebranded under two new principals, they needed visual assets that matched their new identity. One cohesive group portrait with the new principals at the center, plus individual headshots shot against the same modern Centene Building backdrop.
The Challenge
The team formerly known as the Matt Specter Team at Merrill Lynch was rebranding. Alan Taxman and Kevin Landy were stepping up as the two new principals, and the existing visual assets no longer reflected where the team was headed. Old headshots were inconsistent. There was no cohesive group portrait that featured the new leadership in the spotlight.
For a wealth management team competing in downtown Clayton against Fortune 500 advisory firms, the bar for visual credibility is high. Clients making seven-figure decisions need to see a team that looks aligned, professional, and established. And a team that's actively growing needs visuals that scale gracefully as new advisors join.
The team needed photography that could:
- Introduce Alan Taxman and Kevin Landy as the new principals in a prominent group portrait
- Deliver individual headshots with a backdrop that matched the group photo
- Capture the modern, upscale feel of their Centene Building office
- Provide consistent assets for the website, LinkedIn, email, and marketing collateral
- Scale cleanly as the team continues to grow
The Solution
We built the shoot around one idea: the group portrait and every individual headshot needed to look like they belonged together. Same location. Same lighting. Same modern, upscale backdrop. The Centene Building lobby area gave us exactly what we needed: warm ambient light, clean lines, and a clearly corporate-but-elevated environment that matched the team's brand.
1. Principals at the Center
The group portrait was composed to put Alan Taxman and Kevin Landy in the middle as the new principals, with the rest of the team flanking them in a balanced arrangement. Every person stands at eye level to the camera, every face is lit with the same soft light, and the composition reads as one cohesive unit rather than a stack of individuals.
2. Matching Individual Headshots
Right after the group shot, we photographed each team member individually against the same modern Centene Building backdrop. By using the same location and lighting setup for the group and the individuals, every headshot lives in the same visual world. On the website, clicking from the group photo to any individual feels like zooming in, not jumping between photographers.
3. Built for a Growing Team
We documented the exact lighting setup, backdrop positioning, and framing specs so new hires can be added to the library in the future with the same look. When the ninth advisor joins, their headshot will match the other eight without guesswork or expensive reshoots of the existing team.
4. Delivered Across Every Format
Final images were delivered in the formats the team actually uses: web-optimized for the Merrill Lynch team page, square crops for LinkedIn, vertical crops for email signatures, and print-ready files for marketing collateral. One shoot, every asset the team needs.
Meet the Team
Individual Headshots That Match the Group
Same backdrop. Same lighting. Same creative direction. Every advisor fits the same visual standard the team's brand deserves.
Alan Taxman
Principal
Kevin Landy
Principal
Matthew Specter
Wealth Management Advisor
Carrie Genovese
Wealth Management Advisor
Julie Rodgers
Wealth Management Advisor
Tim Van Rhein
Wealth Management Advisor
Sam Yarborough
Wealth Management Advisor
Isabella Poggioli
Wealth Management Advisor
The Results
A Rebrand That Looks Like a Rebrand
The new Taxman & Landy Team website and marketing materials now present a unified visual identity that reflects exactly what this team is: an established wealth management practice with two principals stepping into leadership and a growing bench of advisors behind them. The photos don't just replace the old ones. They signal the transition.
When a prospect lands on the team's page and sees the group portrait followed by eight individual headshots that all match, the message is clear: this team is organized, invested in their brand, and operating at a level that matches the seven-figure decisions clients bring to them.
Planning a Team Rebrand?
Whether you're introducing new leadership, rebranding an established team, or building a scalable headshot library for a growing practice, we can design a photography program around your operational reality.