WealthManagement.com celebrated its fifth annual Industry Awards at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan Thursday night, honoring more than 60 companies and organizations for stellar achievements in supporting financial advisor success.
Seventy-two awards were presented to 61 companies out of 166 total finalists, with a record number of 650 submitted nominations from 262 companies. Editor-in-chief David Armstrong (who was also the evening’s master of ceremonies) stressed how this awards ceremony was unique by recognizing those companies and individuals that help advisors better support clients.
“The different types of firms that participate—asset managers, technology companies, custodians, broker/dealers and consultants—all share a common goal: creating the programs, tools and platforms that advisors use to improve the financial prospects of millions of Americans and help them achieve their life’s dream,” he said.
A panel of 14 judges (including top names in the wealth management industry) determined the finalists and winners, with the eventual victors selected on a combination of quantitative measures of their initiatives, as well as qualitative measures including innovation, creativity and new delivery methods.
Several awards were presented for the first time, including those recognizing CMOs at asset managers and broker/dealers and CMOs and CTOs at technology providers. The evening also included more fintech award categories, ranging from unified (all-in-one) systems, specialized planning, cybersecurity and onboarding/account opening.
Orion Advisor Services and eMoney Advisor both won three awards apiece during the evening, while Advisor Group, Black Diamond Wealth Platform, Fidelity Investments, Janney Montgomery Scott, LPL Financial, Mercer Advisors, Pershing and TD Ameritrade Institutional all received two awards. Other winners included Edward Jones, JP Morgan Asset Management, John Hancock Investments, Morningstar, Nationwide, Raymond James, Schwab Advisor Services, State Street Global Advisors and T. Rowe Price.
“The record number of nominations submitted this year demonstrates the level of innovation and creativity going on behind the scenes for the benefit of financial advisors,” said William O'Conor, WealthManagement.com’s managing director. “Delivering outstanding advice to investors requires a strong combination of superior products and top-notch technology—and the Industry Awards recognizes the forerunners of ingenuity and leadership in support of financial advisor success.”
