Maria serves as Director, Marketing & Brand for Clearstead. Prior to the April 2024 acquisition of the CAS division, the firm was defined as Wilbanks Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC (“WST”), an SEC registered investment adviser headquartered in Norfolk, VA, where she held the role of Director of Marketing & Brand. Maria joined the firm in 2018, and holds over a decade of experience in roles spanning digital marketing strategy, integrated marketing strategy, graphic design, and content marketing strategy, she currently co-directs Clearstead’s marketing and creative initiatives, including communications, content, advertising, website management and development, brand strategy, art direction, and PR. Prior to joining WST, she served as a Digital Strategist for a financial services company headquartered in Virginia Beach, preceded by managing a social media and content marketing team for a digital company headquartered in Norfolk, VA.

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Maria lived in Tokyo, Japan, before immigrating to the United States. Her international exposure and multicultural background have enriched her perspectives and fostered a deep appreciation for diversity. She grew up in Champaign, Illinois, and graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing — focusing in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). She was the recipient of the Outstanding Marketing Student Scholarship and Award in 2012, granted by the ISU College of Business, ISU Collegiate AMA Chapter, and the professional Illinois chapter of the American Marketing Association. Maria is bilingual in Russian and English and is an alumna of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce’s LEAD757 Class of 2023.