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RIA Edge Podcast: Cresset’s Doug Regan on Strategic, Purposeful GrowthRIA Edge Podcast: Cresset’s Doug Regan on Strategic, Purposeful Growth

Douglas Regan, founder and co-chairman of Cresset, discusses growth within the RIA channel.

Mark Bruno, Managing Director, Wealth Management

May 6, 2022

 

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While market appreciation, traditional referrals and word-of-mouth marketing has driven growth for a number of RIAs, the industry’s largest and most successful firms are strategically leveraging M&A, digital marketing and data to drive their next wave of growth. 

Cressit, the $23 billion RIA based out of Chicago, may be one of the industry’s best examples of how to drive purposeful, scaleable - and consistently thoughtful growth. 

 In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, managing director at Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Douglas Regan, founder and co-chairman of Cresset, on growth within the RIA channel and zeroes in on mergers and acquisitions, organic growth tactics and the importance of ensuring cohesion when acquiring firms and talent.

 Specifically, Mark and Douglas discuss:

  • The role Cresset plays in the RIA ecosystem, and how it is unlocking growth potential for its recently acquired firms

  • How M&A has - and will continue to transform the RIA industry

  • How Cresset looks at their talent acquisition strategy - and how it balances hiring and acquiring talent

  • How Cresset has leveraged digital marketing to drive over $1 billion in new client assets to the firm

Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast

About the Author

Mark Bruno

Managing Director, Wealth Management, Informa Connect

Mark Bruno is Managing Director, Wealth Management at Informa Connect. In his role, Mr. Bruno leads the company’s Wealth Management media and event properties, which currently consists of WealthManagement.com, Inside ETFs and Inside WealthStack. He is also charged with driving several innovative new community and advisor-based initiatives, including the launch of the new RIA Edge podcast, event and webcast series.

In addition, Mr. Bruno is overseeing strategic partnerships and acquisitions to accelerate Informa’s growth within the financial advisor and wealth management communities. Mr. Bruno brings over 20 years of experience in the wealth management and asset management industries to Informa, including prominent leadership roles in industry media, research, and consulting organizations.

Before joining Informa Connect, Mr. Bruno was a Managing Director at ECHELON Partners, where he provided investment banking, consulting and valuation services to wealth managers. Mr. Bruno specialized in helping RIAs with a range of strategic initiatives, and his areas of expertise include organizational design and assessments, compensation consulting and succession and continuity solutions.

Prior to joining ECHELON, Mr. Bruno was the Managing Director and Associate Publisher at InvestmentNews, where he was responsible for overseeing a wide range of businesses, including IN’s research, content strategy, digital, custom publishing and sales groups. Mr. Bruno was with InvestmentNews for 12 years and helped establish the company as the leading B2B media brand in the wealth management industry. He played an integral role in the sale of InvestmentNews from Crain Communication to Bonhill Plc in 2018.

Mr. Bruno is an award-winning journalist, author and researcher who has written and edited for a number of financial publications over the past two decades, including InvestmentNews, Financial Week, Pensions & Investments and U.S. Banker. Mr. Bruno has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Chicago Tribune for his expertise in wealth and investment management. Mr. Bruno has received numerous accolades for his writing and reporting, including the American Business Media's prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award, and for his breaking news coverage and analysis of the financial services industry by The Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Mr. Bruno is the author of Save Now or Die Trying: Achieving Long-Term Wealth In Your 20s and 30s, one of the top-selling retirement planning books of 2007.