30-year industry veteran joins Modern Wealth to lead national M&A strategy, accelerate firm’s expansion across key U.S. markets

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Modern Wealth Management (“Modern Wealth”), a registered investment advisory (RIA) firm founded to meet the evolving needs of today’s financial professionals and their clients, today announced the appointment of Derek Bruton as Head of Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). In this role, he will oversee the firm’s national inorganic growth strategy while mentoring and leading Modern Wealth’s Partnership Development team.

Bringing more than 30 years of experience across M&A, RIA, custodian and broker-dealer channels, Bruton will oversee all aspects of the firm’s M&A activity, targeting firms that align with its service model and culture. Leveraging his experience managing organizations of all sizes, he will help strengthen the team responsible for sourcing, integrating and onboarding new advisory firms. In addition, Bruton will foster and develop Modern Wealth’s relationships with investment bankers, consultants and others active in RIA transactions to drive continued growth through strategic deal opportunities.

“What Modern Wealth has built is impressive, and it starts with the people,” said Bruton. “The founders and executive team are individuals I trust and have enjoyed working with over the years. They’ve built a great business in a short amount of time, and I’m excited to help build on that success. What stood out to me most is how the team’s shared vision and trust have fueled Modern Wealth’s rapid growth – a trajectory I’m eager to help take to the next level.”

Bruton joins Modern Wealth from Gladstone Group, where he oversaw numerous RIA sell-side transactions and led the Strategic Growth Consulting division of Gladstone Associates, advising large enterprises, RIA founders, asset managers and wealthtech firms on M&A strategy and capital growth. Earlier in his career, he held executive positions at Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade and LPL Financial, where he helped drive advisor recruitment and business development. Having recruited over 10,000 advisors and advised more than 20,000 firms on growth and strategy, Bruton brings a deep understanding of the M&A landscape and how to position advisory firms for sustainable growth and continuity.

“We’re grateful for Derek’s contributions to Gladstone and the leadership he’s shown in helping us navigate the surge of M&A activity in the wealth management industry,” said Daniel Kreuter, Founder & CEO of Gladstone Group. “As consolidation continues across the industry at a rapid clip, collaboration between RIA buyers and M&A advisors has never been more important. Derek’s experience and ongoing relationship with our team will only strengthen the connection between Gladstone and Modern Wealth, creating new opportunities for both firms as we grow together.”

Since its launch in April 2023, Modern Wealth has completed 18 acquisitions that have expanded its presence to 20 client-facing offices across 14 states. This nationwide growth has established a footprint spanning the West, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, South and Northeast, bringing Modern Wealth’s total assets under management (AUM) to more than $10 billion. With Bruton leading Modern Wealth’s M&A strategy, the firm aims to propel its expansion through a disciplined and strategic approach.

“Modern Wealth has achieved early success in our acquisition strategy over just 30 months, and Derek brings the industry knowledge, connections, passion and drive to take that momentum even further,” said Jason Gordo, Co‑founder and President of Modern Wealth. “Derek is a difference maker. We believe he will take our growth to the next level by drawing on the relationships and expertise he’s built over three decades in the industry. Bringing in talent of Derek’s caliber is an investment in our future and our continued national expansion.”

Modern Wealth remains committed to building out its Partnership Development team to advance acquisition opportunities nationwide. The firm is currently seeking a dedicated East Coast partnership development professional to join its growing team. To learn more or apply, please visit modwm.com.

About Modern Wealth Management

Modern Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser (RIA) reimagining the delivery of financial advice. Co-Founded by former United Capital executives Gary Roth, Mike Capelle and Jason Gordo, Modern Wealth was designed to anticipate the needs of Americans at every stage in life by providing a full suite of wealth management services carried out by a team of experts specializing in financial planning, tax planning and preparation, estate planning and more. Strategically acquiring high-growth RIAs across the country, Modern Wealth plans to establish regional offices in key locations spanning the United States. To learn more about Modern Wealth’s next generation platform and advice delivery model, please email [email protected] or visit modwm.com.

Registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

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Source: Modern Wealth Management