Larry Roth links consulting firm with Berkshire Global Advisors

Larry Roth, the former CEO of Cetera Financial Group and AIG Advisor Group who is now an industry consultant, has formed an alliance with middle-market investment bank Berkshire Global Advisors to help facilitate acquisition activity within the financial services industry. Mr. Roth, 60, launched New York-based RLR Strategic Partners a year ago to help various businesses, including financial technology and private equity firms, expand their presence in the wealth management space. "This business is designed to help firms in the wealth space to develop strategies for growth," he said. "I'm focused on growth strategies for retail wealth management, and a big part of that retail wealth is mergers and acquisitions." Central to RLR's approach is a focus on enhancing or building business models that prioritize strategies and technologies that connect firms, professionals and consumers in innovative ways, while shedding costly and inefficient legacy operations and financial structures that no longer add value, according to Mr. Roth. The firm's clients today encompass registered investment advisers, hybrid RIA and RIA aggregators, private equity firms active in the wealth management space, asset managers and fintech companies, from venture-backed start-ups to more established enterprises. "If someone is interested in acquiring a wealth manager, etc., they would hire Berkshire to help target and negotiate the acquisition," Mr. Roth said.