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The expert team guiding your family’s future success

Redefining your family office with expertise and strategic vision

Scott Deke

SCOTT DEKE

Founder | Co Chief Executive Officer

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Preston Stahl

W. PRESTON STAHL, JR

Founder | Co Chief Executive Officer

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Christian Thornburg

CHRISTIAN S. THORNBURG

Founder | Chief Compliance Officer

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Jeff Deke

JEFF DEKE

Senior Vice President | Portfolio Strategist

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Philip J. Hayes

Chief Fiduciary Counsel

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Are you looking to start your next chapter?

At Storgate, we’re building a team of sharp, driven professionals who are eager to grow, learn, and lead. We are fostering a community of high-performing, high-energy professionals where excellence is expected and mentorship is real. If you’re a self-starter ready to bring your relentless drive and innovative mindset to a team that’s committed to doing things differently, Storgate is the place for you.
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Scott Deke

SCOTT DEKE

Founder | Co Chief Executive Officer
As Co-CEO of Storgate, Scott leads operations, technology, and growth, expanding the platform to serve select, like-minded families. He oversees the Storgate 360 experience — integrating reporting, estate and tax planning, investments, and family office services — while leveraging and partnering with a national network of advisors to guide families through pivotal transitions. Equally passionate about education and philanthropy, he champions initiatives that prepare the rising generation and entrepreneurial families to grow, give, and positively impact their communities.
 
For Scott, founding Storgate represents the realization of a lifelong dream, built on nearly two decades of experience in the multi-family office industry. He spent 16 years at Bessemer Trust, a tenure culminating as Managing Director and serving on the firm’s Leadership Council as a Region Head. While completing his graduate degree, Scott began his career as a client associate at Investure, supporting investments and operations for several prominent institutions.
 
A double Hoo of the University of Virginia, Scott earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees while receiving a full scholarship as a quarterback on the football team. Scott serves as Trustee for the Catholic Charities Dallas Endowment, on the Board of Directors for Genesis Women’s Shelter HeROs, and the Advisory Council of the Communities Foundation of Texas.
 
Scott was awarded the Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designation by the NAEPC Association and has held the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation since 2017. He resides in Dallas with his wife and three children.
Preston Stahl

W. Preston Stahl, Jr.

Founder | Co Chief Executive Officer

Preston Stahl is a founder of Storgate, a family office designed to manage the financial affairs of families. As Co-CEO, he is involved in all aspects of the firm and leads Storgate’s Investments and Finance functions.


Spanning a nearly 30-year career, Preston held leadership roles at a multi-family office. His responsibilities ranged from leading teams that managed multi-generational family relationships to working within investment management. His experience overseeing varied business lines of a family office positions the firm—with a client base facing an increasingly complicated set of financial conditions—as a solution for families with more considerable needs and capabilities. Through trust and the integration of leading-edge technology, Storgate’s vision is to establish the highest standards for financial efficiency, transparent decision-making, and administrative coordination.


Preston earned a Master of Science (MSc) in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics, an MBA from Tulane University, and a BS from Vanderbilt University.

Christian Thornburg

CHRISTIAN S. THORNBURG

Founder | Chief Compliance Officer
Christian Thornburg is a Co-Founder of Storgate, a firm dedicated to helping families navigate their financial futures with clarity and confidence. He is involved in the overall management of the company and is responsible for compliance as well as the design of the client experience. In addition, Christian works directly with client families, providing personalized guidance and fostering long-term relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and integrity. 
 
Prior to establishing Storgate with Scott Deke and Preston Stahl, Christian spent 20 years at Bessemer Trust. He served on the Management Committee and as National Director of Client Advisory, overseeing client advisory activities nationwide. He also co-chaired the Client Experience Council, contributed to numerous firmwide councils and committees, and served as Senior Client Advisor to sophisticated, multi-generational families.

He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame Law School and is a member of the bar in both Florida and North Carolina. Christian holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Vermont, where he played Division I tennis and captained the team. He is an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP) and a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA). 
 
Christian lives in Dallas with his wife and their three children.
Jeff Deke

Jeff Deke

Senior Vice President | Portfolio Strategist

As Senior Vice President & Portfolio Strategist at Storgate, Jeff helps guide the firm’s investment direction as a principal member of the Investment Committee. He oversees strategic asset allocation, manager due diligence, and portfolio management across public and private markets. Jeff also integrates tax management, liquidity planning, and risk assessment to deliver customized strategies. With a focus on proactive communication and disciplined research, he ensures clients benefit from thoughtful investment solutions aligned with their primary objectives.

 

Jeff has over a decade of experience in wealth & asset management, investment banking, and military leadership. Prior to joining Storgate, he was a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he guided firms and financial professionals in applying market research, enhancing investment strategies, and strengthening business practices. Before Dimensional, Jeff worked as an investment banking associate at Wells Fargo, advising large corporations on mergers, acquisitions, and capital raising strategies.

 

Jeff began his career in the U.S. Navy, serving as a forward deployed Aviation Machinist Mate aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and later as a Naval Officer. He earned an MBA in Finance from Emory University and a BA in Marketing from the University of Georgia.

 

Jeff is a CFA® Charterholder. He resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife and son.

Philip J. Hayes

Chief Fiduciary Counsel

Phil joins Storgate as Chief Fiduciary Counsel, serving as the firm’s lead legal and governance advisor for trusts, estates, and fiduciary structures. In this role, he guides families through complex wealth transfer strategies, ensures thoughtful and precise trust administration, and manages fiduciary risk with integrity. He also helps shape Storgate’s fiduciary framework and long-term stewardship model, collaborating with teams and partners across multiple trust jurisdictions.

 

Phil brings more than 30 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families. Most recently, he served at Northern Trust, where he guided multigenerational families requiring sophisticated planning and administration. Prior to that, he spent two decades at Bessemer Trust, where he advanced to Managing Director and Senior Fiduciary Counsel for the West Region.

 

A nationally recognized leader in the field, Phil is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has been a frequent lecturer to professional audiences for over 20 years. His contributions to the profession include published articles in leading legal journals and long service in national and state bar leadership. He has served as President of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council, Co-Chair of the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section’s Individual and Fiduciary Income Tax Committee, as a member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar of California’s Trusts and Estates Section, and as Editor of the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly.

 

Phil earned his B.A. in Economics from UCLA and a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California, Hastings College of the Law).

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