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ANNOUNCING THE 2020 FINALISTS—AND OUR THRILLING ALL-DIGITAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE THIS YEAR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS
A panel of fifteen judges made up of top names in the industry will determine the WealthManagement.com 2020 Industry Awards Finalists. Winners will then be selected based on quantitative measures of their initiatives—such as scope, scale, adoption and feature set—along with qualitative measures such as innovation, creativity and new methods of delivery.

David Armstrong
Executive Director, Content and User Engagement

WealthManagement.com

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Timothy D. Welsh, CFP®
President, CEO and Founder

Nexus Strategy, LLC

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T. Neil Bathon
Managing Partner

FUSE Research Network LLC

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Darrin Courtney
VP Analyst

Gartner

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Amy Flourry
Principal

Rehmann Wealth

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Greg Friedman
CEO, Co-Founder

Private Ocean Wealth Management

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Doug Fritz
Founder

F2 Strategy

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Michael H. Kossman
CPA, Chief Operating and Chief Compliance Officer, Partner

Aspiriant

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Martine E. Lellis
CPA and CFP®

Mercer Advisors

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Julie Littlechild
Founder

Absolute Engagement

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Tom Lydon
Editor & Publisher

ETF Trends

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Matt Lynch
Managing Partner

Strategy & Resources, LLC

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Craig D. Pfeiffer
President and CEO

Money Management Institute

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Tina C. Powell
CEO

C-Suite Social Media

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Scott Smith
Director

Cerulli Associates

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Registration

David Armstrong
Executive Director, Content and User Engagement

David Armstrong is the editor-in-chief and executive director of content and user engagement for WealthManagement.com and its print component, Wealth Management magazine.

His journalism career began at Fox News, where he was one of the first business reporters for Foxnews.com. He worked at Forbes magazine for eight years, covering everything from entrepreneurs to technology to finance. There, he was a co-editor of the Forbes 400, the annual ranking of the 400 richest people in America.

In addition to his journalism background, Armstrong was a senior editor at HNW, a boutique marketing company, crafting messages and communications directed at high-net-worth clients of financial advisors from clients including Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Wells Fargo, UBS and Northern Trust. In that role, he also helped spearhead major bespoke research projects—both qualitative and quantitative, on HNW investors and their relationship with financial advisors—for clients like Fidelity, Lincoln Financial and RBC Wealth Management.

He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has taken post-graduate courses at the New School for Social Research.

Timothy D. Welsh, CFP®
President, CEO and Founder

Nexus Strategy, LLC

Timothy D. Welsh, CFP® is president, CEO and founder of Nexus Strategy LLC, a leading consulting firm to the wealth management industry. Nexus Strategy’s primary focus is working with leading financial services and technology firms to distribute products and services through the advisor channel.

Prior to founding Nexus Strategy, Tim was director of business consulting services for Schwab Advisor Services, where he led the development and marketing of practice management resources for independent advisors. While at Schwab, Tim also held senior roles in Strategy, Marketing, Advertising, PR and Industry Content development.

Prior to joining Schwab, Tim was vice president at Merrill Lynch, where he was responsible for marketing, product development and financial advisor training for the financial planning group. Tim is frequently quoted in the wealth management media on a wide range of business management and industry topics. He is the author of a number of industry white papers, a guest columnist for RIABiz, Investment News and WealthManagement.com, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events. Tim earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA in finance from the University of Colorado.

Tim holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and is an active member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), where he serves in a leadership role on a number of task forces and committees, and was formerly an elected member of the National Board of Directors.

T. Neil Bathon
Managing Partner

FUSE Research Network LLC

T. Neil Bathon is managing partner of Fuse Research Network, a leading-edge decision support firm that employs a highly refined market intelligence capability to deliver informed, decisive and forward-looking guidance to firms in the asset management industry. Fuse Research Network delivers tactical research-based, client-specific recommendations that improve the productivity and effectiveness of the resources devoted to sales, marketing, and product management.

Darrin Courtney
VP Analyst

Gartner

Darrin Courtney is a VP Analyst, Global Financial Services Industry (Analysis & Evaluation), Research & Advisory, specializing in wealth management. Mr. Courtney advises executives on their most pressing challenges, focusing on both business and technology initiatives, via strategy sessions and hosted networking events, including the Full Service Brokerage Executive Circle. His research advisory areas include tools that enhance advisor/client collaboration, including financial planning, portfolio management, client reporting, aggregation, digital tools and other wealth-related platforms.

Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Courtney held positions at CEB, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Columbia Asset Management, MFS Investment Management, AARP Financial and The Hartford. He is a frequent speaker at industry and company events and is often quoted in the financial trade press. He has more than 25 years of financial services experience in operations, client service, sales, product management and business development roles.

Mr. Courtney earned his M.A. from Northeastern University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also holds a certificate in Advanced Financial Planning from Merrimack College and is a Certified Financial Planner professional.

Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Courtney held positions at CEB, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Columbia Asset Management, MFS Investment Management, AARP Financial and The Hartford. He is a frequent speaker at industry and company events and is often quoted in the financial trade press. He has more than 25 years of financial services experience in operations, client service, sales, product management and business development roles.

Mr. Courtney earned his M.A. from Northeastern University and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also holds a certificate in Advanced Financial Planning from Merrimack College and is a Certified Financial Planner professional.

Amy Flourry
Principal

Rehmann Wealth

Amy Flourry is Principal at Rehmann Wealth in the firm’s Lansing, Michigan office.

Flourry has held operational roles in the financial services industry since 1998 and she joined Rehmann in 2001. As the Director of Operations for Rehmann Wealth, she represented the wealth management division across the firm.

She has extensive experience in management, business development and overseeing daily operations such as: supervising staff, providing training on systems and processes, managing technology, assisting with business combinations by acting as a liaison between Rehmann Wealth and the parent firm, onboarding and offboarding.

Flourry was instrumental in developing Rehmann’s broker dealer practice. She holds a unique perspective in the financial services industry due to her experience with both registered investment advisors and broker dealers.

Additionally, Flourry serves as chair of the Rehmann Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Council and has been a member since 2012.


Flourry holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University.

 

 

Greg Friedman
CEO, Co-Founder

Private Ocean Wealth Management

Greg Friedman is an innovator and advocate for exceptional wealth management. He is co-founder and CEO of Private Ocean, one of the West Coast’s leading wealth management firms, and also the co-founder and former CEO of Junxure, an industry-leading CRM for advisors.

He was named by Investment Advisor Magazine as a Top 25 most influential financial advisor in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2007, Charles Schwab honored him with its prestigious IMPACT Award® for “Best in Tech” award, in 2008 Financial Planning Magazine included Friedman in its elite list of financial “Movers and Shakers” and he was recognized in 2017 on InvestmentNews Icons and Innovators list.

In 2018, Greg was named CEO of the Year at the WealthManagement.com Industry Awards. He is the author of two books for advisors, Advisory Leadership: Using the Seven Steps of Heart Culture to Create Lasting Success for Any Wealth Management Firm, published in 2015, and the Financial Advisor M&A Guidebook, published in 2018.

Doug Fritz
Founder

F2 Strategy

Doug Fritz is founder of F2 Strategy and a tenured wealth management chief technology officer. His team of experienced wealth management executives address a widening gap between the expectations of affluent clients and their wealth management experience. The F2 Strategy perspective and experience come from a long history of innovations and transformative technical projects at major financial institutions. Doug has led teams through transformative initiatives such as robo-advisor integration, paperless client onboarding, digital client engagement and many other areas currently challenging our industry.

Michael H. Kossman
CPA, Chief Operating and Chief Compliance Officer, Partner

Aspiriant

An accomplished business and community leader, Michael is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Aspiriant, a premier wealth management firm. He joined a predecessor firm (Kochis Fitz) in August, 2000 and was Aspiriant’s CFO from formation in 2008 until 2012. As Aspiriant has grown into a firm with 11 offices and nearly 200 employees, Michael has been a key driver of that growth, and a key participant in the firm’s merger and acquisition activity over the past decade. He now serves on the firm’s Executive Committee; Learning & Development Committee; Cybersecurity Committee; and Chairs both the Operating Committee and the Compensation Committee. On a day-to-day basis, he manages the team of directors responsible for Investment Operations, Technology, Human Resources, and Regulatory Compliance.

Michael brings over 30 years of broad-based business experience in finance, human resources, technology, operations, taxation, regulatory environments, and strategic planning. Michael began his professional career as an Olympic Village Accountant in the 1984 Olympic Games. He spent more than five years in Price Waterhouse’s tax department in San Francisco, working primarily with high net worth individuals and small businesses, and gaining his CPA license. He joined Gap, Inc., succeeding to the role of International Tax Manager, providing planning and compliance support to both domestic and foreign operating companies and expatriates. Michael worked as the Deputy Executive Director at Project Open Hand, a large institutional social services agency, for six years, where he ultimately oversaw programs that fed more than 2,000 people daily through home-delivered meals, drop-in grocery programs, and congregate lunch sites.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1986 where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Michael is also a member of the AICPA.

 

Martine E. Lellis
CPA and CFP®

Mercer Advisors

Martine is Chief Talent and Business Solutions Officer, Mercer Advisors.  Prior to this Martine served as Principal and the Chief Operating Officer of Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney, an SEC-registered investment advisor located in Mclean, VA. 

Martine earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Duke University and an MBA from Georgetown University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She has consulted with Keir Educational Resources as a writer and instructor for CFP® exam review courses. She is a former member of the Schwab Advisor Services Technology, Operations & Service Advisory Board.

Martine is a National Technical Official for USA Weightlifting and enjoys officiating at Olympic Weightlifting competitions. She is also a Board Member and Treasurer of the Maryland Potomac Valley Local Weightlifting Committee.

In her free time, Martine enjoys CrossFit, traveling with friends, and hanging out with her rescue tabby cat.

Julie Littlechild
Founder

Absolute Engagement

Julie Littlechild is the founder of Absolute Engagement. Her firm helps advisors gather feedback from clients and translate those insights into meaningful action, providing step-by-step instruction, tools and resources to design a differentiated client experience.

Julie drives her firm’s research efforts among both advisors and investors. Prior to founding Absolute Engagement, she launched and ran one of the industry’s leading research firms, focused on client engagement. Julie is the author of a popular blog, the co-host of the Becoming Referable podcast and the author of The Pursuit of Absolute Engagement.

Julie sat on the national board of the Financial Planning Association, was twice identified as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Financial Planning and won the Influencer Award in practice management. She works in the US, Canada, UK and Europe and holds an MBA from the University of Toronto.

Tom Lydon
Editor & Publisher

ETF Trends

Tom Lydon is editor and publisher of ETF Trends, a website with daily news and commentary about the fast-changing trends in the ETF industry. He is also CEO of Global Trends Investments, an investment advisory firm specializing in the creation of customized portfolios for high net worth individuals. Lydon helped create the CNBC Model ETF Portfolios. He is the author of “The ETF Trend Following Playbook,” as well as “iMoney: Profitable Exchange-Traded Fund Strategies for Every Investor.”

Matt Lynch
Managing Partner

Strategy & Resources, LLC

Matt Lynch is the Managing Partner of Strategy & Resources, LLC, a financial services consulting firm. Matt, who has over 25 years of industry experience, has had a successful career as a financial services senior executive and consultant. He is sought after for his ability to link strategy with the art of the possible in terms of implementing change.

Strategy & Resources serves senior executives at financial services companies by focusing on corporate-level strategy, resource optimization and change management. Their management consulting engagements are highly customized. Senior consulting professionals with decades of experience in the financial services industry bring their acumen to the firm’s clientele. Multiple subject matter experts provide a well-rounded metrics-based, think tank experience.

Matt’s professional background includes progressive senior leadership roles as President & CEO of an independent broker-dealer and RIA, Capital Analysts Incorporated, CFO of Lincoln Financial Advisors, and field management roles with New York Life. His consulting credentials include Moss Adams, LLP, where Matt was a Director of the business consulting group where he was widely recognized for his industry expertise in succession planning, M&A, and financial services distribution strategies.

Matt is a frequent keynote speaker at company events and industry conferences for firms and organizations throughout North America. He also serves as a board director for a number of fintech and financial services firms.

Craig D. Pfeiffer
President and CEO

Money Management Institute

Craig Pfeiffer is the President and CEO of the Money Management Institute. MMI is the leading voice for the global financial services organizations that provide advice and professionally managed investment solutions to individual and institutional investors. MMI enables, facilitates and shepherds industry dialogue through national and thematic conference, education and professional development initiatives, thought-leadership publishing, regulatory affairs and next generation initiatives.

Craig is engaged in a variety of leadership roles across the financial services landscape. He is active as

  • the Executive Board Chairman of Inlet, a joint venture between Broadridge and Pitney Bowes,
  • a Board Director and Lead Director for Westfield Group’s Ohio Farmers Insurance Company,
  • and an Operating Partner at the private equity firm Corsair Capital. 

In 2012, Craig founded and continues today as Chairman of Advisors Ahead llc. pursuing a passion to elevate the professionalism of the investment advice industry.

 Craig is a proven senior financial services executive, following 29 years with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and its predecessor firms. He transitioned from MSSB in 2012 where he was Vice Chairman and on the Executive Committee. From 2003 to 2011, he held a progression of senior positions including the National Sales Group with responsibility for marketing strategy and client communications, desktop technology, and brokerage-based banking. Additionally, he has been responsible for businesses including retirement services and corporate equity solutions. From 1982 to 2003, Craig advanced through field management roles, starting as a Financial Advisor and transitioning into field management at all levels.

Craig is an alumnus of Indiana University Kelley School of Business and most proud of his wife Cissy, their 40-year journey, their two married children and their six grandchildren. Active with community organizations, Craig is a past board director of Citymeals-On-Wheels and President of Bright Seed Foundation. He serves as the President of the Huntington Country Club and is on the Dean’s Council for Indiana University Kelley School.

Tina C. Powell
CEO

C-Suite Social Media

Tina Powell is the CEO of C-Suite Social Media, a digital marketing and social media consultancy for the financial services industry. With over 20 years of hands-on digital marketing campaign and strategy, Tina’s extensive experience has kept her on the leading edge of marketing and social media. Prior to founding C-Suite Social Media, Tina was a partner at Beacon Wealth Management, an SEC registered RIA firm based in Hackensack, New Jersey later acquired by Mercer Advisors.

Tina is a TEDx Speaker and host of the In the Suite Podcast – a show that explores contemporary themes for mid and senior women in the financial services and wealth management industry including career advancement, culture, life and leadership, and professional development.

Tina graduated with high honors from New York University with a M.A. in Graphic Communications Management and Technology, received the Prism Award and later taught Integrated Marketing and Leadership in the Graduate Program. She also earned a B.S. in Business Management, magna cum laude, from Fairleigh Dickinson University and holds a Series 65 license.

Scott Smith
Director

Cerulli Associates

With more than 20 years of financial services industry experience, Scott leads Cerulli’s research efforts focused on investor behavior and advisory relationships. In his time at Cerulli he has authored more than two dozen in-depth reports on topics ranging from wholesale distribution to digital advice platforms. His research helps Cerulli’s clients understand how to optimize their platforms given the evolving demand for financial advice.

Scott, who received his B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University in Economics and his M.B.A. from Bryant University, started his career wearing a headset at Putnam Investments’ service center, before moving to more strategic roles at MFS Investment Management and then to Cerulli in 2007.