President Pete Russo learned early to drive himself toward excellence and, thus, fosters achievement throughout the organization. He successfully created and ran several businesses, developing talent, business savvy, and wisdom along the way. He eventually turned those abilities toward leading corporate departments. Ultimately, he chose to work in the financial services industry, where he now presides over Allied Elite Financial, a retirement income planning firm. Pete is the embodiment of perpetual motion. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” he says. “I love challenge. I don’t get tired because I’m doing what I find fun.”

Raised in the melting pot of the Bronx, New York, Pete developed a skill for communicating with people from all backgrounds. He also learned to identify needs, then find ways to meet them. Early entrepreneurial successes helped him develop his overarching philosophy: “I put talented people in pivotal roles and allow them to thrive.” And even now, if an employee is struggling with something, he will jump in and help. This builds respect and admiration on both sides. A close look at the teams he has built shows how effective this dynamic is.

Pete holds a Business Degree from Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. He now lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife and three children. His hobbies include restoring classic cars and redesigning properties.

Rich Soto, Vice President of Sales at Allied Elite Financial, is focused on cultivating top performance and the best in customer care from the organization’s Sales and Contact Center teams. Throughout his career, Rich has enhanced revenue streams through implementing growth and product strategies, process improvement, people management, program development, and the building of enterprise-level call centers. He prides himself on promoting cultures of excellence and innovation, and on empowering his team to reach their individual goals. Helping workers strive for personal targets of achievement not only empowers them, but drives the company further.

“You can rush failure, but you can’t rush success,” Rich says, pointing to his belief that timing is everything. His approach is to find balance — not too fast, nor too slow. He instills this concept in his team members. His analytical mind (over and above the fact that he is great with numbers) led him to call center management and sales leadership.

Rich’s hobbies include reading, hiking, fitness, and working. He was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and raised in Mobile, Alabama, where he earned a Political Science degree at the University of South Alabama. He relocated from the rainiest city to the sunniest city when he came to Tucson for his role at Allied Elite Financial.