Dynasty makes 24-year ex-Schwabbie its advisor and buys a stake in his startup -- a stock plan services play that connects to $129-billion OpenArc poach
The St. Petersburg RIA platform paid an undisclosed amount for a piece of an AI-powered equity compensation platform and hints strongly about a bigger 'stock plan' play it has already staked its future on
4 min read
Brooke's Note: The words Dynasty, Schwab, stock plan services and OpenArc keep popping up together, again and again. And, they are very okay if you notice. No doubt they are assured and excited about the big green pasture. My other takeaway is that they don't think a sneak attack on the competition is necessary. There may be a reason for that. The pair, by Dynasty's account, is a first scale play at the market focused on a fiduciary approach – and secret or not – it would be hard to replicate, not least because OpenArc has such a big running start from its recent days at Merrill Lynch, where neither the technology nor the open architecture were what they wanted it to be.
Dynasty Financial Partners today (Oct 27) announced Brian McDonald as its newest senior advisor. He'll play a pivotal role executing a new strategy surrounding equity compensation and corporate stock plans.
The St. Petersburg RIA platform that services over $120 billion for the clients of 55 independent firms and their 500 advisors is buying a stake in McDonald-founded Grantd, which helps employees manage stock holdings.
McDonald previously spent 24 years at Charles Schwab (1993-2017), where he held roles spanning wealth management, stock plan services and technology.
Dynasty recently co-poached $129-billion breakaway team OpenArc with Schwab and the two firms are planning to go on the attack together to establish it as a national force to win Fortune 500 stock plan accounts. Dynasty will supply wealth managers and Schwab RIA custody and stock plan software. See: Schwab just announced another stock plan-related deal after helping OpenArc launch $129-billion stock plan RIA, an 'impactful funnel,' Cerulli analyst says
McDonald has the expertise that Dynasty seeks, says Dynasty Founder and Chief Executive Officer Shirl Penney.
Schwab just announced another stock plan-related deal after helping OpenArc launch $129-billion stock plan RIA, an 'impactful funnel,' Cerulli analyst says
“Brian is one of the most respected names in the stock plan space, and we are extremely proud to welcome him to our team and introduce him to our network.
"His seasoned guidance and extensive leadership experience will be integral to Dynasty’s expansion and of enormous value to the evolution of the independent RIA space.”
Penney first met McDonald about 10 years ago when first discussing the idea of bringing a stock plan team to the RIAs as part of a discussion that included both him and Bernie Clark, former RIA chief at Schwab.
“It was an idea too soon at the time,” Penney says. “Brian went on to accomplish great things at Morgan Stanley and after we launched OpenArc, we used it as a catalyst to do more work together and support each others as two entrepreneurs in the RIA space.”
Strategic shift
Story Timeline
“As evidenced by the recent record-breaking launch of Atlanta-based OpenArc, a member of Dynasty’s Network of firms, into independence, there is a growing demand for better alignment between benefits and wealth solutions – a need less-effectively met by traditional brokerage models as the RIA space swells in both size and scope,” Dynasty states in a release.
“McDonald’s Advisory appointment into this new role signals Dynasty’s shift into high gear to bolster its offerings for independent financial advisors by strategically utilizing his expertise in the wealth management industry.”
McDonald launched Grantd in July 2025, an “AI-driven equity compensation advice platform” helping employees and advisors make confident, timely decisions about their corporate stock holdings.
Shared vision
The adviser says he shares Dynasty's vision of crashing the party of managing stock plan services and the wealth therein controlled largely by Wall Street firms, according to the release.
“I am excited for the opportunity to partner with the Dynasty team and appreciate their investment in Grantd - they are true industry leaders,” . “Several new models are taking shape in the independent arena for technology and stock plan services, and I look forward to helping Dynasty take the industry to new levels.”
McDonald was most recently with Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley, (2017-2025) where he served as managing director overseeing workplace financial solutions, equity compensation, and retirement benefits.
Though he will lend Dynasty his expertise, McDonald is expected he'll put his best energies toward growing his own Colorado-based startup., Penney says.
“He is running Grandt and that is his primary focus,” he says. “And he's an advisor and investor in Dynasty and we are an investor and will be a client of Grandt.”
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