Former Invesco, Merrill veteran joins $17B RIA to lead marketing

Former Invesco, Merrill veteran joins $17B RIA to lead marketing
Joanna Irwin, chief marketing officer at Homrich Berg.
New CMO plans to drive growth at Atlanta based firm.
SEP 10, 2024

An Atlanta based RIA had hired an industry veteran to head up its marketing efforts to drive growth.

The $17 billion AUM Homrich Berg’s new chief marketing officer is a former Merrill Lynch digital marketing strategist Joanna Irwin, who also spent a decade at Invesco as CMO for North America and has most recently been global CMO for talent firm Randstad.

“I’m energized to be at a people- and client-first company. HB has done an excellent job building a strong reputation and growing organically, and it’s in a prime position for continued growth,” said Irwin. “We have a great opportunity to leverage increased digital marketing and broader brand-building efforts as the fuel to take HB to the next level.”

She frees up principal Bill Bolen, CFP, CFA, to focus on client service as a wealth advisor in the HB Family Office division having been in the CMO role alongside his advisor duties.

“We appreciate the strong industry-leading organic growth strategy that Bill has helped build at HB over the past decade and are pleased to see him now be able to focus full-time on serving our family office clients,” said Thomas Carroll, CEO of Homrich Berg. “We are excited to now add Joanna to our leadership team as a talented veteran marketing executive with the right mix of traditional and digital marketing experience to lead us into the next 35 years of our firm growth story.”

HB has seen industry-leading organic and acquisitive growth in recent years, and with Irwin driving marketing initiatives the firm expects to expand its brand awareness efforts in multiple markets.

The firm has seen several senior leadership appointments in the past year including Carroll’s appointment as chief executive officer in September 2023 after four years with the firm and succeeding founder Andy Berg who remains as chair.  

In April 2024, Michael A. Woocher was appointed as principal and chief advisory officer, joining from Bernstein Private Wealth Management, where he led the Atlanta office as managing director and wealth advisor.

Latest News

Creative Planning's Peter Mallouk slams 'offensive' congressional stock trading
Creative Planning's Peter Mallouk slams 'offensive' congressional stock trading

"This shouldn’t be hard to ban, but neither party will do it. So offensive to the people they serve," RIA titan Peter Mallouk said in a post that referenced Nancy Pelosi's reported stock gains.

Raymond James hauls Ameriprise advisors managing $1.1B in New York
Raymond James hauls Ameriprise advisors managing $1.1B in New York

Elsewhere, Sanctuary Wealth recently attracted a $225 million team from Edward Jones in Colorado.

Cetera debuts new alts allocation portfolios for accredited investors
Cetera debuts new alts allocation portfolios for accredited investors

The giant hybrid RIA is elevating its appeal to advisors with a curated suite of alternative investment models, offering exposure to private equity, private credit, and real estate.

Steward Partners expands in California with $1.1 billion RIA acquisition
Steward Partners expands in California with $1.1 billion RIA acquisition

The $40 billion RIA firm's latest West Coast deal brings a veteran with over 25 years of experience to its legacy division for succession-focused advisors.

Invictus managers withhold $10M, trigger ERISA asset showdown
Invictus managers withhold $10M, trigger ERISA asset showdown

Invictus fund managers allegedly kept $10 million in plan assets after removal, setting off a legal fight that raises red flags for wealth firms.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.