In this week’s roundup, F2 Strategy acquired Meradia, Hightower will buy The Bahnsen Group, Wealthspire’s Fiducient Advisors will purchase Sellwood Investment Partners, Modern Wealth Management will acquire Brown and Company, GTCR closed its acquisition of Fiduciary Trust Company, Sanctuary Wealth recruited Soteris Private Wealth, HWB Partners joined Baird, Prairie View Wealth Partners launched, Osaic recruited Pointes North Wealth Management, Cetera added Bob Bolebruch’s team and partnered with Honor Credit Union, Kintra launched by combining six firms, and Mercer named Melissa Nims and Jeremiah Barlow to new executive roles.
Editor in Chief’s Take:
Advisors’ options continue to expand. This week we see six firms merge into Kintra, another wirehouse breakaway to Sanctuary, Prairie View launching from former financial institution executives, Osaic recruiting to a W-2 channel that provides elements of independence and, of course, more acquisitions.
At the same time, many options – especially options that often can’t be corrected once chosen – can lead to confusion and regret. More than ever, advisors need information, guidance and the most useful of resources: wisdom.
– Julius Buchanan, Editor in Chief, Wealth Solutions Report
Mergers & Acquisitions
F2 Strategy Acquires Meradia
F2 Strategy said it acquired Meradia, adding investment management operations and technology consulting capabilities. F2 said the transaction is its sixth and largest acquisition since Renovus Capital Partners made a majority investment in June 2023, and that the combined organization now has more than 200 professionals.
Meradia, founded in 1997 by Scott A. Wybranski, serves investment managers, asset owners, pensions, family offices and wealth managers in the U.S. and Canada. F2 said Meradia’s leadership team will remain in place, all employees will continue with the combined organization, and Wybranski and Laurie J. Hesketh will remain significant owners and continue in leadership roles.
Ryan Beach, CEO of F2, said: “Combining Meradia and F2 Strategy is a true inflection point for our firm and will be transformational in the value we deliver to clients. With the team bringing meaningful depth across the investment operations lifecycle, we can deliver solutions with greater impact.”
Hightower To Acquire The Bahnsen Group
Hightower said it will acquire The Bahnsen Group, a wealth management practice with about $9.5 billion in assets under management (AUM) and one of Hightower’s largest practices. The deal would position The Bahnsen Group as another hub for integrating advisory teams, according to the announcement.
The Bahnsen Group was founded in 2015 when David Bahnsen joined Hightower with about $600 million in client assets. Hightower said the practice has since grown to nearly $10 billion in AUM, supported by about 100 professionals across 12 locations, and that it serves high net worth individuals, families and institutions with a focus on dividend growth equity investing.
Larry Restieri, CEO of Hightower, said: “This is a natural evolution of a highly successful partnership. David and his team have built a leading wealth management business with a clear investment philosophy and strong client relationships. This next phase allows us to further align strategically and bring the full capabilities of Hightower to support their continued growth—both organically and through acquisitions.”
Wealthspire’s Fiducient Advisors To Acquire Sellwood Investment Partners
Wealthspire announced that Fiducient Advisors will acquire Sellwood Investment Partners, a Portland, Oregon-based investment advisory firm with $11 billion in client assets.
Sellwood, founded in 2012, provides advisory and discretionary investment management services to endowments, foundations, 529 and 529A plans, retirement plans and high net worth individuals. Houlihan Lokey was exclusive financial advisor to Sellwood and Berkshire Global Advisors was exclusive financial advisor to Wealthspire.
Mike Goss, Chief Revenue Officer and President of Wealthspire Institutional, said: “Sellwood has built an exceptional firm defined by principled investing, careful risk management, and a long-term perspective. Their approach aligns seamlessly with our platform and adds further depth to the capabilities we offer clients. We look forward to working alongside the team in Portland as we expand in the Pacific Northwest.”
Modern Wealth Management Acquires Brown And Company
RIA Modern Wealth Management agreed to acquire Brown and Company, a Denver-based wealth management practice with about $1 billion in AUM that was previously affiliated with LPL Financial. Modern Wealth said Brown and Company is its 21st acquisition and raises the firm’s total AUM past $13 billion.
Brown and Company was founded in 1988 by Mark Brown and works with more than 200 households, including business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and high net worth individuals, offering investment, retirement, tax, estate, philanthropic, executive compensation and exit planning services. The transaction gives Modern Wealth its first presence in Colorado and marks its second deal in the past month, the firm said.
Brown said: “As we considered the future of the firm, it was important to find the right home for our team — one that would support a thoughtful succession plan, preserve the best elements of our firm and help us elevate our capabilities. Modern Wealth stood out for its culture, capabilities and long-term vision.”
GTCR Completes Acquisition Of Fiduciary Trust Company
GTCR closed its acquisition of Fiduciary Company Incorporated and its operating subsidiaries, collectively known as Fiduciary Trust Company. Fiduciary is a Boston-based private wealth manager and trust company serving ultra-high net worth individuals, families and institutions. Former Wilmington Trust CEO and Chair Doris Meister is joining as Executive Chair.
Fiduciary had about $34 billion in total assets as of Dec. 31 and provides wealth management, trustee and custody services, including services for third-party financial advisors and family offices. GTCR said planned initiatives include expanding services, enhancing investment platform offerings, adding technology and increasing headcount.
Meister said: “I have admired Fiduciary for over a decade—its client-first culture and depth of expertise in wealth planning and trust services truly set the firm apart. I’ve also long respected GTCR’s Leaders Strategy and its track record of partnering with management teams to build enduring businesses.”
Advisor Transactions
Baird Adds HWB Partners In Indianapolis
Baird said HWB Partners joined its wealth management office in Indianapolis. The team includes Don Hutchinson, Dean P. Weseli and Jeff J. Borgert, and joins from Goelzer Investment Management, where they managed about $1 billion in client assets across wealth management, institutional consulting and sports-focused advisory work.
Baird said Hutchinson most recently served as Chief Growth Officer at Goelzer and previously held roles at J.P. Morgan and Merrill Lynch. Weseli previously served as a Director of G-PRO Sports and a Senior Wealth Advisor at Goelzer, while Borgert was an Institutional Senior Consultant there. Baird’s private wealth management business had more than $375 billion in client assets as of Dec. 31.
Jim Willbrand, Branch Manager at Baird, said: “Don, Dean and Jeff have built a collaborative practice grounded in long-term client relationships, strong investment capabilities and specialized advisory services. They will be a great addition to our Indianapolis office.”
Sanctuary Wealth Recruits Former Merrill Team As Soteris Private Wealth
Hybrid RIA Sanctuary Wealth recruited a team led by Josh Erickson and Rob Montierth from Merrill Lynch, where they managed $800 million in client assets. The team joined Sanctuary in Walnut Creek, California, as Soteris Private Wealth through Sanctuary’s partnered independence model, marking another wirehouse breakaway for the firm this month.
Erickson joined Merrill in 2012 and Montierth started there in 2010. Soteris Private Wealth serves high net worth clients including business owners, executives and families managing wealth across generations.
Erickson said: “In recent years, it became clear that being beholden to a single financial institution no longer aligned with our values or allowed us to deliver the full range of services our clients deserve. Once we concluded that independence was the right path for our business and the future of our practice, it quickly became clear that Sanctuary was the right partner to help us make that move.”
Prairie View Wealth Partners Launches In South Dakota
Prairie View Wealth Partners, a newly independent RIA, announced its launch in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The firm was co-founded by Adam Cox, Kyle Cipperley and Paula Bindert, and will serve individuals and families at pivotal stages of personal and professional growth, with a focus on integrating wealth management, investment strategy, family office advising and tax planning.
The Founders most recently held senior roles at The First National Bank in Sioux Falls, according to the announcement. Prairie View is a fee-only advisory firm using Raymond James & Associates as custodian, and said it plans to emphasize tax-aware planning and client education.
Cox said: “Launching Prairie View Wealth Partners is a deeply personal decision for our team. In many ways, this is about building our dream home for our careers, a place where we can design every detail around how we believe clients should be served. We wanted the freedom to create an experience that is thoughtful, relationship-driven and centered on helping people make confident financial decisions.”
Osaic Adds Pointes North Wealth Management
Osaic said Pointes North Wealth Management joined its Empowered Independence channel. The Salem, New Hampshire-based firm, led by Managing Partners Nathan Auclair and Brent Balloch, oversees more than $500 million in client assets and is moving from an independent model into Osaic’s W-2 structure, with Osaic OSJ Innovative Financial Group helping facilitate the transition.
Auclair has been affiliated with Osaic since 1994. Osaic is a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners and supports over 10,000 financial professionals.
Auclair and Balloch said: “We are grateful for the trust our clients have placed in us and remain deeply committed to serving them and their families for generations to come. This structure allows us to focus more of our time and energy where it matters most; our clients.”
Cetera Adds Bob Bolebruch Team And Partners With Honor Credit Union
Long Island advisor Bob Bolebruch joined Cetera through North Ridge Wealth Planning, bringing Steve Sherman and a team overseeing about $380 million in AUA. Separately, Cetera Financial Institutions partnered with Honor Credit Union to support the growth of Honor Investment Services in Michigan.
Cetera said Bolebruch and Sherman joined after nearly two decades with American Portfolios, later acquired by Osaic in 2022. Cetera said Honor Credit Union serves more than 105,000 members across Michigan and has about $1.8 billion in member assets on deposit.
Bolebruch said: “I’ve always believed that this business is built on relationships, not transactions. My clients aren’t account numbers, they’re families I’ve walked alongside for years, in some cases decades. When I was evaluating where to take my practice next, the most important question wasn’t what the platform could do for me, it was what it could do for them.”
Kintra Launches By Combining Six Firms
RIA Kintra launched through an agreement among six wealth management firms to merge. The new firm said the founding businesses collectively represent more than $4 billion in AUM and 74 employees across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida and Texas.
Kintra’s founding firms are Evergreen Wealth Solutions, Warren Wealth Associates, Loring Advisory Group, Tupler Financial, Rembrandt Financial Group and McCarthy & Cox. The firm said it intends to combine local client relationships with a national platform and serve individuals, families, businesses and institutions through a more collaborative operating model.
Harris said: “At Kintra, each of our firms has built something strong independently, but by coming together, we’re able to elevate the client experience, expand our capabilities, and invest more deeply in a modern, technology-enabled platform. Most importantly, this allows our advisors to collaborate more intentionally, so clients benefit from a broader perspective, deeper planning, and more thoughtful guidance.”
Promotions & People Moves
Mercer Advisors Names Melissa Nims, Jeremiah Barlow To C-Suite Roles
RIA Mercer Advisors said it expanded its executive leadership team by appointing Melissa Nims as Chief Solutions Officer and Jeremiah Barlow in the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer. Mercer said the additions are intended to sharpen the firm’s focus on integrated client delivery and continued capability expansion.
Nims spent nearly two decades at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and will oversee the continued expansion of Mercer’s wealth solutions platform, including tax, estate, trust, insurance and business management. Barlow led Mercer’s solutions function for 13 years.
Nims said: “What Mercer Advisors has built is genuinely singular in our industry — a unified interdisciplinary team that works together for the benefit of clients and features talented tax, estate, insurance, and trust specialists at the center of delivering our client promise. I am excited to build a professional home where these colleagues are set up to continue to do the best work of their careers.”
Wealth Solutions Report can be reached at info@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
