Category: RIA
RIA Edge Podcast: How Mission Wealth Scales Without Sacrificing Client Experience with Matt Adams

RIA Edge Podcast: How Mission Wealth Scales Without Sacrificing Client Experience with Matt Adams

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Matt Adams, chief executive officer and managing partner at Mission Wealth, about how the firm has grown into a national RIA managing $17.5 billion while continuing to prioritize client service and culture.

Matt shares how Mission Wealth combines organic growth, referral programs, digital marketing and carefully selected mergers and integrations while maintaining a relatively low client-to-advisor ratio. He also explains how employee ownership, expanded planning services, behavioral finance and a thoughtful approach to artificial intelligence and technology are helping shape the firm as it continues to grow across the country.

Matt discusses:

  • How organic growth, referral channels, digital marketing and selective mergers work together at Mission Wealth
  • Why Mission Wealth keeps a low client-to-advisor ratio while investing in service, training and ownership
  • How behavioral finance and Inspired Living are being built into deeper, one-to-one client relationships
  • How Mission Wealth approaches smaller advisory firm integrations with a goal of being fully operational on day one
  • Where AI, data, cybersecurity and internal technology are improving productivity across the client journey

Resources:

 Connect With David Armstrong: 

Connect With Matt Adams:

About Our Guest:

Matthew Adams is the CEO of Mission Wealth, a national wealth management firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Having spent 23 years with the firm, he has helped guide its expansion to $17.5 billion in assets under management, approximately 225 team members, and more than 5,000 families served nationwide. His leadership focuses on organic growth, client service, team development, employee ownership, strategic integrations, and the thoughtful use of technology to support the firm’s continued growth.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building an Integrated Wealth Management Firm with Mike LaMena

RIA Edge Podcast: Building an Integrated Wealth Management Firm with Mike LaMena

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Mike LaMena, CEO of Wealthspire, about how the firm is bringing together private wealth, institutional advisory, retirement services and family office capabilities as it continues to grow.

Mike shares how Wealthspire structures advisor teams around deeper client relationships, uses a “cross-solving” approach to connect needs across different parts of the firm, and invests in areas such as trust, estate planning, tax and technology. He also explains how M&A, advisor education, international expansion and a long-term approach to profitability are shaping Wealthspire’s next stage of growth.

Mike discusses:

  • How Wealthspire connects private wealth, institutional, retirement and family office services around client needs
  • Why advisor teams need access to trust, estate, investment, tax and lifestyle specialists across the firm
  • How “cross-solving” can connect institutional relationships and private wealth opportunities in both directions
  • Why Wealthspire targets 30% to 35% margins while continuing to invest in organic growth, M&A and capabilities
  • Where Wealthspire sees room to grow, including integrated tax, Canada, the UK and cross-border client needs

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong: 

Connect With Mike LaMena:

About Our Guest:

Mike LaMena is the Chief Executive Officer of Wealthspire, bringing nearly 30 years of experience leading and scaling global wealth management organizations. Since becoming CEO in 2019, he has guided Wealthspire through a period of significant growth and transformation, helping evolve the firm into an integrated independent platform serving individuals, families, institutions, retirement plans, and businesses across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Mike is known for his people-first approach and his belief in the power of thoughtful guidance and strong relationships to create meaningful impact. Under his leadership, Wealthspire has expanded its capabilities and national footprint while fostering a culture centered on collaboration, innovation, and long-term relationships. He has championed initiatives focused on advisor empowerment, philanthropy, inclusion, and purposeful growth.

Before joining one of Wealthspire’s predecessor firms in 2017 as President and COO, Mike served as President and COO of HighTower Advisors, helping scale the firm from a startup into a nationally recognized wealth management platform. Earlier in his career, he served in multiple senior leadership roles at Morgan Stanley across New York and Hong Kong. Before beginning his career in financial services, Mike served as a volunteer high school teacher at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, reflecting his long-standing commitment to education and mentorship.

Mike is a frequent industry speaker and host of Wealthspire’s Great Aspirations podcast, which explores leadership, purpose, and legacy through conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, and changemakers. In 2024, he was named “CEO of the Year” at the RIA Intel Awards. In addition to serving on the board for Wealthspire, he also serves on the Advisory Council for the Wealth Management program at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, supporting the development of the next generation of industry leaders.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Connecting Workplace Retirement and Wealth Planning with Ralph Haberli

RIA Edge Podcast: Connecting Workplace Retirement and Wealth Planning with Ralph Haberli

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Ralph Haberli, CEO of Edelman Financial Engines, about how the firm connects workplace retirement relationships with broader wealth planning and continues to grow at scale.

Ralph shares how retirement plan participants can develop into long-term planning clients, why the firm has made planner ownership a priority, and how recruiting and M&A fit into its growth strategy. He also explains how Edelman Financial Engines is using technology and AI to support planners, while keeping client relationships and human advice at the center of the business.

Ralph discusses:

  • How the firm is bridging the gap between workplace retirement plans and individual wealth management services, and why he thinks there is still plenty of opportunity in the convergence of the two.
  • His perspective on growth and scale, and how planner equity plays an important role when balancing a consistent service experience with an entrepreneurial culture. 
  • Where Edelman Financial Engines sees its next phase of growth
  • What the firm is doing with AI and technology, particularly in filling the advice gaps that leave some mass-affluent investors underserved. 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Ralph Haberli:

About Our Guest:

As Chief Executive Officer and President, Ralph Haberli is shaping Edelman Financial Engines’ long-term vision and growth strategy, with a commitment to making financial advice more accessible, personal, and impactful for individuals at every stage of their financial journey. He joined EFE as President in July 2025 and was appointed CEO in November 2025.

Before joining EFE, Ralph served as President of the Institutional & Retirement Client Group at Capital Group, where he led a period of significant growth, overseeing the implementation of an expansive set of new and improved client-facing products and solutions. Previously, he held senior roles at BlackRock across various client businesses, iShares, and Corporate Strategy. He began his career at Boston Consulting Group advising top financial institutions in the U.S and Europe.

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Multigenerational Wealth Firm with Kristen Bauer

RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Multigenerational Wealth Firm with Kristen Bauer

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Kristen Bauer, CEO of Laird Norton Wetherby, about the firm’s approach to serving multigenerational families while managing about $18 billion in assets across six offices and two trust companies.

Kristen explains how the firm evaluates growth based on its impact on clients, employees and owners, rather than pursuing scale alone. She also shares how trust services, impact investing, advisor development, employee ownership and artificial intelligence continue to shape LNW’s long-term direction.

Kristen discusses:

  • How Bauer measures growth and its impact on the firm and client service
  • Why the firm moved back to using an in-house trust company, after outsourcing for many years
  • How the business development process works when targeting prospects with multigenerational wealth
  • The qualities LNW looks for when hiring advisors serving families across generations
  • How the firm is thinking about artificial intelligence and its impact on the business

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Kristen Bauer:

About Our Guest:

Kristen Bauer is the CEO of LNW, leading by example of analytical rigor and a passion for helping successful individuals and families use their resources to have the greatest positive impact. With more than two decades of leadership experience in private wealth management, family office services and business operations, Kristen was instrumental in shaping the vision for, and structure of, what is now LNW.

In May 2020, Kristen was named CEO of Laird Norton Wealth Management. In the next three years, she led the firm as it joined forces with two like-minded wealth advisories long committed to fostering clients’ financial and personal well-being above all else (Filament LLC and Wetherby Asset Management). The result is LNW.

Prior to LNW, Kristen was a senior leader at Tiedemann Advisors serving as Managing Director for the Pacific Northwest and leading Tiedemann’s national family office practice. Previously, Kristen served in leadership roles, including CFO and President, at Threshold Group, which began as the family office for a prominent Northwest family and was acquired by Tiedemann in 2017. At the start of her career, Kristen was Director of Finance at Medalia Healthcare and Manager-Assurance at Arthur Andersen LLP.

Kristen’s upbringing in Bend, Oregon instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature and the importance of working to leave a healthy world for generations to come. She is actively involved in supporting environmental nonprofits and causes.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Growing a $6B RIA Without M&A with Gregg George

RIA Edge Podcast: Growing a $6B RIA Without M&A with Gregg George

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Gregg George, founder and managing director of Crescent Grove Advisors, about how the firm grew to approximately $6 billion without acquisitions, outside investors or debt.

Gregg shares how the firm builds relationships with executives and business owners before major liquidity events, maintains a low advisor-to-client ratio and develops a talent pipeline internally. He also explains how Crescent Grove protects its culture, expands family-office-style services, and uses technology and AI to improve operations while keeping advisors at the center of the client relationship.

Gregg discusses

  • The organic growth drivers that have worked for their firm—and the ones that haven’t. 
  • How the advisors prioritize the future value of a prospect over the immediate assets they bring into the firm
  • How he thinks about client-to-advisor ratios and ensuring growth doesn’t outpace capacity.
  • Why the firm prefers a single point of contact for clients over a team-based approach.
  • Avoiding the culture clash that can come with pursuing outside investment and acquisitions.

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Gregg George:

About Our Guest:

As a Founder and Managing Director of Crescent Grove Advisors, Gregg George specializes in working with C-suite executives, entrepreneurs and business owners to coordinate the development and implementation of highly customized financial offerings. In so doing, he advises clients and their families on all aspects of their financial lives in an independent and unbiased manner.

Prior to co-founding Crescent Grove Advisors, Gregg was the Managing Director and a Senior Client Advisor at Cedar Street Advisors, a boutique wealth management organization catering to highly affluent clients. Before this, Gregg was an Account Manager with a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for advising C-suite executives on their personal financial affairs.

Raised in New York, Gregg is currently licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Illinois. He received a Master of Law (LL.M) degree in Taxation from Boston University School of Law, a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law and a BS in Political Science from Boston College. Gregg is the President of a 501(c)(3) Donor Advised Fund and has served as Chairman of Best Buddies Wisconsin, a not-for profit. He is also a Registered Representative of The Leader’s Group, Member FINRA/SIPC. Gregg and his wife, Laura, reside in Kildeer, Illinois, and have four boys. In his spare time, Gregg loves watching his kids play sports and just have fun growing up.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling an RIA Through Culture, Ownership and Strategic Growth with Jason Ozur

RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling an RIA Through Culture, Ownership and Strategic Growth with Jason Ozur

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jason Ozur, co-CEO of Lido Advisors, about the firm’s growth from a six-person team managing roughly $400 million to one of the largest RIAs in the country with nearly $50 billion in assets under management.

Jason discusses how a strong focus on organic growth, standardized investment processes and client service helped lay the foundation for expansion before the firm accelerated its growth through acquisitions and strategic capital partnerships. He also shares how employee ownership, cultural integration, technology investments and artificial intelligence initiatives are shaping Lido’s future as it continues to expand its capabilities and geographic reach.

Jason shares:

  • Growing Lido from a small advisory firm into a national RIA through organic growth and acquisitions
  • How the firm has built wide-spread employee ownership—including million-dollar-plus equity stakes for over 70 Lido partners. 
  • The importance of investment management, including alternatives, and how unique diversification strategies can enhance a firm’s value to clients. 
  • How Lido’s executives think about handling data to remain as flexible as possible for future tech enhancements. 
  • How he has organized the executive leadership team’s roles and responsibilities—including a second chief executive officer in Ken Stern.

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Jason Ozur:

About Our Guest:

Jason Ozur is Co-Chair of Lido’s investment committee. He is responsible for the management of Lido’s alternative investments and is an integral part of the firm’s due diligence on real estate-oriented strategies. 

Education: B.S., California State University at Northridge

Previous Work Highlights: Jason started his career as a CPA performing audits, preparing tax returns, and providing back-office services for numerous hedge funds. In 1999, he joined a large family investment office, where he was on the investment team that managed the family’s substantial investments and served as CFO of its worldwide water conservation company that did business in over 22 countries. He also provided financial oversight as controller of a multi-billion-dollar Los Angeles-based hedge fund.

Personal Facts: Jason takes on a mentorship role to help facilitate a company culture of progression, excellence, and integrity.

 

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RIA Edge Podcast: Behind the Largest Wirehouse Breakaway with OpenArc’s Jim Kaufman

RIA Edge Podcast: Behind the Largest Wirehouse Breakaway with OpenArc’s Jim Kaufman

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jim Kaufman, managing partner and senior wealth management advisor at OpenArc Corporate Advisory, about leading one of the largest breakaways in the wealth management industry and what the future looks like for the independent firm..

He shares how years of due diligence, a deeply rooted client-first culture, and a strong internal leadership structure helped OpenArc transition nearly 130 associates and 70 advisors. Jim also discusses how independence has expanded the firm’s planning capabilities, including estate planning, tax services, AI adoption, advisor development, and its long-term strategy for organic growth and future acquisitions.

Jim discusses:

  • What drove OpenArc to leave Merrill and create an independent firm 
  • How 130 associates and nearly 70 advisors made the transition in the largest wirehouse-to-independent breakaway yet. 
  • What services are clients now looking for that are easier to facilitate in an independent RIA
  • How OpenArc finds and trains new wealth advisors 
  • Where he sees the future growth path for OpenArc

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With James Kaufman:

About Our Guest:

Jim Kaufman is managing partner, senior wealth management advisor, and a founding Board Member of OpenArc Corporate Advisory. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, and families, Jim brings a strategic and personalized approach to wealth management.

Prior to OpenArc, Jim was a senior leader on the Global Corporate and Institutional Advisory Services (GCIAS) team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Over the course of his tenure, he played a key role in building the team’s structure and business model, overseeing more than $10 billion in assets and serving some of the firm’s most strategic relationships.

Jim specializes in concentrated stock management, estate planning services, retirement planning, and custom financial strategies tailored to the needs of corporate executives and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Originally from Warwick, Rhode Island, Jim attended Portsmouth Abbey School and earned his degree in Economics from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and five children. Jim is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board and executive committee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, volunteering with the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, and coaching youth sports teams throughout the community.

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RIA Edge Podcast: How WealthCrossing Grew From an EY Spinout to a $1.5B RIA

RIA Edge Podcast: How WealthCrossing Grew From an EY Spinout to a $1.5B RIA

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Andrea Broughton, CEO and founder of WealthCrossing, about the firm’s growth from an Ernst & Young spinout to a $1.5 billion RIA. Andrea shares how the firm grew through client referrals, built tax planning into its client experience, and recently expanded its growth strategy through branding and digital marketing.

The conversation explores WealthCrossing’s approach to financial planning and tax strategy, its recent rebrand, talent development, growth initiatives, estate planning and its evaluation of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, while maintaining a strong focus on client service.

Key takeaways:

  • How WealthCrossing spun out of Ernst & Young 21 years ago in response to Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, and grew to $1.5 billion in assets without relying on acquisitions.
  • How the firm’s tax-centric approach to financial planning plays out in its hiring decisions and its team-based approach to each client.
  • What drove the firm’s decision to outsource tax preparation eight years ago, and then bring it back in-house five years later. 
  • Why after operating for 19 years without one, WealthCrossing partnered with a marketing firm, rebranded as “SBK Financial” and created a surprisingly high percentage of new client leads through digital channels.
  • Why Broughton and her team are taking a more cautious stance than many peers regarding AI integration into their technology stack, even while she personally uses AI tools for administrative tasks and individual productivity.

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Andrea Broughton:

About Our Guest:

As CEO and founder of WealthCrossing, Andrea leads the strategic vision and operational oversight of the firm. She specializes in delivering integrated financial services, including investment advisory, tax strategy, retirement, estate, and other financial planning services tailored to high-net-worth individuals and executives. Andrea is known for her client-focused approach, providing services that align with each individual’s goals and aspirations.

Prior to forming WealthCrossing, Andrea worked in the financial counseling practice at Ernst & Young, spending more than 10 years in Ernst & Young’s Boston and Richmond offices. Early in her Ernst & Young career, Andrea audited a number of Fortune 500 companies and mutual funds. She believes her prior work as an auditor has been invaluable, allowing her to look behind the numbers in evaluating investment and business opportunities for the clients’ benefit.

A magna cum laude graduate of Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Andrea is also a Certified Public Accountant. She is deeply engaged in her Richmond community, serving as a current Board Member and former President of the Brookfield Foundation.

Outside of work Andrea enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Full-Service Financial Firm with Marty Bicknell

RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Full-Service Financial Firm with Marty Bicknell

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong sits down with Marty Bicknell, president and CEO of Mariner Wealth Advisors, to discuss how the firm has grown into one of the biggest RIAs in the country.

Marty shares how Mariner approaches acquisitions with a strong focus on culture, builds in-house capabilities across tax, trust and insurance services, and structures business development to support advisor growth. He also explains how artificial intelligence and operational systems may reshape advisor capacity, scalability and the future direction of wealth management firms.

Key takeaways:

  • What’s driving Mariner’s current acquisition strategy
  • How Bicknell thinks about bringing client services like tax, trust, insurance and estate planning into the Mariner ecosystem
  • Why Mariner bought a small boutique M&A firm
  • Why niche markets like dentists, athletes and first responders are a key part of Mariner’s future growth focus
  • How he sees AI tools impacting advisor capacity and the firm’s operations

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Marty Bicknell:

About Our Guest:

As the CEO and president of Mariner, Marty drives the strategic direction for the firm. As a recognized leader in wealth management, he devises innovative solutions to help meet the needs of our clients. He has extensive personal and professional experience with closely held family businesses and their unique complexities. He often mentors other successful entrepreneurs.

Marty, along with seven others, founded Mariner in 2006 with a goal of keeping the client at the center of all we do. He wanted to build a firm that could simplify our clients’ lives by having all the resources they need under one roof. The day the doors opened, Marty made the promise to put the clients’ interests before anything else…a promise he still holds dear to this day.

Marty has a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building ‘Summit 2.0’ with Randy Morris

RIA Edge Podcast: Building ‘Summit 2.0’ with Randy Morris

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Randy Morris, founder and CEO of Summit Wealth Group, about the firm’s transition from a long-standing broker/dealer affiliate to launch its own independent RIA platform.

He explains how the decision was shaped by a desire for greater autonomy, improved client experience and long-term growth potential. Randy also shares how leadership structure, internal ownership and a minority capital partnership are helping guide the firm forward, along with how digital marketing, acquisitions, expanded services and technology are each playing a role in building the next phase of the business.

Key takeaways:

  • What drove the firm’s leaders to leave a 20-year tenure as a hybrid affiliate of an independent broker/dealer to launch “Summit 2.0” as a fully independent RIA
  • The succession calculations that fueled many of the structural changes Summit made in recent years
  • The importance of organic growth and how Summit has landed some of its largest clients via SEO and Google
  • What drives the firm’s M&A strategy, and the types of firms it is looking to add to the mix in the future
  • How Summit executives decided on an executive organizational structure to formalize and streamline decision-making processes, and how they deliberately created internal career pathways for employees
  • The reasons the firm accepted an investment from Constellation Wealth, beyond simply access to operating capital
  • How the firm feels about balancing unified branding with localized identities for its geographically diverse advisors

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Randy Morris:

About Our Guest:

Randy Morris’ early career helped prepare him as a financial planning pioneer. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1982 with a degree in business and organizational management, he worked for two years as Vice President of Executive Economic Services, Inc., in Denver, Colorado.

In 1985, Randy founded Executive Financial Planning, Inc. (EFP), one of Mississippi’s first financial planning firms. In 2002, he created Summit Wealth Group (SWG) out of a desire to provide additional wealth management services for clients. Randy serves as the firm’s CEO. In March 2025, Summit Wealth Group, LLC, registered with the SEC as a registered Investment Advisor and filed notice with six states. 

Peers in the financial industry have recognized Randy’s skills and accomplishments by electing him as a past President of the Mississippi Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Randy is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC-1985), and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Practitioner (1987). He is also a Registered Representative, an Investment Adviser Representative, and a Registered Securities Principal. Additionally, he has assisted the CFP® Board of Examiners as an exam reviewer. 

Randy has served on numerous boards, including Barge Timberlands International, Camp Lake Forest Ranch, Southeast Regional Committee for Young Life, Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM), and the World Vision Leadership Council. Randy lives with his wife, Nancy, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they attend Scottsdale Bible Church. They have six children: Joy, Jesse, Hannah, Scott, Randy, and Ryan, as well as 12 grandchildren.

Randy’s accolades include being recognized by Forbes Magazine in each of the past 8 years, making its “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” list for the state of Arizona. 

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