Perigon Wealth Management eyes growth with leadership shakeup

Perigon Wealth Management, a San Francisco-based independent RIA, is ramping up its expansion and M&A ambitions with key additions to its leadership team.

The firm, which manages approximately $8.2 billion in client assets as of June 30, has hired a new chief financial officer and created two new management roles to support its strategic objectives.

On Friday, Perigon announced it had welcomedDavid Scarpello as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Chuck Pinson-Rose, who has held the role since 2015.

Pinson-Rose will transition to managing director, finance and investment, where he will continue supporting the firm’s growth initiatives and remain involved in investment advisory work.

“David has more than 30 years of experience supporting a range of forward-looking financial services institutions and wealth management firms, and I look forward to working closely with him as we execute the next phase of our growth strategy,” CEO Arthur Ambarik said in a statement.

Scarpello brings extensive experience in financial leadership, having most recently served as CFO for Pathstone, a family office and advisory firm catering to ultra-high-net-worth clients. His background includes expertise in M&A support, financial planning, and strategic growth for financial services and fintech firms.

“I’ve watched Perigon’s rise from afar and have been incredibly impressed with Art, Chuck, and the entire executive team’s approach to the market," Scarpello noted. "I look forward to working to build upon the incredible foundation as we continue to execute into the future.”

The two newly created roles are director of operations and director of transitions and integrations, filled by industry veterans Brian McGunnigle and Debra Dunham, respectively.

McGunnigle, formerly with The Mather Group, will report to Chief Investment Officer Rafia Hasan as he oversees Perigon's operational strategies and M&A integrations. He announced his departure from TMG to Perigon in a September LinkedIn post.

Meanwhile, Dunham, who most recently spent two years leading integration efforts at The Colony Group according to her LinkedIn profile, will report to Head of Advisor Success and Integration Maria Daley.

The Colony Group, a Focus Financial partner RIA, has absorbed several fellow Focus firms this year as part of a broad internal merger strategy being rolled out at the aggregator, which was picked up by Clayton Dubillier & Rice and Stone Point Capital-affiliated funds in a $7 billion take-private deal last year.

Both appointments at Perigon are part of its strategy to expand services and support the firm’s advisor teams as they grow.

Perigon has been expanding its presence across major US markets since late 2021. That includes snapping up Nauset Wealth Management in 2022 and adding Prudeo Partners in February this year. 

Its strategic growth plans got a shot in the arm in January when it revealed a minority investment from Chicago-based Constellation Wealth Capital, which came just as Merchant Investment Management exited its own five-year partnership with Perigon.