RIABiz

News, Vision & Voice for the Advisory Community

RIABiz

People Moves Related to "From a Wall Street perch, Chip Roame imparts wry skepticism anaerobically at Tiburon CEO Summit of 2013, spring edition"


Headline

Publish date


Startup that feeds RIAs tax data -- directly from the IRS -- has analysts calling it a 'holy crap,' 'game-changer,' and made believers out of Eric Clarke, Ric Edelman and Randy Bullard

Sep 3, 2025

TaxStatus Founder Charles Almond has seemingly made the impossible possible -- though questions linger about how long it can hold off competitors and whether RIA clients will sign off on data


Joe Duran's second RIA act is rocking with eight staff, four co-founders and a conspicuously anti-United Capital concept that will flip RIA stakes 'eventually' as a minority investor

Nov 29, 2023

The United Capital founder paradoxically promises to 'passively' buy minority stakes as a backdrop for going hyper-active with quick-strike capability to apply super-consulting and technology to create explosive growth as a prelude to a sale.


Orion rescinds RTO order after its staff rebels by hijacking company email list, distributing petition and tipping off RIA media

Nov 23, 2023

CEO Natalie Wolfsen suffers first setback and rescinds a return-to-office (RTO) policy after week of protest to work on a more collaborative agreement on a post-COVID new normal


Orion Advisor Solutions calls 6% staff reduction a 'final action,' after ballooning headcount 40-plus percent since 2020 by gorging on Brinker, Redtail and five other companies

Sep 30, 2023

The Omaha, Neb., administrator of $3.6 trillion will cut 'duplicative' back office jobs to reduce staff to 1,320 from about 1,400.


A week after he became chairman of Eric Clarke's board, Charles Goldman is heading the search to replace Clarke as Orion CEO-- at Eric's direction

May 22, 2023

Eric Clarke founded Orion in 1999 and built it to a $3.6 trillion AUA juggernaut, but he believes both he and the company are ready for a big change


Cetera hiring Mike Durbin as CEO -- overseeing its existing 'CEO' -- completes Genstar's stellar HR week after it put Charles Goldman atop Orion's board -- with 'exponential' growth in mind for the 'middle market' companies

May 18, 2023

The Los Angeles broker-dealer nabbed the Fidelity legend to take its $118-billion AUM and 8,000 advisors higher, just as Orion -- also majority owned by Genstar -- makes a similar move.


Joe Duran will co-develop Goldman Sachs unit aimed at outsourcing to non-Goldman RIAs after 'magic' never materialized for direct-to-consumer RIA

Feb 8, 2023

The Newport Beach, Calif. RIA legend plans to shift from B2C to B2B to fix Goldman's disconnect with RIAs and play to the strengths for him and the bank


Marc Spilker adds Matt Brinker as chess piece -- and partner -- in what he calls a 'very selective' talent add to build platform-for-RIA platforms outside Wall Street

Jan 15, 2020

Merchant Investment Management's executive chairman wants good people good at their job and Brinker likes having a breakaway Goldman partner rather than one captive to the Wall Street giant.


Goldman Sachs & Co. appoints Rachel Schnoll to yank off United Capital band-aid that Joe Duran didn't -- making FinLife work with non-UC applications

Nov 8, 2019

The New York-based investment bank has the cash and people to do the combinations -- especially Goldman software -- that the roll-up's founder couldn't afford or didn't want to advantage


Goldman Sachs closes United Capital deal and Matt Brinker, Joe Duran's wingman, exits with social media swan song on same day

Jul 18, 2019

The M&A chief's departure from the Newport Beach, Calif. roll-up may signal that its rolling-up days are over


Orion headhunts Yi-Ching Wu from AssetMark -- its second attempt in 14 months to fill a crucial role -- 'to put a phone book onto a postage stamp' and weave together its tech and investment businesses

May 14, 2026

Orion has $185 billion, but its AssetMark derived leadership team may be eyeing the $5-trillion in wealthtech assets it administers for RIAs.


RIAs beta-test Denali, Orion's 'future' • Altruist AI goes upscale • Fidelity revenues soar; weeds out ETF flops • Envestnet nets new CTO • DPL, Robinhood hit milestones • Schwab now inside Advyzon software • Wisz & Fava back start-up • eMoney launches mass affluent 'Plan B' • Trump biz adds betting

Oct 30, 2025

Fidelity is in sweet spot, doing it all • Orion is testing its new cornerstone tool, but it won't reveal pricing until 2026 • AUM milestones hit • Advyzon lands Schwab deal • RIA big-hitters back start-up • eMoney is plotting downmarket growth • Trump follows Robinhood's lead • Joe Lonsdale wants pardon policy changed.


Advyzon's new financial planning software runs headlong into a 'saturated market,' but CEO Hailin Li says two key hires will lead 'go-to-market' strategy

Oct 16, 2025

MoneyGuidePro veterans Kevin Hughes and Tony Leal have joined the firm as it shoots for a share of 2,300 advisors leaving Morningstar Office in early 2026.


RIA executives who defined $5.5 trillion, 12-year growth run in RIA biz represent new resource -- 'on-tap' senior advisory talent

Jul 11, 2025

Of 19 noted CEOs who relinquished the top job since Feb. 2023, 16 now serve in advisory positions at dozens of firms.


Mike Durbin set to take CEO reins at Cetera to further Genstar's bold mission, with $1 trillion looming on the horizon and his eyes on the prize

Nov 7, 2024

Adam Antonaides, 59, is exiting the CEO role as the No. 2 IBD shifts into higher gear to compete with LPL and take on a more RIA future


Vise resets -- again -- with more executive firepower and fresh vision focused on RIA M&A and 'wellness,' but analysts say its solutions must stand apart to succeed

Nov 6, 2024

The New York City brat pack -- still loaded with VC cash -- is pivoting, again, but with a pitch that has convinced big hitters to join the firm as advisors and president, respectively.


Sleeping giant McKinsey & Co. hires Eric Clarke as it awakens to $9-trillion RIA business and plays catch-up

May 30, 2024

The New York City consulting giant quietly made the Orion founder and ex-CEO a McKinsey senior advisor two months after he stepped down last year.


Goldman Sachs-Creative Planning deal is bleeding defectors -- 16 more last week, report says -- auguring a 'potential disaster,' analysts warn

Oct 4, 2023

Dozens of former 'United Capital' advisors are fleeing at once, but Peter Mallouk is still battling to keep them, and Goldman Sachs may play legal hardball, sources say.


Orion names 'left-brained' Natalie Wolfsen as CEO to replace Eric Clarke, and AssetMark, which synchronized its announcement, hires Michael Kim as her replacement

Sep 8, 2023

Orion Chairman Charles Goldman again lures his protege to self-replace, while Michael Kim was 'integral to AssetMark’s record financial performance over the past several years'


Seven 'RIA' chief executives are stepping aside for CEO 'operators' as PE backers get 'trigger' happy in adverse market; here are their stories

Sep 7, 2023

Whether it's Edelman Financial Engines, SMArtX, Allworth or InvestCloud, the re-CEO-ing process follows a fat 2020 capital raise and thinner results in stormy financial markets.



Fidelity Investments' plan to hire 12,000 by October hit wall of macro-headwinds; no problem, it landed at 15,000; Schwab keeps hiring, too

Oct 29, 2022

The Boston giant's people grab could be derailed by indigestion -- the inability to assimilate staff -- an analyst says; but it has yet to materialize so the hiring spree rolls on.


Noreen Beaman steps down as president of Orion Advisor Solutions after Brinker migrates to Orion software and enterprise deals 'prove out'

Feb 10, 2022

The former Brinker CEO oversaw an 18-month transition of her then $26-billion TAMP and will remain as vice chair of the company after 'mutual' decision on role changes.


Brad Shepard unexpectedly resigns from Orion Advisor Services after 10 months, and his chief strategy officer position will remain vacant, the company says

Jan 7, 2022

The Nashville, Tenn. executive came aboard to create a 'go-to-marketing strategy' for Brinker, HiddenLevers and legacy units but gave his notice this week.


AssetMark suddenly parts ways with president/CEO Charles Goldman; protégé Natalie Wolfsen named CEO; Michael Kim president

Feb 24, 2021

AssetMark chairwoman Xiaoning Jiao provided no details, faint praise for Goldman amid his unexpected departure, but was effusive over Wolfsen appointment.


Oleg Tishkevich builds instant McKinsey-killer in RIA consulting by offering gigs and equity to six solo stars, but good luck managing egos and economics, says someone who's been there

Sep 10, 2019

The restless Invent.us founder names (thus far) Tim Welsh, Suzanne Siracuse, Gavin Spitzner, Mark Hollingsworth and Brian Bleasdell as owners in exchange for being on call to tackle big gigs as a superteam


John Bunch is out at Financial Engines Advisors after merger integration 80% complete; 'big reveal,' relaunch planned in coming months

Jul 11, 2019

The No. 2 man at the $181-billion RIA built a uniform client experience, but now has a chance to be CEO of VC-backed firm based in his hometown


Ron Carson ends national search for chief marketing officer by doing a local M&A deal using his favorite HR broker -- Eric Clarke

Oct 5, 2018

When Eric Clarke decided he'd play matchmaker, the hyperactive Carson Group CEO snapped up Mineral Interactive and made a creative deal


RIABiz Directory

The Industry Sourcebook for RIAs

   |    LISTING


RIABiz Directory
sponsored by

Directory Sponsor Logo