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WealthTech on Deck

LifeYield

WealthTech on Deck is a show featuring meaningful conversations with financial services leaders. Our host, Jack Sharry, engages financial services executives that are solving specific challenges around fintech ecosystems and household wealth technology.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 28 min
  • English

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  • Tuesday · 23 min

    Why Wealth Firms Need to Own Their Infrastructure with Kevin Mitchell

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Kevin Mitchell, CEO and Co-Founder of Graphene. After nearly two decades building and operating regulated wealth platforms across the UK and Europe, Kevin co-founded Graphene to help wealth firms take greater control of the infrastructure on which their businesses depend. Jack and Kevin examine why platform infrastructure has become an enterprise-level strategic decision. Kevin outlines how owning more of the value chain can give wealth firms greater authority over their data, operating model, client experience, and economics while still allowing them to use institutional partners for capabilities such as custody. They also discuss Graphene’s approach to data sovereignty, the relationship between infrastructure and enterprise value, and why firms should establish secure, interoperable foundations before applying AI. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:39) - Kevin’s career in regulated wealth platform infrastructure (03:46) - Building a “Shopify for wealth management” (07:13) - The benefits of owning your platform (08:50) - The importance of data sovereignty for wealth firms (10:59) - Graphene's growth and global ambitions (12:02) - Democratizing institutional capabilities for wealth managers (14:11) - Why AI needs a strong foundation (17:40) - Using AI to build secure, customized applications (19:07) - Kevin's outlook about the future of the wealth management industry (20:10) - Kevin's interests outside of work Quotes "A lot of these wealth management companies didn't necessarily have the expertise, the resources, the budget, or, in some cases, even the willingness to build and own the thing that their entire business ran on." ~Kevin Mitchell "We all know that any successful business, whether you're a financial services company or otherwise, those that succeed will have full control of their data." ~ Kevin Mitchell "If you don't have the data in a secure environment, if you don't understand who those counterparties are and where they store your data, if you don't understand the compliance restrictions and the regulated environment you work in, you will be left in a very dark place." ~ Kevin Mitchell Links Kevin Mitchell on LinkedIn Graphene Platforms Robert Kelly Shopify Financial Conduct Authority London Stock Exchange St Andrews Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • September 29 · 32 min

    Turning Holistic Advice into Holistic Implementation with Max Lane

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Max Lane, CEO of Flourish. Since joining the company in 2017, Max has helped build Flourish around one central idea: advisors need better tools to serve clients beyond the investment portfolio. Jack and Max explore the shift from holistic advice to holistic implementation and why clients increasingly expect advisors to do more than hand them a financial plan and a list of homework. Max unpacks how Flourish is helping independent advisors close that gap, allowing clients to maintain control of their money while giving advisors new ways to uncover held-away assets, expand wallet share, generate referrals, and compete more effectively with private banks and wirehouses. He also looks ahead to how new capabilities, enterprise infrastructure, data, and AI could help advisors deliver more proactive financial advice. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:13) - Max's path to Flourish and the founding vision (03:50) - What Flourish Cash is and the problem it solves (06:04) - Why advisors underestimate their clients' held-away cash (08:10) - The disconnect between asset consolidation and advisor behavior (11:13) - Shifting from holistic advice to holistic implementation (14:23) - Bringing mortgages and lending into the advisory relationship (19:43) - Advisor education and the path to organic growth (23:11) - Why advisors are expanding beyond the investment portfolio (25:44) - What's next: enterprise scale, new products, and AI (29:42) - Max's interests outside of work Quotes "The challenge we have, and that we've worked through, is that independent advisors aren't necessarily used to talking about cash. First and foremost, they're investment-focused. They start and end with the portfolio." ~ Max Lane "The ideal end state of wealth management is that I, as an end client, am paying a trusted sole advisor to look out for and advise on all of my money. I want technology and the advisor to implement this on my behalf." ~ Max Lane "As a holistic fiduciary advisor, if you don't have the capabilities and tools to be involved in the most costly, impactful, emotional, and financial decision in your client's life, you're probably not meeting expectations." ~ Max Lane Links Max Lane on LinkedIn Flourish Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • September 22 · 25 min

    Why Advisors Matter More in an Age of Unlimited Information with Jim Patrick

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Jim Patrick, Senior Business Advisor at McKinsey. Jim has more than 25 years of experience in wealth management, asset management, institutional investing, and family office advisory services. A former Group President at Envestnet, he now advises McKinsey and other financial services firms on growth strategy, operating model transformation, product development, distribution, regulation, AI enablement, advisor productivity, alternatives, and serving the evolving needs of affluent and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Jack and Jim explore how the role of the financial advisor is changing as investment products, information, and technology become increasingly accessible. Jim argues that greater choice and complexity make advisors more valuable—not less—as clients look for help making better decisions, managing their behavior, and connecting investments to long-term goals. They also discuss the looming advisor capacity shortage, the growing complexity of alternative investments and regulation, and why UMH can position advisors as the trusted quarterback across a client’s entire financial life. Jim also explains how AI can improve advisor productivity while giving advisors more time to focus on what technology cannot replace: human connection and trust. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:30) - How the advisor value proposition has changed (02:50) - Why technology has made financial advisors more relevant (04:23) - The looming advisor capacity challenge (05:38) - Why behavioral coaching creates advisor value (06:52) - Navigating an increasingly complex investment landscape (07:58) - How advisors should approach alternative investments (09:36) - Breaking down regulatory complexity for clients (11:49) - The evolution from UMA to Unified Managed Household (13:33) - Rethinking how financial advice is priced (15:10) - How AI can improve advisor productivity and personalization (17:06) - Why trust remains fundamental to financial advice (19:29) - Technology has democratized access, but not judgment (19:54) - Jim's interests outside of work (21:00) - Jim's advice for the next generation of wealth management leaders Quotes "The biggest shift over the last 29 years I've been in the business is that it's no longer about access to products, services, solutions, or asset allocation, as those things have become more ubiquitous. It's about decision-making and decision-making consistency. Because as consumers engage with more and more information, they become paralyzed." ~ Jim Patrick "While innovation and technology have increased transparency and removed friction, advisors are getting the productivity lift they need, but it's not enough to overcome the real needs of end clients, and that is better and more consistent decision-making." ~ Jim Patrick "The end clients need help managing their expectations, their goals, and the activities they complete to achieve results. And they fail because they panic. They fail because they chase performance. They fail because they get focused on a shiny new lure that goes by." ~ Jim Patrick Links Jim Patrick on LinkedIn McKinsey Envestnet Capital Preferences Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • September 15 · 32 min

    Women & Wealth: How Women Investors Are Reshaping Wealth Management with Ann Covington

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Ann Covington, Founder & Financial Advisor at CovingtonAlsina. Ann is passionate about helping strong, successful women navigate increasingly complex financial lives. She brings a personal understanding of the challenges women face and the value of thoughtful financial guidance. Ann talks with Jack about how the rise of women investors is reshaping wealth management. She also discusses the systems and workflows that have helped her scale the firm while delivering a consistent client experience, how tax planning can demonstrate the tangible value of advice, and why brand awareness built through education and community involvement matters more than any other marketing tactic. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:57) - Ann's unconventional path into financial advice (04:10) - Inside CovingtonAlsina and its growth trajectory (06:24) - The strategies behind CovingtonAlsina's rapid organic growth (09:52) - Why Ann built her practice around serving women investors (13:58) - How Ann attracts women investors (16:05) - The shifting dynamics of women's roles in financial decision-making (18:23) - CovingtonAlsina's marketing playbook (23:43) - Using tax planning to demonstrate the value of advice (27:56) - Ann's outlook on the future of CovingtonAlsina (28:48) - Ann's interests outside of work Quotes "You have to go small to get big. When your marketing and branding are focused on one area, people opt in. People come to us to buy." ~ Ann Covington "On average, women see money as what it enables them to do for their family." ~ Ann Covington "We take the really complex, crazy stuff and make it simple for clients and give them peace of mind." ~ Ann Covington Links Ann Covington on LinkedIn CovingtonAlsina SEI Women's Institute for Financial Education Daily News Brief Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • September 1 · 21 min

    How Advisors Can Build More Tax-Efficient Portfolios with Andrew Ang

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Andrew Ang. Andrew is a leading voice in quantitative investing, factor research, tax-efficient portfolio construction, and AI. He spent 15 years as a professor at Columbia Business School and 10 years as Managing Director at BlackRock, where he led work across factors, sustainability, and investment solutions. Today, he is the Co-Founder of Tau Balance, where he applies technology, tax expertise, and AI to wealth management. Andrew talks with Jack about factor investing and tax-efficient portfolios, why taxes can significantly affect what investors actually keep, and how advisors can think beyond pre-tax returns when building portfolios. Andrew also shares his vision for the "self-driving portfolio," an agentic investment strategy where AI agents can specialize across asset classes, challenge one another's assumptions, and continuously learn. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:37) - Andrew's background and career journey (03:47) - The evolution of factor-based investing (06:16) - Andrew's transition from academic research to portfolio management (07:40) - Taxes as the biggest factor in investment returns (11:35) - The vision behind the "self-driving portfolio" (17:11) - Using investment policy statements as guardrails for AI (18:34) - Andrew's interests outside of work Quotes "Taxes constitute the biggest wedge between returns that you seem to participate in, or that are reported, and the returns that you actually get to keep." ~ Andrew Ang "The really big gains come when we don't just substitute something for AI, but completely change the way that we work with it." ~ Andrew Ang "Where the agents disagree, those are the most interesting and important areas for investing. That's probably where alpha lies, or where we actually have to be very careful to construct robust portfolios." ~ Andrew Ang Links Andrew Ang on LinkedIn Tau Balance BlackRock SEI Ang Research Enhanced U.S. Large Cap ETF (ANGU) Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • August 25 · 31 min

    Building a Protection-First Advice Model with Mike Perry

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Mike Perry, Head of Client Solutions and Wealth Management at Guardian Life. With leadership experience spanning Guardian, Nuveen, UBS, and Merrill Lynch, Mike has spent his career helping firms evolve their wealth management strategies while expanding access to comprehensive financial planning. Jack and Mike discuss Guardian’s protection-first philosophy and why holistic planning begins long before retirement. They explore the firm’s “living balance sheet” framework, the growing importance of strategic partnerships, Guardian’s investment in Avantos, and why AI is best viewed as a tool that helps advisors deepen client relationships—not replace them. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:24) - Mike’s path to Guardian Life (05:09) - The evolution of separately managed accounts (07:38) - Guardian’s protection-first planning philosophy (11:20) - The “living balance sheet” approach to holistic advice (13:28) - Why Guardian rebranded Park Avenue Wealth Management (16:23) - Why Guardian invested in Avantos (18:48) - AI as a force multiplier for advisors (20:51) - Why strategic partnerships accelerate innovation (23:01) - Mike's key takeaways (27:51) - Mike's interest outside of work Quotes "What clients need is trusted advice from an advisor. So, the real engagement, where trust gets built, and problems are solved, is in that back-and-forth planning discussion with the end client." ~ Mike Perry "Our opportunity here is protection first, because we're engaging clients earlier in their lives and marrying it with a much broader set of questions and client engagement across all of our planning." ~ Mike Perry "Innovation has to be a constant thing you focus on, because across financial services, one day you may provide something at less cost, but it's immediately replicated. So you need to keep doing that." ~ Mike Perry Links Mike Perry on LinkedIn Guardian Life Nuveen UBS Merrill Lynch eMoney Advisor Park Avenue Wealth Management Avantos Vanguard BlackRock Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • August 18 · 28 min

    How Technology and Operations Enable Total Wealth Advice with Alok Kapoor and John Hogarty

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Indivisible Partners' Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Alok Kapoor, and Founder and Chief Operating Officer, John Hogarty. Alok oversees and guides the firm's technology direction and brings leadership experience from Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch. John leads the company's growth by optimizing operations and technology, with a track record of managing large-scale initiatives and building platforms at Merrill Lynch's Global Wealth and Investment Management for Bank of America. Alok and John discuss how technology and operations serve as competitive differentiators for wealth firms. They share how they built a fully integrated platform, powered by technology and human expertise, to align clients', advisors', and firms' objectives. Alok and John also discuss what it means to deliver total wealth advice and how the future of wealth management will be shaped by those with the capabilities to serve clients best and build processes and efficiency into their businesses. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:51) - The 'why' behind Indivisible Partners (03:55) - How innovation in fintech has transformed wealth management (06:01) - Technology and operations as competitive differentiators (09:46) - What Indivisible Partners is building and who it's for (13:28) - Why platform architecture and integration matter (18:38) - Scaling organic growth without losing the client experience (20:23) - What the best firms will look like in the future (21:50) - John and Alok's key takeaways (24:41) - John and Alok's interests outside of work Quotes "When you're dealing with people's wealth, you can't make mistakes in the back office. The soundness and safety, the consistency, and the quality of the reporting and interaction in this day and age, the movement of money, and the protection of those assets are so important." ~ John Hogarty "We needed a capability where every advisor could lay out their desktop exactly the way they want to see information, in the order they want to see it." ~ John Hogarty "Everybody out there will talk about the capabilities they're building into their products. It's really easy to move quickly on a rocky foundation. We work really well in making sure we're moving very quickly on an extremely solid foundation." ~ Alok Kapoor "Most firms treat technology and operations as back-office cost centers. They're measured on risk. They're measured on budget. We think of them as the product. Because to the advisor and client, this stuff working is the product. It has to work." ~ Alok Kapoor Links Alok Kapoor on LinkedIn John Hogarty on LinkedIn Indivisible Partners John Thiel Advyzon Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • August 11 · 32 min

    Five Key Trends Reshaping the Investor Landscape with Andrew Guillette

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Andrew Guillette, Vice President of Global Insights at Broadridge. Founder of Verge Advisory and former COO of Cerulli, Andrew has a track record of delivering industry-leading market research to U.S. asset managers. With specialized expertise in research and product development, he can leverage cutting-edge technologies to transform business operations and create new revenue streams. Andrew talks with Jack about what investors actually want, based not on surveys, but on real behavior from 55 million retail investors. Drawing from the Broadridge Investor Pulse dataset, Andrew breaks down five critical trends reshaping the investor landscape today. Their conversation also challenges long-held industry assumptions and offers a data-backed look at how firms can better align with evolving investor behavior. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:59) - Andrew's career background (04:05) - What Investor Pulse is and why it matters (08:02) - Theme 1: The myth of the 'average investor' (11:40) - Theme 2: Democratization and concentration of wealth (14:29) - Theme 3: Product proliferation and model portfolios (20:40) - Theme 4: Blending of self-directed investing and advised relationships (25:08) - Theme 5: Investor intelligence as a competitive advantage (26:56) - Andrew's advice for wealth and asset management leaders (28:05) - Andrew's interests outside of work Quotes "Advice still reigns, but the mix is shifting. The self-directed growth is real. Now, one-third of all investors have a relationship with a self-directed firm." ~ Andrew Guillette "The number one reason that investors straddle is diversification and enjoyment. Diversification was highest among women, and then enjoyment was highest among men, particularly younger men." ~ Andrew Guillette "Don't rely on legacy assumptions about who your investor is and how you think you should engage. Get the data to gain more precision about investor behavior. The firms best positioned to win will be the ones that understand the end investor." ~ Andrew Guillette Links Andrew Guillette on LinkedIn Broadridge Broadridge - Investor Pulse Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • July 28 · 28 min

    Scaling an Independent RIA Without Losing Your Culture with Randy Morris and Seamus O’Brien

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Summit Wealth Group Founder & CEO Randy Morris and Head of Advisor Success Seamus O’Brien. After leading the firm’s successful transition to independence, Randy and Seamus are now focused on building an advisor-first organization designed for long-term growth. Randy brings more than four decades of industry leadership, while Seamus draws on more than 25 years of experience helping advisory firms scale through advisor development, client experience, and strategic growth initiatives. Randy and Seamus reflect on Summit’s first year as an independent RIA, discussing what it took to transition thousands of client accounts without losing a single team member. They explain why organic growth extends far beyond client acquisition, how a strong data foundation is essential for putting AI to work, and why building an intentional culture becomes even more important as firms scale. They also challenge common misconceptions about growth and share what comes next for Summit. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:30) - Recapping Summit Wealth Group's launch as an RIA (04:00) - SEI's role in Summit's transition (05:40) - Seamus's journey from SEI to Summit Wealth (06:47) - How Summit defines organic growth (09:21) - What a scalable advisor success platform looks like (10:26) - What Summit looks for in an advisor (12:15)- How Summit has enhanced its client solutions and capabilities (14:33) - How Summit preserved its culture while scaling rapidly (17:01) - Building an intentional advisor community (17:57) - What firms misunderstand about growth (22:10) - What's next for Summit Wealth Group (24:20) - Randy and Seamus' interests outside of work Quotes "Organic growth is the hardest kind of growth. It is the number one driver of valuation and success once you get past that cultural alignment conversation." ~ Seamus O'Brien "There's no real silver bullet for growth. What works for some might not for others. So we have to be adaptable, and not be afraid to take some calculated risks and make some mistakes." ~ Seamus O'Brien "In a growing company, if you're not intentional with pulling everybody together, you're going to end up with silos. Those silos create fractures in the organization's health." ~ Randy Morris "Intentional pulling together of advisors and their teams in our local communities is paramount to really accomplishing the growth objectives the company is trying to achieve." ~ Randy Morris Links Randy Morris on LinkedIn Seamus O'Brien on LinkedIn Summit Wealth Group Chelsea Ganey Carmelle Nemechek Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • July 14 · 23 min

    Driving Growth Through Operational Scale with Jack Hannah

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Jack Hannah, President & Chief Operating Officer at GeoWealth. Jack oversees the firm's operations, service, and both digital and investment product divisions. He is also fully dedicated to GeoWealth's strategic business initiatives, ensuring that the platform's capabilities evolve in line with their clients' unique needs. Jack talks about what enables firms to grow and what holds them back. He discusses how operational efficiency can boost RIA growth without breaking their back office and how modern platforms are reshaping investment management. Jack also shares the importance of partnerships and how GeoWealth is pushing the boundaries of what a single client account can deliver. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:09) - Jack's early career in RIA operations (04:30) - Jack's transition from an RIA environment to GeoWealth (05:35) - How GeoWealth helps advisors (07:02) - GeoWealth's value proposition and modern TAMP model (08:44) - GeoWealth's platform capabilities and integrations (10:42) - Why investors choose GeoWealth (12:24) - What partnerships look like at GeoWealth (15:51) - How GeoWealth expands its investment capabilities (19:11) - Jack's interests outside of work Quotes "We want to provide scale to an advisor's practice, no matter what shape or size they might be." ~ Jack Hannah "We want to meet these advisors or these firms right where they are. I know that's overused, but we really mean that." — Jack Hannah "The investment management world is rapidly changing. We are on the cutting edge of what a UMA is and how it should actually work in a client account." ~ Jack Hannah Links Jack Hannah on LinkedIn GeoWealth Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • July 7 · 30 min

    Institutionalizing Organic Growth with Rick Kent & Kay Lynn Mayhue

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Merit Financial Advisors' CEO & Founder, Rick Kent, and President, Kay Lynn Mayhue. Rick is an entrepreneur and visionary leader who founded Merit on a servant-leadership philosophy and a commitment to helping individuals reach their financial goals while supporting fellow advisors and entrepreneurs in meeting their professional goals. Kay Lynn has played many roles in the financial advisory industry: as a successor, partner, seller, and buyer. This unique and diverse background allows her to relate to advisors at all career stages and across the M&A lifecycle. Rick and Kay Lynn talk with Jack about how they've built one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the country without losing sight of culture, leadership, and long-term value creation. They discuss what it really takes to scale intentionally, from balancing disciplined M&A with true organic growth to building a leadership model rooted in servant leadership, humility, and accountability. Rick and Kay Lynn also share Merit's institutionalized approach to business development and explain why partnerships, technology integration, and adaptability in the age of AI will define the future of wealth management. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:13) - Rick on Merit's origin story (03:06) - Rick and Kay Lynn's partnership and leadership dynamics (04:59) - The core principles of Merit Financial Advisors (09:14) - How Merit has maintained its culture through 60+ acquisitions (12:41) - How Merit generates organic growth (16:56) - Inside Merit's business development engine and growth tracks (20:30) - Rick and Kay Lynn's outlook on the future of wealth management (26:16) - Rick and Kay Lynn's interests outside of work Quotes "You can have all of the principles and core values at the top. But if you don't bring on the right people, you are not going to succeed at having that in your culture. And so it starts with the people, it ends with the people." ~ Kay Lynn Mayhue "People are underestimating the power of finding the right partnerships. The right partnership is going to make your future." ~ Kay Lynn Mayhue "The marketing to bring in clients should be an enterprise operation. It really should be institutionalized, where we figure out how to connect with clients and then provide those opportunities to our advisors to let them do what they do best." ~ Rick Kent "When you think about the real value of a firm, if you have money, you can make acquisitions. But really valuable firms are going to prove that they are growing their market share through organic growth." ~ Rick Kent Links Rick Kent on LinkedIn Kay Lynn Mayhue on LinkedIn Merit Financial Advisors Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • June 24 · 29 min

    Beyond the Hype: How AI Makes a Difference in Wealth Management with Rob Pettman

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Rob Pettman, President and Chief Revenue Officer at TIFIN. Rob brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across wealth management, investment platforms, and financial technology. Before joining TIFIN, he spent 19 years at LPL Financial, most recently as Executive Vice President of Wealth Management Solutions. Rob talks with Jack about the hype surrounding artificial intelligence in wealth management. He discusses how firms across the industry deploy AI, what delivers real outcomes, and what top-performing firms are doing differently. Rob also shares the three major themes driving AI adoption today, as well as how AI reshapes workflows, accelerates advisor transitions, and unlocks new growth opportunities. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:29) - The current state of AI adoption in wealth management (02:57) - The three core themes of AI value creation (07:12) - Why outcome matters more than solving the data problem (08:36) - What advisors actually want from AI tools (11:48) - What change management means for AI adoption (13:10) - How companies can succeed with AI integration (15:28) - The difference between AI at the operating level vs. AI as a tool (17:19) - How AI-driven personalization works in wealth management (20:19) - Point solutions vs. platforms: Why flexibility still matters (21:32) - Rob's thoughts on the future of AI in wealth management (23:34) - The biggest misconception about AI in wealth management (25:35) - Rob's interests outside of work Quotes "The firms that are most successful have a very strong initiative and leadership presence coming from the C-suite. It's not just about putting a flag in the ground and saying, "We're going to do AI." It's actually them leaning in and pushing through some of the structural issues within their organization that may prevent AI from being successful." ~ Rob Pettman "When you view AI as a tool versus a change in your operating model, technology doesn't understand your business. So, it really does have to be the culture around business-led technology-enabled versus business-deferred to technology." ~ Rob Pettman "The real power, the maximum commercial impact you get with AI, is when cost savings meets growth meets scale, and you put all three of those together." ~ Rob Pettman Links Rob Pettman on LinkedIn TIFIN Cetera Financial Group Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • June 9 · 30 min

    Advisor Shortage, AI, and the Next Growth Model with Vlad Golyk

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Vlad Golyk, Partner and Leader of McKinsey's North America Wealth Management Practice. Vlad works closely with wealth and asset managers, focusing on growth, transformation, and the evolution of operating models. He is a co-author and lead contributor to two recently released reports, The Looming Advisor Shortage in US Wealth Management and US Wealth Management in 2035: A Transformative Decade Begins. Vlad talks with Jack about the forces that will shape wealth management over the next decade. He highlights significant challenges, particularly advisor capacity, which is becoming one of the industry's most critical concerns as demand for financial advice continues to rise while the advisor workforce ages and declines. Vlad also explains how advisory firms can build an operating model that delivers holistic advice while addressing advisor shortages. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:40) - Why growth, productivity, advisor models, and AI are interconnected (04:53) - The looming advisor shortage in wealth management (10:12) - The power of AI in the modern advisory world (18:15) - Monetizing AI: AI-powered guidance and new revenue opportunities (22:08) - What makes a successful wealth management operating model (26:14) - Vlad's interests outside of work Quotes "If you're only building for today's clients who want the human advisor enhanced by technology, you might be optimizing a model that the next wave of accumulators will never opt into." ~ Vlad Golyk "Investors are clear about the role they want AI to play today. They want it as a guidance layer, not an autonomous agent." ~ Vlad Golyk "Build a blended experience where AI handles analytical throughput and the human shows up at moments of highest emotional and financial stakes. Investors want that, they pay for it, and they want it from the advisor." ~ Vlad Golyk Links Vlad Golyk on LinkedIn McKinsey Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • June 2 · 30 min

    Why Advisor Capacity Is the Future of Growth with Steve Gresham

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Steve Gresham, Founder and Managing Principal at NextChapter. With more than 40 years in asset and wealth management, Steve has spent his career working on growth issues as an executive and as an advisor to executives. He has also played a key role in developing major industry innovations, including managed accounts, target-date funds, wealth strategies, and practice management. Steve talks with Jack about why advisor capacity is becoming the defining driver of enterprise value. He discusses how firms can build their enterprise value through four key levers—headquarters-led capabilities, hybrid tech and human delivery, retention, and client acquisition. Steve further explores why advisory capacity is the new growth currency in wealth management and how AI accelerates this shift. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:54) - Defining organic growth, enterprise value, and advisor capacity (05:03) - The next chapter of organic growth (08:53) - How advisor capacity is a driver of enterprise value (11:28)- How AI is linked to enterprise value (14:57) - The four levers to build enterprise value (20:45) - Applying the four levers framework to real firms (25:42) - Steve's key takeaways (27:46) - Steve's interests outside of work Quotes "You have to be able to tie AI into what is already an ongoing digital and information revolution. AI is riding on those same rails. It is accelerating the speed of the train, but it's still primarily leading to a human-led advice industry." ~ Steve Gresham "Newer, younger advisors have a much more open mind about the role of technology. It makes them more efficient. And if it's used correctly, it makes them more successful." ~ Steve Gresham "End treating organic growth as a hero metric and start managing for enterprise value. And that means defining the advisor or the organization's capacity to engage as a KPI." ~ Steve Gresham Links Steve Gresham on LinkedIn NextChapter SEI Fidelity Investments Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • May 19 · 25 min

    Operationalizing AI: Turning Technology into Sustainable Organic Growth with Alois Pirker

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Alois Pirker, Founder & CEO of Pirker Partners. For 25 years, Alois has worked with many leading wealth management firms and providers globally. Today, he advises firms, vendors, and investors on where the industry is headed, grounded in real conversation, real data, and real-world execution. Alois talks with Jack about how firms navigate the convergence of AI, operations, and business model transformation. They discuss the gap between AI hype and practical implementation, why data management is the key to successful AI implementation, and how firms are moving from siloed, product-focused models toward holistic advice. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (03:35) - What makes AI different this time (06:00) - The challenge of organizing data across firms (10:26) - Why AI can't fix broken infrastructures (13:17) - The truth about organic growth (18:04) - How the vendor landscape has evolved over time (21:41) - Alois' interests outside of work Quotes "Using AI is very expensive. So, marrying traditional methods with AI methods, that's where the secret sauce is." ~ Alois Pirker "Organic growth starts with trust. It starts with the trust the advisor or the firm has earned with the client or prospect. And that cannot be manufactured through technology." ~ Alois Pirker "Smart vendors know their position in the value chain. They know where they are strong." ~ Alois Pirker Links Alois Pirker on LinkedIn Pirker Partners Range.com FINNY Morgan Stanley Jed Finn Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • April 28 · 27 min

    The Convergence Era: Advancing Advisor Technology and Client Experience with Bradley Kellum

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Bradley Kellum, Partner and Head of Wealth Management for North America at Oliver Wyman. Brad is a leader in wealth management technology focused on improving how advisors leverage systems to deliver better client outcomes. With deep experience across advisory platforms and digital transformation, Bradley brings a strategic perspective on how technology can unlock scale, efficiency, and more personalized client engagement. Jack and Bradley explore the challenges firms face with fragmented systems and how integration is becoming essential to delivering a unified client experience. They discuss the shift toward more holistic advice, the role of data in driving better decisions, and how firms can position themselves for the next wave of innovation in wealth management. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:50) - Bradley's role at Oliver Wyman (03:08) - What convergence means in the financial services industry (05:53) - The target operating model: Data, technology architecture, and people (07:33) - A customer-first approach to executing goals-based wealth management (11:50) - Public and private investments: demand vs. operational reality (16:24) - The role of AI in empowering advisors (22:27) - How firms can navigate the convergence in financial services (24:47) - Bradley's interests outside of work Quotes "The right product at the right time is a solution." ~ Bradley Kellum "All things financial are expensive propositions to build and maintain. So, to feed that engine, you need primacy in a client's life." ~ Bradley Kellum "If you're everything to everybody, that's a recipe for mediocrity. The winners will really serve the clients that they've chosen to go after better than others." — Bradley Kellum Links Bradley Kellum on LinkedIn Oliver Wyman Morgan Stanley Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • April 21 · 32 min

    How Unified Managed Household Was Born with Len Reinhart

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Len Reinhart, President of Reinhart Consulting Group and a pioneer in fee-based advisory services. Len has spent decades shaping the evolution of wealth management, from his early days in large brokerage firms to helping build and scale some of the industry’s first fee-based advisory platforms. Len and Jack take a walk down memory lane to discuss the origins of Unified Managed Household (UMH) and goal-based wealth planning, and how Len's prediction about UMH is finally taking root. From the early days of EF Hutton to the founding of Lockwood Advisors, Len shares the story of how the financial services industry transitioned from commission-driven transactions to the fee-based advisory model we know today and how he brought goal-based investing to everyday investors. In this episode: (00:00)- Intro (02:06) - Len’s career journey and the origins of fee-based advisory (06:08) - Early experience inside large brokerage firms (07:40) - Transitioning from transactional business to fee-based models (12:15) - The development of goal-based investing (16:33) - Key ideas from “A Managed Account Odyssey” (21:04) - Why change in financial services takes decades (24:31) - The role of UMH and AI in the future of wealth management (28:10) - Len's interests outside of work Quotes "The one thing that has bothered me over my years in this business is how slow change happens in the financial services industry. There's a lot of stuff going on with different types of investments, but the way to do business changes very slowly." ~ Len Reinhart "One thing we realized about why change takes so long in this business is that the end advisor, you have to catch them at the right time. We didn't do it with the biggest producers. We did it with the wannabe producers, and we helped them become big producers." ~ Len Reinhart "AI is coming. AI can take this technology and impact the advisor dramatically. And for an advisor to have the value add they need to retain a client, they've got to be doing UMH. If they don't, they're going to lose the client." ~ Len Reinhart Links Len Reinhart on LinkedIn EF Hutton Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Jamie Dimon Jim Seuffert Pershing WealthCare Altruist Holistiplan Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • April 14 · 28 min

    Integrating Fee-Based Annuities into Household Wealth Management with David Lau

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with David Lau, Founder & CEO at DPL Financial Partners. David is an innovator and disruptor in the financial services industry and one of the pioneers in fee-based annuities and in making annuities more accessible. His firm focuses on integrating innovative insurance products into a fee-based advisory practice, helping advisors deliver greater value and better outcomes for investors through transparent, cost-effective solutions. David and Jack explore the transformation underway in how advisors integrate annuities into a fee-based, household-level practice. They discuss why commission-based annuities are giving way to low-cost, fee-based structures, how technology is making annuity analysis scalable across entire books of business, and why asset location within a household — including tax deferral through investment-only variable annuities — is the clearest path to better client outcomes. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:21) - DPL's role in the convergence of human and digital advice (06:30) - Scaling annuity analysis from individual clients to entire books (09:42) - Simplifying annuity analysis through technology and automation (13:17) - How annuities make a difference to a portfolio (18:31) - Leveraging structure to create better outcomes (23:41) - David's outlook on the future of the financial services industry (25:07) - David's key takeaways (25:53) - David's interests outside of work Quotes "We build technology that commoditizes annuity knowledge. So now you don't need to be an advisor trying to figure out which annuity is best or which will suit your client. You just tell us about the client, and we give you the best annuity." ~ David Lau "Working to bring capabilities together and being able to analyze the efficiency of asset location within a household is incredibly powerful." ~ David Lau "You always have to stay on top of what's going on in the market because it's evolving quite a bit, not only from a technology point of view but also from a product point of view. And all of this convergence really makes a difference." ~ David Lau Links David Lau on LinkedIn DPL Financial Partners Vanguard Morningstar Homes for HOPE Chip Roame Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • April 7 · 26 min

    How AI-Native Platforms Transform Advisor Workflows with Bassam Chaptini and Rabih Ramadi

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with the Co-Founders of Avantos, Bassam Chaptini and Rabih Ramadi. With deep experience in financial technology and enterprise systems, Bassam and Rabih are rethinking how advisors interact with data, clients, and the broader advisory ecosystem. Bassam and Rabih discuss how they built an AI-native operating system that unifies client data, streamlines onboarding, and enhances how advisors service complex households. From UMH to real-time client assistance, they share how they moved beyond traditional CRM models to create "AI butlers" that advocate for clients and reduce advisors' administrative workload. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:45) - Career journeys and foundations in wealth technology (03:53) - Transforming client onboarding through AI (06:08) - Moving beyond traditional CRM to intelligent relationship management (06:49) - Delivering a 360-degree view of client relationships (10:12) - Advancing UMH in practice (12:18) - Turning AI tools into a full operating system with Avantos (18:08) - How AI enhances the delivery of better advice (22:05) - Integrating Avantos capabilities into SEI (23:31) - Bassam and Rabih's interests outside of work Quotes "To do proper client relationship management, you need to understand three dimensions: the clients, all the products that you own or don't own, and all the agents or advisors." ~ Rabih Ramadi "Every engagement with SEI, we were impressed. We love the company's vision, and being part of it makes us super excited." ~ Rabih Ramadi "We're creating AI butlers within your organization to make sure your clients are happy. At the end of the day, advisors are happy when their clients are happy." ~ Bassam Chaptini "Having a 360-degree view of your clients as an advisor is absolutely key to deepening your relationship with them. This includes not just being able to service them in ways that weren't possible before, but also taking on the day-to-day administrative burden for advisors and making them more productive." ~ Bassam Chaptini Links Bassam Chaptini on LinkedIn Rabih Ramadi on LinkedIn Avantos Altruist Hazel SEI Access Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

  • March 31 · 24 min

    How Edward Jones Scales Advice for High-Net-Worth Clients with Tom Lewandowski

    This week, Jack Sharry talks with Tom Lewandowski, Principal and Leader of the High-Net-Worth (HNW) Segment at Edward Jones. Tom leads the development and execution of strategies to better serve HNW households, including defining a unique value proposition for clients and branch teams, product and service strategy, pricing, compensation, operations and infrastructure, integration, and internal and external communication. Tom talks with Jack about how Edward Jones leverages its deep-rooted culture of trust to serve the HNW market. Tom explains how the firm's Generations Program provides branch teams with access to specialized expertise in estate planning, tax strategy, and business transitions, ensuring that complex client needs are met with the same personalized touch the firm is known for. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:10) - Tom's role at Edward Jones (02:10) - Tom's journey in the wealth management industry (03:42) - Why Edward Jones leaned into high-net-worth clients (05:53) - The genesis of the Edward Jones Generations Program (07:56) - How Edward Jones' home-office specialists support local branch teams (11:43) - Latest updates on Edward Jones Generations Program (15:25) - Helping families move from uncertainty to clarity (17:10) - Edward Jones' future goals (20:21) - Tom's key takeaways (21:09) - Tom's interests outside of work Quotes "Trust is that gateway to the conversations that matter." ~ Tom Lewandowski "We strongly believe that family conversations are the most important. If you want to remove that burden or turn it into something positive in terms of how that comprehensive plan can impact your family, we'd love you to consider an Edward Jones financial advisor, because we're the best in the business of driving those." ~ Tom Lewandowski "If you can marry the best of both worlds—great advice, solid products and services—into a comprehensive financial planning conversation, that's what clients are really looking for." ~ Tom Lewandowski Links Tom Lewandowski on LinkedIn Edward Jones EY Husch Blackwell Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

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