Mike Palmer, CFP®
Managing Principal
Prior to founding Ark Royal Wealth Management, Mike Palmer spent over twenty-five years in the trust and wealth management fields.
A native of Raleigh, Mike’s career includes financial advisory and senior management positions at Central Carolina Bank, First Union National Bank and Trust Company of the South. He is a graduate of Broughton High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
Mike is an active member in several professional organizations including the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Wake County Estate Planning Council. In 2006, he was one of ten advisors from across the nation to be selected to serve on TIAA-CREF’s Board of Financial Advisors.
He was a founding member of the Dimensional Fund Advisors National Study Group (DFA NSG), comprised of ten advisors from several of the country’s leading independent Registered Investment Advisory firms. Mike’s civic involvement includes membership on the Administrative Board of Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, the UNC Educational Foundation’s Planned Giving Council and the Lacy Foundation Board. His past service includes serving on the boards of North Carolina Amateur Sports and the Raleigh Capitals Athletic Association.
Mike is a frequent writer and speaker, having articles published on financial planning and investing. He has been quoted on a variety of financial planning topics by national publications including Investment News, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Wealth Manager and SmartMoney. He and his wife, Meredith, have four children. He has coached youth baseball and basketball and enjoyed a decade long career as a Division I basketball referee.
Ark Royal Wealth Management
Zach Palmer, CFP®
Wealth Advisor
Zach joins Ark Royal Wealth Management with over five years in the financial services and wealth management industry.
Zach grew up in Raleigh and graduated from Broughton High School. He moved to Charlotte after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His advisory career includes stints at Vanguard and Modera Wealth Management where he completed his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.
He is an active member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Financial Planning Association (FPA), and Charlotte Young Professional Group (CYPG).
Zach enjoys spending time playing basketball, pickleball, and golf. He was a member of the UNC Junior Varsity basketball team for two years during his time at UNC and he remains a loyal UNC athletics fan. A fun fact about Zach is he helped lead Broughton to the state 4A championship game as a senior, where he played alongside two future NBA players; Devonte' Graham and Jerome Robinson. He and his fiancé, Rachel Smitherman, will tie the knot in June 2024.
Nick Ross
Financial Planning Associate
Nick is a native of Apex and a graduate of Apex Friendship High School and North Carolina State University with a B.S in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and accounting. During his final two years of school, he served Ark Royal Wealth Management as an intern before beginning his full-time role. He is now working as a financial planning associate and is completing course work for the Certified Financial Planner exam.
Nick is a passionate supporter of all North Carolina State athletics and an avid golfer. He makes frequent trips to Wilmington during basketball season to watch his brother play for the UNCW Seahawks.
Lisa Shirley
Client Service Consultant
Lisa is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with two decades of financial services experience. She and her husband David live in Apex and have two children. Lisa has a passion for college basketball and live music, especially Bruce Springsteen who she has seen live 35 times! Lisa is a proven talent who enjoys working with clients, with high follow through and attention to detail. She has a gift for telling you what she thinks, but in the most gracious way.