Many in RIAs understand the importance of strong marketing strategies, but knowing what types of strategies – and then consistently executing – is a major challenge for a number of advisors. 

In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, managing director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Megan Gorman, founder and managing partner of Chequers Financial Management, about her approach to organic growth and how she has leveraged a range of marketing strategies to connect with clients and identify new client opportunities. Megan shares how to determine which strategies are right for you.

Specifically, Mark and Megan discuss:

Resources:

Connect With Mark Bruno:

Connect With Megan Gorman:

About Our Guest:

Megan is the founding partner of Chequers Financial Management, a fee-only planning firm that specializes in high net worth and ultra-high net worth families in San Francisco, California. Megan heads the firm’s family office services practice.

As well, Megan is a Senior Contributor for Forbes in personal finance and tax. She is also quoted regularly in the press as a tax and financial planning expert including such publications as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She blogs at TheWealthIntersection.com, has appeared on numerous podcasts, and is a regular weekly commentator on The Money Tree Podcast.

Mergers and acquisitions are becoming a more common way for larger RIAs to grow. But successfully managing a merger or acquisition after the deal closes is anything but a straight line — and many RIAs are looking for guidance on how to build a “culture of one.” 

In this episode, Mark Bruno, managing director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Greg Friedman, chief executive officer & founder of Private Ocean Wealth Management and Cynthia Greenfield, chief experience officer at Private Ocean Wealth Management about strategies for successfully navigating a company merger or acquisition. Greg and Cynthia discuss their most recent book, Integrating Culture in Successful RIA Mergers and Acquisitions, as a way to share their experience and expertise.

Mark, Cynthia and Greg discuss:

Resources:

Connect With Mark Bruno:

Connect With Greg Friedman and Cynthia Greenfield:

About Greg Friedman: Greg Friedman is the CEO of Private Ocean, an innovative West Coast wealth management firm, and the founder of Junxure, a CRM platform that defined technology for financial advisors. In 2007, Charles Schwab honored him with its prestigious IMPACT Award® for “Best in Tech.” In 2008, Financial Planning Magazine included Greg in its elite list of financial “Movers and Shakers”. Greg was also recognized in InvestmentNews’ 2017 Class of Icons and Innovators for his contribution to the advancement of the financial advice profession and for conceiving new ideas and tools that have propelled the industry forward. In 2018, Greg was named CEO of the Year at the WealthManagement.com Industry Awards.

About Cynthia Greenfield: Chief Experience Officer, Leadership Coach and Author. Cynthia develops strategies that deliver on a company’s mission and enhances the employee and client experience through organization, communication and engagement. She combines over a decade of experience in the financial services and technology industries with life coaching techniques to help build people stronger relationships that lead to successful partnerships. She is a community liaison who strives to partner firms with non-profit organizations and external vendors and she spearheads the event strategy for a $2B+ RIA firm. An advocate of healthy company culture, she helps drive cultural integration efforts during times of growth and transition and is responsible for developing and training staff on how to deliver a consistent client experience. In 2021, Cynthia co-authored the book, Integrating Culture in Successful RIA Mergers and Acquisitions, aimed toward business leaders within the financial services industry.

While a number of RIAs have experienced significant growth in recent years, many have actually grown by default – not design: Often, advisors are relying on the market, existing clients and referrals to drive growth.

But there are a number of steps and strategies that advisors can implement to drive intentional, sustainable growth. Few leaders in the wealth management industry have a command over these strategies the way Jeff Concepcion, founder and CEO of Stratos Wealth Partners, has demonstrated. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, managing director at Informa Wealth Management, talks with Jeff about the growth and rise of Stratos into a platform with more than $19BN in assets under management. 

Specifically, Mark and Jeff discuss:

Resources:

Connect With Mark Bruno:

Connect With Jeff Concepcion: 

About Our Guest:

Jeffrey Concepcion is the Founder and CEO of Stratos Wealth Partners, a firm which he launched in October of 2008. Jeff is responsible for the acquisition, development and coaching of the firm’s expanding number of affiliated advisors from across the nation. This is a role he embraces, and understands due to the fact that in addition to his leadership responsibilities, he also maintains a personal planning practice.

Jeff’s entire professional career has been spent in the financial services industry. Prior to starting Stratos Wealth Partners, Jeff spent 22 years in senior management positions with Lincoln Financial Network, including being the Executive Director for the Eastern Region where he was responsible for fully one-third of the United States. He was then appointed Senior Vice President of Market Access and a member of the Executive Committee; where he was one of only a handful of executives responsible for Lincoln’s entire retail financial services business.

While the RIA channel has been growing at a steady clip for years, a handful of firms have grown at an accelerated rate and are now responsible for the lion’s share of assets and clients in the industry.

Wealthspire Advisors has been one of the fastest growing RIAs in the business, and CEO Mike LaMena sat down with Informa Connect Managing Director Mark Bruno to discuss the firm’s success, strategies and future plans. Specifically, in this Episode of RIA Edge, Mark and Mike discuss:

Connect With Michael LaMena:

Connect With Mark Bruno:

About Our Guest:

Mike LaMena has more than 25 years of experience building, operating, and leading global wealth management organizations. His commitment to service excellence and his fundamental belief in the power of the firm’s independent, conflict free model of financial advice and comprehensive wealth management, inspires his enthusiasm to serve clients and expand the business.

Finding business strategies that work, and promote continuous growth can be one of the biggest challenges when running a business, especially coming out of the pandemic. 

But one firm, Cerity Partners has been able to maintain and continue their growth in tremendous ways.

In this episode, Mark Bruno sits down with Claire O’Keefe, partner and head of corporate development at Cerity Partners. Claire reveals how Cerity Partners was able to become one of the top RIAs for individuals, businesses and nonprofits, and how they have fostered long-term, sustainable growth for their business. 

Mark and Claire discuss:

Resources:

Connect With Claire O’Keeffe:

Connect With Mark Bruno:

About Our Guest:

Claire is a Partner in the Chicago office and the Head of Corporate Development. She is also a member of Cerity Partners’ Executive Committee. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College and her Master of Business Administration from Stony Brook University. She is a member of Vistage International.

Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Claire served as an Executive Committee member and client advisor for two wealth management firms. In these roles, Claire’s responsibilities included strategic planning, client development, and client advisory. Throughout her career, she has focused her leadership on providing wealth management services to affluent individuals, business owners, executives, and nonprofit organizations.

The RIA channel has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, but a handful of RIAs have executed on M&A and marketing strategies that have positioned them as the industry’s truly elite firms.

In this first episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Scott Hanson, co-founder and senior partner of Allworth Financial, about how he was able to grow his business into a national RIA with roughly $11 billion in assets through a range of intentional organic and inorganic strategies.

Mark and Scott discuss:

Resources:

Allworth Financial | Retirement Preparation Specialists

Connect With Scott Hanson:

Scott Hanson | LinkedIn

Connect With Mark Bruno:

WealthManagement.com

About Our Guest:

Scott Hanson is senior partner and founding principal of Allworth Financial and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner. Hanson co-hosts one of the longest-running financial radio programs in America, Allworth’s Money Matters, which can be heard at www.AllworthFinancial.com. He is a regular contributor to InvestmentNews, CNBC and author of three books, his most recent, “Personal Decision Points: Seven Steps to Your Ideal Retirement Transition” is available on Amazon.