Meet Our Founder

Since 2014, Melissa Siesto has dedicated her career to helping individuals, families, and businesses find clarity, confidence, and truth in their financial lives — the very foundation behind her firm’s name, Vero, which means “truth” in Italian.

As the founder of Vero Financial Group, a Rochester-based district agency of New York Life, Melissa partners with both employers and individuals to design customized strategies that bring peace of mind and lasting financial security. Her work spans from building employee benefit programs — including guaranteed-issue voluntary benefits and retirement plan benchmarking — to guiding families through wealth protection, accumulation, and legacy planning.

Melissa believes in meeting clients where they are, translating complex financial concepts into practical steps that create measurable results. Her goal is always the same: to empower people with understanding so they can make confident decisions about their future.

A multi-year Million Dollar Round Table qualifier (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), Melissa is consistently ranked among the top 2% of New York Life agents nationwide, a testament to her commitment to excellence and the impact she has on her clients.

Beyond her professional success, Melissa is deeply committed to service. She serves on the Executive Board of the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center, contributes her time to several community and philanthropic initiatives, and helped found the ice hockey program through OASIS Rochester, which provides opportunities and support to disabled veterans.

At the heart of everything she does are her two sons, Adriano and Domenico. Raising them on her own has shaped her resilience and sense of purpose — both qualities that define her leadership at Vero. Her oldest, a college graduate with a degree in Italian, is high-functioning autistic and continues to inspire her commitment to inclusion and advocacy. Her youngest is a high school graduate who loves lacrosse.

Melissa and her fiancé, Frank, enjoy traveling, exploring new cultures, and spending time with their extended family around the world. A former figure skating coach for more than 30 years, she carries the discipline and grace of the rink into every aspect of her personal and professional life.