Mark Tibergien is an Independent Board Member, Management Consultant and Speaker. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Pershing Advisor Solutions, a BNY Mellon company.  Pershing Advisor Solutions is one of the country’s leading custodians for registered investment advisors and family offices. Mark is also a former Managing Director for Pershing and a member of its Executive Committee and BNY Mellon's Operating Committee. Prior to joining Pershing in 2007, Mark was a principal at the accounting and consulting firm, Moss Adams LLP, where he was partner-in-charge of the Business Consulting group, chairman of the Financial Services Industry group and partner in-charge of the Business Valuation group. Previously, he was president of a nationally recognized bank and business training and consulting firm, a principal in an investment management and business valuation firm, a writer for a financial trade magazine and a general assignment newspaper and radio reporter.

Dan Seivert is the CEO and founder of ECHELON Partners – one of the leading investment banks and consulting firms to the wealth and investment management industries. Prior to starting ECHELON, Mr. Seivert was one of the initial principals of Lovell Minnick Partners, where he helped invest over $100MM in venture capital across 15 companies. Before his involvement in private equity, Mr. Seivert was a buy-side analyst at The Capital Group (American Funds) where he valued firms in the asset management and securities brokerage industries. Mr. Seivert’s initial job at Capital was in the capacity of strategic planning and marketing research, where he worked directly for several chairmen of the company as well as the fund boards. Mr. Seivert began his career in the M&A department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Mike is responsible for analyzing acquisition and growth opportunities that support advisor and client needs. He also leads strategic projects for the senior leadership team.

Previously, Mike was head of Investment and Product Development for the firm. He joined the firm in 1994 and has served in several additional leadership roles ranging from operations and service to project management and business development. He earned his MBA from The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA).

Stacy Hefty serves as the president of Credent Wealth Management. Stacy has played a critical role in overseeing the company's goals, strategies and managing the Executive team.

She ensures each client receives seamless first-class service at Credent, and her vision is to share Credent’s unique way of delivering financial services with every client.

An active member of her community, Stacy has served as past president of Auburn Kiwanis, DeKalb County Extension Board and Women’s Care Center of Northeast Indiana. She also served two terms on the board of DeKalb Health Hospital.

Currently, Stacy is a board member for Women’s Care Center Northeast Indiana, a not-for-profit she helped establish, which has a mission to assist moms and babies and she also leads the middle school youth group and families group at her local church.

When she’s not working at Credent or volunteering in her local community, Stacy enjoys spending time with her husband David and four children, cooking for family and reading.

Stacy earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and graduated summa cum laude.

Mark Bruno is Managing Director, Head of Strategic Advisory, for Emigrant Partners, where he is primarily responsible for helping its partner firms identify and execute on opportunities to accelerate their growth. Prior to joining Emigrant in October 2023, Mark spent more than 20 years working across the wealth and asset management industries with a particular focus on developing and delivering research, events and consulting platforms to growth-oriented RIAs. Mark most recently served as the Managing Director of the Wealth Management Group at Informa, where he oversaw the group’s media, research and events businesses and launched the unit’s RIA Edge podcast, research studies, and nationwide events.

Before Informa, Mark was a Managing Director at Echelon Partners, a leading investment bank and
consulting firm to the wealth management community. Mark also spent more than ten years at InvestmentNews, where he oversaw the company’s digital businesses, RIA events and RIA benchmarking studies. He has been a fixture on the wealth management event circuit for the past decade, and is also the author of Save Now or Die Trying, one of the top-selling retirement planning books shortly after it was published in 2007.

Mike Wunderli is a Managing Director at ECHELON Partners, where he is integrally involved in all aspects of the firm’s activities and heads ECHELON’s industry-leading TAMP practice. Prior to joining ECHELON, Mr. Wunderli founded Connect Capital Group (CCG) where he advises private, middle-market companies on pre-transaction planning, growth financing options and the development and execution of exit strategies. He also works closely with the private-equity and venture-capital communities to evaluate acquisition & investment targets and source proprietary deal flow.
Before founding CCG, Mr. Wunderli spent 12 years at Lehman Brothers and UBS as an SVP in the Private Wealth Management division, where he pioneered one of the industry’s most successful cross-divisional practices between Wealth Management and Investment Banking. During this time, Mr. Wunderli sourced over $2 billion in investment-banking and private-equity transactions for his firms and his WM clients, and he managed a $400 million+ HNW advisory practice. He also helped institutionalize the cross-divisional model firmwide. Mr. Wunderli earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds Series 7, 66, and 79 FINRA Licenses.

Kurt is a Partner and the Chief Executive Officer of Cerity Partners, responsible for the strategic direction and management of the firm.

Prior to founding Cerity Partners, Kurt was a Managing Director and an Executive Committee Member of a Global Investment Bank’s Private Wealth Management division, responsible for managing the bank’s US wealth management offices, including the provision of the bank’s investment, credit, and wealth management services to individual, family, business, and nonprofit clientele.

Kurt is a Member of Young Presidents Organization, Vistage International, and the Wall Street Journal CEO Council.

Jonathan Scheid serves as president of Buckingham Strategic Partners, comprised of BAM Advisor Services, LLC and Loring Ward. As president, he focuses on forward-looking strategies, vision and growth for our Turnkey Asset Management Platform (TAMP) business.

Jonathan has over 20 years of investment experience working with advisors and their clients. He started his career at Loring Ward, which merged with Buckingham Strategic Wealth in 2018. Over his career, he has accumulated extensive knowledge of the advisory services industry, having previously served in senior roles in portfolio strategy, portfolio services and education, and marketing and investment research. In addition, he helped launch Bellatore Financial, Inc. and ultimately served as its president and chief investment officer.

His publication credits include articles in the Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Investment Consulting, Journal of Investment Management, Journal of WealthManagement, and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. He is a CFA charter holder and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary®. He is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of San Francisco, and fi360. He received his Bachelor of Science in business with an emphasis in finance and a minor in computer engineering from Santa Clara University.

Jonathan’s passions are family, learning new things, and smoking meat. He lives in San Jose with his wife, Michelle, and their three children.

David has held many senior leadership positions at Mercer Advisors including CEO for 9 years (2008-2017), President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Counsel.

David was the architect of Mercer Advisors’ Family Office business model, created its high quality / institutionalized service model, developed referral partnerships with TD Ameritrade, Schwab, Scottrade, etc., making Mercer Advisors one of the fastest organic growing RIAs in the United States.

David stepped down as CEO in late 2017 to focus on and lead M&A for Mercer Advisors. Since then, Mercer Advisors has become a leading acquirer.

Formerly a trial attorney, he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Irene Keskinen is a Principal of the Firm and focuses on Financial Services investments.

In her current role, Irene is actively involved in the management and oversight of the Financial Services portfolio, including investments in Aquarian Holdings, Arax Investment Partners, Bishop Street Underwriters and Obra Capital. She serves on the Board of Directors of Arax Investment Partners, Bishop Street Underwriters and Obra Capital.

Prior to joining RedBird, Irene spent seven years in private equity at The Carlyle Group and General Atlantic focused on growth equity and buyout investments across the global Financial Services sector. She began her career at Morgan Stanley in investment banking.Irene holds a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and joint B.Comm. and B.A. (Economics) degrees from Queen’s University, where she graduated with First Class Honours.

Barnaby Audsley is a SVP at ECHELON Partners and focuses on a diversity of M&A advisory, investment banking, consulting, and research assignments. Prior to joining ECHELON Partners, Mr. Audsley worked as an Investment Associate for Bel Air Investment Advisors, a $9bn multifamily office based in Los Angeles. During his time with Bel Air, Mr. Audsley focused on private equity and assisted in the sourcing and underwriting of fund and direct transactions. Furthermore, he conducted market research to identify attractive asset classes, industry trends, and investment opportunities. Mr. Audsley has a B.A. in Economics from Occidental College where he was a Director on the student-run investment portfolio. He is currently furthering his education by pursuing his CFA (Level II Candidate). He is a mentor for Play Rugby USA, a non-profit focused on developing youth through rugby. Mr. Audsley grew up in London and now resides in Venice, CA.

Jon Kropf is a Managing Director at IEQ Capital and leads the firm’s inorganic growth business expanding into new markets. Mr. Kropf is responsible for managing the overall process and execution of hiring, acquiring and integrating talented new advisors tothe firm with a focus on cultural and business alignment. He has 20 years of experience in and around the asset and wealth management business.

Prior to joining IEQ Capital, Mr. Kropf held a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, he served as the Head of Advisor Growth & Experience at SVB Private. Prior to that, he was at First Republic Bank for six years during which he served as the firm’s Head of Wealth Management Recruiting and a member of the Executive Management Committee for First Republic Investment Management.

Mr. Kropf started his career at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He was also a management consultant and business builder at PWC and ACA and worked in-house at PIMCO in Newport Beach, California. While at PWC, Mr. Kropf advised the U.S. Department of Treasury during the Financial Crisis of 2008.

Mr. Kropf holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Macalester College where he also played on the men’s soccer team.

Mr. Kropf was born and raised in San Francisco, California and he currently resides in Marin with his wife, his two sons and Golden Retriever.

Shannon Rosic is the Director of Content & Solutions for the Wealth Management Group at Informa Connect. She serves as the market-facing representative for the group, and regularly hosts webinars, video series and is the host of the WealthStack podcast. She also helps drive the growth and success of the group’s premier events: Wealth Management EDGE and RIA EDGE West, with a specific focus on WealthStack, the fastest growing and most credible event dedicated to technology in the Wealth Management industry.

She has spent her career in the Wealth Management, specifically helping financial media businesses and wealthtech firms grow their marketing initiatives. Known in the industry as “Gadget Girl” from her time at InvestmentNews, her passion is brand storytelling, and designing a cohesive experience through creative marketing efforts. She holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from Miami University.

Outside of work, you can find her barrel racing at local rodeos, skiing, hiking with her 2 dogs and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.

Megan Carpenter is CEO and Co-Founder of Ficomm Partners, an award-winning agency for RIA firms and financial advisors. Ficomm exists to expand the impact of financial advice by leading human-centered business change through New Skool marketing, PR, and advisor marketing education. Their agile and innovative approach have earned them a seat in ThinkAdvisors Luminaries Class of 2021, recognition for 2021 Digital Campaign of the Year by WealthManagement.com, and the honor of top-4 Industry Disruptor in 2020 by WealthManagement.com. Ficomm’s services allow advisors to lead with authenticity, target their focus and drive to commercial success. Included in Investment News 40 Under 40 notable list, Meg’s expertise spans over 15 years of helping RIA firms and advisors connect, communicate, and engage effectively with their target audiences. Her passion to promote the industry is demonstrated through her volunteer involvement with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning Workforce Development Advisory Group, and the Foundation for Financial Planning. She is also part of the Pledge 1% global movement, having pledged 1% of personal equity, profits, time, and product to these industry non-profits. Megan began her career at John Hancock Financial Network before launching her own business, Caritative Wealth Consulting, at the age of 29. Megan merged her consulting business into her second business venture, Ficomm Partners in 2014.

Brett is a SVP with ECHELON Partners and spends time across all of the firm's core activities including M&A advisory, strategic consulting, and thought leadership. Prior to joining ECHELON, Brett was a Senior Associate with Deutsche Bank Securities, working in their US investment bank and within the Financial Institutions Group. With Deutsche, Brett advised wealth managers, asset managers, FinTech companies, and financial sponsors on a variety of strategic endeavors including M&A, capital raising, IPOs, SPACs, and leveraged finance. Through that experience, Brett spent significant time cultivating relationships with the private equity firms and platform buyers involved and interested in the wealth management ecosystem. While at San Diego State University, Brett served as Vice President of the student investment council.

Dr. Tim Ursiny, founder of Advantage Coaching & Training Inc., has been a speaker and certified business coach since 1997, specializing in mental, emotional and behavioral change. His areas of expertise include personal transformation, the psychology of succession and building proactive mindsets and habits. He received his undergraduate degree from Wheaton College and his doctorate in psychology from Northern Illinois University. He has extensive experience in the Financial Services industry, working repeatedly with such organizations as Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Wells Fargo, UBS and Invesco.

He has authored or coauthored fourteen books on the topics of coaching, conflict resolution, and confidence in the workplace. His book, The Coward’s Guide to Conflict is in its fourth printing and has been translated into six foreign languages.

David Mainzer is a corporate lawyer with more than 25 years of experience advising investment management firms and funds, both in-house and in private practice. He frequently serves as outside general counsel for his clients, handling an array of domestic and offshore corporate, transactional, and regulatory compliance matters. Earlier in his career, David served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Amerindo Investment Advisors, Inc., an investment management firm with offices in New York, San Francisco, and London, and $8 billion in assets under management (AUM). There, he was responsible for managing all of the firm’s legal affairs, including risk management, regulatory compliance, outside counsel, and the structuring and legal management of the firm’s hedge funds, mutual funds, and separately managed accounts. David attended law school at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in accounting. He earned his MBA at Columbia Business School in New York, where he graduated first in his class. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Greg Gessert is a vice president of corporate development for LPL Financial. He is accountable for LPL business development amongst merger and acquisition opportunities of broker/dealers (B/D) & registered investment advisory firms (RIAs). In this role he takes a consultative approach to helping owners understand their operating model options and how LPL can facilitate their growth and exit goals as a strategic or liquidity partner.

Mr. Gessert began his career at LPL in 2007 where he started as an analyst supporting LPL’s centrally managed account operations. While at LPL, he has served in a variety of positions ranging from sales support, corporate finance, to practice management consultation.

Prior to joining enterprise sales in 2021, Mr. Gessert led LPL’s internal, advisor-facing merger and acquisition department. In this position he consulted on over 200 transactions per year between advisors looking to buy, sell, or merge their practices.

Mr. Gessert earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He holds a FINRA series 7 license and enjoys bike riding, reading, and attending Padres baseball games.

Ted Motheral is a Partner in the firm’s Corporate and Transactional practice where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, as well as private debt and equity financing. Mr. Motheral has substantial experience in leading transactions for multi-million-dollar acquisitions and has represented borrowers and lenders in multi-million-dollar debt offerings. He is also experienced in advising clients on general corporate matters, entity formation and governance, joint ventures, divestments, and reporting requirements and regulations.

Mr. Motheral has significant national experience in the financial advisory services/wealth management industry. He represents over 100 financial advisory services firms in all 50 states, advising them on all corporate and legal matters, including buy and sell side mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, strategic and growth initiatives, and regulatory, securities, and compliance matters. Mr. Motheral represents firms ranging from $100 million to $60 billion in assets under management in this industry.

Outside of the financial advisory services industry, Mr. Motheral has extensive experience in representing private and family-owned businesses across the country. Although he is an expert in financial advisory services, he has experience in almost every other industry in the United States and has vast experience in handling cross-border acquisitions as well, in industries such as insurance, heavy manufacturing, healthcare, plastics/polymers, coatings, real estate development, assisted living, engineering, law firms, and accounting firms.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Motheral worked in the general counsel office of KLA-Tencor Corporation in Silicon Valley, California and, before becoming an attorney, worked as a financial consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the New York City office.

Steve has over 10 years of experience as an investment and capital markets professional. He began his career in the Investment Banking division of TD Securities where he was involved in a variety of projects in the diversified industries space. Prior to joining Penfund, he worked as an analyst at a long/short equity hedge fund for two years where he was responsible for covering the industrial, healthcare and financial sectors as well as special situations. Since joining Penfund in 2016, he has completed investments in a wide range of sectors with a focus on financial and business services and multi-location businesses.

Steve has an MSc. Finance and BComm. from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.

Zach Ursiny, CCC® brings a unique thought pattern and depth to his coaching process. Zach works with his clients to create an environment of creativity, challenge, and vulnerability, while implementing immediate and lasting change. Using real life experiences and stories, he focuses his coaching on high impact results by digging deep into goals, blocks, and paths to success. Zach’s clients benefit from his experience on a high-performing team as well as his strong background in psychology and coaching. Zach specializes in the psychology of results and relationships in the finance industry. His areas of expertise include: growing a business in today’s world, the dynamics of a top-performing team, and the psychology and process of succession planning. He holds a Certified Corporate Coach (CCC®) designation for his completion of the Corporate Coach Program.

Zach attended Wheaton College where he achieved a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He is currently working on his first book on the topic of team dynamics in the workplace.

Mr. Rosen is a Partner in the Ares Credit Group, where he focuses on U.S. direct lending. Additionally, Mr. Rosen plays an important role on the alternative credit team in sourcing new investment opportunities and facilitating collaboration of resources across the Ares Credit Group. Mr. Rosen is a member of the Ares Secondaries Group's Credit Investment Committee. Beforejoining Ares in 2019, Mr. Rosen was a Partner at Solar Capital Partners, where he was the Head of Lender Finance and was also responsible for managing the firm's commercial finance control equity investments. Previously, he was a Senior Associate at Wellspring Capital Management, where he focused on U.S. middle-marketprivate equity investments. In addition, Mr. Rosen was an Analyst in the Sponsor Coverage/Leveraged Finance Group of CIBC World Markets. Mr. Rosen holds a B.A. in government from Cornell University.

Michael Seid is CEO of Axxcess Wealth Management, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Axxcess has in-depth knowledge of family planning objectives, and is well equipped to assess the complexity, investment horizon, as well as navigate the vast set of investment opportunities, and assist our clients in making informed decisions about the allocation and preservation of capital.

Jim Dilworth is a financial entrepreneur and executive with international experience founding multiple organizations within asset and wealth management, family office and financial technology. He is a founder, investor, board member, advisor and business builder with a master’s in marketing and management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

David Mainzer is a corporate lawyer with more than 25 years of experience advising investment management firms and funds, both in-house and in private practice. He frequently serves as outside general counsel for his clients, handling an array of domestic and offshore corporate, transactional, and regulatory compliance matters. Earlier in his career, David served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Amerindo Investment Advisors, Inc., an investment management firm with offices in New York, San Francisco, and London, and $8 billion in assets under management (AUM). There, he was responsible for managing all of the firm’s legal affairs, including risk management, regulatory compliance, outside counsel, and the structuring and legal management of the firm’s hedge funds, mutual funds, and separately managed accounts. David attended law school at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in accounting. He earned his MBA at Columbia Business School in New York, where he graduated first in his class. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Kathy Freeman Godfrey offers to her clients 3 decades of experience attracting, assessing, and recruiting top financial services talent. Since founding her firm in 1992, she has executed hundreds of assignments for C-Suite executives, executive leadership, and high-impact individual contributors. A frequent speaker and thought leader on human capital and diversity topics, Kathy Freeman Godfrey has contributed to articles for FundFire, Ignites, Financial Advisor IQ, Financial Planning, Family Wealth Report and Private Asset Management. Kathy has also spoken at numerous industry conferences including Schwab Impact, IAA, Family Wealth Alliance, MMI Sales & Leadership Summit, and the Deals and Dealmakers Summit. Kathy graduated from California State University, Chico. She lives in San Luis Obispo, CA, with her husband and has two children. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, hiking, and cycling.

Mike Wunderli is a Managing Director at ECHELON Partners, where he is integrally involved in all aspects of the firm’s activities and heads ECHELON’s industry-leading TAMP practice. Prior to joining ECHELON, Mr. Wunderli founded Connect Capital Group (CCG) where he advises private, middle-market companies on pre-transaction planning, growth financing options and the development and execution of exit strategies. He also works closely with the private-equity and venture-capital communities to evaluate acquisition & investment targets and source proprietary deal flow.
Before founding CCG, Mr. Wunderli spent 12 years at Lehman Brothers and UBS as an SVP in the Private Wealth Management division, where he pioneered one of the industry’s most successful cross-divisional practices between Wealth Management and Investment Banking. During this time, Mr. Wunderli sourced over $2 billion in investment-banking and private-equity transactions for his firms and his WM clients, and he managed a $400 million+ HNW advisory practice. He also helped institutionalize the cross-divisional model firmwide. Mr. Wunderli earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds Series 7, 66, and 79 FINRA Licenses.

Patrick J. Burns, Jr., Esq., is the managing attorney with The Law Offices of Patrick J. Burns, Jr., P.C., and also the President of Advanced Regulatory Compliance LLC. He is a member of the California, New Jersey, New York, and Texas Bars, and received his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California and Bachelor of Business Administration degree, concentration in Entrepreneurship, from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business in Pleasantville, New York. Mr. Burns began his professional career with a New Jersey based law firm and then worked in a legal/compliance capacity for several financial services firms located in New York City and Los Angeles. During his financial services career, he acquired numerous FINRA and insurance licenses. Mr. Burns is a frequent industry speaker and a member of several financial services industry organizations.

Rick is the Chief Corporate Banking Officer at First Financial Bank. He is also the President and CEO of Commercial Finance which includes Oak Street Funding and First Franchise Capital businesses. Rick oversees almost $12B in assets across the entire Commercial business and nearly 400 employees. He leads the commercial growth strategy, including expansion of customized lending offerings and services. Rick is a CPA and former Senior Manager at Deloitte. He has a BS in Accounting and MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and held adjunct professor positions for venture capital and entrepreneurial finance at Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Megan Carpenter is CEO and Co-Founder of Ficomm Partners, an award-winning agency for RIA firms and financial advisors. Ficomm exists to expand the impact of financial advice by leading human-centered business change through New Skool marketing, PR, and advisor marketing education. Their agile and innovative approach have earned them a seat in ThinkAdvisors Luminaries Class of 2021, recognition for 2021 Digital Campaign of the Year by WealthManagement.com, and the honor of top-4 Industry Disruptor in 2020 by WealthManagement.com. Ficomm’s services allow advisors to lead with authenticity, target their focus and drive to commercial success. Included in Investment News 40 Under 40 notable list, Meg’s expertise spans over 15 years of helping RIA firms and advisors connect, communicate, and engage effectively with their target audiences. Her passion to promote the industry is demonstrated through her volunteer involvement with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning Workforce Development Advisory Group, and the Foundation for Financial Planning. She is also part of the Pledge 1% global movement, having pledged 1% of personal equity, profits, time, and product to these industry non-profits. Megan began her career at John Hancock Financial Network before launching her own business, Caritative Wealth Consulting, at the age of 29. Megan merged her consulting business into her second business venture, Ficomm Partners in 2014.

Brett is a SVP with ECHELON Partners and spends time across all of the firm's core activities including M&A advisory, strategic consulting, and thought leadership. Prior to joining ECHELON, Brett was a Senior Associate with Deutsche Bank Securities, working in their US investment bank and within the Financial Institutions Group. With Deutsche, Brett advised wealth managers, asset managers, FinTech companies, and financial sponsors on a variety of strategic endeavors including M&A, capital raising, IPOs, SPACs, and leveraged finance. Through that experience, Brett spent significant time cultivating relationships with the private equity firms and platform buyers involved and interested in the wealth management ecosystem. While at San Diego State University, Brett served as Vice President of the student investment council.

Timothy D. Welsh, CFP^® is President, CEO and founder of Nexus Strategy, LLC, a leading consulting firm to the wealth management industry. Nexus Strategy’s primary focus is working with leading organizations to best market their products, services and technology to the independent advisor community. Prior to founding Nexus Strategy, Tim was Director of Business Consulting Services for Schwab Advisor Services where he led the development and marketing of practice management resources for independent advisors. While at Schwab, Tim also held senior roles in Strategy, Marketing, Advertising, PR and Industry Content development. Prior to joining Schwab, Tim was vice president at Merrill Lynch where he was responsible for marketing, product development and financial advisor training for the financial planning group.

Kelli Cruz brings more than 20 years of experience to her role as the founder of Cruz Consulting Group (CCG), working closely with advisory firm owners and executives of financial services institutions. CCG is committed to building talent wealth and helping advisory firms realize their true potential, by providing consulting engagements in human capital, including organizational design, compensation planning, performance management, and succession planning. Kelli is a frequent speaker at national industry conferences and a regular columnist for Before joining Schwab, Kelli also held a variety of management positions at Wells Fargo, including managing human resources for the Private Client Services Group.

Richard Lofgren is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in the Global Markets Division. Additionally, he has served as a Captain in the US Navy for 30 years. Richard has previous experience as a Managing Director at Schwab Advisor Services and JP Morgan, and was the Founder, President & CEO at FinBack Advisors, LLC. He received his B.A at the University of Texas at Austin.

Barnaby Audsley is a SVP at ECHELON Partners and focuses on a diversity of M&A advisory, investment banking, consulting, and research assignments. Prior to joining ECHELON Partners, Mr. Audsley worked as an Investment Associate for Bel Air Investment Advisors, a $9bn multifamily office based in Los Angeles. During his time with Bel Air, Mr. Audsley focused on private equity and assisted in the sourcing and underwriting of fund and direct transactions. Furthermore, he conducted market research to identify attractive asset classes, industry trends, and investment opportunities. Mr. Audsley has a B.A. in Economics from Occidental College where he was a Director on the student-run investment portfolio. He is currently furthering his education by pursuing his CFA (Level II Candidate). He is a mentor for Play Rugby USA, a non-profit focused on developing youth through rugby. Mr. Audsley grew up in London and now resides in Venice, CA.

Candice is the EVP and Head of Ficomm's advisor marketing programs designed to help advisors supercharge their growth with the power of social media, video, and podcasting.
Prior to Ficomm, she spent her career at two of the fastest-growing RIA’s in the US- Mercer Advisors, and United Capital, acquired by Goldman Sachs. She has also consulted for firms like XY Planning Network. Candice is passionate about helping advisors find their authentic voice to stand out, attract new clients and extend the impact of financial advice. She has coached hundreds of advisors and C-suite executives across the country, is a sought-after expert speaker at industry events like E-money summit, Insiders Forum and Jolt Snappy Kraken. She is also the creator and co-host of the award-winning New Skool Podcast.

Susie is currently vice president of strategic markets at Oak Street Funding. She specializes in helping advisors and RIAs with funding for acquisition and succession. Prior to joining Oak Street Funding, Susie was vice president of preferred institutional clients at RenPSG where she was responsible for relationship management and fostering growth programs. Susie holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Indiana University. Outside of work, Susie enjoys traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.

Greg Gessert is a vice president of corporate development for LPL Financial. He is accountable for LPL business development amongst merger and acquisition opportunities of broker/dealers (B/D) & registered investment advisory firms (RIAs). In this role he takes a consultative approach to helping owners understand their operating model options and how LPL can facilitate their growth and exit goals as a strategic or liquidity partner. Mr. Gessert began his career at LPL in 2007 where he started as an analyst supporting LPL’s centrally managed account operations. While at LPL, he has served in a variety of positions ranging from sales support, corporate finance, to practice management consultation. Prior to joining enterprise sales in 2021, Mr. Gessert led LPL’s internal, advisor-facing merger and acquisition department. In this position he consulted on over 200 transactions per year between advisors looking to buy, sell, or merge their practices. Mr. Gessert earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He holds a FINRA series 7 license and enjoys bike riding, reading, and attending Padres baseball games.

Jeffrey Bischoff is President and Founder of Old Greenwich Consultants, a retained search firm focused exclusively on the Private Wealth Management sector. With over 20 years of experience in executive recruitment in the financial services industry, Jeff has established extensive contacts on both the corporate and candidate sides throughout the United States. Jeff co-partnered a privately owned executive search business in lower Manhattan. He and his partner grew the business and later sold it to Oppenheimer & Co. As part of the transaction, Jeff agreed to head up regional recruiting for OpCo and relocated to Chicago. After successfully completing that initiative, Jeff then relocated to Los Angeles where he oversaw OpCo’s west coast talent acquisition and new branch expansion. Jeff is a co-founder board member of the “Friends of Eric Sloane Museum” in Kent, Ct. He graduated from Villanova University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1985. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Dustin Mangone is a Managing Partner and the Director of Investment Advisor Services for PPC LOAN, a cash-flow based lender providing nationwide financing to service sector businesses. He has over 16 years of experience with cash-flow lending and has evaluated and underwritten over $1 billion in loans for investment advisors. Dustin now spends 100% of his time consulting on the M&A financing needs of RIAs and Independent Investment Advisors nationwide and is a regular speaker on these topics. Dustin’s experience is focused on acquisitions, mergers, buy-ins, buy-outs, equity purchases, succession plans, and debt consolidations. Dustin is a 2002 graduate of Texas A&M University and spent 2 years as a financial advisor providing retirement planning for non-profit organizations before joining PPC LOAN in May of 2005.

Sean Keenan is a Managing Director and Head of Business Development of our Wealth Solutions segment at BNY Mellon | Pershing, which serves wealth-oriented broker-dealers, registered investment advisors (RIAs) and trust companies to provide custody and middle-office solutions. Sean is responsible for the new revenue and asset growth and a member of Wealth Solutions senior leadership team. Prior to this role, Sean led business development for our RIA custody business and member of Advisor Solutions Executive Committee. Sean brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services and institutional business. Prior to joining Pershing in 2009, Sean spent 10 years at Ameritrade in various leadership roles including sales and strategic planning. He was instrumental in the launch of Ameritrade Institutional. After leaving TD Ameritrade, Sean spent 2 years with Fidelity Institutional Wealth Management focused on business development in the Midwest. Sean earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He completed the Securities Industry Institute® program, sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Sean also sits on the Board of Directors at Invest in Others Charitable Foundation.

Molly Crane concentrates her practice on corporate and general business matters, including: Mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, Private equity transactions, General corporate, partnership, and limited liability company matters, Public and private securities matters, Negotiation and preparation of complex commercial agreements, and Corporate governance

Corey is actively and personally involved in the corporate practice area of the firm including sophisticated corporate structuring, high-level strategic advice, and mergers, acquisitions, succession, and other deals while overseeing the firm’s other practice areas. He is a strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. A successful entrepreneur from the age of 15, Corey is a rarity among attorneys – he both understands and appreciates how business people think. He knows that every business transaction has a window of opportunity that can be missed when faced with untimely legal delays or over-lawyering. As a member of the New York Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization since 2008, a Board Member since 2010, and Chapter President from July 2014 - June 2016, Corey has been a passionate advocate and leader in the entrepreneurial space.  Corey is a frequent speaker at entrepreneurial, business, and securities industry conferences and events on many topics including authentic negotiating, deal-making and structuring, entity and platform design, mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurship, visioning and planning, employee attraction and retention vehicles, authentic conversation about race and building authentic business relationships. In 2011, New York Enterprise Report honored Corey at its Best Accountants and Attorneys for Growing Businesses Awards with its General Corporate Law and Attorney of the Year awards.

Oleg Tishkevich is the founder and CEO of Invent.us, the leading cloud-native software development firm in the wealth management industry. Many of the industry’s largest financial institutions supporting financial advisors leverage the Invent platform, which currently supports over 20,000 users. Known for his innovation in software design and architecture, Tishkevich has garnered several industry awards, including wealthmanagement.com’s prestigious industry awards program for the “Disruptor of the Year” in 2019 for the launch of Invent. Additionally, Tishkevich is the author of numerous industry articles and white papers, including the well-received article series, “Integrated Digital Ecosystems as a Service” which is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for enterprises and organizations supporting financial advisors to create their own, customized technology solutions and eliminate the challenges of technology integrations. Prior to founding Invent.us, Tishkevich founded Finance Logix, a next generation financial planning software company which sold to Envestnet in 2015. Finance Logix pioneered an engaging mobile planning app Retire Logix that was named Best Money Move by Money magazine and voted number one mobile app for advisors. Finance Logix was revolutionary as a platform not only providing advisors with a real-time financial overview and analysis of all of their clients, but also extending that approach to the end client through a powerful and interactive client portal and mobile app. Tishkevich has served as a member of the Corporate Resource Counsel of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

Pablo Bizjack is Senior Director, leading Business Development in the Western Region for the Wealth Solutions segment at BNY Mellon Pershing, which services wealth-oriented broker-dealers, registered investment advisors (RIAs) and trust companies to provide custody and middle office solutions. Pablo is responsible for new revenue and asset growth and serves as a member of the Wealth Solutions sales leadership team. Prior to joining BNY Mellon Pershing, Pablo held several leadership roles with mPower Advisors, and SEC registered RIA, where he led operation and implementation teams focusing on delivering fiduciary investment advice to employer sponsored retirement plans. After leaving mPower Pablo spent 10 years focused on business consulting and development with Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services. Pablo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Boston College and has completed the Securities Industry Institute program, sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Associations (SIFMA), and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also former member of the Guardsmen of San Francisco, a volunteer group that provides educational scholarships for at-risk youth in the Bay Area, and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for San Domenico School, a K-12 school in San Anselmo, CA.

As an associate director, Mason’s responsibilities include relationship management, sales, and business development for Cerulli’s U.S. clients.Mason has several years of industry experience, having worked at Eaton Vance and Columbia Threadneedle before joining Cerulli Associates. While at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Mason was a Regional Sales Director covering the RIA channel.

Julie Littlechild is the Founder & CEO of Absolute Engagement, a firm that helps advisory firms capture on-going input from clients to drive profound engagement and significant growth.

Julie has worked with and studied successful financial advisors and their clients for more than twenty years and conducts one of the largest investor research studies to examine what clients need, want and expect. She is the author of a popular blog and her book, The Pursuit of Absolute Engagement.

Julie sat on the national board of the Financial Planning Association, was twice identified as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Financial Planning and won anInfluencer Award in practice management. She works in the US, Canada, UK and Australia and holds an MBA from the University of Toronto.

John Turner serves as Vice President, Investment Advisory Lending at Live Oak Bank. John joined Live Oak Bank with over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Live Oak Bank, John ran a successful practice as a financial advisor in the Midwest. He went on to hold several executive positions within the two largest broker dealers in the industry and the largest fraternal benefit society. Over the years John has had experience buying, brokering, or financing over 600 deals. As a result, John has spoken at advisor groups and industry events both large and small and authored several whitepapers addressing succession and acquisition topics and issues. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethel University and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Fun Fact: In college John used to change the light bulbs on radio towers. NOT for the faint of heart!

Aaron Racino is a Senior Relationship Manager at PPC LOAN, a cash-flow based lender providing nationwide financing to service sector businesses. Since joining PPC LOAN in 2015, Aaron has worked with countless business owners across a variety of industries and has evaluated and underwritten over $350 million in approved loans during that time. Aaron now spends 100% of his time consulting on the financing needs of RIAs and Independent Financial Advisors nationwide with a focus on acquisitions, mergers, buy-ins, buy-outs, equity purchases, succession plans, and debt consolidations.

Concentrating on the financial services industry, Linda Paullin-Hebden serves as a securities compliance advisor to registered investment advisers and as a counselor to venture capital and private equity funds. Linda handles a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, compliance, fund formation, joint ventures, private investments and other transactions as well as general corporate matters.

 Her investment adviser clients operate in a highly regulated environment, and she helps them adhere to the rules in a way that helps them achieve their business objectives. Linda often says, "Compliance doesn't run your business; we make sure your business is compliant." Linda’s deep experience in compliance is an asset in negotiating transactions. Her industry knowledge translates to creative problem solving in deal negotiations where she helps clients achieve their desired goals.

Bing Waldert leads Cerulli’s U.S. Research team comprising seven research practices that cover all elements of the U.S. asset management, wealth management, and retirement markets. He has authored Cerulli reports on the wealth management industry, high-net-worth market, the annuity industry, and retirement markets. He is a frequent board-level and C-suite speaker and well-regarded industry thought leader. He has spoken in front of FINRA, the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC), the Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI), and the Money Management Institute (MMI). He has worked on multiple diligence and acquisition client projects for Private Equity firms, including acquisitions of multiple RIA firms, a alternative investment platform, and a RetireTech firm. Prior to joining Cerulli in 2004, Bing worked in product management and competitive research for MFS and Sun Life. Bing has Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Classics from the College of the Holy Cross.

Shannon Rosic is the Director of Content & Solutions for the Wealth Management Group at Informa Connect. She serves as the market-facing representative for the group, and regularly hosts webinars, video series and is the host of the WealthStack podcast. She also helps drive the growth and success of the group’s premier events: Wealth Management EDGE and RIA EDGE West, with a specific focus on WealthStack, the fastest growing and most credible event dedicated to technology in the Wealth Management industry.

She has spent her career in the Wealth Management, specifically helping financial media businesses and wealthtech firms grow their marketing initiatives. Known in the industry as “Gadget Girl” from her time at InvestmentNews, her passion is brand storytelling, and designing a cohesive experience through creative marketing efforts. She holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from Miami University.

Outside of work, you can find her barrel racing at local rodeos, skiing, hiking with her 2 dogs and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.

Stephen is a senior analyst in the Wealth Management practice where he leads research into the registered investment advisor (RIA) channels. As part of his research, he is the author of Cerulli’s U.S. RIA Marketplace report and has written on topics including private equity investment in RIAs and the role staff play in RIAs’ pursuit of scale. Additionally, he oversees Cerulli’s Advisor Research Collaborative, an initiative that surveys over 2,000 financial advisors a year. He regularly contributes insights and quantitative analysis to strategic consulting engagements including recent work assessing M&A opportunities for large RIA consolidators and scoping marketplace fit for emerging RIA custodians.

Stephen graduated from Roger Williams University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

Cliff Colbert is an experienced finance and technology executive with a strong track record of success in Business Development, Operational Management, Relationship Management, and Organizational Leadership.

Doug Fritz is the co-founder and CEO of F2 Strategy. Doug, a veteran CTO and sought-after WealthTech consultant, leads an all-star team of executives in technology-driven operations, digital client engagement, performance and implementation, among many other areas for clients. Through F2’s Outsourced CTO (OCTO) model and strategy consulting services, Doug is passionate about helping firms of all sizes deliver exceptional client and advisor experiences.Doug is also an accomplished industry thought-leader, speaker and judge at In|Vest, American Banker, Financial Times, WM.Com, RIAIntel, InvestmentNews, Family Wealth Report, WealthStack, and Financial Planning. He is also a winner of the 2021 ThinkAdvisor Thought Leader Luminary award. Before founding F2 with his wife and Chief Commercial Officer Liz Fritz, Doug was the Chief Technology Officer of First Republic Bank where he led the execution of the WealthTech roadmap. Prior, he was Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Wealth Management Group. Doug lives in Santa Cruz.

Nikolee Turner is a managing director of business consulting for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Ms. Turner is responsible for managing Schwab's business consulting team that provides hands-on guidance and consulting support to assist investment advisors across the country in realizing their aspirations around growth, efficiency, and profitability. Through one-on-one consulting engagements, the business consultants help advisors create strategic business plans, implement growth strategies, increase productivity, and plan for transition. Ms. Turner has been coaching, consulting, and training leaders for over15 years and brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in talent management, driving operational efficiencies, and new product development. Prior to joining Schwab, Ms. Turner was vice president of training and consulting at Kolbe Corp where she worked with companies helping them solve business challenges, increase growth and profitability, and maximize human capital. Additionally she trained and oversaw more than 500 consultants worldwide. Ms. Turner has worked with financial services professionals, CPAs, and attorneys globally and is a speaker on business management topics atconferences and seminars. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Cloud State University, a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University.

Ted Motheral is a Partner in the firm’s Corporate and Transactional practice where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, as well as private debt and equity financing. Mr. Motheral has substantial experience in leading transactions for multi-million-dollar acquisitions and has represented borrowers and lenders in multi-million-dollar debt offerings. He is also experienced in advising clients on general corporate matters, entity formation and governance, joint ventures, divestments, and reporting requirements and regulations.

Mr. Motheral has significant national experience in the financial advisory services/wealth management industry. He represents over 100 financial advisory services firms in all 50 states, advising them on all corporate and legal matters, including buy and sell side mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, strategic and growth initiatives, and regulatory, securities, and compliance matters. Mr. Motheral represents firms ranging from $100 million to $60 billion in assets under management in this industry.

Outside of the financial advisory services industry, Mr. Motheral has extensive experience in representing private and family-owned businesses across the country. Although he is an expert in financial advisory services, he has experience in almost every other industry in the United States and has vast experience in handling cross-border acquisitions as well, in industries such as insurance, heavy manufacturing, healthcare, plastics/polymers, coatings, real estate development, assisted living, engineering, law firms, and accounting firms.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Motheral worked in the general counsel office of KLA-Tencor Corporation in Silicon Valley, California and, before becoming an attorney, worked as a financial consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the New York City office.

Jared is responsible for global sales, business development, and client service, including oversight of and coordination with the marketing team. Prior to joining Cerulli, Jared worked as an equity analyst at Baring Asset Management, where he was responsible for the U.S. Utilities sector and also contributed to the U.S. Industrials sector. Prior to Barings, Jared spent two years at State Street Bank. Jared earned his B.A. in Finance and Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Liz is co-founder and chief commercial officer for F2 Strategy where she leads all brand strategy, digital marketing, advertising, social media, content and PR for the organization. She brings almost 20 years of experience working with some of the most well-known global brands in the HNW and UHNW space such as Wells Fargo Private Bank, Abbott Downing, U.S. Bank and BNP Paribas. Liz is a frequent contributor to wealthmanagement.com, webinar participant around WealthTech digital marketing and Chief member, the only organization specifically designed for senior women leaders to strengthen their leadership journey, cross-pollinate ideas across industries, and effect change from the top down. She is particularly passionate about creating a company culture of well-being and supporting other women in the WealthTech and Fintech industries. Liz is based in Santa Cruz with her husband and two young sons.