Captrust Financial Advisors has appointed Mike Wunderli as head of mergers and acquisitions, a move signaling the firm’s continued focus on strategic growth in a rapidly consolidating wealth management landscape.
Wunderli, who brings nearly a decade of experience from investment bank Echelon Partners, will oversee Captrust’s inorganic growth initiatives. In this new role, he is expected to guide the North Carolina-based mega-RIA’s acquisition strategy by targeting firms that align with Captrust’s client-centric and fiduciary-focused business model.
“The industry is at an inflection point,” Captrust chief executive Fielding Miller said in a statement Wednesday. “We wanted someone who was ready to face those challenges with energy and enthusiasm.”
Wundeli has collaborated with a range of capital providers, family offices, private equity firms, and institutional managers over the course of his career.
Most recently at Echelon, Wunderli served as a managing director, advising on transactions across the wealth and asset management industry. His work included M&A activity in the turnkey asset management platform and wealth tech segments.
Before joining Echelon, Wunderli spent 12 years in the private wealth management divisions of Lehman Brothers and UBS, where he led cross-divisional initiatives that connected wealth management with investment banking.
“I've been on the other side of the table for the last nine years, and I've seen how the industry's top acquirers have evolved,” Wunderli said. “In my view, a select group of elite firms will emerge as the clear leaders in the independent space, and Captrust is uniquely positioned to elevate the industry to new levels of quality, integrity, and fiduciary stewardship.”
Captrust, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, hit a series of key milestones over the past year as it continued to expand its national footprint. At the end of June 2024, the firm officially surpassed the $1 trillion AUM mark, which Miller described as a "surreal achievement."
In November, it acquired Boston Financial Management, a $5 billion firm, to strengthen its presence in New England. The firm followed that with the double acquisition of Campbell Wealth Management and TruNorth Wealth Partners in December, adding a combined $2 billion in assets across Virginia and Minnesota.
Earlier this year, Captrust entered the Charlotte market with the acquisition of Carolinas Investment Consulting, securing an additional $1.4 billion in assets.
Captrust offers investment management and advisory services to individuals, institutions, endowments, and retirement plan sponsors, with capabilities spanning OCIO services, fee benchmarking, plan design, and financial wellness programs.
Wells Fargo adds two bank-channel recruits, UBS lands a JPMorgan Chase veteran, and a multi-family office lifts Atlas past $1B
“The state comes down on you in years when you make 40% returns for clients,” said Bill Swayne, the advisor and son of Candace Swayne.
The Independent broker-dealer giant has had “active conversations” with the Claude maker, which is days away from its expected IPO
For Gen X clients entering life after work, answering the financial question isn't enough to solve the entire retirement equation.
Tools from Grantd, Income Lab and Healthspan Wealth aim to keep RIAs involved in clients’ biggest money decisions
Growing wealth, evolving priorities, and untapped opportunities are reshaping how women approach long-term investing.
Knighthead Life entered the market with a competitive MYGA. A strong launch earned advisor confidence and paved the way for FIAs.
