Our industry is starting the summer strong with several big announcements in innovation and personnel news. In June’s Word on WealthTech we present the five headlines that got our attention this month:
$15 Billion Modera Completes Tech Overhaul, to Pursue Westward M&A Push
Modera’s commitment to building a scalable platform in anticipation of its growth is exactly the thinking and action F2 Strategy loves to see. This isn’t a story we would have expected to read even two years ago: technology and the ability to scale advisor and client growth are—and likely always have been—among the most critical aspects of running a successful business. Great brands need consistent, scalable rails to deliver their services. Firms like Modera that recognize this and invest early will outperform their peers.
We will be closely following this work at Integrated Partners. They have a phenomenal relationship with Oleg and his team and have really built something amazing. This innovation goes far deeper than a simple advisor dashboard and represents a state-of-the-art tech solution that should make other advisory firms pay attention. In addition to the efficiency this represents for their advisors, the new platform will also make scaling the business and utilizing their data in the future far easier. It’s a great story of a firm building for scale to increase the speed of both organic and inorganic future growth.
Recent moves by Cetera continue to impress. Since the appointment of Mike Durbin in 2023, they have continued to make phenomenal decisions. The quality of their hires and innovations is exciting and indicative of a winning strategy. Hiring Andina, someone with world-class RIA credibility, is yet another sign of their transformation. In this expanded leadership role, she will oversee strategic growth across Cetera’s rapidly scaling segment of affiliates’ RIA firms. Cetera’s potential opportunities with RIAs are tremendous, and we’re excited to see where they go with new and highly credentialed leadership.
At INSITE 2025, BNY unveiled innovations across its Wove platform, including a unified investor experience through NetX integration, enhanced fixed income trading tools and new UMA portfolio capabilities for advisors. Additionally, it introduced the Advisor Growth Network, a new community to help advisors scale through curated connections and resources. All of this is really exciting news for Pershing clients. One reason advisors leverage their competitors (Schwab or Fidelity) is the commitment to RIA growth. Pershing’s growth network should close that gap. Together with their investment in Wove, we expect to see an increase in advisors selecting or expanding their Pershing relationships.
Very few firms are better positioned to lead the organic growth and brand marketing movement than Snappy Kraken. Bringing an industry rock star like Cheryl onto the board is genius. Firms like Snappy Kraken often have a difficult time anticipating the scale and institutional norms of larger wealth firms. Cheryl has been navigating these her entire career (with high success!) and will be an exceedingly valuable driver of their future growth.
The wealth management headlines keep us inspired to see the types of technology journeys both firms and vendors are on. When they intersect, they deliver really positive outcomes for end clients. We hope to see continued innovation that creates value for investors.
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