Genesis Wealth kicks off 2026 recruitment with $650M advisor pair from JPMorgan

Genesis Wealth, a Chicago-based wealth firm, is kicking off 2026 with a strong start to attract bank and wirehouse talent into its LPL-affiliated platform.

The firm has recruited Todd Brase and Dray Henderson, two veteran wirehouse advisors who previously managed a combined $650 million in client assets at JPMorgan Chase. Focused on high-net-worth households in the Chicago suburbs, Brase is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, while Henderson is in Downers Grove, Illinois.

Brase has 24 years of industry experience, including 22 years at JPMorgan Chase, and has overseen about $350 million in client assets. His practice focuses on high-net-worth individuals and families.

Henderson has spent 25 years in the industry and has managed roughly $301 million in client assets, with a practice centered on goals-based planning, retirement and tax planning, and wealth transfer strategies.

In a statement, Kosta Tanglis, founder and managing partner at Genesis Wealth, said the additions reflect the type of mid-to-late-career advisors the firm is targeting as banks and wirehouses continue to see experienced producers explore independence.

He said that Genesis Wealth was built for “experienced professionals who want to serve clients with greater freedom and intentionality.”

Many senior advisors “are reassessing traditional bank models and realizing there's a better way forward,” Tanglis added , framing Genesis Wealth’s offering as a bridge from captive bank channels to a more flexible setup with continuity for clients.

Bryan Schneider, founder and wealth advisor, said Genesis Wealth aims to appeal to bank-based advisors who still want scale, infrastructure and compliance support, highlighting how the firm gives advisors “the tools and support to elevate planning and enhance the client experience without compromise.” He described Brase and Henderson as long-time practitioners with deep client relationships.

Genesis Wealth positions itself as a supported-independence destination for bank and wirehouse advisors who want to offload office management and operations while retaining control over client relationships and planning. The firm offers turnkey infrastructure including staff, office space in the Chicagoland area, technology and coverage of LPL affiliation costs, allowing advisors to concentrate on client work and practice growth.

The firm's strategy leans firmly into a yearslong trend of bank and wirehouse advisors making a break for independence. Research by Cerulli projects wirehouse advisor headcount will shrink by 5.7% over the next three years, while retail bank broker-dealer advisors will shrink by 6%.

That movement might actually accelerate in the near term, as a late September legal decision in a case against OpenArc, a newly launched Dynasty partner firm set up by a breakaway team from Merrill Lynch, could embolden more breakaways.  

The new hires at Genesis Wealth follow a year of positive recruiting momentum. In November, the firm said it had surpassed its 2025 asset target, hitting $2.5 billion in assets under management through a mix of advisor transitions and organic growth. It has signaled plans to keep expanding its footprint in and around Chicago as more bank-based advisors weigh independent RIA and hybrid options.