WealthTech on Deck

Jed Finn is the Head of Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, where he leads one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated wealth management platforms. Since joining the firm, he has played a central role in its strategic growth, spearheading large-scale integrations, key acquisitions like E*TRADE and Solium, and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. Under his leadership, Morgan Stanley has expanded its client base from 2.5 million to over 20 million and grown assets under management from $2.5 trillion to $6 trillion. A strong advocate for data-driven strategy and advisor collaboration, Finn is helping redefine the future of wealth management. This week, Jack talks with Jed about the firm’s evolution into a wealth management powerhouse. Jed details how Morgan Stanley has consolidated client relationships, embraced AI and global strategies, and built an ecosystem capable of delivering institutional-grade services to individual clients. He shares how early engagement, integrated capabilities, and relentless execution have positioned the firm as an industry leader—and how Morgan Stanley continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in wealth management. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:23) - Morgan Stanley's growth strategies (09:00) - Jed's continued pursuit of the new sales growth strategy (10:20) - The three key trends shaping Morgan Stanley's future strategies (16:10) - The pillars of how Morgan Stanley executes and delivers opportunities (20:39) - Jed's interests outside of work Quotes "Wealth management is a scale business, and you need to have the scale to keep up with all the demands in terms of resources, whether it's changes in regulations, technology changes, product proliferation, or changing preferences of clients and advisors." ~ Jed Finn "At Morgan Stanley, we want to give you an experience that builds trust and confidence so that when you're ready to establish an advice relationship, we make an introduction to a financial advisor." ~ Jed Finn "If we listen to the best practitioners in the industry tell us what they need to serve their clients most effectively, and then deliver it to them, good things are going to happen." ~ Jed Finn Links  Jed Finn on LinkedIn Morgan Stanley Eaton Vance E*TRADE Shareworks | Morgan Stanley at Work Carta Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Alicia Rich. Alicia is the Head of Client and Advisor Digital Enablement at Broadridge, a global fintech company specializing in investor communications, wealth management, and digital transformation solutions. In her role, Alicia focuses on designing seamless, personalized experiences that empower financial advisors to work smarter and build stronger relationships with clients. Jack and Alicia discuss how her team is transforming the advisor experience by integrating intelligent technology with human insight. They explore how personalized content, CRM integration, and AI can deepen client relationships, improve decision-making, and demonstrate ROI. Alicia also emphasizes the importance of understanding clients’ values—not just their data—and discusses how AI can help advisors connect on a more human level. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:56) - Alicia's role at Broadridge (02:41) - Common pain points in the digital advisor-client experience  (04:07) - Broadridge's current and developing projects  (06:00) - Real-world examples of simplifying advisor workflows and boosting engagement (09:31) - Connecting data and content to deepen client relationships (14:23) - Why MarTech is becoming essential to the advisor experience (16:44) - How AI is transforming wealth management (19:15) - Giving advisors deeper, more human insights with AI  (23:02) - How AI and behavioral science help personalize financial conversations (27:38) - Alicia's key takeaways (28:48) - Alicia's interests outside of work Quotes "The more you engage with clients, the more business they're going to do with you and the more they're going to trust you." ~ Alicia Rich "Advisors are in the people business. They're in a relationship business. It's not about the sale of a product. It's about really understanding people." ~ Alicia Rich "Digital advice is not just about technology and technology replacing humans. We focus on removing the friction. We want humans to do the best work they can, and we do and enable that." ~ Alicia Rich Links  Alicia Rich on LinkedIn Broadridge WSJ Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Jeffrey Levi and Rafael Couto for a deep dive into the future of wealth management. Jeffrey is a Principal at Casey Quirk Deloitte and leads the firm’s Strategy Offering for Financial Services. He advises wealth and asset managers on complex strategic challenges and spearheads research in areas like private credit, alternative investments, and evolving investment strategies. Rafael, a Senior Manager at Deloitte, helps wealth managers and retirement providers navigate large-scale technology and operational transformations. He focuses on boosting efficiency and improving service delivery, particularly in the growing convergence of workplace and wealth management. Together, they unpack Casey Quirk’s latest white paper, which outlines five key growth drivers for the wealth management industry over the next decade. They explore the critical capabilities top-performing firms are building—and how these firms are aligning strategy, technology, and operations to deliver stronger growth and better client experiences. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:37) - Why Deloitte is doubling down on wealth management research (04:03) - Casey Quirk's research participants (06:01) - The five core drivers of future growth in wealth management (09:43) - How these capabilities show up across different channels (11:00) - What it means to build a “transformative DNA” within a firm (15:30) - The challenge of delivering a truly holistic client experience (19:40) - How leading firms are earning and maintaining client trust (24:30) - Why the core wealth platform is becoming a key competitive edge (26:52) - Taking an end-to-end approach to platform design (29:14) - What the future of work looks like in this space (33:17) - Rafael’s and Jeffrey's interests outside of work Quotes "In our advisory work, we're seeing a widening gap in performance, growth, and advisor and client experience in the overall marketplace. Some firms are winning, some firms are clearly more stagnant, and in some cases, some firms are starting to decay." ~ Jeffrey Levi "The ecosystem that exists today is going to look very different in five to 10 years because service providers are all evolving to become technology providers. We're seeing massive convergence across servicers, technology firms, clearing and custody firms, TAMPs. We’re seeing IBDs want to launch a platform as a service model to serve other parts of the landscape." ~ Jeffrey Levi "When we looked at the characteristics of those that are growing faster, we really saw that they're shaping their services around financial advice and having that at the center of the journey." ~ Rafael Couto "When we say end-to-end, it is what you put in front of the client that matters. But then you have to think all the way down to the operational component, and how you bring everything together. The value you bring to the client is what really makes you win in the market." ~ Rafael Couto Links  Jeffrey Levi on LinkedIn Casey Quirk, A Deloitte Business Rafael Couto on LinkedIn Deloitte Chip Roame Ridgefield 8 Bocce Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Colleen Bell, President of Innovation and Experience at Cambridge Investment Research. Colleen is also a member of the Office of the CEO, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Council, and a part of Cambridge's Executive Administration team. She focuses on driving associate engagement and financial professional satisfaction while advancing and discovering new ways to meet ongoing client needs.  Colleen shares how she transforms client and advisor experiences by eliminating friction, digitizing legacy processes, and designing products that meet the increasingly complex needs of today's investors. From AI-powered solutions to driving paperless processes, Colleen walks us through the behind-the-scenes work that powers innovation at scale and how Cambridge is rethinking service models, collaborating across custodians, and pulling together fragmented account data. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:52) - Colleen's role at Cambridge Investment Research (03:36) - Pain points advisors face around customer experience (06:08) - Cambridge's technology solutions for advisors (07:22) - Cambridge's "Paper Not Alive in '25" (11:17) - The role of financial planning in providing comprehensive advice (13:01) - The integration of non-traditional assets (14:57) - Colleen's thoughts about the future of the industry (17:01) - The current and future of AI in wealth management (19:11) - AI adoption among advisors (21:28) - The importance of human interaction and building relationships (23:28) - Colleen's key takeaways (24:14) - Colleen's interests outside of work Quotes "Anything that we can do to automate that experience, remove the need to provide information, or remove all paperwork from the industry is my goal, and that's what we're looking for." ~ Colleen Bell "Artificial intelligence will completely transform the way that our advisors interact with the home office and how they interact with the clients." ~ Colleen Bell "AI is never going to replace what we, as humans, and our advisors do. It's those advisors who don't adopt it who will be left behind because they're not taking the next step to become efficient and effective." ~ Colleen Bell Links  Colleen Bell on LinkedIn Cambridge Investment Research Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara The Coming Wave How to Know a Person Frances Frei Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Randy Morris, Founder & CEO of Summit Wealth Group, a boutique financial planning firm with 10 offices nationwide. With a career spanning more than three decades, Randy brings deep experience in entrepreneurial leadership, holistic planning, and building a stakeholder-driven culture. Jack and Randy explore Summit’s path to independence and how a focus on culture, ownership, and intentional growth fueled the transition. Randy also shares the key reasons they chose SEI as a strategic partner—from cultural alignment to proactive tax strategies for high-net-worth clients—and what it takes to future-proof a boutique firm in today’s evolving wealth management landscape. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:16) - Summit’s history and foundational philosophy (05:05) - Why Summit selected SEI as a strategic partner (09:05) - Leveraging SEI’s proactive tax strategies (10:23) - Building and protecting Summit’s company culture (14:58) - Summit's organic growth and intentional M&A approach (17:34) - Randy's key takeaways (19:12) - Randy's interests outside of work Quotes "We wanted to continue growing. We felt that growth was paramount, not only to take care of our client's needs in the future, but also the team members that we would add." ~ Randy Morris "Finding this partner to put on our platform and help us launch Summit 2.0, we found that in SEI." ~ Randy Morris "What we're about is building a better business, and what better way to do that than to bring in partners who have already been doing this in their location? But we want them to be willing to come in and share best practices and share what's working for you and build a better practice." ~ Randy Morris Links  Randy Morris on LinkedIn Summit Wealth Group Good to Great SEI Commonwealth Financial Network Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Kellan Brown, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer at 100 Women in Finance. With an impressive resume that includes leadership roles at Income Lab, PrimeCo, and Finance of America’s Retirement Strategies Division, Kellan has also earned accolades like the Disruptor Award and Ascension Award from WealthManagement.com and was named one of InvestmentNews’ Women to Watch. In their conversation, Kellan shares the remarkable story of her career journey—from her early days in sports marketing and commercial construction to discovering her passion for championing women in finance. She offers insight into how 100 Women in Finance supports women at every stage of their careers and why mentorship is essential to changing the face of finance, fintech, and investment leadership. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:53) - The mission and impact of 100 Women in Finance (04:32) - Kellan's career journey (07:34) - How the organization’s mentorship program is making a difference (10:39) - Kellan's keynote at SEI (13:28) - Programs and initiatives empowering women in finance (19:25) - Advancing women in the finance industry (23:30) - The transformative power of mentorship for women (24:55) - Kellan's interests outside of work Quotes "I was awarded the Disruptor Award for a very clear reason. I believe in all of the work that we're doing, and we are not breaking any laws. Our partners are so committed to us, and we are not alienating anyone." ~ Kellan Brown  "Women elevate every single level of any organization when there's equality." ~ Kellan Brown "In a male-dominated industry, we have to find someone that's going to break that barrier down, give us access, and have allyship." ~ Kellan Brown Links  Kellan Brown on LinkedIn 100 Women in Finance Finance of America Income Lab Michael Lane Allie Carey SEI Sneha Shah Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Allie Carey, Chief Strategy Officer, SEI Private Banking and Wealth Management. Allie focuses on strategic planning, global wealth management industry assessment, global go-to-market strategies, channel partnerships, and M&A opportunities. Jack and Allie talk about the role of bank trusts and private banks in wealth management. Allie shares how banks can harness their vast client base to drive organic growth, the opportunities in private banking, and how technology and data transform how banks serve their clients.  In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:51) - Allie's role at SEI (03:10) - The need for evolving skill sets in the industry (04:19) - How SEI serves clients (08:03) - Opportunities for wealth management in the bank channel (13:00) - SEI's growth strategies (16:45) - Allie's thoughts on UMH (18:14) - The future of private banks (24:25) - Allie's key takeaways (25:08) - Allie's interests outside of work Quotes "Banks have a massive client base across their different business lines. A wealth management business inside a bank can work with its commercial colleagues. They can work with their retail colleagues and their lending colleagues." ~ Allie Carey "We're getting to the point where we could have some real advice across the lifecycle of someone delivered via technology, where humans are curating that, not creating it." ~ Allie Carey  "Banks are well-positioned to win in wealth management. They have that near-end client base. They have the breadth of services to really serve the whole client." ~ Allie Carey Links  Allie Carey on LinkedIn SEI Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Justin Singer, a Partner at EY, shares his insights on the transformative concept of Wealth as a Service (WaaS) in financial services. He discusses how WaaS offers integrated, scalable solutions that enhance efficiency and client outcomes. Justin highlights the challenges wealth management firms face in adapting to this shift, including the need for technology integration and competition. He also touches on the expected consolidation trends among broker-dealers and RIAs, shedding light on the exciting opportunities and industry implications of this evolving landscape.

Alternative investments are surging in popularity, but how do distributors, asset managers, and advisors adapt? While the appetite for alternatives continues to rise, education remains one of the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption. Managing alternatives requires more than just a basic understanding. It demands deep, specialized expertise. Despite significant investments in training and educational initiatives, the need for deeper expertise remains critical. In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Neil Bathon, Managing Partner at FUSE Research Network, about the latest trends in alternative investments. Neil shares insights from FUSE's recent study on alternative distribution, diving into key findings on education gaps, sales strategies, and the importance of partnerships in alts adoption. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:47) - About FUSE Research Network (04:54) - FUSE's alts distribution research findings (06:09) - The importance of education in alts adoption (07:38) - Neil's advice for firms entering the alts market (09:04) - Why partnerships are critical (11:33) - How alts can be incorporated into asset allocation (12:58) - Managing client expectations (16:48) - Neil's recommendations for investing in alts (19:18) - How alternative assets benefit distributors, advisors, and asset managers (20:00) - Neil's key takeaways (21:13) - Neil's interests outside of work Quotes "Distributors are making clear that despite many educational initiatives for years, some of these traditional firms have big institutes or universities specifically to help bring advisors along, but there's still an enormous need for additional education." ~ Neil Bathon "Some of these alternatives can get very complicated. You need to make a significant investment in educating your sales team and your marketing team. You really have to back them up with specialists who can go this third, fourth, or fifth level deep." ~ Neil Bathon "Partnership of some form is the way to go for most firms if they're not already firmly in the alternative business." ~ Neil Bathon Links  Neil Bathon on LinkedIn FUSE Research Network Apollo Global Management KKR Ares Management Blackstone Franklin Templeton Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Arnulf Hsu, CEO of GReminders and a seasoned entrepreneur with two decades in B2B software, shares his insights on AI-driven meeting management. He explains how GReminders enhances efficiency for financial advisors by integrating with CRM systems. Arnulf emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and provides a peek into the future of AI in client interactions. He also reflects on his journey, contrasting current strategies with his past ventures, and explores how technology can revolutionize the wealth management landscape.