As our CEO Larry Roth noted recently in a recent review of the legal issues surrounding wealth management M&A, “RIAs are being bought and sold today at unprecedented levels.” Transactions large and small are occurring across the industry landscape from modest-sized RIAs to mega-sized broker-dealer consolidation.
While the industry has witnessed a rush of capital inflow to invest, roll up and bolt on wealth management firms, M&A is not simply about valuations and money flow. The best deal makers must carefully map out a broad array of issues including strategic fit, valuation, streamlining cultures and operations, branding, legal issues, funding arrangements.
For WSR’s third annual M&A 5, we selected a group of industry-leading executives from both in-house and third-party roles who have demonstrated excellence and commitment to the industry, and lead by example in bringing deals together. They are listed below in alphabetical order. Please join us in congratulating them.
Shannon Eusey, CEO And Founder, Beacon Pointe Advisors
Shannon Eusey is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Beacon Pointe Advisors. Launched in 2002, Beacon Pointe operates over 70 offices, employs more than 600 people and oversees more than $47 billion in client assets under advisement (AUA).
Under her leadership, Beacon Pointe recently completed six RIA acquisitions in 60 days, resulting in over $2.6 billion in additional AUA. Eusey emphasizes an approach to M&A that balances growth with seamless integration, driven by thoughtful, relationship-driven partnerships that align culture and strategy.
“Beacon Pointe’s acquisition strategy brings together top-tier, collaborative advisory teams across the country who share our client-first values,” Eusey said. “By integrating regional expertise, best practices and synergies, we can drive growth while preserving the entrepreneurial spirit, and deliver consistent, concierge-level guidance and solutions for our clients across a national platform.”
Eusey co-founded the Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute in 2011, driven by her passion for financial education and commitment to empowering female wealth management professionals, clients and their families. She also co-authored “Your Dollars, Our Sense: A Fun and Simple Guide to Money Matters,” an international bestseller that reached the top in six finance categories on Amazon.
Eusey was named one of Barron’s “10 Leaders to Watch in Wealth Management.” Other recent accolades include “Orange County Visionary” by the Los Angeles Times and Top 50 Rising Entrepreneurs in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal.
Vince Fertitta, President, Sanctuary Wealth
Vince Fertitta has 33 years of experience in wealth management and private banking. Prior to joining Sanctuary Wealth in 2019, he served as a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch and held a seat on its executive committee. He was one of six divisional executives who led Merrill Lynch’s Wealth Management business.
Fertitta was also a Bank of America Market President in Texas, where he united lines of business across the state. Fertitta holds the designations of Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor and Certified Investment Management Analyst.
“Strategic capital is a powerful tool, but only when deployed to address a specific need,” Fertitta said. ”This is why our approach is unique, as we do not compel partner firms to sell their equity when they launch with us, or at any time thereafter. Our primary focus is to help our partners enhance the value of the equity in their businesses.”
Christopher Gent, Co-Head, Mergers And Acquisitions, Green Sail Capital Partners
Christopher Gent co-founded Boston-based Green Sail Capital Partners. He boasts 15 years of investment banking and financial industry experience, including working at LPL Financial, Tully & Holland, a boutique investment bank, and State Street Bank.
At LPL, Gent built a large M&A advisory practice, where his dealmaking broke records based on both total transaction value and revenue multiples achieved. During his time at State Street, Gent worked on Wells Fargo’s acquisition of Wachovia Securities during the height of the 2009 financial crisis.
He later worked at MFS Investment Management. Gent holds his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Union College and a Master of Business Administration from Boston College, where he received a Dean’s Scholarship.
Ryan Kaminski, Co-Head, Mergers And Acquisitions, Green Sail Capital Partners
Ryan Kaminski is the Chicago-based co-founder of Green Sail Capital Partners. His seven-year investment banking career includes working at LPL Financial where he helped launch the firm’s sell-side advisory services business. Kaminski started his career at Bridgepoint Investment Banking in Omaha, Nebraska. There, he learned how to conduct M&A and capital raises across a variety of industries.
In total, Kaminski has worked on transaction origination and execution totaling $1 billion. He holds his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in financial analysis from Creighton University where he graduated summa cum laude.
Ryan Parker, CEO, EP Wealth Advisors
Ryan Parker is CEO of EP Wealth Advisors, where he has overseen 14 new M&A partnerships. He has worked at EP Wealth for four years, the last two as CEO. Under his leadership, EP Wealth has expanded its national footprint and grown assets under management (AUM) to over $36.4 billion.
Parker’s leadership philosophy focuses on a people-first mindset, strategic foresight and authentic transparency. He has championed initiatives that match operational excellence with client-centric service. Over the past decade, Parker has united 45 teams via M&A, successfully integrating companies while preserving their core values.
“We don’t think of M&A as ‘acquisitions,’” Parker said. “We think of it as building partnerships. The cornerstone of every successful partnership is talent and culture. We look for firms where people share our passion for client-centric service and a strong values-based culture. This recognition is a reflection of the incredible people we’ve been fortunate to partner with, and the collaborative growth we’ve achieved together.”
Thomas Lee, Senior Editor and Staff Writer at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at thomas.lee@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
