Andrew Saunders on Building a Collaborative Sales Culture at Castle Hill Capital

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, Gui Costin welcomes Andrew Saunders, founder of Castle Hill Capital Partners, to discuss his firm’s innovative sales structure and how he has grown the firm from a small partnership into a thriving broker-dealer platform with over 35 registered representatives. Andrew shares his journey, from his non-traditional entry into finance—spending four years in Asia as a teacher and entrepreneur—to his time in corporate investor relations consulting, which laid the foundation for his transition into alternative investments.

Andrew co-founded Castle Hill in 2013 with a vision to build a different kind of distribution platform, one that encouraged independence, collaboration, and accountability among sales representatives. The firm operates with a strong set of core values: integrity, accountability, collaboration, and control. This philosophy shapes everything from recruitment to team culture, empowering salespeople to manage their own success while maintaining a high degree of collaboration across the team. With a unique compensation model based on straight commission, Castle Hill incentivizes sales professionals to take ownership of their efforts while maintaining a collective team spirit.

A core theme of the conversation is Castle Hill’s unique sales structure, where registered representatives are encouraged to act independently but are supported through regular communication, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose. The firm uses tools like Slack for internal communication, ensuring that sales professionals can stay connected and share insights, even when they work remotely. The firm also hosts monthly sales collaboration calls, which bring everyone together to share successes, insights, and strategic updates, fostering a culture of learning and mutual support.

Andrew emphasizes the importance of building relationships and creating win-win situations. Rather than fostering competition among salespeople, Castle Hill focuses on ensuring that each person’s success is linked to the firm’s collective success. He explains that understanding your client’s needs—whether they’re high-net-worth individuals, family offices, or institutional investors—is key to providing value and building lasting relationships.

Looking to the future, Andrew discusses his firm’s continued growth, focusing on attracting the right talent, building a strong client base, and expanding the firm’s capabilities. His advice for young professionals entering the sales industry? Develop a strong work ethic, be persistent, and prioritize relationships. Through these principles, Andrew believes that anyone can achieve success in the competitive world of alternative investments.