Atlanta-based Merit Financial Advisors on Friday announced the additions of two executives to its leadership team in new roles at the firm, saying Alex Hansen was named Chief Advisor Success Officer and Brian Brashaw was appointed Vice President of Employer Plan Solutions.
Alex Hansen, Chief Advisor Success Officer
Hansen joins Merit from Commonwealth Financial Network, where he served as Senior Vice President of RIA Solutions from September 2021 until this month, according to his LinkedIn profile. At Commonwealth, he built and headed its RIA Solutions consulting function, business-critical transition team and relationship management team, according to Merit.
In his newly created role, Hansen is tasked with driving a “direct feedback loop between Merit’s advisors and the firm’s executive team,” including identifying growth levers and advocating for support, technology and resources, according to the firm.
Hansen has spent most of his wealth management career consulting with advisors via business model transitions that included fee-only, hybrid, RIA launches and evaluating affiliation options, Merit noted.
Prior to joining Commonwealth, Hansen served as Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Dynasty Financial Partners from November 2019 until September 2021.
“I love when an advisor says, ‘I want to do X, but I don’t think it’s possible,’” Hansen said in the release. “If you truly listen, you can help uncover what’s most important. What will win their next high-net-worth client? What will unlock that next stage of growth? In its simplest form, my job is to deeply listen to our advisors — and translate what they need into action.”
“To have someone of Alex’s experience and stellar reputation with advisors join our team in this critical new role is a key piece to how we plan to execute on our growth plan for the future,” Kay Lynn Mayhue, President of Merit Financial Advisors, said in the release.
Brian Brashaw, Vice President Of Employer Plan Solutions
Brashaw joins Merit from Osaic, where he served as Assistant Vice President of Employer Retirement Plans from May 2022 until last month, according to his LinkedIn profile.
At Osaic, Brashaw headed the firm’s Employer Plan Consulting business, according to Merit. In that role, he helped support over 23,000 401(k) plans and about $80 billion in plan assets, Merit said.
Prior to joining Osaic, Brashaw served as Employer Plan Consultant for Advisor Group from July 2018 until April 2022 and served in multiple roles at TD Ameritrade from October 2009 until July 2018.
Brashaw’s newly created role at Merit was “designed to lead the firm’s strategy for retirement plan business including the expansion of 401(k) and employer-sponsored plan opportunities,” according to the firm. The firm sees this a growth area, stating it believes 401(k) plans will rise from 700,000 today to over 1 million by 2030.
“The industry is not prepared for that volume and yet it represents one of the most important growth opportunities in wealth management,” Brashaw said in the release.
“My job at Merit is to build the foundation, resources, and engagement strategies so our advisors are not only ready — but they are positioned to lead.”
Brashaw will help Merit advisors “provide the knowledge, support and services to best serve them,” according to Rick Kent, CEO of Merit Financial Advisors. “This will also allow Merit to expand our business owner planning opportunities from benefits to executive comp to succession.”
“There will be millions of new participants entering the retirement ecosystem over the next five years,” according to Brashaw. “Advisors who engage them early will create relationships that carry through to private wealth — and that’s a responsibility as much as it is an opportunity.”
In July, Merit announced a minority investment from Constellation Wealth Capital that Merit said would support its M&A, organic growth, advisor recruitment, practice management support and enhancements to its technology and client experience offerings.
The firm recently achieved its “51st partnership transaction and has a robust pipeline in place for future growth,” it said. Merit announced 12 partnership deals so far this year.
“It has been a record year for Merit regarding new partnerships in every way (quantity, assets, revenue, people, capabilities, etc.),” David Wahlen, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Merit, told WSR by email.
“For 2026 … we want to continue to be the platform of choice for both hybrid and fee-only advisor teams, and to recruit more executive talent in key roles across the firm,” Wahlen said. “We already have a full Q1 of pending closings with signed LOIs, and we don’t foresee any slowing of our rapid organic and inorganic growth programs.”
He added, “Some other focuses of 2026 include bolstering our client capabilities, advancing our technology solutions internally and externally, and elevating new leaders and partners from within.”
Merit, which supports both the independent broker-dealer and RIA models, has more than 55 offices and managed $20.78 billion in client assets as of Sept. 30, including $15.83 billion in advisory assets, $2.65 billion in brokerage assets and $2.3 billion in retirement assets, the firm said.
Jeff Berman, Contributing Editor and Reporter at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at jeff.berman@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
