As Chief Executive Officer at CD Wealth Management, Ilona brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, deep financial expertise and a profoundly personal approach to client care. Known for her unwavering commitment to excellent service, Ilona oversees the firm’s operations, driving its mission to provide exceptional financial planning and portfolio management.
Born in Montreal, Ilona’s formative years were marked by a rich cultural heritage; her parents emigrated from Ukraine and Uzbekistan and instilled in her a resilient spirit and a global perspective. She is a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen and speaks multiple languages, including Russian (her first language), English and French.
Her passion for finance was ignited in college at Indiana University, where a personal finance class profoundly influenced her career path. She found herself drawn to the strategic and intentional aspects of finance, distinguishing it from the more rigid nature of accounting. After graduating, she gained industry experience before earning her MBA from Southern Methodist University while working full-time.
In 2009, Ilona started working with Scott Cohen at Waldman Bros, and notably, she initially declined Scott’s offer to immediately become a financial advisor. Instead, she insisted on learning the business from the ground up so she could understand every facet of its operations. This foundational experience shaped the comprehensive approach for which she is known today.
She joined Scott after he opened CD Wealth Management in 2014, becoming a partner early in 2016. Her career trajectory at the firm has been remarkable, progressing from advisor to Chief Operating Officer and Chief Wealth Management Officer before becoming CEO in 2025. In every role, she has sought to foster an environment where new ideas are welcomed and the client is at the center of the entire team’s focus.
“Sometimes, people look at what they have but they can’t see the future of it. I enjoy what I do because I can see a clear path for clients, and I can plan what we need to do to get to the goal. It just makes me happy.”
While she has a notable specialization in advising women, particularly those in transition such as widows and divorcees, Ilona’s expertise extends to all clients. She is well-known for her work to ensure the financial health of multiple generations of clients’ families, often working directly with the patriarchs and matriarchs to ensure that their legacies are protected.
In May 2025, the Dallas Business Journal named Ilona as an honoree in its annual Women in Business Awards, which celebrate influential women who go above and beyond in their business and community. She also was instrumental in leading the firm to be named one of the newspaper’s Best Places to Work for three consecutive years.
Ilona sits on Kestra Financial’s Women Empowerment Network Advisory Council, which seeks to empower the success of female financial professionals through a dedicated support network to share strengths, talents and experiences while fostering the advancement of women in financial services. She also sits on Kestra’s Digital Platform Council. She serves as Advisory Council to the Southwest Community Foundation, and she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and son.
“I love working here because we’re independent. No one tells you what to push or what to sell. We’re solely focused on what’s right for our clients.”
Specialities: Coaching clients through the process of making a financial plan – and helping them stick to it; working with people in transition, including divorcees, widows, and widowers; advising heads of multigenerational families and building strong plans for the transition of wealth to protect their legacies
Certifications: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™
- Case study: Main wage earner passes away, now what?
- Case study: Life After Divorce
Education: Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs & Kelley School of Business – Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Public Financial Management and a minor in Business and French; Southern Methodist University – MBA
Contact: Email | LinkedIn | Phone | vCard
Check Ilona’s background on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.