What the 10 most influential list is all about
These people are stirring things up in the RIA business
2 min read- RIABiz introduces its list of the RIA industry's 10 most influential people.
- List recognizes individuals driving growth and innovation in the RIA space.
- Selection highlights entrepreneurs taking risks to advance the RIA business.
Brooke’s Note: We have created a list of the most influential people in the RIA business. We do so humbly. We know there are many other people deserving of recognition and we also know that many of the people named are the beneficiaries of great predecessors and teams. Still, we thought it was time that the movers and shakers of the most dynamic slice of the financial advice business got recognition. This article describes our thinking in a little more detail.
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead
A portion of RIA business will remain decentralized, fragmented, frustratingly self-satisfied, unconvinced about scalability and efficiency, somewhat complacent about creating enterprise value and otherwise atomized for an unforeseeable future.
Nine threats to the RIA business and how they can be avoided
That’s fine. It might even be essential for keeping the RIA business fermenting in some individual bottles. See: Nine threats to the RIA business and how they can be avoided.
For about two decades, the business has grown diligently and robustly off a small base without notable investments of private equity, corporate cash or RIA equity.
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Mezzanine level
It also lacked a cadre of entrepreneurs operating at a mezzanine level somewhere between the typical advisors and the big custodians. In other words, there weren’t many swashbucklers stirring things up, stoking free enterprises and taking outsized — albeit well-considered — risks.
RIABiz to roll out 'Power Players' series -- with irony
Now the RIA business is getting a critical mass of these notable and influential people — backed by teams that make them look good.
Our attempts at naming an initial 10 people who fit this category and seem to fit it well is done in this spirit.
Intelligent, driven
It looks at a few intelligent, driven folks with some attention deficit disorder that accrues to the benefit of a mom-and-pop industry gaining its gazelle-like business legs.
It’s not a value statement. It’s a recognition of energies being applied under an umbrella category of “RIA” that few outside its realm even know exists.
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