Bernstein Private Wealth taps former UBS and Northern Trust leaders for key US roles

Bernstein Private Wealth Management has named two new managing directors as part of its ongoing growth strategy, appointing Gregory Kadet and Cecily Bolding to lead its offices in the Rocky Mountains and Dallas, Texas, respectively.

The hires, announced Wednesday, reflect the firm’s continued focus on expanding its presence in priority US markets and strengthening its team of experienced wealth advisors.

Kadet, who will be based in Denver, brings over three decades of experience in wealth management. Before joining Bernstein, he served as managing director and market head for Greater Florida at UBS in Tampa, where he oversaw a team of 350 employees, including 180 advisors, across 15 locations and managed more than $50 billion in assets. His previous roles at UBS included regional sales manager, where he helped lead 1,000 financial advisors across seven states.

Bolding, a Dallas/Fort Worth native, joins Bernstein after two decades in the industry. She previously held the position of managing director at Northern Trust, where she was responsible for the Dallas market and provided advice on multi-generational wealth strategies to high-net-worth families. Earlier in her career, Bolding worked in the nonprofit sector, engaging with high-net-worth donors and establishing boards for organizations such as Make-A-Wish North Texas and The Dallas Symphony.

Both Kadet and Bolding will report to Adam Sansiveri, regional senior managing director at Bernstein, and will lead teams serving high-net-worth and ultrahigh-net-worth clients.

Rick Meyers, executive managing director and head of client and advisory services, said in a statement that Bernstein is “committed to both organic and inorganic strategies to grow our business and bolster our advisor team.” He added that Kadet and Bolding have the “leadership qualities and skill set to accelerate our presence in their respective markets.”

Sansiveri described the new hires as accomplished leaders with “exceptional skills and impressive backgrounds,” noting their success in managing and growing high-performing teams.

The appointments come as Bernstein, which reported $144 billion in assets under management as of June 30, continues to pursue inorganic growth, including the recruitment of experienced advisors and selective acquisitions of RIAs. The firm unveiled those plans in July as it announced the additions of Craig Storch, Neel Ray, and Marshall Butler to its leadership.

In May, Bernstein boosted its UHNW platform with the promotion of Ashley Velategui, a nearly two-decade veteran at the firm, to head its wealth strategies group.

The firm made its ambitions in the ultra-high-net-worth space clear in January last year, when it announced new senior executives for the platform and set up a dedicated UHNW service team.

It was then that the firm also abolished the use of the "financial advisor" title, replacing it with the term "wealth advisor."

"We feel this title change is a reflection of how our advisors holistically counsel our clients on their assets, complexities, and successes to come, rather than a singular investment or moment in time,” Rick Meyers, head of client and advisory said at the time.