After notching significant growth at its W-2 channel, Carson Group has hired a banking industry veteran to oversee what has become the main engine of the Omaha, Nebraska-based RIA’s acquisition strategy.
The firm announced on Tuesday that Matt Humphrey, a former Goldman Sachs private wealth advisor who most recently ran a regional bank’s wealth unit, will be joining as divisional president of its integrated advisor channel and a member of Carson’s executive leadership team.
"The role is a new part of Carson's channel-focused leadership structure," a spokesperson for Carson confirmed to InvestmentNews via email.
Humphrey's responsibilities at the $65 billion firm will include growing Carson Wealth’s employee advisor offices, improving the experience for those advisors and better linking the resources that support them, according to the announcement.
"As the firm has grown, it has organized more intentionally around the unique needs of the integrated and independent advisor channels," the email from the Carson spokesperson explained. "This position helps provide dedicated leadership for the integrated side of the business."
Humphrey took an unusual route into the business. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and spent eight years as an Army aviation officer before earning an MBA in finance and strategy from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He then joined Goldman Sachs as a private wealth advisor.
He's arriving at Carson from United Bank, where he was executive vice president and head of wealth and investment management, as well as chief executive of United Brokerage Services. In that role he oversaw more than 100 financial professionals responsible for more than $12 billion in assets under supervision.
Highlighting the strategic significance of the hire, Burt White, CEO of Carson Group, pointed to Humphrey's "combination of leadership, operating experience and advisor perspective ... as we continue to build the next chapter of Carson Wealth.
“He understands what it takes to lead and grow a complex wealth management business, but just as importantly, he understands this business from the advisor and client perspective," White said. "His leadership experience has been built around bringing people together around a shared mission, and that’s exactly the kind of leader we want helping us take Carson Wealth forward.”
The hire completes a reorganization that splits Carson into two advisor businesses, each with its own leadership. Humphrey runs the integrated, W-2 side. Scott Conroy, also a divisional president, leads the independent channel, which recently added Kevin Peterson, formerly head of recruiting at Osaic, as senior vice president of business development.
Under the new structure, business development, onboarding and business consulting will sit as dedicated resource centers within each channel rather than across the firm.
“Carson’s growth over the past several years speaks for itself, but what ultimately drew me here was the people and the community,” Humphrey said.
“I met a team that is smart, driven, collaborative and genuinely excited about what they’re building together," he said. "There are tremendous capabilities across Carson, and I see an opportunity to bring those strengths together in ways that help our advisors grow their businesses and deliver an even stronger experience for clients.
Humphrey is taking command over a channel that has been expanding significantly through acquisitions. Last month, Carson Wealth crossed a milestone of 50 fully integrated offices when Elios Financial Group joined from Westlake, Ohio, bringing roughly $367 million in assets to the platform.
Earlier this month, the firm welcomed Foran Financial Group, a $410 million from LPL that became a fully branded Carson Wealth office in Somerville, New Jersey.
Carson Wealth announced six deals representing about $2.16 billion in assets in the second quarter of 2026, according to Echelon Partners’ Q2 RIA M&A Deal Report. That pace placed it third among the quarter’s most active buyers, behind Stratos Wealth Network with 11 deals and Wealth Enhancement Group with seven.
Beyond recruitment, Carson has also turned its attention to the problem of advisor retention with its Carson Equity Program for W-2 advisors and staff. Under that program, the firm offers ownership opportunities to high-growth employee advisors nearing the end of their acquisition-related incentives, as well as next-generation advisors and operations staff.
“Our business is built by exceptional people, and this new equity program reflects our belief that the advisors and team members creating long-term value for Carson should have the opportunity to share in that success,” White said when the program launched.
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