People moves: LPL expands wealth leadership as Caprock taps M&A veteran

LPL Financial and Caprock have announced leadership hires aimed at expanding their core capabilities in wealth planning, client service, and mergers and acquisitions.

At LPL, Tara Thompson Popernik has joined as executive vice president and head of wealth planning. In the role, she will oversee the firm’s financial planning, high-net-worth, and product management teams. The firm said her leadership will focus on expanding LPL’s planning capabilities for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

"Tara’s extensive experience and deep understanding of the unique needs of high-net-worth clients will be invaluable as we continue to grow and refine our wealth planning value, ensuring we provide personalized and sophisticated advice to all our clients," Aneri Jambusaria, group managing director of wealth management at LPL, said in a Wednesday statement announcing the new executive hire.

Before joining LPL, Thompson Popernik spent 21 years at Bernstein Private Wealth, where she most recently led the wealth strategies team. Her background includes expertise in complex financial planning and a focus on client-centric advice.

LPL also named Monte Tomasino as executive vice president of service digital enablement. Tomasino previously served as vice president of digital enablement and engagement at Dell Technologies, where he oversaw strategic planning, operational delivery and digital transformation. He also led all Dell contact centers and technical support operations during his tenure.

Tomasino joins LPL in the wake of several tech initiatives at the firm, including a new digital marketing platform unveiled in January and the introduction of its first-ever chief data and AI officer last month.

Also on Wednesday, Caprock announced it has appointed Frank Giuliano as head of corporate development. The firm said he will lead efforts in advisor recruitment and M&A, aligning with Caprock’s plan to selectively expand in new and existing markets.

"Our strategy has always been to do what’s best for our clients and advisors, which is why we pursue a deliberate and highly selective growth strategy," Gregory Brown, Caprock’s co-CEO, said Wednesday morning. "At Caprock we are focused only on exceptional advisors working with exceptional clients."

Giuliano joins from LPL, where he served as vice president of corporate development. There, he was instrumental in launching LPL’s liquidity and succession program, which led to the acquisition of nearly two dozen RIAs and wealth management firms, including several unaffiliated with the company.

Founded in 2005, Caprock completed its first acquisition in 2024 with the purchase of Grey Street Capital, a boutique Chicago-based firm with $2.2 billion in client assets. The transaction reflected the firm’s broader strategy to scale its ultra-high-net-worth offering through select partnerships.

Caprock serves 400 families with more than $13 billion in assets under advisement. The privately held firm operates from 12 offices across the US, including Chicago, Denver, New York and Newport Beach.