About Roy Gagaza

President and CEO of Journey Wealth Management, LLC

Roy Gagaza serves as president and chief executive officer of Journey Wealth Management, LLC, where he focuses on helping people move from their working years into retirement with structure, clarity, and realistic expectations. He entered the financial services profession after a long career as a military officer, choosing to continue serving in a different setting. From offices in a Central Valley community in California and two locations in Hawaii, he works with individuals and families who want to make careful decisions about savings, income, and long-range planning, building relationships based on steady guidance and mutual respect.

Military Career

Roy began his professional journey in the reserve component of the U.S. Army before transitioning to active duty as an Armor Officer, ultimately serving for about two decades in uniform. He completed demanding airborne and ranger training and learned to lead soldiers in both training environments and overseas operations. During this time, he commanded armored and cavalry units in regions such as the Persian Gulf and Northeast Asia, gaining experience in planning, teamwork, and responsibility under pressure while keeping the welfare of those he led at the center of his efforts.

Operational Leadership and Recognition

Gagaza later served as an operations and training officer, where he helped units from company through brigade level prepare for deployments in support of primary missions overseas. In that role, he was involved in designing and coordinating training intended to ensure that service members were as ready as possible before entering challenging environments. Over multiple combat deployments, he earned the Bronze Star for his work during two significant campaigns, recognition that reflected his consistent commitment to preparation, careful execution, and calm leadership in demanding situations that affected many lives.

Preparing for a Second Career

Roy Gagaza began planning for a future in financial services while still on active duty, drawing on his academic background in business marketing and a growing interest in economic education. Even during a year-long deployment to the Middle East in 2004, he used available time to meet with individuals and families, lead educational workshops, and study for professional designations. Through steady effort over several years, he earned credentials as a Certified Estate Planner and a Registered Financial Consultant, building a foundation of knowledge that would support his next chapter once his military service ended.

Transition into Wealth Management

Roy retired from the Army in 2008 and moved full-time into the financial services field, carrying forward the same sense of duty that had guided him in uniform. He chose to focus on retirement and long-term planning, helping people understand how to organize their savings, benefits, and other resources to support a stable future. In his work, he emphasizes clear explanations, practical strategies, and respectful conversations, seeking to make complex topics understandable. Hence, clients feel more confident in the decisions they make for themselves and their families.

Leadership and Professional Recognition

Gagaza leads a firm that provides retirement planning, investment and wealth management, tax planning, health care strategies, and legacy and estate services to a broad range of clients. He listens closely to each person’s goals and concerns before suggesting any course of action, preferring step-by-step strategies over one-size-fits-all approaches. Industry partners have acknowledged his commitment to consistent service through honors that include induction into a national hall of fame program for advisors, repeated recognition as an elite advisor, and awards that mark his role in helping clients implement significant levels of premium in support of their retirement goals.

Client Philosophy and Community Involvement

Roy Gagaza views each client relationship as a long-term partnership built on trust, education, and readiness for change, encouraging people to picture what a meaningful life after full-time work might look like and then helping them work toward that vision. He focuses on strategies to protect savings, build dependable income streams, and leave room for unexpected events, recognizing that circumstances can shift over time. Beyond the office, he shares information through seminars organized with public safety agencies, school districts, tax professionals, and local business groups, and he supports community organizations that assist veterans, provide food, rescue animals, and protect trails and open spaces.

Education, Family, and Personal Life

Roy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from a public university in San Jose, a background that supports his ability to explain financial concepts in straightforward terms. He maintains insurance licenses in both Hawaii and California and continues to pursue ongoing learning to better serve those who rely on his guidance. He is originally from a community on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Area. He places substantial value on family life, sharing his days with a spouse who is also his business partner, three adult children, and two grandchildren. Outside of work, he enjoys time in the water, playing golf, traveling, paddleboarding, snorkeling, diving, and reading, finding balance between professional responsibilities, community service, and time with loved ones.