Serenus Wealth Advisors, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based registered investment advisor launched in July by a team that worked together at another RIA Certuity, has brought on board yet another executive from that same firm to head its New York office.
Led by founder and Managing Partner Kara Boccella, Serenus recruited Graham K. Mandl, a former managing director at Certuity, as a partner.
Mandl is said to be bringing over his book of business, which includes about $100 million in assets. Clients include entrepreneurs, C-Suite executives, legal professionals, professional athletes and other high-net-worth individuals.
“He will bring our holistic, client-focused approach to New York—and with this bicoastal presence, we will be able to serve as trusted partners, day in and day out, to high-net-worth individuals and families across the country,” Boccella said in a statement. “It is a testament to our firm that we have been able to expand so quickly, and so far, in such a short amount of time.”
Serenus now has three partners, including Boccella, Mandl and Devon Galindo. Boccella and Galindo left Certuity, a $4 billion RIA, in July to launch Serenus with $1.2 billion in assets. Rebecca Tipp and Laura E. Lemoine also joined Serenus as directors, also from Certuity. The RIA also brought on Lonny Elfenbein, previously chief compliance officer at Dinsmore Compliance Services, as CCO.
Since launching, the RIA has grown its client roster by 10%, which was primarily driven by referrals from existing clients, Boccella said.
The name “Serenus” reflects the calmness and peace of mind that the team will provide to clients in their financial lives, Boccella said.
“When we discuss technical strategies, whether it’s related to trust and estate planning, tax planning, most importantly portfolio construction—all the different areas—not only are we making recommendations, but we’re making sure those recommendations are executed,” Boccella said.
She expects to add some headcount in the Santa Monica office, including a couple of client services professionals and advisors. And while Serenus is agnostic to geographic locations, she said it has some target geographies, where the firm has large concentrations of clients, including Houston, Northern California, Washington, D.C. and Palm Beach, Fla.
