In this week’s roundup, Cetera acquired Marmo; Maridea acquired Ashford; Seven Bridges added Jon Connell from Edward Jones; Genesis Wealth recruited Alan Feutz from JPMorgan Securities; UBS hired several advisors and teams in its Southeast Region; Baird added The Kashian Karels Group from RBC; LPL recruited Tribute and NorthStar; Head Investment joined the GCG platform; Prudential Advisors added David Bellamy to Mid America Financial Group; Humanity Labs hired Dimple Shah as Managing Director, Wealth; Loxahatchee Capital appointed a Director of Operations; and SEI named the Head of Stratos Technology.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Cetera Acquires Marmo Financial Group
Cetera Financial Group acquired the assets of Marmo Financial Group, a Johnson City, Tennessee-based independent RIA managing approximately $300 million in assets under management (AUM) as of May 31 across about 620 clients.
Scott Marmo, Founder, Principal Advisor and Sole Owner of Marmo Financial Group, and his eight-member team join Cetera Planning Partners, Cetera’s employee-advisor RIA, which had approximately $19 billion in assets under administration (AUA) as of March 31. Cetera firms managed approximately $630 billion in AUA and $296 billion in AUM as of March 31.
Marmo said, “What ultimately brought me to Cetera was the combination of that culture fit with the ability to add in-house estate planning, legal support, and CPA services, which are capabilities our clients have been asking for. They did everything they said they would, and I'm excited about what comes next.”
Maridea Acquires Ashford Investment Advisors
RIA Maridea Wealth Management acquired Ashford Investment Advisors, a Daytona Beach, Florida-based wealth management firm with approximately $180 million in assets under advisement and management. The acquisition establishes Maridea’s first Florida office. Ashford is led by Owner and Lead Advisor Kathleen Dulko.
Ashford clients will continue working with the same advisor team in the same Daytona Beach office and gain access to Maridea’s tax services, investment research capabilities and planning infrastructure. Republic Capital Group served as exclusive advisor to Ashford Investment Advisors for the deal.
Mier Wang, Founder and CEO of Maridea, said, “Kathleen is exactly the kind of advisor and entrepreneur we want more of in this industry. Maridea is going to keep partnering with high-quality independent practices, and that means being honest that our industry needs more women advisors, more women entrepreneurs, and more female-led firms. Kathleen has built something exceptional in Daytona Beach, and we’re proud to have her as our first advisor in Florida.”
Advisor Transactions
Seven Bridges Adds Jon Connell From Edward Jones
Seven Bridges Wealth Advisors added Jon Connell as Managing Director and Head of its new Saratoga Springs, New York, office. Connell previously served as a Private Wealth Advisor at Edward Jones, where he oversaw $165 million in client assets. White Plains, New York-based Seven Bridges said the office expands its presence in New York and adds to locations across Westchester County, the Hudson Valley and Albany.
Connell served eight years as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, serving with the Rangers, and began his wealth management career in 2020 with Edward Jones. Seven Bridges left Ameriprise in February to operate as an independent firm and now affiliates with NewEdge Advisors.
Connell said, “Joining Seven Bridges is a natural next step in our commitment to putting clients first. We have shared values and a shared vision of delivering the institutional-grade services and personal touch our clients expect and deserve. This is a long-term partnership built around doing what’s right for those we serve, today and for generations to come.”
Genesis Wealth Adds Former JPMorgan Advisor Alan Feutz
Genesis Wealth added Alan Feutz, formerly with JPMorgan Securities, as Partner and Wealth Advisor. Feutz oversaw approximately $725 million in client assets at his prior firm. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, he has 26 years of experience and serves high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Genesis is a non-OSJ branch office of LPL Financial and specializes in a supported independence model for advisors.
Genesis opened a Deerfield office that establishes its presence in Chicago’s North Shore. The approximately 10,000-square-foot office can accommodate more than 20 advisors and staff and will initially house Feutz and his client service team, Founding Advisor Joel Feiger and Managing Director Jack Kennedy.
Kosta Tanglis, Founder and Managing Partner of Genesis Wealth, said, “This transition further validates Genesis Wealth’s platform and supported independence model.”
UBS Hires Advisors Managing Over $2 Billion
UBS Wealth Management hired several financial advisors and teams in its Southeast Region who collectively manage more than $2 billion in assets. The hires are located in Nashville, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Julie Fox, Regional Director, Southeast at UBS Wealth Management, leads the region.
In Nashville, Colby Robbins and Brock Hooper joined from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and manage $344 million. In Washington, D.C., Sheldon Ray and Asif Bhally joined from Raymond James with $187 million, while Matt Teems joined from Morgan Stanley with $149 million. Adam Conish joined in Philadelphia after working at Glenmede and manages about $1.2 billion. Evan McGrath joined in Fort Lauderdale from J.P. Morgan Wealth Management with $120 million.
Fox said, “These cities have seen a significant influx of ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals in recent years and the addition of these experienced and productive financial advisors will help to expand our presence in these important regions.”
Baird Adds The Kashian Karels Group From RBC
Baird added The Kashian Karels Group to its wealth management office in Edina, Minnesota, from RBC, where the team managed more than $508 million in client assets. The team includes Darla J. Kashian and Michael L. Karels, Directors and Financial Advisors; Tanner Petroske, Associate Financial Advisor; and Ann Hoen, Assistant Vice President. The group focuses on retirement services for private clients and businesses, asset allocation strategies and lending solutions.
Baird also has private wealth management offices in St. Paul, Minnetonka and Rochester, Minnesota. Kashian has 22 years of industry experience, and Karels has 30 years. Both most recently served as Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager at RBC. Petroske has eight years of experience and most recently served as an Investment Associate at RBC. Baird Private Wealth Management had over $372 billion in client assets as of March 31.
Ally Shuman, Market Director at Baird, said, “Darla & Mike have a disciplined, client-focused practice, which aligns well with how we operate at Baird. Our model is designed to support teams like this - experienced advisors who want a more stable, collaborative environment and the ability to focus on long-term growth. Their decision to join reflects what we’re hearing more broadly across the market.”
LPL Adds Tribute Financial And NorthStar Wealth Advisors
LPL Financial added Tribute Financial to its broker-dealer and RIA platform, and financial advisor Ronald White launched NorthStar Wealth Advisors with support from Good Life Companies, an LPL-affiliated firm. Tribute, led by President and CEO Kevin Daniels, reported serving over $500 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets and joined from United Planners Financial Services. NorthStar reported serving approximately $160 million and joined from Raymond James.
Tribute has offices in Missouri and Connecticut and includes advisors Martin Nadeau, Zach Daniels, Scott Kearns and Caleb Sanders, along with support staff. NorthStar is based in El Paso, Texas. White has more than three decades of industry experience and is joined by Wealth Advisor Scott Draime.
Marc Cohen, Chief Growth Officer at LPL Financial, said, “We are proud to welcome Kevin Daniels and the Tribute Financial team to LPL. They have built a thoughtful, values-driven practice rooted in trust, consistency, and a deep commitment to doing right by clients. Their holistic approach and long-standing focus on building enduring relationships make them a strong fit for LPL, and we look forward to supporting their next chapter.”
Head Investment Partners Joins GCG Advisory Partners
GCG Advisory Partners, parent company of GCG Wealth Management, added Head Investment Partners, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based advisor with $180 million in AUM, to its platform. Daniel Head, Managing Director, joins GCG as an Operating and Equity Partner. GCG said the partnership establishes its first location in Tennessee.
Head Investment Partners will retain its brand, and its team will continue to manage day-to-day operations. GCG said Head will serve as its anchor Equity Partner in the region. The firm said it provides capital, acquisition and succession strategies, and technology in the Southeast and Midwest. GCG announced a recapitalization and strategic investment from BharCap Partners in 2025.
Head said that GCG’s “platform expands what we can deliver to our clients, with the depth of resources to deepen relationships across our business-owner network and create lasting value for the families we serve. My clients have trusted us for decades, and GCG understood from day one that protecting those commitments comes first. I’m proud to join as an equity partner and help build something enduring.”
Prudential Advisors Adds David Bellamy
Prudential Advisors added David Bellamy, a Lexington, Kentucky-based Financial Advisor with more than 20 years of financial services experience, through the firm’s Mid America Financial Group, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Bellamy was responsible for more than $140 million in client assets at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.
Bellamy began his financial services career as a banker at JPMorgan Chase before building his practice as a Private Client Advisor at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. Prudential Advisors is the wealth management arm of Prudential Financial and supports more than 3,000 financial advisors across the country.
Bellamy said, “Helping individuals and families plan for their financial future is incredibly rewarding. My job is to give clients the guidance they need to thrive over the long term. Prudential Advisors offers the freedom, flexibility and resources to support that work. Its entrepreneurial, collaborative culture and growth mindset will help me take my business to the next level as we navigate the evolving wealth management industry.”
Promotions & People Moves
Humanity Labs Names Dimple Shah As Managing Director, Wealth
Humanity Labs hired Dimple Shah in the newly created position of Managing Director, Wealth. Shah, who left Osaic earlier in June after serving as an executive there for four years, will focus on partnering with RIAs, independent broker-dealers and wealth management enterprises. The AI startup said its digital workforce service is designed to expand operating capabilities across back-, middle- and front-office functions for wealth management firms.
Shah has more than 25 years of wealth management experience. Her prior roles include EVP, Advisor Growth and Platform Solutions and EVP, Head of Corporate Strategy at Osaic; Managing Principal and Senior Strategy Advisor at Cielo Advisors; and EVP, Head of Corporate Strategy at LPL Financial. Humanity Labs said its wealth management clients together oversee more than $750 billion in client assets. The firm is backed by Google Ventures and Vestigo Ventures.
Shah said, “Advisors and client-facing teams want to spend more time on personal relationships and strategy, but too often they are consumed by manual processes, fragmented systems and repetitive tasks. Humanity Labs has built an AI Workforce that delivers done work in the systems firms already use. I’m excited to help wealth management firms unlock a more human and more scalable model.”
Loxahatchee Capital Appoints Andrea Cording As Director Of Operations
Loxahatchee Capital appointed Andrea L. Cording as Director of Operations. The Tequesta, Florida-based multi-family office oversees $1.4 billion in assets. Cording will oversee strategic planning, recruiting, marketing and the firm’s operational infrastructure.
Cording joins Loxahatchee from UBS, where she most recently served as Business Analyst for the Florida Market, supporting 280 advisors across 34 offices representing more than $100 billion in AUM. Earlier, she was a Personal Banker at Bank of America. Loxahatchee is a trade name of RIA Elevation Point.
Cording said, “I am thrilled to join Loxahatchee Capital and hit the ground running with Andrew and the team. What drew me here is the firm's deep commitment to its clients, and I look forward to building those relationships, bringing the same level of care and trust that has defined the firm from the start.”
SEI Names Rob Wrzesniewski As Head Of Stratos Technology
SEI appointed Rob Wrzesniewski as Head of Stratos Technology within SEI’s Asset Management business. He will report to Jeff Benfield, Chief Product Officer at SEI, and Jeff Concepcion, Founder and CEO of Stratos. The newly created role supports SEI’s strategic investment in Stratos Wealth Holdings and is designed to connect Stratos technology strategy with advisor product, technology, asset management and sales teams across the platforms.
Wrzesniewski will advance Stratos’ technology strategy, focusing on advisor technology oversight, platform alignment and long-term capability development. He will also oversee SEI’s advisor-facing technologies. Wrzesniewski joined SEI in 1992 and has held leadership roles across its Advisor and Private Banking businesses and its Investment Management Unit.
Wrzesniewski said, “I’m excited to step into this role at a time when advisors and investors expect more connected, insight-driven experiences. Stratos plays an important role in helping advisory practices grow and navigate transition planning, and that makes it essential to deliver technology that can scale with demand and keep pace with evolving workflows and regulatory requirements.”
Wealth Solutions Report can be reached at info@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
