In honor of Independence Day this week, InvestmentNews is reaching out to a number of financial advisors to learn their personal “independence stories.” Of course, wealth managers leaving an investment bank or wirehouse to operate on their own is a different type of risk than the mortal dangers faced by America’s Continental Army when they split off from King George III. Nevertheless, the entrepreneurial spirit is very much part of the essence of America and what makes the country - and its financial system - the envy of the world!
Craig Robson: Since launching Regent Peak in 2019 after breaking away from Merrill Lynch, we have more than doubled the firm’s revenue and AUM, and doubled the size of our team. Our AUM now exceeds $700 million, and we’ve been able to serve a broader mix of clients – including corporate executives, business owners, generationally wealthy families and divorcees and others – thanks to a more flexible model that removes wirehouse constraints and that allows us to tailor how we engage and deliver advice.
For example, when preparing for a mediation meeting with a prospect going through a divorce, I obtained my Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) certification and built that expertise into our pricing model. I was also able to quickly sign an NDA – something my wirehouse competitors couldn’t do – while they lacked both the flexibility and a clear pricing structure for divorce-related advice. That kind of responsiveness is what enables us to serve a wider range of clients and grow.
Robson: Before going independent, the answer to most things was “no.” Now, a key driver of our growth is the ability to say “yes” to a broader set of clients, to better strategies, and to solutions that truly fit their needs.
One of the biggest reasons we left the wirehouse was the lack of flexibility around technology. To serve a diverse and growing client base, we needed more sophisticated tools. Independence gave us the freedom to choose the best technology for our firm and our clients, and that flexibility has been a major driver of our growth. With technology constantly evolving and becoming more efficient, staying nimble in your tech stack is everything.
We’ve also expanded our investment platform to include alternative offerings - private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate and digital assets - exposing clients to asset classes many had never accessed previously. Being nimble in our investment approach and building a robust private markets platform has led to stronger portfolio diversification and access to differentiated opportunities that weren’t available in the wirehouse environment.
Internally, we have created a culture where our team is supported as people first, which leads to more empathetic and effective client service. That attention to culture has helped us recruit and retain top talent, which in turn powers sustainable, client-driven growth.
Robson: It’s completely changed. In the wirehouse environment, we could only engage clients once assets were transferred. Now, we start with conversations that matter: “What are your priorities? What are your pain points? What legacy are you trying to build?”
When we talk about alternatives - private equity, secondaries, crypto, private credit - it’s eye-opening. Clients will say, ‘Tell me more. I don’t have any exposure to that. One of the reasons I’m talking to you is because someone said your firm actually diligences these opportunities.’
What’s been most impactful is we’re no longer confined by what our previous employer’s investment committee said we could or couldn’t recommend. Now we can diligence a strategy, understand it, and if it makes sense, bring it to the client. That flexibility is everything.
Robson: The resources I had previously were not going to be what I needed when I started my own business. I underestimated how much infrastructure we’d need to build: tech, service models, compliance, marketing, and talent pipelines. But I also realized quickly that you have a world of options. Now you have to have the resource allocation to implement them. We overcame it by bringing in talent before we needed it, leaning on trusted third-party vendors, and making sure every client had continuity in their advisor relationship from day one.
Robson: First, don’t underestimate the build. It’s the wild, wild West - in a good way. You’ve got optionality like never before, but you’ve got staff for it and structure for it. Second, stay rooted in your “why.” For us, it was about unlocking better service and better culture.
At Regent Peak, we built a place where people could bring their whole selves to work, and clients could benefit from that authenticity. Third, hire ahead of demand. If you’re serious about growth, you need to bring in the right people before you’re capacity-constrained. That’s what allowed us to grow intentionally, without sacrificing service or culture.
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