Diversify maintains growth pace with double deal in Western US

Diversify, the advisor-founded and advisor-led firm that was launched less than a year ago, is continuing its strong recruitment momentum as a handful of advisors join its network in the West.

On Wednesday, Diversify Advisor Network announced the addition of Perspective Financial Services, a Phoenix-based fee-only firm managing $290 million in assets.

Founded in 2003 by industry veteran Mike McCann, Perspective brings a team of seven advisors who have worked together for more than 15 years. The group is joining Diversify by way of Diversify Wealth Management, its W-2/Partner RIA platform.

Jina Horton, vice president of business development at Diversify, highlighted the move as “a big win for the Diversify family.”

“The entire Perspective team has an extraordinary dedication to their clients and their community,” Horton said in a statement. “They align perfectly with the long-term vision we are creating at Diversify.”

McCann, who brings 20 years of experience in the industry, said the move was a strategic partnership with a firm whose leadership “truly understands the needs of advisors.”

 “That is hard to find today,” he said, citing the Diversify’s “vision, agility, and responsiveness [to] clients' needs.”

Beyond the Perspective partnership, Diversify has welcomed Jason Zivich to its independent RIA platform, Diversify Advisory Services.

Formally with WealthSource, Zivich maintains his practice at Manhattan Beach, California with a focus on ultra-high-net-worth investors. With a 10-year record that includes stints at JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Merrill Lynch, he oversees $150 million in fee-based assets.

For Diversify CEO Ryan Smith, the latest additions are an affirmation of the firm’s strategy.

“With a multi-affiliation model, advisors can choose a path that makes the best sense for them at that stage in their career,” he said. “Advisors need optionality and a clear path of succession.”

Diversify Advisor Network offers three affiliation models: a W-2 Partner Platform, which it introduced in January; a 1099 independent-affiliation RIA platform; and DFPG Investments, its full-service independent broker-dealer.

Since its initial launch in December, Diversify has grown quickly into a formidable platform with roughly $8 billion in assets.

Beyond its three advisor affiliation models, the firm strengthened its in-house, fee-based asset management platform in April with a team led by its CIO, industry veteran David Wrigley.