Save the date!
October 8-10, 2025
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago
agenda highlights
Format and Overview
Rich content in multiple formats: keynotes, general sessions, and panels.
Networking times during coffee breaks, receptions and dinners
Day One: Arrivals and Evening Welcome Reception
Day Two: Full-day conference programming & Summit Dinner
Day Three: Half-day conference programming
Topics
Current State and Outlook for RIA M&A
State of the RIA Industry
Lessons from Seasoned Acquirers for Prospective Sellers
Transition Stories from Your Peers
Your Topics: One-on-Ones Meetings with Industry Experts
And more!
Event Location
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago
160 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611
2024 Speakers
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
Claire O’Keefe serves as Partner, Head of Partner Development, and member of the Leadership Team at Cerity Partners. She has a deep appreciation for the unique fabric of our firm which she regularly refers to as her “forever home”.
Central to Claire’s philosophy is human connection. As Head of Partner Development, she is passionate about building relationships with both current and prospective partners and colleagues who are excited by the vision of our firm, share our cultural values, and are committed to serving the best interests of clients, colleagues, and the communities in which we operate. She believes that authenticity, empathy, active listening, high emotional intelligence, and genuine curiosity, form the bedrock of effective communication and trusted relationships. In her words, “The magic of our partnership is our people.”
Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Claire served as Chief Operating Officer and client advisor for two wealth management firms. In these roles, Claire’s responsibilities included strategic planning, client and colleague development, and client advisory for affluent individuals, business owners, executives, and nonprofit organizations.
Scott Hanson is a Co-Founder and Senior Partner of Allworth Financial. A nationally recognized authority on financial topics, he has been named to Barron’s list of the Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors in America multiple times and has been listed as one of the 25 most influential people in the financial services industry nationwide. In 2021, he was named one of the financial industry’s 10 “Icons and Innovators” by InvestmentNews. Scott, who serves on the boards of both the Greater Sacramento Economic Council and the Luis Palau Association, is also the director of Allworth Kids, which, since its inception in 2019, has provided laptops, overnight kits, and financial support to over 200,000 foster children.
For about 30 years, Scott has co-hosted Allworth’s Money Matters, one of the longest running financial topic radio programs and podcasts in the country. A twice-monthly guest columnist for InvestmentNews, and a frequent contributor to other national publications, Scott is the author of “Personal Decision Points: 7 Steps to Your Ideal Retirement Transition” (2016), and of its updated 2nd edition, which was released in 2021.
Under Scott’s direction, through a combination of both organic expansion and acquisition, Allworth Financial has grown to over $15 billion in assets under administration. Over the past few years, Scott and his business partner, Pat McClain, have not only overseen 27 equity partnership acquisitions, but have introduced Allworth Financial into every region of the country. Listen to Allworth’s State of the Industry podcast at AllworthPartners.com/Podcast
Kurt Miscinski
President & CEO
Cerity Partners
-Keynote Speaker-
Scott Hanson
Co-Founder and Senior Partner
Allworth Financial
-Keynote Speaker-
Claire O’Keefe
Head of Partner Development
Cerity Partners
-Keynote Speaker-
Ben Harrison is a Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee for BNY Pershing. He leads BNY Pershing’s Wealth Solutions business which serves premier wealth firms, including Broker-Dealers, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and Trust companies.
Prior to this, Ben led the RIA custody business as well as business development and relationship management for the advisory marketplace at BNY Pershing. In that role, he successfully spearheaded key strategic initiatives and built successful partnerships with clients focused on supporting their growth. Ben was a 2010 Chairman’s Circle Honoree, recognized for his outstanding performance within BNY Mellon. Before BNY Pershing, Ben served as a Vice president of Regional Sales for TD Ameritrade Institutional where he focused on the RIA business.
Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics Management from Ohio Wesleyan University. He has also 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.
Ben is a former Chair for the Foundation for Financial Planning and a current trustee. He also serves on the Board of The Woodstock Academy Foundation.
Chairman and Board Director, Vestwell, LLC
Chairman and Board Director, Docupace
Board Director, Cetera Financial Group
Board Director, Orion Advisor Technologies, LLC
Board Director, Cerity Financial Partners
Lori Hardwick brings decades of experience of working in the financial industry as a prominent voice and is known for her intense passion for continuous improvement in the financial advisory industry.
Lori serves as a Strategic Advisory Board member of Genstar Capital, one of the most reputable private equity firms in the nation. In this role, she works directly with C-suite level executives at some of the largest financial services companies to help them create winning growth strategies, to improve the overall experiences for advisors and their clients, in addition to driving value for shareholders.
Lori currently serves on several corporate boards for some of the most reputable and fastest-growing financial and fintech companies in the industry, including Orion Advisor Technologies, Cetera Financial Group, Cerity Financial Partners, Vestwell and Docupace. In addition, Lori previously served as board member and Chairman at Riskalyze (Nitrogen) from 2017 to 2021.
In 2017, Lori created and co-founded, Advisor Innovation Labs (AI Labs), a fintech company focused on building elegant ‘systems of engagement’ via a unified dashboard for financial advisors. AI Labs underwent a successful transaction in early 2020.
Prior to founding AI Labs, Lori served as Chief Operating Officer for Pershing, a BNY Mellon company, sharing leadership responsibility with the CEO for managing the Pershing family of companies. Lori served as a member of Pershing’s Executive Committee and BNY Mellon’s Senior Leadership Team.
For the majority of Lori’s career, she was a Co-Founder and Group President of Advisory Services for Envestnet (NYSE; ENV) overseeing its core technology platform and managing enterprise relationship management teams, institutional advisory sales teams, strategic partnerships and practice management programs. She also helped take the company public during her 16-year tenure at the firm.
Lori has been recognized as one of the “22 People who will Transform Wealth Management in 2022” by Financial Planning Magazine, and as one of Top Women of Wealth Tech by ThinkAdvisor, a “Winner in WealthTech” by Wealth Management Today, a “Woman to Watch” by InvestmentNews and on Investment Advisor’s list of “The 25 Most Influential People in the Financial Industry”.
Lori earned her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and holds an executive MBA from Chicago Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.
Mike LaMena is the Chief Executive Officer of Wealthspire Advisors, having joined the firm in September of 2017. He has 27+ years of experience building, operating, and leading global wealth management organizations. His commitment to service excellence and his fundamental belief in the power of the firm’s independent, conflict-free model of financial advice inspires his enthusiasm to serve clients and expand the business. Throughout his time at Wealthspire, Mike has helped grow the organization to over $20 billion in AUM with 22 offices across the country and more than 300 employees.
Prior to joining the firm, Mike spent seven years at HighTower, serving as President and Chief Operating Officer, playing an instrumental leadership role in scaling the business from a start-up organization to a nationally recognized financial services firm. He began his career in financial services with a 14-year tenure at Morgan Stanley & Co., where he served as Executive Director of Private Wealth Management Operations in New York, as well as Executive Director of Private Wealth Management for Asia in Hong Kong.
Before entering the financial services profession, Mike did a year of service as a volunteer high school teacher at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, NY.
David DeVoe founded DeVoe & Company in 2011 to help wealth management companies optimize their business decisions. The company has supported hundreds of firms in consulting, investment banking and valuation engagements since launch. David has been a thought leader on RIA practice management for 18 years and was named the 'RIA M&A Guru' by Barron's magazine.
Previously, he served as Managing Director of Strategic Business Development at Charles Schwab Advisor Services. In this role, he developed and led Schwab’s Transition Planning platform, which provides comprehensive M&A and succession planning services to registered investment advisors. During this eight-year period, he provided strategic counsel to over 500 advisors. Previously, David worked in the Business Strategy group at American Express.
David holds a BA degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Ben Harrison
Managing Director, Head of Wealth Solutions
BNY PERSHING
Lori Hardwick
Strategic Advisory Board
Genstar Capital
Mike LaMena
Chief Executive Officer
Wealthspire Advisors
David DeVoe
Founder and
Chief Executive Officer
DeVoe & Company
As a member of the Executive Team with a specific focus on corporate development and strategic growth, Norm Cook is focused on mergers and acquisitions, advisor recruiting, and business development. He works closely with segment leaders across the firm to support consistency in the client experience while expanding the scope and breadth of Sequoia’s service offerings.
With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Norm has served in a wide variety of roles including President and CEO of WEALTHSTONE ADVISORS, Portfolio Manager for Crestwood Asset Management, and leading Banc One/JP Morgan’s Institutional Investment Group. These, and other experiences have helped Norm gain valuable insight into the many facets of financial planning and investment management and instilled in him a continuous drive to improve and enhance the investor experience. He leverages the knowledge gained through these experiences to help clients on their way to achieve their financial goals.
Matt is a founding partner of Beacon Pointe Advisors and oversees the firm’s strategic plan focused on mergers and acquisitions, creating synergistic partnerships between Beacon Pointe and other wealth managers across the country. Matt has been featured in Financial Planning Magazine, Barron’s, InvestmentNews, Citywire, Financial Advisor IQ, and Forbes, among other publications. He also regularly speaks on a host of wealth management and industry-related topics across various national conferences. Matt has a passion for continuous lifetime learning with a focus on the wealth management and financial life management industries. At a time when the RIA industry is changing more rapidly than any other point in history, his focus is on building the best possible business to serve clients and to assist other wealth advisors in meeting their lifetime goals. Matt graduated from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business with a BS in Finance and Business Economics. While at USC, Matt served as President for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He remains a supporter of both the University and the National Fraternity. Matt has served on the Advisory Committee of Serving People in Need (SPIN), is past President of Newport Mesa National Junior Basketball, past President of the Andersen Elementary School Foundation (DEANS), is a member of Legatus International, and also served on the Investment Committee of The Orange Catholic Foundation. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and has three sons. Matt enjoys traveling, running and exercise, and spending time with his family.
Catherine Williams is Head of Practice Management at Dimensional. Based in the Charlotte office, Catherine delivers benchmarking and practice management insights to advisors. Prior to joining Dimensional, she spent more than 20 years in the investment industry, including serving as chief operating officer for a large RIA. Most recently, Catherine offered strategic and executive coaching to investment advisors as an executive business coach with the Carson Group and as vice president of practice management and consulting with Fidelity Investments.
Catherine studied broadcast journalism and has focused her professional learning on leadership development, which includes coursework through Babson Executive Education. She has served as an advisory board member for the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business, and as a coach/mentor for the G2 Leadership Institute. Catherine hosts the Dimensional podcast series Managing Your Practice, which was created to provide insights that help advisors with all aspects of their businesses.
Tony joined DeVoe & Company in the new role of President in May of 2024.
Tony is a growth leader and wealth management executive with a distinguished career serving the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) segment. Having spent over 20 years at Charles Schwab Corporation he comes to DeVoe & Company with a strong background in developing and executing growth strategies, rallying stakeholders around core pillars, and building new ecosystems and partnerships to drive growth.
Tony excels in team development and alignment, attracting and retaining top talent to build high-performing organizations serving RIAs and Family Offices. He is recognized as an industry expert in wealth management, leveraging his institutional background to evolve the RIA marketplace and align relationship management and business development strategies. Tony's collaborative and team-based approach to business development has resulted in increased conversion of prospects and organic growth for existing clients.
In his most recent role as Managing Director of Advisor Services at Schwab, Tony led initiatives focused on Wealth Management Product Strategy and Business Management and Technology Consulting, driving significant growth and success for the company. He has a proven track record of building standout teams, launching new advisory businesses, and championing diversity initiatives within the organization.
Tony holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Finance from San Diego State University and has completed the Securities Industry Institute Leadership Program at The Wharton School. He is licensed with FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, and 65.
Norm Cook
Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Development
Sequoia Financial Group
Matt Cooper
Partner and President
Beacon Pointe Advisors
Catherine Williams
Vice President & Head of Practice Management
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Tony Parkin
President
DeVoe & Company
Denitsa Balunis is the Head of Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development for Edelman Financial Engines and responsible for the development and implementation of EFE’s enterprise strategy and planning, as well as mergers & acquisitions. She also serves as the Chief of Staff to EFE’s CEO driving cross-functional efforts at the CEO and business unit leadership levels.
With 20 years of strategy, finance and operations experience, Denitsa has spent her career helping companies build their long-term strategies and optimize financial performance while growing and scaling their businesses. Since joining EFE, Denitsa has held several key leadership roles at the company, including oversight of the diligence and integration of the deal that combined Edelman Financial Services and Financial Engines under Hellman & Friedman’s ownership in 2018 and the minority investment by Warburg Pincus in 2021. Since spearheading the EFE M&A function in 2020, Denitsa and her team have acquired seven RIA firms with over $5B in AUM. Denitsa’s team handles all parts of the deal process including opportunity sourcing, diligence, modeling/valuation, contract term setting, negotiation, deal closing and integration.
Before joining Edelman Financial Engines in 2018, Denitsa spent over a decade in progressively responsible strategic roles in the Financial Services and Technology industries - as a consultant and in industry, leading engagements focused on strategy formulation and execution, process improvement, new market entry and growth, M&A diligence and integration, and IPO Preparedness – both domestically and internationally.
Denitsa holds a B.A., Summa Cum Laude, in Economics with a concentration in Financial Markets from Colby College and an M.B.A. in Strategy from Duke University.
Henry Hagenbuch joined Lido in 2024. He is responsible for overseeing Lido’s national growth efforts through mergers and acquisitions.
Henry has more than fifteen years of experience in a business development and marketing capacity, with more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry, spanning private equity, investment banking, and wealth management. Prior to joining Lido, Henry spent several years as Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions at Robertson Stephens. Before that, he spent the better part of a decade at other RIAs that including, ClearRock Capital and Mercer Global Advisors, where he found his passion for building businesses through M&A. Prior to his career in financial services, Henry spent 6 years as a professional triathlete where he achieved a world ranking of 30th in non-draft Olympic distance racing and was sponsored by numerous worldwide brands.
Henry earned a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and later an M.B.A. in Finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Michael is responsible for leading the external M&A strategy for Carson Group. Prior to joining Carson, Michael spent more than 17 years with one of the nation's leading independent broker/dealers as a business development executive and consultant. He is a proud graduate of Creighton University.
Adam returned to DeVoe & Company in 2022 after previously working with the company in 2014-2015. Adam is focused on delivering our valuation services to RIA clients. He is an experienced CFO and financial analyst.
He has held positions across multiple industries, including financial services, technology, and other professional services verticals. Most recently, he was the CFO at Talent, Inc a technology-enabled career services provider. Prior to that, he was the CFO at Helix Education, a technology-based enrollment platform for colleges and universities. Earlier in his career, Adam co-founded Deer Creek Capital Partners, a long/short alternative investment fund with $20MM in assets. He was also a Senior Equity Analyst at Invesco Funds Group.
Adam has a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a MBA in Finance from Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Denitsa Balunis
Head of Corporate Strategy & Corporate Development
Edelman Financial Engines
Henry Hagenbuch
Senior Managing Director, Mergers and Acquisitions
Lido Advisors
Michael Belluomini
SVP Mergers & Acquisitions
Carson Group
Adam Levy
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Nikolee Turner is the director of business and technology consulting for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Ms. Turner is responsible for managing Schwab's client consulting teams that provide 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 consultants help advisors create strategic business plans, implement growth strategies, increase productivity, reduce cyber and operational risk, and plan for transition. Ms. Turner has been coaching, consulting, and training leaders for over 15 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 at conferences 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.
Scott Danner, Head of the Legacy Division at Steward Partners, is a driving force in the financial services industry. He leads M&A initiatives that help empower advisors to grow and secure their legacies with Steward Partners. As the Founder of Freedom Street Partners, Scott transformed a small firm into over a $3 billion in AUM as of December 2023 powerhouse with over 40 advisors across seven states. His next-gen advisory model helps equip advisors to transition their practices successfully, ensuring their businesses thrive beyond retirement.
A dedicated coach and author of Freedom Street, Scott's leadership is rooted in a commitment to health, faith, and family. He is deeply involved in his community, spearheading a wine festival that has donated $2.7 million to local charities over 15 years. Scott has received numerous accolades, including Forbes Best-in-State and Raymond James Chairman's Council honors.
Scott Danner is a relationship-driven leader, focused on making a lasting impact both in his industry and his community.
Kara has been providing comprehensive wealth management services to high-net-worth clients since 1998. In addition to her role as a Managing Director of Client Experience at Mercer Advisors, she leads the company’s InvestHERs initiative, focused on providing customized financial planning to serve the specific needs of women and working to increase the number of female professionals at the firm. As an inspiring thought leader, Kara is often interviewed by the news media and financial press on a variety of economic and market-related matters. She’s frequently interviewed by HerMoney, Barron’s and MoneyGeek, and regularly contributes to a column for Kiplinger.
Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, she was a principal and chief compliance officer at Duckworth Wealth Advisors. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. Kara is the co-chair of the board for the Center for Investment and Wealth Management for the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine, which provides innovative financial education for all in the community.
Ed Moore joined DeVoe & Company as a Special Advisor in 2021. Most recently, Ed served as President of Edelman Financial Services, the nation’s largest independent RIA. Over his 30-year career at Edelman, he helped grow the firm from six people into a $230-billion enterprise with 1.1 million clients and 1,400 employees. In addition to overseeing the large-scale merger and integration of Edelman Financial Services and Financial Engines, Ed navigated the company through a series of sales to private equity firms and taking the firm private.
During his tenure, he helped lead the firm’s organic growth from one office to 45 offices with 150 planners from coast to coast. As part his leadership roles there, he led and helped train financial planners, served on the Executive committee, Investment committee and the firm’s Board of Directors.
Ed started his career with Waddell & Reed as a financial advisor. Ed has been a CFP® professional since 1991 and has served on the Board of Directors for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
Ed graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
Nikolee Turner
Director, Business Consulting and Education
Charles Schwab
Scott Danner
Visionary Leader and Legacy Architect
Steward Partners
Kara Duckworth
Managing Director, Client Experience
Mercer Advisors
Ed Moore
Special Advisor
DeVoe & Company
Brad joined DeVoe & Company in 2018. He brings 30+ years of financial services experience in wealth management, asset management, and banking.
Brad has led several multi-billion dollar AUM RIAs and banks that own RIAs, many of which he helped grow through acquisition. His roles included President of PSBT’s Wealth Management Group, Managing Director of Manarin Investment Counsel, President of Carson Wealth Management Group, and President and CEO of BancWest Investment Services. Earlier in his career, he held senior positions at Citigroup, Kemper Financial Institution Group, and consulted with Farmers Financial Services.
Brad earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Loyola University Chicago.
Brad Grubb
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Aimee J. Jachym is a Member in Miller Johnson’s Business and Corporate practice representing businesses in commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance matters. She leads the firm’s RIA practice.
Investment Advisory Practice
Ms. Jachym represents financial industry professionals and registered investment advisory (RIA) firms throughout the United States and provides counsel on mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, and other business matters. She also advises RIAs on SEC and state registration, compliance matters, and client and partner transitions. Ms. Jachym has worked on dozens of RIA transactions, representing firms with up to $50B in assets under management.
International
Ms. Jachym works on many cross-border and international trade matters. She represents Korean and other international clients doing business in the United States and also advises domestic clients looking to expand their business into new markets. Ms. Jachym is proficient in verbal and written communication in Korean.
Corporate Law
Using her background in business and international affairs to meet the needs of local and global clients, Ms. Jachym counsels businesses of all sizes, including public institutions and start-ups, in diverse matters ranging from contract negotiations to regulatory matters and complex agreements. She serves as outside general counsel to several corporate clients and advises owners of privately-held entities on ownership issues, corporate governance, and succession planning.
Professional Affiliations, Activities, and Honors
Ms. Jachym is admitted to practice law in Michigan and Illinois. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Pro Bono Honor Roll.
Her community and organizations service includes:
· Southwest Michigan First, Board of Directors, 2022-present
· Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Board of Directors, 2021-present
· Korean Kids & Orphanage Outreach Mission (KKOOM), Co-Founder, Past President, and Board of Directors, 2007-present
· Community Homeworks, Board of Directors, 2020-2024
· Read and Write Kalamazoo, Fund Development Committee, 2018-2020
· Korean Connection, Board of Directors, 2013-2016
· Leadership Kalamazoo, Class of 2018
She was the Western Michigan University, Haworth College of Business Young Alumni Award Recipient in 2015.
Education
Ms. Jachym earned her J.D., cum laude, from Wayne State University Law School, was a member of Law Review, received the Dean’s Scholarship and was a Lombard Fellow. She earned a B.B.A. and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Western Michigan University and was a U.S. State Department Fulbright Grant recipient to South Korea. She was a University-Endorsed Nominee for a Rhodes Scholarship and also a Medallion Scholarship recipient.
Aimee Jachym
Member
Miller Johnson
Daren advises individuals and businesses on a vast range of tax planning and tax controversy matters at the federal, state, local, and international levels. He has a wealth of experience providing outside general counsel to entrepreneurs, founders, start-ups, and their investors.
He possesses extensive expertise with respect to partnership structuring, equity compensation arrangements, liquidity transactions (including QSBS benefits under Section 1202 of the Code), and mergers and acquisitions.
Daren’s insight and thought leadership on federal and state income tax matters have been quoted or published in Bloomberg, Fortune, Barron’s, and Law360.
Daren Shaver
Partner
HansonBridgett
Mark is the Founder and CEO of Wealth Architects, a leading independent wealth advisory firm based in Silicon Valley. Mark’s passion is serving and inspiring others to build wealthier lives and communities. He founded Wealth Architects to redefine a truly wealthy life and help more people align their time, money, and values to build holistic well-being beyond just financial security.
Mark is a strategic advisor to a broad group of clients, including families, entrepreneurs, executives, and non-profits from many of Silicon Valley’s most admired companies and organizations. Mark speaks to diverse groups in the San Francisco Bay Area on the concept of Building a Wealthier Life to help more people take an evidence-based approach to design lives with greater meaning, fulfillment, and purpose.
Being adopted at birth, he has a passion for democratizing opportunities for youth, so they can have equal access to greater well-being. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Children Now, a statewide advocacy organization for all kids in California, and on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Silicon Valley, where he chairs Project Cornerstone with a focus on building development assets for youth. He is an active Advisory Council member for the Stanford Center on Longevity, SV2 Partner, and a former Advisory Board member of Charles Schwab Institutional. He is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
Mark Johnsen
CEO
Wealth Architects
Russ Larsen is responsible for managing Wintrust’s middle market banking efforts in the northwest suburbs, Wintrust’s Investment Advisor Banking practice, and also serves as CEO of Village Bank & Trust. Russ has spent the last 30 years working with middle market companies in the greater Chicagoland area. He is passionate about establishing highly personalized relationships with an emphasis on strategic discussions about growth and succession planning.
Russ has a bachelor’s degree in finance with an emphasis in accounting from Northern Illinois University and an MBA in marketing with an emphasis in finance from DePaul University. He serves on the Board of Executive Advisors of the Northern Illinois University College of Business and as a board member for the American Cancer Society.
Russ Larsen
Group Executive Vice President
Wintrust
Alicia Chandler is president of Indianapolis-based Oak Street Funding®, a First Financial Bank® company. Alicia joined Oak Street Funding in 2011, serving as Chief Legal Counsel until her promotion to president in July 2022. During her tenure with Oak Street Funding, she has leveraged her strong understanding of commercial financing to enable a client-focused business approach and customized loan solutions for all of Oak Street’s targeted verticals.
Prior to joining Oak Street Funding, she was a partner with Krieg DeVault, LLP. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati and a law degree from University of Cincinnati’s College of Law.
Alicia and her family live in Carmel, Indiana, where they enjoy spending time with their four dogs and with friends, hanging by the pool and riding bikes.
Alicia Chandler
President
Oak Street Funding
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 small business owners across a variety of industries and has evaluated and underwritten over $400 million in approved loans during that time. Aaron now spends 100% of his time consulting on the M&A financing needs of RIAs and Independent Investment Advisors nationwide with a focus on acquisitions, mergers, buy-ins, buy-outs, equity purchases, succession plans, and debt consolidations.
Aaron Racino
Senior Relationship Manager
PPC Loan
Laura Delaney is a vice president and senior business consultant for FI Analytics & Commercialization at Fidelity Institutional®. Fidelity Institutional is a division of Fidelity Investments that offers investment insights, strategies, and solutions, as well as trading services to a wide range of wealth management firms and institutional investors. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to institutions, financial intermediaries, and individuals.
In this role, Ms. Delaney helps business owners identify and address strategic challenges critical to achieving high performance and growth. She leads Fidelity’s mergers & acquisitions consulting program and is a frequent speaker in industry conferences.
Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Delaney had a 16-year career with BNY Mellon | Pershing®. Ms. Delaney held several roles including enterprise & product consulting and vice president global strategy & product management. Ms. Delaney is the recipient of the BNY Mellon Star award; awarded once in a BNY Mellon career to those who exemplify outstanding achievements. Ms. Delaney brings 25 years of experience in the wealth management industry to her role.
Ms. Delaney earned her MBA degree from Dowling College in Oakdale, NY. She also holds the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses. She is a graduate of WOMEN Unlimited, Inc. and serves as a standing mentor for the program.
Laura Delaney
VP, Practice Management
Fidelity Institutional
James Hughes is the Head of Investment Advisory Lending at Live Oak Bank. In his role, James leads the sales team and oversees the lending process from the initial call to loan servicing. Since joining Live Oak in 2013, he has helped hundreds of businesses achieve their goals through financing. James has served in several roles at Live Oak, including as a sales trader, relationship manager, underwriter and loan officer. Before joining the bank, James worked at one of the leading investment banks in the world, where he managed a group of derivative trading assistants and several client service teams. Through this unique experience, James has gained an understanding of business owners' challenges. James' dedication is to assisting small business owners in the Investment Advisory industry to attain success and continue to thrive with Live Oak Bank’s products and services James has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bucknell University.
James Hughes
Head of Investment Advisory Lending
Live Oak Bank
Reegan Rae brings big-picture perspective to her role as a Coldstream Team Lead. She understands how to fit together the puzzle pieces of portfolio management, wealth planning, family office services, non-profit investment services, and generational planning. She also works directly with clients as a Wealth Manager, helping clients identify their mission, vision, and values and become intentional about building their legacy plans.
She brings with her more than 17 years of experience in the investment advisory industry. Before joining Coldstream in 2024, she served as Co-CEO, Managing Principal, and Senior Investment Advisor at Arnerich Massena, and previously as a registered principal and member firm relationship manager for M Holding Securities (the broker-dealer of M Financial Group) and as financial advisor for AXA Advisors.
Reegan Rae earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon. She is a current FINRA Series 65 license holder and former FINRA Series 7, 66, and 24 license holder. She has also held insurance licenses in Oregon and Washington. Ms. Rae has earned her Certified Private Wealth Advisor ® (CPWA®) designation, an advanced credential created specifically for wealth advisors who work with high-net-worth individuals and families that provides training in the development of strategies to minimize taxes, monetize and protect assets, maximize growth, and transfer wealth to the next generation strategically.
Reegan has served on the Board of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and on the Board of Trustees and as chair of the Investment Committee for The Oregon Ballet Theatre, and has been a member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) since 2018.
Reegan Rae was awarded the 2023 Sandra K. McDonough Place With No Ceiling Leadership Award by the Portland Metro Chamber, and was named a 2023 InvestmentNews Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion See It, Be It Role Model award winner. She was a Portland Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree in 2019; the Forty Under 40 honors young professionals for outstanding leadership in their careers and compelling community involvement. Additionally, she was also in the Portland Business Alliance’s Leadership Portland Class of 2017, a program developing upper-level business leaders to work together to positively impact the community.
Reegan Rae
Team Lead & Wealth Manager
Coldstream
Mark joined DeVoe & Company as a Managing Director in 2021 to support the next phase of the company's growth. Mark is a 20-plus-year financial services veteran who has a track record of driving transformational growth and delivering innovative solutions. Most recently, Mark was the Chief Operating Officer at Stanford Federal Credit Union, where he led retail and distribution channels, sales, service, membership, and technology enhancements. Prior to Stanford Federal Credit Union, Mark was the Head of Corporate Strategy and Development at BNP Paribas, Bank of the West. His numerous previous appointments include leadership roles at Ernst & Young, Bank of America, Robertson Stephens, and FleetBoston.
Mark received his Bachelor's in Political Science from Middlebury College and an MBA in Finance, Strategy and Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Mark Wilcox
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Francine joined DeVoe & Company in 2012. She is an investment banker with more than 30 years of experience in M&A transactions in the Financial Service Industry as an acquirer, a seller and an investment banker.
Formerly, she was President of Kaspick & Company, a privately held asset management firm, where she revitalized operations, grew AUM from $3B to $4.5B and created an exit for the founders through a sale to TIAA-CREF. At PNC Bank, she was CEO & Division Executive of Treasury Management Services. At Chase Manhattan Bank, she held a number of positions in its Merger Office and Private Bank.
Francine has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Psychology from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard University.
Francine Miltenberger
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Doug joined DeVoe & Company in 2021 as a Managing Director and works with our clients on consulting and investment banking projects.
Doug has more than 20 years of senior-level RIA management experience as COO/CCO and consultant. Most recently, he served as COO/CCO at Parcion Private Wealth (~$2B) in Seattle. He oversaw an 80% AUM growth trajectory in the first 12 months of his tenure there. Prior to Parcion, Doug spent six years at The Ensemble Practice, where he supported RIAs and broker-dealers with business consulting and strategic planning. Doug also served in leadership positions at Columbia Pacific Capital Management and Lakeside Capital Management, among other firms.
Doug earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Management/ASU and a BA from University of California Los Angeles.
Doug Johnson
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
If you would like to learn more about becoming a partner, please email us at events@devoe-co.com.
Please enjoy a few scenes from previous events.
