Tag: RIA Growth
RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Scaled, Service-First RIA with Phil Fiore

RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Scaled, Service-First RIA with Phil Fiore

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In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Phil Fiore, co-founder and CEO of Procyon, about how he and his team transitioned from a wirehouse environment to build a fast-growing independent firm.

He shares how that growth has been driven by a commitment to delivering fully integrated client services, a disciplined approach to scaling resources to enhance the client experience and a focus on combining organic growth with selective acquisitions that align culturally and strategically.

Key takeaways:

  • How breaking from wirehouses opened the door to fully customized, client-first service models
  • Why scale allows firms to expand services and improve the overall client experience meaningfully
  • How integrating services like tax, insurance and M&A builds a true family office approach
  • The importance of a unified brand and culture when pursuing growth through acquisitions
  • How AI is being used to increase advisor efficiency while keeping client relationships central

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Phil Fiore:

About Our Guest:

Phil is a highly experienced individual with over 30 years of expertise in providing investment consulting services to institutions and high-net-worth families. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Procyon, he brings his extensive financial knowledge to the firm, focusing on firm-wide management, leadership & Nationwide expansion.

Before co-founding Procyon, Phil held the position of Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS. During his time there, he led the FDG Group, which was a prominent Institutional Consulting and Private Wealth Team. He also served as a member of the Institutional Consulting Group, Advisory Council, Senior Institutional Consultant, and a Senior Retirement Plan Consultant at UBS. In addition, Phil held the role of Co-Chair of the UBS Corporate Development Advisory Board and its Retirement Advisory Council.

Phil has received several accolades for his accomplishments in the financial industry. While at UBS, the Financial Times named him one of their Top 400 US Advisors in 2014, and he was also listed as one of Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in 2015. Due to his success and expertise, Phil is often invited to speak at national retirement conferences and media interviews, where he shares his knowledge on RIA M&A (Registered Investment Advisor mergers and acquisitions).

Phil has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science from the University of Hartford. He has also earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and Certified Retirement Plans Counselor (CRPC®) certifications from the College for Financial Planning. These certifications were obtained through the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Outside of work, Phil resides in Westport, CT, with his wife and their two sons. He enjoys golfing, working out, and participating in exotic car rallies and shows.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Sustainable RIA with Oliver Cross

RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Sustainable RIA with Oliver Cross

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Oliver Cross, founding partner, senior advisor and head of growth at Verum Partners, about the firm’s path from a breakaway team to a rapidly growing independent RIA managing over $1 billion.

He shares how early growth was driven by focusing on a core group of founding clients, building a strong internal structure through systems like EOS and creating a team-based client service model. Oliver also explains how hiring, technology decisions and a long-term ownership mindset continue to shape the firm’s direction as it scales.

Key takeaways:

  • How a failed succession plan became the catalyst for launching a new independent RIA firm
  • Why focusing deeply on founding clients created strong referrals and early growth momentum
  • How implementing EOS improved structure, accountability, and long-term planning alignment
  • The importance of hiring for values and building a long-term talent pipeline from scratch
  • How AI, data control, and workflow systems are shaping the future client experience 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Oliver Cross:

About Our Guest:

Oliver is a Founding Partner of Verum where he currently serves as a Senior Adviser and Head of Growth while also playing an active role in both the investment and financial planning committees. His penchant for prudent financial decision-making dates back to his early childhood lessons from his grandfather who often reminded him “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Oliver took this to heart and it became hardwired into his DNA, ultimately leading to career in wealth management.

As an adviser, Oliver caters to families who understand the importance of patience and discipline in building wealth and value the benefits of an independent firm structure that centers around problem-solving, thoughtful financial planning, tax-efficient and sophisticated investment solutions, and team-based client service. He and Verum promote the importance of alignment of interests which continue to plague the industry.

Prior to Verum, Oliver was an Investment Consultant and Director of Research at Carolinas Investment Consulting where he worked for nine years. Before pursuing his MBA in investment management at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Oliver was a Vice President at Trusco Capital Management in Atlanta for six years, where he served as an Investment Manager for endowments, foundations, and retirement plans across the Southeast.

Oliver is a native of Winston-Salem where he attended R.J. Reynolds high school before heading to Davidson College where he was a member of the golf team. While still an avid golfer, Oliver spends most of his free time with his wife and two children finding any way to keep active outdoors. With a passion for mentoring youth, Oliver coaches basketball through the YMCA and soccer through Charlotte Junior soccer and taught Sunday School with his wife at Myers Park United Methodist Church.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling a High-Touch Wealth Firm with Stephen Rigali

RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling a High-Touch Wealth Firm with Stephen Rigali

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Stephen Rigali, executive managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, about the firm’s evolution from a family office into a $55 billion platform and how it has approached growth with intention over four decades.

He shares how the firm prioritizes organic expansion, structured advisor development and long-term client relationships, along with how it balances high-touch service with scalability, uses specialized partners to extend capabilities, and evaluates the role of AI in improving efficiency without replacing human decision-making.

Key takeaways:

  • How the firm grew from founder capital into a $55 billion platform through steady, organic expansion
  • Why advisor capacity is managed through defined lifecycle stages and proactive resource planning
  • How long-term client relationships are built on trust, alignment and consistent human interaction
  • Why combining in-house expertise with outside specialists strengthens the client experience
  • How AI is being tested to improve research, workflows and operational efficiency across the firm

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Stephen Rigali:

About Our Guest:

Stephen Rigali is the Executive Managing Director and a member of the Executive Management Committee at Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, a Los Angeles–based investment and wealth management firm founded in 1984. He oversees business development across the firm’s institutional, retail, and wealth management platforms and works closely with the firm’s Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operating Officer to help shape the firm’s long-term investment and business strategy. He also serves on the firm’s Risk and Compliance Committee, ESG Steering Committee, and the Investment Committee for the Wealth Advisory division.

Stephen has more than four decades of experience in the investment management industry and has been with Kayne Anderson Rudnick since 1991, playing a key role in the firm’s growth and evolution. Earlier in his career, he was a Vice President at Shearson Lehman Brothers. Stephen holds a B.S. in Business and Economics from Loyola Marymount University and is a CFA charterholder.

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RIA Edge Podcast: How a Focus on Process, Service and Scale Built a $4.2B AUM RIA

RIA Edge Podcast: How a Focus on Process, Service and Scale Built a $4.2B AUM RIA

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What does it really take to grow an advisory firm without losing control of culture or client experience?

Growth can look attractive from the outside, but building something sustainable requires discipline, structure and long-term thinking.

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong interviews JC Abusaid, president and CEO of Halbert Hargrove, about building a $4.2 billion RIA through disciplined organic growth. He shares how centralized operations, a well-structured internship pipeline and flexible minimums fuel sustainable expansion. JC also explains his employee-ownership model, his perspective on private equity pressure and how AI and technology investments are shaping the firm’s next phase.

Key takeaways:

  • Why centralized operations create scale, consistency and firm-wide efficiency
  • How lowering minimums for younger advisors drives long-term client growth
  • Building a structured internship program that becomes a hiring pipeline
  • Managing teams without advisor-led management to protect culture
  • Using AI and technology as productivity accelerators, not cost controls

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With JC Abusaid:

About Our Guest:

JC Abusaid is the CEO and President of Halbert Hargrove, a wealth advisory firm founded in 1989. JC earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from the Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Bogota, Colombia, and his MBA from the University of Redlands School of Business. He was awarded the ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY designation by the University of Pittsburgh-affiliated Center for Fiduciary Studies. In 2016, JC earned a LEAD Certificate in Corporate Innovation from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and in 2021, he took part in BlackRock’s first Emerging Leader Lab.

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RIA Edge Podcast: How an Integrated, All-Digital RIA Looks at Growth with Alex Farman-Farmaian

RIA Edge Podcast: How an Integrated, All-Digital RIA Looks at Growth with Alex Farman-Farmaian

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Modern advisory firms are being reshaped by technology, changing client expectations and the need for deeper personalization.

How do firms scale while keeping the advisor-client relationship at the center? What role does technology really play in growth without replacing the human element?

In this episode, host David Armstrong speaks with Alex Farman-Farmaian, CEO of Compound Planning, about building an all-digital, integrated RIA—with human advisors at the center—that provides clients with a unified experience across multiple service offerings—including tax preparation. 

Alex explains how AI-powered workflows and integrations enable advisors to serve clients more efficiently as the human touchpoint, while providing a better experience for clients. He also shares how Compound recruits next-generation advisors, integrates tax services and drives growth by focusing on equity- and option-compensated executives of fast-growing tech firms approaching liquidity events.

Key takeaways:

  • How internal technology reduces advisor workload and increases client capacity
  • Why proactive advice across a client’s full balance sheet drives stronger relationships and accelerates organic growth
  • How the firm uses AI to support advisor work without replacing human judgment
  • How modern tech helps recruit growth-minded,  younger advisors.
  • How it partners with firms to educate execs with equity-based compensation plans on navigating liquidity events. 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Alex Farman-Farmaian:

About Our Guest:

Alex Farman-Farmaian is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Compound Planning, responsible for growing the firm to 50+ advisors and over $4 billion in AUM since 2022, and guiding the strategic direction of the firm’s robust wealth management technology and advisory service offerings. Previously, Alex was the 20th employee at Carta, where he built numerous sales teams across the country as Carta scaled to 1,000 employees and a $7B+ valuation from Silver Lake. Alex is an expert in equity compensation and is passionate about tax-efficient equity strategies.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling an RIA Through Talent and Ownership with Tom Orecchio

RIA Edge Podcast: Scaling an RIA Through Talent and Ownership with Tom Orecchio

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Growth can mean very different things depending on how a firm is built and who it is built for.

What does it really take to evolve from a small advisory practice into a professionally managed firm without losing culture, client focus or identity?

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Tom Orecchio, CFA, CFP, ChFC, AIF, chief executive officer, wealth manager and principal at Modera Wealth Management, about building an employee-owned RIA designed for long-term growth. He shares how leadership, ownership alignment and disciplined M&A shape Modera’s growth approach. 

Tom also explains how service expansion, technology investments and organic growth planning support advisors while keeping clients at the center.

Key takeaways:

  • Identifying the growth trajectory inflection point where advisor principals need to become, or hire, professional managers
  • His firm’s experience with employee equity ownership
  • What Modera looks for in acquisition partners (beyond location or size)
  • Why a technology revamp set the firm up to support future growth, retain operational consistency and the client experience
  • His firm’s approach to organic growth

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Tom Orecchio:

About Our Guest:

Tom’s career began at Heritage Financial where he worked as a financial planner. In 1995, he joined the firm Greenbaum and Associates where he later became a partner. His role as a principal and wealth manager continued as the firm grew and evolved into Greenbaum and Orecchio and then into its current entity, Modera Wealth Management, LLC.

Tom received his B.A. in government and law from Lafayette College and went on to earn some of the most recognized credentials in the industry. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional. He is also a Chartered Financial Consultant, a Chartered Life Underwriter® and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary.

Tom is a National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) registered financial advisor. He has demonstrated his leadership and commitment to fiduciary standards in the industry by serving as NAPFA Chairman (2007-08) and as a national board member (2004-08). In 2013, Tom was the recipient of the NAFPA Robert J. Underwood Distinguished Service Award. He is an active member of the CFA® Institute, the National CEO Study Group, and the 20/20 National Study Group.

Tom is actively involved in the community as director of the Modera Wealth Management Scholarship Fund and is on the board of directors for the Modera Charitable Foundation. He also sits on the Northeast Advisory Board for Lafayette College. Tom has served as a board member of the finance committee for the Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian and also Northvale PAL, Inc. In addition, he has served as NV Eagles Youth Football president, Bergen County Junior Football League treasurer, and has sat on the board of directors for the youth baseball league in his town. Tom loves spending time with his family and three sons and often can be found on the football or baseball field coaching his sons’ teams.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Carnegie’s Jordan Raniszeski on Managing for Future Growth

RIA Edge Podcast: Carnegie’s Jordan Raniszeski on Managing for Future Growth

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How do advisory firms continue growing once scale introduces complexity? What does it take to build a structure that supports independence, client experience, and long-term flexibility?

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jordan Raniszeski, CFP, CPA,  senior managing partner at Carnegie Private Wealth, about the strategic decisions behind the firm’s rapid growth after its transition to independence.

He talks about early investments in human capital and junior advisors, an evolving executive management structure, and how flexible marketing strategies all resulted in expanded capacity and growth, and prepared the firm for its next phase.

Key takeaways:

  • The decision to leave a bank model in order to build brand control and internal flexibility
  • How associate advisors expanded capacity without sacrificing client experience
  • Why early investments in people created momentum for organic growth
  • The role of management structure in supporting long-term scale
  • How marketing, referrals, and community presence contributed to new client flow

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Jordan Raniszeski:

About Our Guest:

Jordan Raniszeski is a leader in the Wealth Management industry and Senior Managing Partner at Carnegie Private Wealth where he’s helped build a team of well-regarded and experienced advisors. The advisors of Carnegie Private Wealth collectively serve more than 519 households with over $2,000,000,000 in brokerage assets as of August 29, 2025.

In his more than 20 years of experience as an advisor working with high-net-worth individuals and families, Jordan developed expertise in helping corporate executives, professionals and business owners. As a business owner and organizational leader himself, Jordan intimately understands the time constraints and complexities facing these clients and helps them build a plan to pursue their goals while balancing many different priorities.

Jordan’s career path showcases his leadership and commitment to client service. He began at Deloitte’s individual tax practice, honing his skills in tax and estate planning strategies. Later, at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo), Jordan helped build the Executive Financial Planning practice. Partnering with Angie Ostendarp, he then grew one of Wells Fargo Advisors’ largest brokerage practices. Throughout his journey, Jordan has remained a devoted student of the industry, constantly seeking innovative ways to serve clients.

Leadership has been a constant theme in Jordan’s life. From roles in student government and charitable organizations to positions on sports teams, he has consistently stepped up to guide others. Jordan’s experience made him a natural fit to lead Carnegie’s formation. He now guides the Carnegie team, focusing on a shared vision for wealth management’s future.

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RIA Edge Podcast: Culture and Partnership in RIA Growth with Arthur Ambarik

RIA Edge Podcast: Culture and Partnership in RIA Growth with Arthur Ambarik

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Arthur Ambarik, CEO of Perigon Wealth Management, about the firm’s growth from a small Bay Area RIA into a multi-state, $12 billion firm with a partnership-driven model and large ambitions for the future.

Ambarik shares how cultural alignment shapes mergers, why specialization within firms is becoming a critical growth driver and how long-term thinking around talent and capital structure is redefining the future of wealth management firms.

Key takeaways:

  • How Ambarik has led Perigon’s journey toward becoming a national RIA, starting with $150 million in assets when he joined the firm, to a $12 billion enterprise today, supporting teams across 16 states
  • How intentional growth plans and a partnership-driven model have fueled the success
  • How Perigon’s first equity-based acquisition in 2020 became a springboard for the future
  • How he sees the role of the niche advisor driving future growth
  • How the influx of private equity has impacted firms and the larger industry
  • How Perigon sees technology as a tool for better segmenting client accounts profitably
  • How he envisions RIAs becoming the go-to career choice for young talent, with firms driving talent generation and mentorship

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Arthur Ambarik:

About Our Guest:

Arthur Ambarik, CFP, is Chief Executive Officer of Perigon Wealth Management. Under his leadership, Perigon has grown to over $10.2 billion* in assets under management and expanded its national footprint through strategic acquisitions and organic growth.

Named CEO of the Year in 2024 by WealthManagement.com, Arthur has played a pivotal role in Perigon’s rapid ascent in the industry. He was also recognized on the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors 2024 list for California.

Thanks to his leadership, Perigon has earned national recognition, including:

  • Forbes America’s Top RIA Firms
  • Newsweek America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms
  • USA Today Best Financial Advisory Firms
  • Financial Advisor Magazine’s:
  • Fastest-Growing RIAs
  • Top RIAs
  • RIA Discretionary and Non-Discretionary AUM Rankings
  • San Francisco Business Times: Bay Area’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Arthur brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, with a career spanning advisory and operational leadership at Ameriprise and LPL. He is also a member of the Financial Advisor IQ Leadership Council.

Arthur holds a B.A. in Economics from Williams College.

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RIA Edge Podcast: How James Bogart Grew His Firm to $3B Client-by-Client—And What Comes Next

RIA Edge Podcast: How James Bogart Grew His Firm to $3B Client-by-Client—And What Comes Next

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James Bogart, founder of Bogart Wealth, has created an organic growth machine, going from $526 million to $3 billion in assets in less than 10 years—client by client, no M&A. 

His story shows the benefits of putting in place a strategic, repeatable and intentional growth program (especially for smaller entrepreneurial advisors) and focusing on a distinct niche where those efforts are more easily amplified.

But at $3 billion, and with 40 employees, the growth path starts to look a little different. 

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, James describes to host David Armstrong what he is doing now to continue the trajectory—from letting go of some operational oversight to a trusted management executive, to building internal training programs and tapping institutional funding to support the business—all while eyeing his first acquisition.

James and David discuss: 

  • His early start as a new advisor focused on ExxonMobil executives, hosting education-only retirement planning lunches and dinners—and the metrics he tracked to fine-tune the strategy.
  • How COVID-inspired digital seminars dramatically accelerated the firm’s growth
  • When, and how, he started to adapt the organization, including departmentalization and multi-point client servicing models. 
  • Solving the human capital problem with home-grown internal training programs 
  • The decision to hire Jeffrey Fuhrman, formerly head of Focus Financial firm Coastal Bridge Advisors, as president
  • Taking on outside capital for the first time with Constellation Partners
  • Why he’s beginning to eye M&A for the first time to continue the growth trajectory. 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With James Bogart:

About Our Guest:

As CEO of Bogart Wealth, James Bogart focuses on maintaining the highest level of customer service possible and seeking to deliver the most effective technology, reporting tools, and analysis to every Bogart Wealth client. A charismatic visionary and next-gen founder with seemingly endless energy, he surrounds himself with people who complement his skills. James promotes a collaborative environment, leading by example and always exemplifying Bogart Wealth’s core values. He sets a high bar for himself and his employees, encouraging everyone to acquire designations that will help them advance their careers and better serve clients. 

A seasoned wealth advisor and visionary leader, James takes personal pride in assisting executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals in pursuing their dreams through highly customized financial planning strategies. James’s practice spans wealth plan design, investment management, estate planning, family legacy planning, business succession, charitable giving, asset protection, and retirement concerns, with a special insight and focus on multi-generational strategies. He regularly addresses audiences of industry professionals and senior corporate executives on new and upcoming developments in this field.

Educated at the University of Virginia and Georgetown University, James is an Investment Adviser Representative, a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®).

James and his wife, Ashley, enjoy spending time with their children, Makenna, Peyton, and Landon. He serves on the board of directors for local non-profit The Hopkins Society. He is also a proud Eagle Scout, remaining active with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoys golf, travel, reading, and cooking. 

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RIA Edge: Building a Future-Ready Firm with Brandywine Oak CEO Michael Henley

RIA Edge: Building a Future-Ready Firm with Brandywine Oak CEO Michael Henley

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Join host David Armstrong, fresh off the Wealth Management Edge Conference in Boca Raton, Fla., as he interviews Michael Henley, founder and chief executive officer of Brandywine Oak Private Wealth. Michael talks about the firm’s rapid growth since leaving Merrill Lynch in 2018 with the help of Dynasty Financial Partners and the focus that helped the firm double its AUM to $1.5 billion since breaking away. 

Like many serving HNW and UHNW clients, Henley’s firm takes a tax-centric approach to planning; unlike many similarly sized firms, Brandywine has brought tax preparation in-house, a service enthusiastically embraced by their clients. Henley talks about the conference panel he saw that led him and his firm to dive deep into crypto, educating clients on the technology and, for those who want it, adding a small sleeve to their portfolios. 

A culturally young firm of advisors mostly in their 30s and 40s, Henley and his team believe growing the business is important not just for the principals, but for the clients, arguing scale is needed to bring HNW and UHNW families the range of services they will come to expect. The team is grappling with the best way to make that happen and whether or not to look for a partner or a source of capital to fuel their next chapter. 

David and Michael discuss:

  • Why he and his team left the wirehouse, and how opening their own firm unlocked an ability to serve clients with fewer conflicts and more opportunities.
  • How the firm is “obsessed” with taxes, arguing proper tax planning moves the needle for HNW and UHNW clients like few other strategies.
  • Why bringing tax preparation in-house (unique for a firm of their size) ensures advisors maintain control of the financial plan’s implementation.
  • How the barriers have fallen around alternatives and structured products, and the role illiquid investments can play for clients.
  • The decision to add a sleeve of cryptocurrency to their portfolios, and how clients reacted.
  • He and his partner’s thinking around M&A, “acquihires,” and the possibility of bringing on a capital partner to accelerate the next phase of growth. 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Michael Henley:

About Our Guest:

Michael Henley is the Founder and CEO of Brandywine Oak Private Wealth, a distinguished private wealth management firm headquartered in Kennett Square, Pa. Over the course of his 20-year career, Michael has partnered with wealthy individuals and families to help streamline the complexity associated with significant wealth. Michael built his team with a singular purpose: to provide a preeminent private wealth management experience to executives, retirees, and their family members, founded on exceptional service, transparency, and consistency. A skilled leader, he surrounds each client with a dedicated team of credentialed professionals who are sensitive to that family’s unique needs, values, and goals. Michael resides in Chadds Ford, PA, with his two children and their dogs. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification, the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) designation, the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designation, and the Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) designation.

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