This week, Jack Sharry talks with Andrew Ang. Andrew is a leading voice in quantitative investing, factor research, tax-efficient portfolio construction, and AI. He spent 15 years as a professor at Columbia Business School and 10 years as Managing Director at BlackRock, where he led work across factors, sustainability, and investment solutions. Today, he is the Co-Founder of Tau Balance, where he applies technology, tax expertise, and AI to wealth management. 

Andrew talks with Jack about factor investing and tax-efficient portfolios, why taxes can significantly affect what investors actually keep, and how advisors can think beyond pre-tax returns when building portfolios. Andrew also shares his vision for the "self-driving portfolio," an agentic investment strategy where AI agents can specialize across asset classes, challenge one another's assumptions, and continuously learn.

In this episode:

Quotes

"Taxes constitute the biggest wedge between returns that you seem to participate in, or that are reported, and the returns that you actually get to keep." ~ Andrew Ang

"The really big gains come when we don't just substitute something for AI, but completely change the way that we work with it." ~ Andrew Ang

"Where the agents disagree, those are the most interesting and important areas for investing. That's probably where alpha lies, or where we actually have to be very careful to construct robust portfolios." ~ Andrew Ang

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Mike Perry, Head of Client Solutions and Wealth Management at Guardian Life. With leadership experience spanning Guardian, Nuveen, UBS, and Merrill Lynch, Mike has spent his career helping firms evolve their wealth management strategies while expanding access to comprehensive financial planning.

Jack and Mike discuss Guardian’s protection-first philosophy and why holistic planning begins long before retirement. They explore the firm’s “living balance sheet” framework, the growing importance of strategic partnerships, Guardian’s investment in Avantos, and why AI is best viewed as a tool that helps advisors deepen client relationships—not replace them.

In this episode:

Quotes

"What clients need is trusted advice from an advisor. So, the real engagement, where trust gets built, and problems are solved, is in that back-and-forth planning discussion with the end client." ~ Mike Perry

"Our opportunity here is protection first, because we're engaging clients earlier in their lives and marrying it with a much broader set of questions and client engagement across all of our planning." ~ Mike Perry

"Innovation has to be a constant thing you focus on, because across financial services, one day you may provide something at less cost, but it's immediately replicated. So you need to keep doing that." ~ Mike Perry

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Indivisible Partners' Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Alok Kapoor, and Founder and Chief Operating Officer, John Hogarty. Alok oversees and guides the firm's technology direction and brings leadership experience from Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch. John leads the company's growth by optimizing operations and technology, with a track record of managing large-scale initiatives and building platforms at Merrill Lynch's Global Wealth and Investment Management for Bank of America.

Alok and John discuss how technology and operations serve as competitive differentiators for wealth firms. They share how they built a fully integrated platform, powered by technology and human expertise, to align clients', advisors', and firms' objectives. Alok and John also discuss what it means to deliver total wealth advice and how the future of wealth management will be shaped by those with the capabilities to serve clients best and build processes and efficiency into their businesses.

In this episode:

Quotes

"When you're dealing with people's wealth, you can't make mistakes in the back office. The soundness and safety, the consistency, and the quality of the reporting and interaction in this day and age, the movement of money, and the protection of those assets are so important." ~ John Hogarty

"We needed a capability where every advisor could lay out their desktop exactly the way they want to see information, in the order they want to see it." ~ John Hogarty

"Everybody out there will talk about the capabilities they're building into their products. It's really easy to move quickly on a rocky foundation. We work really well in making sure we're moving very quickly on an extremely solid foundation." ~ Alok Kapoor

"Most firms treat technology and operations as back-office cost centers. They're measured on risk. They're measured on budget. We think of them as the product. Because to the advisor and client, this stuff working is the product. It has to work." ~ Alok Kapoor

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Andrew Guillette, Vice President of Global Insights at Broadridge. Founder of Verge Advisory and former COO of Cerulli, Andrew has a track record of delivering industry-leading market research to U.S. asset managers. With specialized expertise in research and product development, he can leverage cutting-edge technologies to transform business operations and create new revenue streams. 

Andrew talks with Jack about what investors actually want, based not on surveys, but on real behavior from 55 million retail investors.  Drawing from the Broadridge Investor Pulse dataset, Andrew breaks down five critical trends reshaping the investor landscape today. Their conversation also challenges long-held industry assumptions and offers a data-backed look at how firms can better align with evolving investor behavior.

In this episode:

Quotes

"Advice still reigns, but the mix is shifting. The self-directed growth is real. Now, one-third of all investors have a relationship with a self-directed firm." ~ Andrew Guillette

"The number one reason that investors straddle is diversification and enjoyment. Diversification was highest among women, and then enjoyment was highest among men, particularly younger men." ~ Andrew Guillette

"Don't rely on legacy assumptions about who your investor is and how you think you should engage. Get the data to gain more precision about investor behavior. The firms best positioned to win will be the ones that understand the end investor." ~ Andrew Guillette

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Summit Wealth Group Founder & CEO Randy Morris and Head of Advisor Success Seamus O’Brien. After leading the firm’s successful transition to independence, Randy and Seamus are now focused on building an advisor-first organization designed for long-term growth. Randy brings more than four decades of industry leadership, while Seamus draws on more than 25 years of experience helping advisory firms scale through advisor development, client experience, and strategic growth initiatives.

Randy and Seamus reflect on Summit’s first year as an independent RIA, discussing what it took to transition thousands of client accounts without losing a single team member. They explain why organic growth extends far beyond client acquisition, how a strong data foundation is essential for putting AI to work, and why building an intentional culture becomes even more important as firms scale. They also challenge common misconceptions about growth and share what comes next for Summit.

In this episode:

Quotes

"Organic growth is the hardest kind of growth. It is the number one driver of valuation and success once you get past that cultural alignment conversation." ~ Seamus O'Brien 

"There's no real silver bullet for growth. What works for some might not for others. So we have to be adaptable, and not be afraid to take some calculated risks and make some mistakes." ~ Seamus O'Brien

"In a growing company, if you're not intentional with pulling everybody together, you're going to end up with silos. Those silos create fractures in the organization's health." ~ Randy Morris

"Intentional pulling together of advisors and their teams in our local communities is paramount to really accomplishing the growth objectives the company is trying to achieve." ~ Randy Morris

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Jack Hannah, President & Chief Operating Officer at GeoWealth. Jack oversees the firm's operations, service, and both digital and investment product divisions. He is also fully dedicated to GeoWealth's strategic business initiatives, ensuring that the platform's capabilities evolve in line with their clients' unique needs. 

Jack talks about what enables firms to grow and what holds them back. He discusses how operational efficiency can boost RIA growth without breaking their back office and how modern platforms are reshaping investment management. Jack also shares the importance of partnerships and how GeoWealth is pushing the boundaries of what a single client account can deliver.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:09) - Jack's early career in RIA operations 

(04:30) - Jack's transition from an RIA environment to GeoWealth 

(05:35) - How GeoWealth helps advisors

(07:02) - GeoWealth's value proposition and modern TAMP model 

(08:44) - GeoWealth's platform capabilities and integrations 

(10:42) - Why investors choose GeoWealth 

(12:24) - What partnerships look like at GeoWealth 

(15:51) - How GeoWealth expands its investment capabilities

(19:11) - Jack's interests outside of work

Quotes

"We want to provide scale to an advisor's practice, no matter what shape or size they might be." ~ Jack Hannah

"We want to meet these advisors or these firms right where they are. I know that's overused, but we really mean that." — Jack Hannah 

"The investment management world is rapidly changing. We are on the cutting edge of what a UMA is and how it should actually work in a client account." ~ Jack Hannah

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Merit Financial Advisors' CEO & Founder, Rick Kent, and President, Kay Lynn Mayhue. Rick is an entrepreneur and visionary leader who founded Merit on a servant-leadership philosophy and a commitment to helping individuals reach their financial goals while supporting fellow advisors and entrepreneurs in meeting their professional goals. Kay Lynn has played many roles in the financial advisory industry: as a successor, partner, seller, and buyer. This unique and diverse background allows her to relate to advisors at all career stages and across the M&A lifecycle. 

Rick and Kay Lynn talk with Jack about how they've built one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the country without losing sight of culture, leadership, and long-term value creation. They discuss what it really takes to scale intentionally, from balancing disciplined M&A with true organic growth to building a leadership model rooted in servant leadership, humility, and accountability. Rick and Kay Lynn also share Merit's institutionalized approach to business development and explain why partnerships, technology integration, and adaptability in the age of AI will define the future of wealth management.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:13) - Rick on Merit's origin story

(03:06) - Rick and Kay Lynn's partnership and leadership dynamics

(04:59) - The core principles of Merit Financial Advisors

(09:14) - How Merit has maintained its culture through 60+ acquisitions 

(12:41) - How Merit generates organic growth

(16:56) - Inside Merit's business development engine and growth tracks 

(20:30) - Rick and Kay Lynn's outlook on the future of wealth management

(26:16) - Rick and Kay Lynn's interests outside of work

Quotes

"You can have all of the principles and core values at the top. But if you don't bring on the right people, you are not going to succeed at having that in your culture. And so it starts with the people, it ends with the people." ~ Kay Lynn Mayhue

"People are underestimating the power of finding the right partnerships. The right partnership is going to make your future." ~ Kay Lynn Mayhue

"The marketing to bring in clients should be an enterprise operation. It really should be institutionalized, where we figure out how to connect with clients and then provide those opportunities to our advisors to let them do what they do best." ~ Rick Kent

"When you think about the real value of a firm, if you have money, you can make acquisitions. But really valuable firms are going to prove that they are growing their market share through organic growth." ~ Rick Kent

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Rob Pettman, President and Chief Revenue Officer at TIFIN. Rob brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across wealth management, investment platforms, and financial technology. Before joining TIFIN, he spent 19 years at LPL Financial, most recently as Executive Vice President of Wealth Management Solutions.

Rob talks with Jack about the hype surrounding artificial intelligence in wealth management. He discusses how firms across the industry deploy AI, what delivers real outcomes, and what top-performing firms are doing differently. Rob also shares the three major themes driving AI adoption today, as well as how AI reshapes workflows, accelerates advisor transitions, and unlocks new growth opportunities.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:29) - The current state of AI adoption in wealth management

(02:57) - The three core themes of AI value creation

(07:12) - Why outcome matters more than solving the data problem 

(08:36) - What advisors actually want from AI tools 

(11:48) - What change management means for AI adoption

(13:10) - How companies can succeed with AI integration 

(15:28) - The difference between AI at the operating level vs. AI as a tool 

(17:19) - How AI-driven personalization works in wealth management

(20:19) - Point solutions vs. platforms: Why flexibility still matters 

(21:32) - Rob's thoughts on the future of AI in wealth management 

(23:34) - The biggest misconception about AI in wealth management

(25:35) - Rob's interests outside of work

Quotes

"The firms that are most successful have a very strong initiative and leadership presence coming from the C-suite. It's not just about putting a flag in the ground and saying, "We're going to do AI." It's actually them leaning in and pushing through some of the structural issues within their organization that may prevent AI from being successful." ~ Rob Pettman 

"When you view AI as a tool versus a change in your operating model, technology doesn't understand your business. So, it really does have to be the culture around business-led technology-enabled versus business-deferred to technology." ~ Rob Pettman

"The real power, the maximum commercial impact you get with AI, is when cost savings meets growth meets scale, and you put all three of those together." ~ Rob Pettman

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Rob Pettman on LinkedIn

TIFIN 

Cetera Financial Group

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Vlad Golyk, Partner and Leader of McKinsey's North America Wealth Management Practice. Vlad works closely with wealth and asset managers, focusing on growth, transformation, and the evolution of operating models. He is a co-author and lead contributor to two recently released reports, The Looming Advisor Shortage in US Wealth Management and US Wealth Management in 2035: A Transformative Decade Begins. 

Vlad talks with Jack about the forces that will shape wealth management over the next decade. He highlights significant challenges, particularly advisor capacity, which is becoming one of the industry's most critical concerns as demand for financial advice continues to rise while the advisor workforce ages and declines. Vlad also explains how advisory firms can build an operating model that delivers holistic advice while addressing advisor shortages.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:40) - Why growth, productivity, advisor models, and AI are interconnected

(04:53) - The looming advisor shortage in wealth management

(10:12) - The power of AI in the modern advisory world

(18:15) - Monetizing AI: AI-powered guidance and new revenue opportunities

(22:08) - What makes a successful wealth management operating model

(26:14) - Vlad's interests outside of work

Quotes

"If you're only building for today's clients who want the human advisor enhanced by technology, you might be optimizing a model that the next wave of accumulators will never opt into." ~ Vlad Golyk

"Investors are clear about the role they want AI to play today. They want it as a guidance layer, not an autonomous agent." ~ Vlad Golyk

"Build a blended experience where AI handles analytical throughput and the human shows up at moments of highest emotional and financial stakes. Investors want that, they pay for it, and they want it from the advisor." ~ Vlad Golyk

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Steve Gresham, Founder and Managing Principal at NextChapter. With more than 40 years in asset and wealth management, Steve has spent his career working on growth issues as an executive and as an advisor to executives. He has also played a key role in developing major industry innovations, including managed accounts, target-date funds, wealth strategies, and practice management.

Steve talks with Jack about why advisor capacity is becoming the defining driver of enterprise value. He discusses how firms can build their enterprise value through four key levers—headquarters-led capabilities, hybrid tech and human delivery, retention, and client acquisition. Steve further explores why advisory capacity is the new growth currency in wealth management and how AI accelerates this shift.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:54) - Defining organic growth, enterprise value, and advisor capacity

(05:03) - The next chapter of organic growth

(08:53) - How advisor capacity is a driver of enterprise value

(11:28)- How AI is linked to enterprise value

(14:57) - The four levers to build enterprise value

(20:45) - Applying the four levers framework to real firms

(25:42) - Steve's key takeaways

(27:46) - Steve's interests outside of work

Quotes

"You have to be able to tie AI into what is already an ongoing digital and information revolution. AI is riding on those same rails. It is accelerating the speed of the train, but it's still primarily leading to a human-led advice industry." ~ Steve Gresham

"Newer, younger advisors have a much more open mind about the role of technology. It makes them more efficient. And if it's used correctly, it makes them more successful." ~ Steve Gresham

"End treating organic growth as a hero metric and start managing for enterprise value. And that means defining the advisor or the organization's capacity to engage as a KPI." ~ Steve Gresham

Links 

Steve Gresham on LinkedIn

NextChapter

SEI

Fidelity Investments

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