RIA Edge Podcast: Growing a $6B RIA Without M&A with Gregg George
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:
- Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management
- Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify
Connect With David Armstrong:
- Wealth Management
- LinkedIn: Wealth Management
- LinkedIn: David Armstrong
- Twitter: David Armstrong
- LinkedIn: Informa
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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