Chief operating officers and operations leaders have traditionally served as the second-in-command at companies, field generals who oversee day-to-day operations, freeing the CEO to focus on strategy and big picture thinking.
But being a COO in the wealth management business means something extra. COOs must ensure advisors have the necessary products, services and technology to successfully expand their businesses. And given the exploding amount of M&A in the industry, COOs must oversee the successful transition of assets from seller to buyer while seamlessly integrating two once separate businesses and cultures into a cohesive unit.
To arrive at this year’s Top Wealth Management COOs, we searched for excellence, influence and demonstrated leadership among operations leaders, regardless of title. The following winners are listed in alphabetical order.
Erin Corbett, Chief Operating Officer, NewEdge Advisors
As COO for NewEdge Advisors, Erin Corbett’s primary responsibility is to ensure the day-to-day success of financial advisors and allowing NewEdge to be, it its words, “Advisor First.”
With NewEdge since its start, Corbett helped structure the firm for long-term, scalable growth by participating in the development of the firm’s human resources, operations, transitions, billing, compensation and account administration departments. She also helped transform NewEdge from one custodial relationship to five.
Corbett was a founding employee and Associate Executive Director of Operations at the Citizens of the World Charter Schools – New York. She earned a master’s degree in sports management and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Louisiana State University.
Corbett said her educational background was instrumental to becoming a COO. “Once a teacher, always a teacher,” she said. “My time as a high school educator in New Orleans and later as a founding leader of a charter school in New York shaped my belief in transparency, mentorship, and leadership development. Founding the school was a startup experience just like my time at NewEdge—building systems from scratch, fostering adaptability, and shaping regional infrastructure for future growth.”
Tom Gooley, Chief Operating Officer, Cetera Financial Group
As COO of Cetera Financial Group, Tom Gooley strives to provide technology and services via a digital experience so advisors can grow their business.
This year, Gooley oversaw one of Cetera’s most transformative milestones: the integration of Avantax following Cetera’s $1.2 billion acquisition of the tax and financial planning company in 2023. The effort involved moving 5,000 financial professionals, staff and home office employees – collectively overseeing more than $70 billion in assets – into Cetera’s ecosystem.
“Driving operations across Cetera is a collective effort rooted in trust, transparency, and teamwork,” Gooley said. “We foster a culture of continuous collaboration and open dialogue, where empowering individuals with autonomy isn’t just encouraged – it’s essential. It’s this shared ownership that fuels high performance and strengthens our organization from the inside out.”
Gooley previously served as Managing Director of Service, Trading and Operations at LPL Financial and Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer for the Retirement & Individual Financial Services division at TIAA-CREF. As Managing Director and Head of Operations for the Global Wealth and Asset Management Groups of Morgan Stanley, he co-led the project to convert assets from Smith Barney to the Morgan Stanley platform as part of their merger.
Marc Hineman, Chief Operating Officer, Dynasty Financial Partners
As COO at Dynasty Financial Partners, Marc Hineman is responsible for the firm’s day-to-day operations while working with CEO Shirl Penney to develop and execute the firm’s strategic plan. He directly oversees Dynasty’s core products, TAMP, technology, operations, compliance and human resources.
Most recently, Hineman helped OpenArc, a $129 billion RIA, transition to an independent model and launched Dynasty Labs, an AI focused innovation hub. He also brought Goldman Sachs onto the Dynasty platform as a preferred custodian.
Hineman says COOs these days must ensure advisors meet the unique needs of ultra-high net worth (UHNW) clients. “The independent wealth management space now includes some of the most successful financial advisors. The UHNW clients they serve have more complex needs, require more sophisticated advice and planning.”
He continued, “In order to win today, COOs today must deliver a holistic, digital, fully integrated experience encompassing state of the art, AI powered technology and the broadest range of investment options.”
Prior to Dynasty, Hineman served as COO at Pico, a financial technology solutions provider. He was also COO of Electronic Trading Services, Strategic Investments, and Market Structure at Wells Fargo Securities. Earlier in his career, Hineman held positions at Evergreen Asset Management and JPMorgan Chase.
Jesse Kurrasch, Chief Operating Officer, The AmeriFlex Group
Jesse Kurrasch is the COO of The AmeriFlex Group, a hybrid RIA and affiliate of Cambridge Investment Research with over $11.87 billion in client assets.
Kurrasch oversaw AmeriFlex’s transition to Cambridge as its primary broker-dealer partner earlier this year. He also helped recruit $634 million in client assets to the firm since the transition. Last year, the company recruited 53 advisors and increased its client assets by more than $3.4 billion.
Given the wave of consolidation in the industry, Kurrasch believes that sellers and buyers must act carefully to execute a successful succession.
“Three critical issues must be addressed for a successful succession plan to be implemented,” Kurrasch said, naming an accurate valuation, an written agreement on deal terms and a successful transition, and noting that culture and fit should be addressed during the valuation and negotiation of deal terms.
“If we are acting as the purchaser, we carefully engage with each client to deliver value, build trust, and deliver an excellent client experience to eliminate attrition. We carefully build processes around each step of this succession pathway to ensure the process is repeatable, improvable and scalable.”
Daryl Seaton, President, Sowell Management
As President of Sowell Management, Daryl Seaton has helped grow the RIA platform into supporting over 100 independent advisors across the country. He joined Sowell in 2020 and rose to President in 2023.
Seaton has led several efforts to help advisors, including FLEX Connect and FLEX IM, which streamline advisor workflow and integrates investment management, operations and client experience into a single, cohesive platform.
Under his leadership, Sowell introduced Sowell Insurance Services, which allows advisors to offer insurance products as part of comprehensive planning solutions. He also expanded the firm’s outsourced chief investment officer solutions by partnering with Goldman Sachs and Rayliant and appointing Jason Hsu as Chief Investment Strategist.
“Servant leadership means putting others first — empowering our team, advisors, and clients to thrive,” Seaton said. “It’s about leading with humility, listening intentionally and fostering an environment where people feel valued and equipped to succeed. This commitment guides how I make decisions, shape culture and ensure that our collective growth remains true to our mission, values and purpose.”
Thomas Lee, Senior Editor and Staff Writer at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at thomas.lee@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
