Sequoia Financial Group

Office address: 3500 Embassy Parkway, Suite 100, Akron, Ohio 44333
Website: sequoia-financial.com
Year established: 1991
Company type: financial services
Employees: 430+
Expertise: wealth management, asset management, estate planning, fiduciary consulting, tax management, retirement planning, family office services, and specialized services for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Tom Haught (CEO); Annie McCauley (president); Joe Glick (COO and CFO); Chris Thom, Kevin Tichnell, and Justin Stets (EVPs); Nick Zamparelli (chief investment officer)
Financing status: private equity-backed

Sequoia Financial Group is a fiduciary wealth manager based in Akron, with a team of over 430 professionals. The SEC-registered firm covers investment management, estate planning, tax planning, retirement planning, and family office services. It manages $32 billion in AUM as of December 31, 2025.

History of Sequoia Financial Group

Sequoia Financial Group started in 1991 in Akron under founder Tom Haught. The company was built to give families planning and investment advice under one roof.

Sequoia used a team model so clients could get consistent support over time. Since then, it has grown into a multi-state wealth manager.

Building a wider platform

Sequoia Financial Group expanded its service mix to cover wealth planning, asset management, and tax-aware advice. It also grew through acquisitions to add talent, new offices, and new capabilities.

Since 2023, the company has completed many acquisitions, including AltruVista and Karpas Strategies. The firm said it supports more than 11,500 client households across the wealth space.

A family office move

In 2023, it launched Sequoia Sentinel to formalize its family office services. The company positioned Sentinel for families with complex needs, including private market access and consolidated reporting.

In late 2024, Sequoia tied up with Eide Bailly, a top accounting firm. Sequoia Financial Group used that relationship to extend its reach, including in California accounting offices.

Picking up the pace

In 2025, Sequoia Financial Group acquired Carlson Capital Management, a Minnesota RIA with $3.8 billion. This was the company's ninth deal since 2023. The pace showed no signs of slowing as Sequoia kept adding teams and offices across the country.

Sequoia Financial Group products and services

Sequoia Financial ties planning and investing together, with in-house teams and an independent investment process:

Wealth planning

• wealth planning: personalized plans across key life goals
• estate planning: guidance for legacy and beneficiary decisions
• tax planning: strategies to reduce tax drag
• business succession planning: planning support for ownership transitions
• trustee support services: help coordinating trust-related needs
• wealth transfer and philanthropic strategies: giving and transfer planning support

Asset management

• asset management: custom portfolios across diverse asset classes
• investment research: in-house research to support portfolio decisions
• tax-efficient portfolio management: after-tax focus within risk limits
• smart diversification: allocations across regions, sectors, and styles

Family office services

• Sequoia Sentinel: family office services for exceptional wealth
• private equity and private debt access: exposure to private market asset classes
• consolidated performance reporting: reporting across multiple custodians
• family governance support: meeting facilitation and family education
• strategic credit advice: guidance on credit and lending needs
• trustee services: support for trust administration roles

Specialized client support

• executive planning: planning built around complex executive compensation
• first responder planning: planning for public safety retirement rules
• special needs planning: planning support for special needs families

Partner-delivered services

• tax preparation: tax filing handled through third parties
• legal document preparation: document drafting handled through partners
• risk management and insurance: access to insurance placement support
• retirement plan services: plan services through partner solutions

Sequoia Financial Group also supports clients through team-based coverage and advisor coordination across service lines. Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC is the SEC-registered RIA entity used for investment advisory services.

Culture and corporate values

Sequoia Financial Group states that teams act as one firm across roles. It also cites honest communication and unified trust in its culture.

The company says it practices this by applying transparency "regardless of role or hierarchy" and by having its team "show up for each other" across functions. Sequoia Financial Group's values are:

1. integrity
2. passion
3. teamwork

Sequoia says it also built infrastructure to support work-life balance. The firm describes its workplace as growth-focused for all levels as well. It provides its staff with:

• medical, vision, and dental insurance
• 401(k) plan
• paid maternity and paternity leave
• tuition assistance
• career paths for new graduates, advisors, and RIA founders
• resources and leadership across service lines

Sequoia Financial Group says it pairs its service model with a workplace built around team coordination and professional growth. The firm backs this up with standard benefits, education support, and career tracks across experience levels.

About CEO Tom Haught and key people

Tom Haught serves as chair and CEO. Haught also founded Sequoia Financial Group in 1991 after leaving a VP of finance role at Lexi-Comp in Hudson. Haught holds a degree from Kent State University and sits on the boards of Buckeye Corrugated and Crowne Group.

Other members of the Sequoia Financial Group leadership team:

• Annie McCauley, CFP, is the president
• Joe Glick is the EVP, COO, and CFO
• Chris Thom, CFP, ChFC, CLU, CWS, is the EVP and chief growth officer
• Kevin Tichnell is the EVP and chief acquisitions officer
• Nick Zamparelli, CFA, MBA, is the SVP and CIO
• Justin Stets is the EVP of integrated wealth services

The leadership team splits duties across acquisitions, investment research, operations, and client-facing services. This setup lets Sequoia run its planning, investing, and growth functions under dedicated leaders.

The future at Sequoia Financial Group

In 2025, the firm agreed to acquire The Martin Worley Group, a Utah-based RIA with about $430 million in assets. The deal added a team of eight from Cottonwood Heights, with three partners becoming equity owners in Sequoia Financial Group. This move gives the company another foothold in the western US as it continues to grow through acquisitions.

Also in late 2025, Sequoia picked up Sterling Financial Group, a Pasadena-based indie RIA with $406 million in assets. The deal gave Sequoia its first standalone California office, on top of its earlier presence through Eide Bailly locations in Irvine and Torrance. With multiple acquisitions since 2023, the firm appears set to keep building out its national footprint.

The latest Sequoia Financial Group news