Profile
“Clients tell me all the time that they feel more connected, more informed, and more confident because of those little touchpoints. It’s a way to educate, stay visible, and reinforce that I’m here for them – not just at review meetings, but all year round”
Megan Dorn, Dorn Wealth Management
Sarah Yakel brings to Meridian more than 25 years of experience in investment and trusts, coupled with an ability to clearly communicate a client’s unique path to financial peace of mind. Respected by her peers for her calm, analytical mind and practical financial planning guidance, she brings clarity to those who need her help.
After graduating from Campbell University in 1999 with a degree in Trust Management and Financial Planning, Yakel joined the trust department of Peoples National Bank, which ultimately became BB&T Wealth Management. While at BB&T, she realized she wanted to help people plan for all their financial needs, not just trust assets, so she passed the rigorous Certified Financial Planner® exam.
Seeking greater opportunities to work directly with clients, she left BB&T in 2004 and joined TFB Wealth Management, where she poured her energy into developing their financial planning program, helping hundreds of individuals, families, and small-business owners plan for and achieve their life goals.
Yakel brought that passion for financial planning and client service into her launch of Meridian Financial Partners with a fellow advisor and long-time friend, Nathan Gilbert. Together, she and Nathan built Meridian from a small advisory firm to an ensemble practice where eight team members deliver high-touch financial planning and investment management to over 450 clients.
When she’s not serving clients or running Meridian, she enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and giant dogs in their Fauquier community. She is a founding member of Leadership Fauquier, a leadership development organization, and enjoys volunteering with local nonprofits.
As for her own life goals, Yakel occasionally gets to indulge her love of cooking and travel by making something other than hot dogs or chicken nuggets, or by driving further than two hours from Warrenton. Her own financial planning goals are to build a life that allows her to cook and travel more often.
39 S 4th St., Warrenton, VA 20186
540 878 5416
Sarah@meridianfinancialpartners.com
linkedin.com/in/sarah-yakel-92b93413
meridianfinancialpartners.com
Sarah Yakel
Managing Partner and Senior Advisor Meridian Financial Partners
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Bio
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Bio
Milestones
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Bio
Milestones
“My clients are more like family, and I want to make sure I can provide real value to them”
Megan Dorn, Dorn Wealth Management
1999
2005
2013–2014
2015–2016
2025
Graduated from Campbell University with a degree in Trust and Estate Administration, with a concentration in Financial Planning
Began working as a Trust Officer at BB&T
1999
Earned CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) certification while working at TFB Wealth Management as Vice President and Financial Planner
2005
2013: Received the Medallion of Recognition issued by Laurel Ridge Community College
2014: Formed Leadership Fauquier, a community leadership course designed to give participants a deep understanding of the community, as well as equipping them with a toolbox of immediately practicable leadership capacities
2013–2014
2015: Launched Meridian Financial Partners to provide independent, fee only, fiduciary advice to clients that value a long-term trusted partner to help with financial matters
2016: Received the Business Person of the Year award issued by Fauquier Chamber
2015–2016
CEO of Meridian Financial Partners, where she manages a team of eight that delivers investment management and financial planning to over 450 households in 24 states
2025
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
InvestmentNews inaugural 2025 $100M Club Top Female Advisors list highlights female advisors nationwide who demonstrate excellence in wealth management, managing over $100 million in assets under management (AUM) while delivering exceptional client service and leadership. The InvestmentNews Intelligence Unit, in collaboration with independent industry experts, conducted a rigorous analysis to identify advisors who combine scale, professionalism, and impact, and covers the period of 01/01/2024-12/31/2024. Neither Meridian Financial Partners nor its financial advisors paid a fee to InvestmentNews to obtain or use the ranking. All information on nominees had to be verified by their compliance team before it could be accepted.