Following a series of changes in its leadership last month, Schwab Advisor Services has quickly pivoted, tapping a recently returned key man to fill a void in its enterprise solutions business.
Schwab Advisor Services said Wednesday that it has named longtime company executive Julian Lopez as leader of Enterprise Solutions, tightening its focus on the largest RIAs and wirehouse teams exploring independence.
The Enterprise Solutions arm works with Schwab’s biggest and most complex clients as well as advisors considering a move to the RIA channel.
The latest appointment follows significant moves in senior leadership Schwab Advisor Services last month, led by a top-level departure. In mid-November, the firm announced that chief client officer Tom Bradley will retire at the end of the year, after a career spent championing smaller RIAs and helping integrate Schwab and TD Ameritrade’s custody operations.
As part of that transition, Brad Losson was elevated to take on a new role leading sales and relationship management. At the time, Schwab said it would undertake a process to find a successor for the position vacated by Losson.
Lopez will take over Losson's role on Jan. 1st. He brings more than two decades at Schwab across relationship management and business development, which was interrupted by a two-year stint he spent at LPL before returning to the RIA custody giant earlier this year.
"I’m thrilled to welcome back Julian Lopez to the Schwab Advisor Services family as our newest 'Schwoomerang,' " Losson said in a LinkedIn post at the time.
In a statement, Jon Beatty, head of Schwab Advisor Services, framed the move against a backdrop of rapid change in the advice business. He said the RIA industry “is changing rapidly to meet the needs of investors and maintain its competitive advantage,” adding that “enterprise firms are at the forefront of this evolution.
"It’s never been more important for our Enterprise Solutions team to innovate and solve for the growing complexity in this part of the industry. Julian gets that," said Beatty, who took over the advisor services head role from Bernie Clark last year. "He understands that serving this segment requires a different approach, and he has the experience and the instincts to lead us there.”
Author's note: An earlier version of this story characterized last month's moves at Schwab as a sudden shakeup. It has been updated in light of clarifying information received after publication.
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