In the Money

​​Growth is on every trust leader’s mind, but for many firms, scaling creates operational drag that pulls their best people away from client relationships.

How do you build capacity for growth without sacrificing the service quality that defines your firm? How do you compete when talent constraints and market complexity make it harder to do everything in-house?

In our third conversation from the Association of Trust Organizations annual conference, Rusty Sommer speaks with Dan O’Brien, Business Development Officer, Financial Institutions, at AssetMark, about the paradox facing today’s trust companies. Dan shares strategies for leveraging partnerships to unlock operational efficiency, explaining how firms can access institutional-grade investment solutions, reduce time spent executing business, and create capacity for advisors to focus on what matters most: building relationships and serving clients effectively.

Dan discusses:

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About our Guest: 

Dan O’Brien is a dynamic financial services sales executive with extensive leadership experience, specializing in consultative sales strategies that create win-win scenarios for buyers and sellers. He is adept at strategic thinking, creative solutions, and effective communication, with a deep understanding of the financial intermediary, M&A, bank trust and retirement marketplace. Dan possesses a proven track record managing complex sales cycles, interfacing with C-suite executives, and leading cross-functional, geographically dispersed teams. His exceptional presentation and negotiation skills, coupled with a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit, have consistently delivered solutions that achieve results.

Technology is meant to create space for deeper thinking, yet many firms feel more rushed than ever. Busy workflows, manual processes, and unclear priorities often crowd out time for clients and strategy.

In this episode, Rusty Sommer speaks with Trasha Schwendener, Managing Director at F2 Strategy, at the American Trust Organization’s (ATO) annual conference about how trust organizations can rethink technology to give people time back. They explore where automation actually helps, why process matters more than tools, and how firms can define their identity as client expectations shift. The conversation also covers onboarding, communication, and how modern portals shape relationships across generations.

Key takeaways:

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About our Guest: 

Trasha Schwendener is a proven relationship and sales leader with close to 20 years experience in client management, wealth management, and fintech solutions. Her primary focus has been sales, training, and developing strategic client and partner relationships. Trasha honed her expertise through roles with trust accounting software and private wealth management firms, where she worked with bank trust departments, independent trust companies, family offices, and foundations. She is passionate about working in a continuous learning environment and helping others grow professionally. In her personal time, Trasha enjoys being with her family and volunteering with Top of the Lake Rotary. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Operations is the hidden engine that turns ambition into enterprise growth. Yet, for many firms, it’s overlooked until bottlenecks appear.

In this episode, Rusty Sommer speaks with Matt Sonnen, Chief Operating Officer of Coldstream and host of the COO Roundtable podcast, about the pivotal role of operations in wealth management firms. Matt shares insights from his unique journey as a consultant and operator, the importance of community among COOs, and how process, people, and technology align for growth.

Key takeaways:

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About Our Guest: 

Matt Sonnen has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. As Chief Operating Officer, Matt manages all aspects of Coldstream’s operational platforms to identify opportunities to scale and systematize processes ensuring capacity for the firm’s continued growth. In addition, Matt will also oversee the firm’s Information Technology, Performance Reporting, Client Service, and CRM efforts.

Before joining Coldstream, Matt was the Founder and CEO of PFI Advisors – a firm dedicated to consulting registered investment advisor (RIA) owners on best infrastructure and culture practices. Matt has been a thought-leader in our industry – publishing over 270 practice management articles, research papers, and podcasts. In June 2021, he launched The COO Society to create a community of RIAs centered around coaching operations professionals.

Matt learned the ins and outs of the wirehouse model at Merrill Lynch in the late 1990s.  Matt left Merrill in 2005, and a few years later, he was introduced to the RIA marketplace, helping build the infrastructure for Luminous Capital prior to its founding in 2008.  As COO and CCO at Luminous, he navigated technology and compliance challenges as the firm grew from $1.7 billion in assets to nearly $6 billion in less than five years.  Luminous Capital was sold to First Republic Bank for more than $100 million in 2012, after which Matt headed to Focus Financial Partners in New York City, where he helped partner firms streamline operations and improve back-office efficiencies.

Matt graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He currently resides in California with his wife, Reese (Larissa), and son, Luke.

Wealth management firms are drowning in technology, but which tools truly matter?

In this episode of In The Money, host Rusty Sommer talks with Chip Kispert, Managing Partner of Beacon Strategies, about separating hype from value in AI, compliance, and alternatives. They explore how firms can scale effectively, adopt tech without fatigue, and prepare for the next wave of client expectations.

Key Points:

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About Our Guest: 

Chip Kispert is the Founder and Managing Partner of Beacon Strategies, LLC. He has over 20 years of experience in the broker-dealer and asset management industries. Chip specializes in developing and implementing data management-centric supply strategies, focusing on infrastructure evolution. Before founding Beacon, he was the Vice President of Sales at Trust Company of America and held senior sales and business development roles at Fidelity Investments for four years.

Wealth management is evolving rapidly, and technology is no longer just a support tool; it’s a driver of strategic growth.

How can advisors deliver truly personalized client experiences while running more efficient businesses? How can tech stacks attract top talent and position firms for the future?

In this episode of In The Money, Rusty Sommer talks with Benoit Fleury, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of d1g1t, about how open architecture, AI integration, and institutional-grade analytics are redefining wealth management. Benoit shares practical insights on personalization at scale, operational efficiency, and the secure use of AI to transform client and advisor interactions.

Key highlights include:

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About Our Guest: 

Benoit Fleury leads the design, development, and implementation of the d1g1t wealth management platform. A Fintech Entrepreneur and product guru with a passion for building advanced investment and risk management solutions, he brings over 20 years of experience in projects with over 100 financial institutions in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, including investment banks, asset managers and hedge funds, insurance companies, exchanges, and wealth management firms. Benoit was a co-founder and the Head of R&D, Financial Engineering, and Products at R² Financial Technologies, acquired by S&P Capital IQ. Prior to R², He was at Algorithmics (acquired by IBM), where he led the development of its managed services and SaaS market, and credit risk platform. Benoit holds a Master of Science and Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and is a CFA charter holder.

Are you struggling to articulate your brand’s story or connect with clients in a meaningful way? Discover the art and science behind building a powerhouse brand that supports growth and client trust.

In this episode, Rusty Sommer speaks with Randy Lambert and Joe Steuter from Intention.ly about transforming growth through strategic brand messaging. They explore the map to supercharge growth and build a cohesive brand narrative in the ever-evolving financial industry. The conversation highlights practical insights from decades of industry experience, emphasizing the balance between operational efficiency and compelling storytelling. Learn how understanding customer needs, simplifying your brand message, and maintaining internal alignment can differentiate your firm in a competitive landscape.

Randy and Joe discuss: 

We unravel the elements that make a brand powerful and trustworthy, both inside and out. Tune in and refine your own brand strategy!

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About our Guests: 

Randy Lambert is Intention.ly’s EVP and Head of RIA Solutions. With three decades in the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and FinTech space, Randy Lambert has a proven track record of scaling operational processes to manage elite-level growth. By comprehensively understanding the RIA operational process, Randy can enhance processes and provide value that creates a great client and employee experience. His passion is leading a talented team that supports our mission to help every client maximize their Orion experience. Their team does this by championing a proven process that empowers advisors to focus on their top priorities with the highest impact for the advisory firm.

In business and in life, the art of the message matters most when building a connection. As the Chief of Communications at Intention.ly, Joe Steuter brings 20 years of brand consulting experience in message development, brand building, and communications strategy to inform, engage, and inspire action. Throughout the past two decades, his work has impacted financial services in varying degrees, from helping independent financial advisors mold their personal stories to building brands at the firm level and playing a central role in articulating brand messages for one of the country’s fastest-growing RIAs in the country.

What if your financial data could talk? 

Would it reveal new secrets about your clients, business, and the future of wealth management? In this engaging episode of “In the Money,” host Rusty Sommer dives deep into the age of data with Oleg Tishkevich, the visionary founder and CEO of INVENT®. Together, they explore the transformative power of data integration in reshaping the wealth management landscape.

Listen in as Rusty and Oleg discuss:

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About Oleg Tishkevich: 

Oleg Tishkevich is a visionary technology entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Invent®, a cloud-native software development and consulting firm serving the wealth management and real estate industries. With a focus on systems design, data architecture, and digital experiences, Invent® helps enterprise firms and registered investment advisors (RIAs) modernize their technology infrastructures 

Prior to founding Invent®, Tishkevich established Finance Logix, a next-generation financial planning software company known for its engaging mobile planning app, Retire Logix. The app was recognized as the “Best Money Move” by Money magazine and voted the number one mobile app for advisors. Finance Logix was acquired by Envestnet in 2015, where Tishkevich served as Chief Technology Officer for Financial Planning.​

Throughout his career, Tishkevich has been instrumental in delivering custom firm-wide solutions for major companies such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, AssetMark, and Janney Montgomery Scott. His leadership continues to drive innovation in the financial technology sector, helping firms transition to cloud-native platforms and enhance their digital capabilities.

How is Artificial Intelligence reshaping the wealth management industry?

In this episode, Rusty Sommer sits down with John O’Connell, CEO and Founder of The OASIS Group, at the bustling Market Council Summit in Las Vegas. Together, they explore how AI is rapidly transforming the way advisors serve clients, from streamlining workflows to enhancing personalization at scale. Their conversation highlights both the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into financial services, while emphasizing the continued importance of human expertise in the process.

Rusty and John discuss:

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About our Guest: 

John O’Connell has more than 30 years of leadership experience in both emerging businesses and mature, established organizations. He started his career designing and developing financial applications at Merrill Lynch and KPMG Peat Marwick. He was a member of the team for an IPO, sale of a firm, and packaging 2 other firms for sale. He held North American leadership positions at Oracle for over 8 years. He was the president of a FinTech firm and held C-level customer-facing roles at two global, publicly traded companies.

John is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer for The Oasis Group. A firm specializing in helping wealth management and technology firms to solve their most complex challenges. The Oasis Group helps firms with technology selection and implementation, sales processes and strategy, and processes to attract, sell, propose, onboard, and service new clients.

How is cutting-edge technology reshaping portfolio management with advanced reporting?

Join Rusty Sommer as he sits down with Bill McFadden, President and CEO of GreenHill Investment Reporting, to explore the evolving intersection of portfolio management and performance reporting, and its pivotal role in client trust and decision-making.

Bill McFadden explores how investment reporting has evolved from a basic compliance requirement into a strategic asset, enabling deeper client engagement, clearer insights, and more informed wealth management decisions. With a key focus on leveraging data visualization and tech partnerships, the duo discusses the importance of customized, clear communication to tell compelling investment stories.

Rusty and Bill discuss: 

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About Our Guest: 

Bill McFadden is the President at GreenHill Investment Reporting in the Greater Tampa Bay Area. He has over 25 years of experience as a Financial Services Executive and Entrepreneur. Bill is also the owner of Sixline, an investment advisory consulting firm. Bill McFadden was formerly the lead of Business Development for CGI.

What if your tech could read your client’s mind?

In this episode, Rusty Sommer interviews Kartik Srinivasan about the technologies that are reshaping financial advising. They explore how advisors are navigating increasingly complex wealth structures, the role of AI in enhancing client relationships, and what the future holds for advisor-led innovation.

Kartik and Rusty discuss:

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About our Kartik Srinivasan: 

Kartik Srinivasan is a seasoned financial technology executive with over 20 years of experience in the wealth management industry. He currently serves as President of Advyzon Institutional, a division of Advyzon dedicated to supporting financial advisors who work with high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients. Kartik joined Advyzon in 2024 to lead the development of innovative tools and services tailored to the complex needs of these advisors and their clients.

Before joining Advyzon, Kartik spent more than 12 years at Morningstar, where he played a major role in building portfolio management systems. He later served as Managing Director of Third-Party Integrations and Partnerships at Charles Schwab, where he helped oversee the integration of TD Ameritrade Institutional into Schwab Advisor Services.

He holds a BBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA in Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Outside of work, Kartik enjoys traveling, skiing, and hiking with his family.