Captrust taps Echelon's Mike Wunderli to lead merger strategy

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.