RIA moves: RWA Wealth Partners strengthens leadership as $8B Procyon widens Northeast footprint

RWA Wealth Partners has bolstered its leadership with an external hire and internal promotion, while Dynasty Financial Partner firm Procyon has acquired another foothold in the Northeast through a deal in Connecticut.

RWA Wealth Partners, which manages more than $17 billion, announced on Tuesday that it has promoted two senior executives to newly created leadership positions.

Nicole LaChapelle has been named president of RWA Family Office, and Steve Reder will now serve as president of RWA Private Wealth. Both moves are designed to strengthen the firm’s service offerings for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

LaChapelle, who previously spent nearly 20 years at Ropes & Gray before joining RWA via Ropes Wealth Advisors, will oversee a 40-person team serving families with complex financial needs. That includes trust administration and legacy planning.

Reder, who has held roles at Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, United Capital and PNC, will lead a 75-person team focused on high-net-worth individuals and families.

Both executives will report directly to CEO Michelle Knight, who stepped into the chief executive role in June last year.

“Nicole and Steve have been instrumental in the success of the RWA brand over the past year,” Knight said in the Tuesday statement revealing the moves. “They are outstanding leaders, and I am proud to have them at the helm of our private wealth and family office divisions.”

RWA, headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, is one of the largest woman-led RIAs in the US and operates offices in Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston. The firm has positioned itself as a multi-disciplinary platform designed to support clients across wealth, tax and family governance needs.

Separately, Procyon, an $8 billion RIA based in Connecticut, announced the acquisition of Wooster Corthell Wealth Management, a boutique firm managing approximately $600 million in assets. The deal expands Procyon’s presence in the Northeast and brings its total headcount to 56 professionals across five states.

Founded more than 30 years ago, Wooster Corthell will maintain its Glastonbury office, with three advisors and five staff members joining Procyon. The acquisition adds to Procyon’s capabilities in legacy planning, retirement strategy and integrated family wealth services.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Wooster Corthell team to Procyon,” Phil Fiore, Procyon’s CEO and co-founder, said Tuesday. “They share our client-first values, commitment to holistic family wealth planning, adherence to the utmost fiduciary standards and belief in the power of building strong, long-term relationships.”

Wooster Corthell’s CEO, Matthew Corthell, said the deal allows the firm to scale its offering while retaining its core identity. “For over 30 years, we have built Wooster Corthell around deep relationships, thoughtful planning, and unwavering independence,” he said.

Procyon serves both retirement plan clients and private wealth households, and has offices in Connecticut, New York City, Long Island, Maryland and Tennessee. Earlier this year, the firm secured backing from serial minority RIA investor Constellation Wealth Capital, which Procyon said would accelerate its national expansion while keeping its independence intact.