Episodes

This episode of the RIA Edge podcast features a conversation between Mark Bruno, Managing Director of Wealth Management Group at Informa, and Arthur Ambarik, CEO of Perigon Wealth Management. The discussion delves into Perigon’’s unique position and model within the RIA channel, as well as the primary contributors to its impressive growth trajectory. Arthur shares the story of Perigon’s evolution from a small firm with under $150 million in assets under management (AUM) to its current status of ...

Following a remarkable period of M&A activity in the RIA industry, one of the star bankers in the industry has made the leap from leading deals to leading one of the largest RIAs in wealth management. In this special episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host Mark Bruno, the Managing Director of the Wealth Management Group at Informa, engages in a fascinating dialogue with Liz Nesvold, a renowned investment banker with a 30-year career in the industry. Recorded live at the RIA Edge Conference, this e...

Building an RIA firm that can successfully attract, retain and develop top talent – and ultimately become the “RIA of choice” in a specific market — is no easy feat. But one firm, Halbert Hargrove, for years has been building bridges from G1, to G2 and even G3 talent. In the process the firm’s experiences has created a bit of a roadmap for other RIA firms to learn from and follow as they look to expand their talent base. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, JC Abusaid, the President and CEO ...

While the M&A activity levels at the start of 2023 slowed somewhat, there have been several notable developments during the first half of the year that will shape M&A and valuations over the remainder of 2023 – and beyond. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, Jessica Polito, Founder of investment bank Turkey Hill Management, talks with Mark Bruno about the drivers, motivators and market forces that have influenced M&A activity year-to-date. More specifically, Mark and Jessica discuss: The q...

This episode of the RIA Edge podcast provides advisors with a view into the trends that are influencing and impacting growth across the RIA landscape. Specifically, industry veteran Tom Bradley, Managing Director at Schwab Advisor Services, and Informa’s Mark Bruno provide benchmarks for growth rates and a high-level view of the “levers” that top firms are using to accelerate growth. In addition, it addresses some of the challenges even the most successful firms have experienced from their growt...

While the need for financial advice – and the ability to access advice – has never been greater, most advisors still have not been able to capitalize on the growing number of opportunities. According to Steve Sanduski, advisor coach, CFP, New York Times Best-Selling Author and founder of the Sanduski Advisor Network, suggests that while it’s a bull market for advice, it has not been a bull market for financial advisors. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, Steve and Mark Bruno discuss how ad...

While there have been hundreds of M&A transactions in the RIA channel in recent years, Focus Financial was one of the first strategic acquirers in the industry more than a decade ago – and has since grown into one of the largest and most influential firms in the wealth management business. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, Rajini Kodialam, Focus Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, sits with Informa’s Mark Bruno to discuss the evolution of M&A and the opportunities that exist today. Sp...

While markets may be in bear territory, it’s a bull market for financial advice – as more individuals need access to professional advice than ever before. How can RIAs effectively take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity to acquire new clients and deepen relationships with existing clients? Megan Carpenter, the CEO and Founder of FiComm – and one of the top marketing minds in the wealth management industry — dropped by the RIA Edge podcast to share stats, best practices and a...

While scores of RIAs continue to experience growth, despite headwinds in the markets and economy, some firms are growing more strategically than others – and this strategic growth is exponentially more valuable according to Jeff Vivacqua, President of Growth & Development at Cambridge Investment Research. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Jeff about the drivers of high-quality growth and how RIA firm leaders can creat...

RMB Capital has become one of the largest and most successful RIA firms in the wealth management industry – with its own, at times, under-the-radar approach to growth. A strategic approach to M&A, organic growth and management of all things capital has fueled the firm’s success over the years, landing RMB on the inaugural RIA Edge 100 list of the industry’s top firms. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, Informa Wealth Management’s Mark Bruno interviews Don Bechter, Managing Partner of RMB, ...

With heightened market volatility and uncertainty significantly impacting client portfolios over the last year, RIAs have been leaning more on alternative investments to present their clients with new sources of return, income and downside protection. In this episode of RIA Edge, David Levi, Managing Partner at Brookfield and Head of Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, shares his perspective with Informa’s Mark Bruno about the rise of alternatives in the RIA channel and the increased number of ...

The RIA Edge Podcast: One-on-One with AlTi CEO Michael Tiedemann At the start of 2023, Michael Tiedemann and his namesake wealth and asset management firm – Tiedemann Advisors – completed one of the largest and most unique mergers to-date in the wealth management industry. Tiedemann combined his firm with Alvarium Investments and the Cartesian Growth Corp., a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, to form Alvarium Tiedemann, or AlTi, a publicly traded firm with more than $60 billion in AUM and one...

When Jeff Dekko took the helm at Wealth Enhancement Group, it was a regional player with roughly $600 million in assets. Fast forward to 2023, and WEG is now one of the largest players in the RIA space with more than $60 billion in assets under management and a rapidly growing national footprint. While WEG has grown considerably through M&A, organic growth has played an important role in the company’s rise as well. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Mana...

While M&A activity levels across the industry have generally cooled in recent months from a record pace, the minority investment market is heating up and continues to re-shape the RIA landscape. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Karl Heckenberg, CEO and President of Emigrant Partners, on the rise of minority investors and how they are deploying capital, resources and intelligence to drive growth in challenging markets. Specifical...

Whether you are looking to buy, sell or build a partnership with another company, finding the right fit for your vision is essential. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Natalie Wolfsen, CEO of AssetMark, and Barrett Ayers, CEO of Adhesion Wealth, on their recently closed merger – highlighting their motivations for the deal, as well as their long-term vision. Specifically, Mark, Natalie, and Barrett discuss: Why AssetMark and Adhe...

M&A activity has re-shaped the wealth management industry in recent years – but it also accelerating the evolution of the business, and ultimately access to financial advice. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Brent Brodeski, CEO of Savant Wealth Management, about the firm’s inorganic and organic growth, as well as its objective to extend advice to millions of new investors. Specifically, Mark and Brent discuss: How Savant Wealth...

In reviewing the past year, advisors are looking for more ways to grow their business. How will they take the first step into 2023 with a growth mindset? In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Jim Cahn, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Business Development Officer for Wealth Enhancement Group, about WEG’s M&A strategy — and the role M&A could continue to play in the firm’s growth next year. Specifically, Mark and Jim discuss: How W...

The way advisors market their services has changed over the years, from one-to-one word-of-mouth and cold-calling to mass market approaches across Instagram and LinkedIn. Having more options than ever is inherently good for advisors looking to grow their businesses – but understanding how to appropriately use each platform is a key to successful marketing and business development. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Jackson Wood, f...

With the intense competition for talent in the wealth management industry, leaders of RIAs need to be more strategic than even when developing compensation, talent development and retention programs. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Brandon Odell, Partner and Director of Business Consulting at The Ensemble Practice, about the evolution of staffing and compensation in the RIA industry – and how the most successful firms are winni...

The competition for new and experienced individuals in the RIA channel is at an all-time high. Employees of RIAs have more options and opportunities than ever before — requiring leaders of RIA firms to be acutely focused on the management of human capital, compensation, benefits and retention. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Brandon Kawal, Principal of Advisor Growth Strategies, on the keys to attracting, developing and retaini...

With markets no longer providing advisers with a wide number of opportunities to grow their assets, RIAs must be truly intentional about how they drive meaningful organic growth. In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Jalina Kerr, Managing Director of Client Services for Schwab Advisor Services, on creating intentional growth strategies and how companies must adapt to the next generation’s wants and needs. Specifically, Mark and Jalin...

RIA mergers and acquisitions have been re-shaping the industry for the last several years. But after years of record deal-making activity, how have the declining market conditions and rising interest rates impacted RIA M&A in 2022? In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Raj Bhattacharyya, CEO of Robertson Stephens, on the latest trends in the M&A market and how an increase in deals within the past year might impact the future needs an...

The number of advisors looking to execute a succession plan in 2022 has nearly doubled since the beginning of the year, according to the latest RIA Edge Study “Pulse Poll” released in September. What is driving this accelerated shift? In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, Mark Bruno, managing director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Carolyn Armitage, head of Thrivent Advisor Network, about the importance of creating a succession plan—and ultimately, the best and worst practices for ...

The RIA industry has experienced a significant amount of growth in recent years – but a handful of firms have found the keys to driving sustainable, long-term growth that will set them up for success in the future? What are the “secrets” to becoming a top-performing RIA? In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, Managing Director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Lisa Salvi, Managing Director at Charles Schwab Advisor Services, about the results of Schwab’s 2022 RIA benchmarking study, an...