The Person of the Year is unique among WSR awards for honoring a single individual who has not only demonstrated excellence through an extraordinary wealth management career, but has also been and continues to be a force shaping significant, positive changes in the industry. This year, we are proud to recognize Mark Casady as WSR’s Person of the Year.
WSR Names Mark Casady 2026 Person Of The Year
While many leaders are lucky to shape the industry once, Casady has done it twice: first as a pioneer of the architecture for modern advisor independence at the helm of LPL, then again as a catalyst for organic growth through Vestigo Ventures and FMG.
“What he built at LPL enabled a generation of independent advisors to compete with the biggest firms in the country, and he’s now bringing that same operator instinct to a moment when AI is going to reset the economics of advice,” said Michael S. Hollander of GTCR.
Navigating The Emotional Side Of M&A
Wealthcare’s Matt Regan addresses emotional issues that often arise in the M&A process, including the advisor’s identity, client care, life for the advisor after the sale and freedom versus control over the firm in the future.
Regan emphasizes that personal clarity is the necessary starting point for a successful deal.
Dear Ryan – Wealthtech Industry Advice For All
In this month’s installment of the Dear Ryan column, Docupace’s Ryan George advises a COO who was sold a bad deal with a weak contract and now has to decide how to preserve credibility and address the board.
George emphasizes truth and ownership come first.
Regtech Surge: The Real Challenge Behind Reg S-P Isn’t Awareness, It’s Execution
The SEC will be looking for more than documentation for Reg S-P. It will demand firms have operational readiness to carry it out, says Sid Yenamandra in the latest installment of his Regtech Surge column.
Real-world capabilities and responsiveness are required, but difficult for compliance teams to achieve, he argues.
Oasis Group And AdvisorEngine Address How Advisors Can Overcome Growth Obstacles
The Oasis Group and AdvisorEngine Portfolio Solutions announced a white paper exploring automation trends that they said are forcing RIAs managing between $100 million and $1 billion in assets under management (AUM) to restructure investment operations or risk strategic irrelevance.
The white paper, “Scale to Win: Examining the RIA Growth Model,” presents a framework for RIAs to overcome what the firms identify as an “operational paradox” that tends to stop growth.
Deals & Recruiting Roundup
This week’s roundup includes acquisitions by Bluespring and Beacon Pointe; Prairie Wealth merging with McEwen; recruiting by LPL, Raymond James And Cetera; Gryphon launching; Vanilla partnering with BlackRock; Wealth.com partnering with AcquireUp; appointments by Fiduciary Trust and Amplify; and research by The Oasis Group and AdvisorEngine.
The news from Wealth.com and Vanilla highlight the increasing importance of estate planning.
Wealth.com And AcquireUp Team Up For Estate Planning Seminars
Wealth.com announced a partnership with AcquireUp to help financial advisory firms grow through estate planning-led seminars that the firms said will drive engagement, conversion and client relationships.
The companies said they will provide advisors with seminar content, presentation materials, and marketing and acquisition assistance.
Ascentis Wealth Management Adds $160 Million Virgin Islands Advisor
Ascentis Wealth Management onboarded U.S. Virgin Islands-based Ryan Uszenski, with approximately $160 million in assets. He serves high and ultra-high net worth clients.
Uszenski joins Ascentis as an Equity Partner.
Bluespring Buys $1.1 Billion New Jersey Kestra Affiliate
Kestra Holdings subsidiary Bluespring Wealth Partners announced the acquisition of Kestra-affiliated firm Synthesis Wealth Planning.
Combined with fellow Kestra-affiliated firm IFG Wealth Strategies, previously acquired by Synthesis, the acquisition adds about $1.1 billion in client assets to Bluespring.
Ex-Wells Fargo Advisor Team With Over $3 Billion In AUM Launches RIA In Florida
A team of former Wells Fargo advisors with over $3 billion in AUM has started Gryphon Wealth, an independent RIA based in Jacksonville, Florida. The RIA selected TradePMR as its technology, service and custodial support provider.
“Wells Fargo … was supportive of our decision,” said Gryphon’s Jason Hyrne.
Reach our audience with your brand’s story. Explore Partnerships with WSR!
Join our growing LinkedIn community.
Larry Roth
CEO
Wealth Solutions Report
