Randy Bullard pitches himself into major role at SigFig to add his Placemark knowledge to a robo hothouse

Randy Bullard is precisely what the ROBO industry needs to fully flesh out its role in the larger advisory services business. To be effective at advisory services b/ds must unlearn a lot of bad habits that deny professional standing to brokers when rendering advice--which give ROBOs a cultural and technological edge in supporting a prudent expert standard. Randy understands the impediments of legacy brokerage systems and how to overcome them, which is essential to attracting the best and brightest. (1) Treating trade execution as a cost center tobe minimized in the client's best interest, (2) retooling of product menus so they are consistent with fiduciary duty,(3) embracing a more modern approach to portfolio construction in support of continuous, comprehensive counsel required by statute, are major industry redefining innovations available to ROBOs which culturally are not possible in a brokerage format. As the brokerage industry weighs its conversion to advisory services in the client's best interest, their biggest impediment is their culture. Ballard can make a big difference in broaching highly sensitive topics which are within the unique wheelhouse of ROBOs that must be mastered, if b/ds are to remain relevant in advisory services. SCW